Runners complete busy schedule

Eleven club members competed in the St Valentine’s 30k road race organised by Stamford Striders.

Run over a challenging course through lovely countryside, the hills are quite relentless and include approximately 750ft of climbing.

Stuart Cragg (Spilsby) was running the race for the fourth time and finished in 1:57:31 for 16th place and second Vet 40.

Second back for the club was Boston’s Eddie Smith, finishing well in 2:08:18 to give him a good confidence boost for the upcoming London Marathon.

This was the 23rd edition of the race and Andy Shelton, from Skegness, ran a few of the earlier races but was returning today for the first time in 15 years, coming home strongly in 2:16:02 to finish just 36 seconds ahead of Martin Tebbs, from Boston, who made an impressive debut on this course to finish 119th out of 599 finishers.

Coningsby’s Dan Barker isn’t in marathon training but was using this race as a challenge in itself to finish in a good time of 2:23:39.

Beckie Dawson, from Boston, was first club lady back in an excellent 2:28:14 finishing seventh in her age group as she continues to prepare for the London Marathon.

Melanie Standbrook, from Spilsby, enjoys the hills and she loved this course, looking strong on the run­in to complete her longest race to date in a good 3:08:18.

Jayne Wallis, also from Boston, is deep in marathon training and battled well in tough windy conditions to record 3:22:50.

Less than two minutes further back was the club’s third Boston lady Kristine Kusnerika making a big step up in race distance and finishing well in 3:24:17.

Helena Shelton, from Skegness, has been in fine form in 2016 and recorded her third personal best time of the year, taking a full 11 minutes 54 seconds off her time from 2014 to record 3:30:34.

The wind had not gone away for the club’s second long race which was at the Sleaford Half Marathon.

Sixteen members took part in a tough race at RAF Cranwell, through fields and along the roads in this picturesque part of Lincolnshire.

Craig Oliver, from Boston, was the first club runner home in 1:32:37 and 67th overall.

Just more than a minute behind was Dan Barker, again showing fine form.

Martin Tebbs, another of the clubs Boston runners, was the third man home for the club in 1:35:56.

The ladies put in a good display of running too with Kerry Green the first club lady back in 2:04:55, just more than two minutes ahead of Helen Blair, from Skegness, with Boston’s Jayne Wallis continuing her marathon training coming in third for the club.

Special thanks went to John Burton for pacing Ian Russell to get round in 1:43:28 his best time for this race.