It was another action-packed weekend for Folkestone Running and Athletics Club members, with our junior athletes taking centre stage indoors while senior members tackled marathons, half marathons and parkruns both at home and abroad.
The weekend began with the first SportsHall Athletics competition of the season at the Stour Centre in Ashford. The Under-12s were first into action, with many experiencing their very first competition. Any pre-event nerves were quickly forgotten as they produced a series of excellent performances. The Under-14 and Under-16 athletes then took to the arena and continued the strong showing with some outstanding athletic achievements. Throughout the day, FRAC Juniors demonstrated fantastic team spirit, enthusiastically cheering on their teammates and proving that enjoyment and encouragement are just as important as the results themselves.
On Sunday, Jane Wren completed the Dublin Marathon, her 19th marathon and remarkably her third-fastest finish. Jane was particularly pleased to achieve a negative split, running the second half faster than the first. Despite challenging conditions that included gusting winds of up to 47mph, rain showers around halfway and an undulating course, she thoroughly enjoyed the experience and praised both the atmosphere and the support from the crowds around the Irish capital.
Also on Sunday, David Tetlow took on the Canterbury Trail Marathon, organised by Sporting Events UK. The challenging route featured muddy bogs, numerous hills and strong headwinds around the trails surrounding Canterbury. David completed the marathon in an impressive 4:58, although the reality was even tougher, with the course measuring approximately 29 miles, giving runners an extra three miles for good measure. Despite the demanding conditions, he described the event as a thoroughly enjoyable test of endurance.
Over in Spain, Darren Crew completed the Valencia Half Marathon in an excellent 1:28:02, marking the second race in his quest to complete all six events in the prestigious SuperHalfs series. Conditions were warm for a late-autumn day, but the famously flat course provided ideal racing terrain. Darren was joined by Michaelangelo Siracusa, who was also completing his second SuperHalf event and crossed the finish line in 2:20:25.
Parkrun Round-Up
Club members were once again well represented at parkruns across the UK and overseas.
At Folkestone parkrun, Tom Bean led the club home and finished second overall in 17:57. Other FRAC finishers were: Guy Slingsby (18:11), Jason Brett (18:30), Jacob Henwood (20:08), Tristan Bruce (20:46), James Barney (20:53), Thomas Aspinall (20:57), Darren Philip (21:02), Peter Sheridan (21:45), Asim Rai (21:54), Phil Haines (22:12), Stephen Deeming (22:23), Ian Vousden (22:43), Jason King (23:21), Stuart Erskine (23:24), Joseph Carroll (23:28), Simon Coffey (23:39), Kevin Yates (23:41), Catherine O’Connor (24:03), Paul Bartlett (24:04), Henry Axon (24:04), Julie Apps (24:34), John O’Hara (24:37), Rebecca Stevenson (24:40), David Hitching (24:40), Clive Allon (25:48), Will Harvey (25:51), Hilary Collins (25:54), Paul Hannay (26:04), Agata Daszuta (26:09), James Springett (26:10), Belinda Hitching (26:37), Diane Parsons (26:40), Anna Thomsen (27:34), Amy Axon (27:34), Caron Inder (28:35), Ron Bell (28:36), Christopher Woolgar (29:28), Richard Fowles (29:39), Marie Brazier (29:39), Rosie Smissen (31:16), Rachel Yorke (31:19), Victoria Edwards (31:57), Trudi Curd (33:14), Malcolm Gibbs (36:06), Sue Elkins (36:23), Pamela Allon (36:25), Julie Gibbs (36:25), Miles Gawthorp (37:47), Brian Davis (40:47), Beth Goodchild (48:05) and Kate Lancefield (54:05).
Elsewhere, Ian Merrick produced an excellent run to finish second at Walmer and Deal Seafront parkrun with a personal best of 17:49, while Andrew Noble, Sarah Nunn, Layla Dmonte, Luke Hicks, Kate Evans and Meg Morrison represented the club at Dover Waterfront parkrun.
Further afield, FRAC members were in action at Dolls Point Australia (Nathaniel Weekes 24:13, David Weekes 24:26), Mote Park (Caroline Curtis 26:15), Fairview Ireland (Alan Randall 27:40), Kesgrave (Greg Dixon 23:11), St Andrews Scotland(Philip Maul 30:11), Brooklyn Bridge USA (Kevin Newman 19:35), Ashford (Sarah Silver 32:17) and Cheltenham (Bex Bell 28:16) parkruns, highlighting the club’s ever-growing international reach.
From first-time junior competitors to marathon veterans and international travellers, it was another fantastic weekend showcasing the diversity, determination and community spirit of Folkestone Running Club.