Results from Event #55, Anniversary Edition, 5th June 2021

The first Fly 5K anniversary was celebrated in style today with 220 athletes taking part representing 48 participating clubs and recording their personal Fly 5K results including 3 athletes new to Fly 5K.

Launched on June 6th 2020 with Fly 5K event #1, June 5th 2021 saw Fly 5K event #55 (some bonus Fly 5K events were held during Christmas and New Year) taking place in glorious early summer conditions – certainly it seems at least across the whole of the UK.

On this celebratory day we have to stop right here and give a huge shout out and thanks to Fly 5K founder Graham Smith – Fly 5K has played a massive part for so many of us struggling through various local or national lockdowns, or facing up to tough times with family and friends, job insecurity and furlough, and the many of us finding it hard to stay fit & healthy while training and racing was all cancelled.

Graham must surely have had no idea that his Fly 5K idea would gather so much momentum and grow so fast and so far to create what we have today: an amazing community full of amazing people with some amazing tales to tell from across the globe, and where every personal Fly 5K achievement is celebrated.

From the perspective of Fly 5K host, it’s so rewarding to be able to share hosting duties with such a fab team of hosts: Rob Trevor, Kate Dixon, Daniela Petrianni, Paul Holgate, Ruth Holroyd, Heather Wright, Dom Reed and of course Graham Smith, great fun to read all of the posts and admire so many beautiful photos shared in the Fly 5K Facebook group while Graham processes the results, and to see all of the many encouraging and positive posts from you: the Fly 5K community. You are Fly 5K.

So on to Fly 5K event #55 where there were some fabulous homemade cakes ( Sue Edwards) not to be shared, other reasons to celebrate including a wedding anniversary (happy anniversary Emma Stepto), a birthday (happy birthday Katy Wilde), 13 Fly 5K PBs, and many walking due to injury or finally back running after an enforced layoff – well done to you all.

An amazing 48 different running clubs took part today. Don’t forget to spread the word both within your own club/community, and with other running clubs and associations in your local area: 26.2 Road Runners Club, Ampthill and Flitwick Flyers, Athena St Albans, Bodmin Road Runners, Body Health Fitness, Bournemouth AC, British Airways AC, Chiltern Harriers, Cornwall AC, Dacorum & Tring AC, Dunstable Lions Running Club, Dunstable Road Runners, Edmonton Running Club, Fairlands Valley Spartans, Garden City Runners, Harpenden Arrows, Havering 90 Joggers, Havering AC, Herts Phoenix, Ivybridge Staff Squad, Lonely Goat Running Club, Mornington Chasers, North Herts Road Runners, Notfast Running Club, Okehampton RC, Phoenix Striders, Pickering Running Club, Pitsea Running Club, Reading Joggers, Rebel Runners Medway, Run Harpenden, Run Redbourn!, Saffron Striders, Southern Counties Vets AC, St Albans AC, St Albans Striders, St Austell Running Club, Staple Hill Runners, Stopsley Striders, Swindon Triathlon Club, Sydney Striders, Tri-Force, UK RunChat, Watford Joggers, Wheathampstead Warriors, Winterton RC, York Tri Club, Your Town Runners.

The following athletes achieved their milestone 10th Fly 5K today: Geraldine CARRIE, Nick JARVIS, Daniel LANGTON, Catherine MACIVER, Sarah MILNE

The following athletes their milestone 20th Fly 5K: James CHAPMAN, Rachel DIXON, Susie DUTOIT, Jeremy WEIGHTMAN

The following their 30th: Peter BLACKALLER, Dave BRAYBROOK, Anne-Marie BULLIVANT, Mike BULLOCK, Jillian RUSSELL

And the following their 50th: Patrick SMEARS, Brian YATES

Well done all of you on your regular commitment and achievement.

And here are the sought-after podium placings topped this week by Lucy Waterlow, Jonathan Parr and Martin Halling:

Women 1) Lucy WATERLOW, St Albans Striders (19:59) 2) Joanna PARKER, Unattached (20:41) 3) Claudine BENSTEAD, Okehampton RC (21:13)

Men 1) Jonathan PARR, Fairlands Valley Spartans (16:49) 2) Stuart NICHOLAS, Bournemouth AC (17:52) 3) Lee MURPHY, Dunstable Lions Running Club (18:12)

Age Graded 1) Martin HALLING, St Albans Striders (80.18%) 2) Joanna PARKER, Unattached (79.85%) 3) Jonathan PARR, Fairlands Valley Spartans (79.78%)

The full results are attached, and also on the website at www.runfly5k.com/latest-results (these are best viewed on a laptop / desktop for searching, sorting and filtering). Individual results and records will be updated on the website in the next 24 hours.

Fly 5k results 2021-06-05

.pdf

Download PDF • 75KB

Quote of the day gives an excellent summary of Fly 5K: “Thank you for this past year. Made lots of virtual friends which I hope to meet in real life soon. We are joined by our love of running and smiling selfies ”

And finally, don’t forget Fly 5K Bovingdon: we hope to see and to meet as many of you as possible at this real-life Fly 5K event. We’ve got great plans and more details will be provided closer to the event but for now please ensure that you keep the date free!

Report by Steve Bowran.