Hatfield 5 race provides focus for Garden City Runners

The annual five mile race, starting and finishing at the Forum at the University of Hertfordshire and utilising the Alban Way before returning via Sleapshyde, is known as one of the quickest over the distance.

And so it proved as GCR scorched round the course, claiming medals in the county championships too.

Garden City Runners at the University of Hertfordshire for the Hatfield 5. Picture: GCR (Image: Garden City Runners)

Peter Harvey and Zoe Stephens took gold in the MV55 and FV40 categories, with the latter coming in one place ahead of team-mate Lucy Isles.

Rebecca Barden also had a silver, hers coming in the FV55  group with Sarah Durston behind her taking the bronze.

Paul Guy took third in the MV45 category with a MV65 bronze coming for Keith McLellan. 

Chris Baylis, Jamie Rose, Harvey and Guy also won a senior county bronze in the team event.

Baylis was the fastest GCR male in 28 minutes one second with Stephens the fastest female in a time of 33:34.

Other highlights included Dave Goosetree guiding Paul Watts to a 48:25 finish.

A total of 88 GCRs were out on Saturday morning for parkruns with a good number at Wimpole Estate, including long-distance member Willow Gibson.

Richard Somerset was the first of them to finish.

Tendy St Francis got the award for furthest parkrun from home at Yodogawa in Japan.

Closer to home, Caroline Hale was second lady at Stevenage while Andrew Holt was first overall at Stockley County, just north of Heathrow.

Panshanger though was as usual the main source for City Runners.

Adam Wadley was third overall followed by Chris Eland (fifth), Robert Casserley (sixth), Nicholas Summers (ninth) and Dom Thomas (11th).

Felicity Wadley was 2nd lady in 24:13, a new PB, while Sam Males was third in another quickest time.

Katy Healy (fourth), Helen Stratford (seventh) and Rebecca Barden (ninth) were the other leading GCR females.