Festive fancy dress in final parkruns before Christmas

At Staunton Country Park in the latest Havant event, Andrew Meredith (Victory AC) was first home in 19.25 in his 99th parkrun.

Denmead Striders’ Lee Weeks was 25 seconds behind in second place, with Mark Bicknell third in 20.00 and Kev Gale (Denmead) fourth in 20.24.

Victory AC’s Joanne Stanford was first female back in 21.39 for 11th place overall.

Another Victory AC member, Tony Hoskinson, was celebrating his 250th parkrun. The veteran 60-64 category runner was 75th in 28.17.

A total of 159 runners completed the course, with University of Portsmouth student Cameron Maguire finishing sixth in 20.33 on his first Havant appearance.

Phil Guest of Portsmouth Joggers Club is another fast approaching a parkrun milestone. In his 198th 5k event, the veteran 65-69 category runner was seventh in 20.35.

The first four finishers in the latest Southsea parkrun all claimed personal best course records.

Chichester Runners AC’s James Baker was first to finish in 15.54. It was the 264th parkrun of his career, but only his fifth at Southsea and his first there since October 2016. He has been first home on all five occasions.

City of Portsmouth AC’s Alan Powell was second in 16.08, while Mike Liddell (16.21) and Joe Driscoll (16.32) also recorded course PBs.

Chichester Runners AC’s Charlotte Reading, who finished 20th in 20.19, was first female among the 306 finishers. Natasha Perry, in 27th, was second in 21.15.

For the third time in his six parkruns at Cams Hall, Christopher Pearce was first home at Fareham.

This time the Defence Sports & Recreation runner clocked 18.14 to finish well clear of Thomas Wallace (19.41). David Mallard (Stubbington Green) was a further four seconds adrift in third place.

SEE MORE: Havant parkrun picture gallery

There were four members of Fareham RC in the top 10 - Ryan Carter (fourth, 20.11), Tim Patten (seventh, 20.52), Simon Hanson (20.55) and Aaron Sutton (10th, 20.58).

Nicola Thomas (Denmead Striders) was first female back in 16th (22.18).

Teenager William Campbell (junior male 15-17 category) won his first parkrun when he finished in a course best 17.31 at Portsmouth Lakeside.

An ever younger parkrunner - Oscar Reynolds (junior boy 11-14 category) was eight seconds behind on his Lakeside debut.

City of Portsmouth’s Charlotte Oakley, another in the junior 11-14 age range, was first female to finish in 24th place in 21.36. Chloe Jones, also an 11-14 junior, was second female in 22.30 (33rd).

There were 240 finishers, which is the second highest at Lakeside since parkruns returned in the summer. The 2021 highest at the course is 250.

Ben Harding was a comfortable winner of the latest Lee-on-the-Solent parkrun.

The Kent AC runner clocked 15.45 - two minutes and seven seconds quicker than the runner-up, Luke Willis (Gosport Road Runners).

In his 99th parkrun, but his first at Lee, Stewart Gregory (Portslade HedgeHoppers) was third in 18.08.

Callum Aldous (Bayside Tri) was fourth in a course best 18.21, four seconds in front of Stubbington Green’s Chris Williams.

Gosport Road Runners’ Nikki Moxham was first female to finish, coming home seventh in 18.49. It was the fourth time in three months Moxham had been first female to finish at Lee, and this was her quickest time.

Four seconds behind was City of Portsmouth AC’s Katie Simister in her course PB, while 310 runners finished.

Louis Suggett made a winning parkrun debut at the Whiteley course, clocking 17.45 to pip Winchester & District AC teenager Leo Smith into runners-up place.

Stubbington Green’s Tim Rolfe was third in a course PB of 17.52.

Samantha Morris (Denmead Striders) was first female to finish in 21.09 for 14th in a 152-strong field.

According to the parkrun website, Christmas Day events will be held at Fareham, Lee, Southsea and Whiteley.

All four are also hosting a New Year’s Day event, along with Havant.

*Teenager Ben Brown has recorded the fastest time at any of the six parkruns that take place in The News’ circulation area in 2021.

Following on from parkrun’s long-awaited return in July, Brown clocked 15.01 at Southsea. The fastest women’s time is Cassie Thorp’s 17.01 on the same course.

Southsea’s largest amount of finishers post-lockdown is 426 - a figure only Lee-on-the-Solent (464) can beat.

Ben Harding’s 15.45 recorded last Saturday is Lee’s fastest time of 2021 so far, while Emma Howsham (18.40) has the best female time.

Julian Manning (17.25) and Alabama Pirie (20.54) have the best times in the Havant parkrun this year, where the largest finishing field has been 262.

Mike Liddell (17.05) and Nicole Frith (18.11) lead the way at Lakeside, whose highest field this year has been 250.

Toby Roe (16.35) and Nikki Moxham (19.32) have the have best times at Fareham, whose highest field has been 337.

Whiteley parkruns only returned in October, and last weekend’s was their ninth of the year. Their biggest field so far has been 186 with Harry Roebuck (17.10) and Jen Granger (17.44) clocking the best times.