Teressa Longhurst

Teressa Longhurst

Website Manager

I took up running in January 2009. I had given up smoking as my new years resolution and wanted something to keep me off the ciggies. I hadn’t heard of coach to 5k so I just used to run to lampposts until the gaps of walking became fewer. I quickly found I loved it and did my first official race in the February, 5 miles for Action Heart. Then in the March I did my first half the Ironbridge half marathon. I used to run most days and entered the London marathon in 2010. I’ve never been a fast runner or a good runner. Some might even call me a jogger. The thing with running is it doesnt matter how good you are, how wealthy you are its something pretty much anyone can do. Over the years I found one of my favourite things was entering races. I didnt chase pbs and knew I would never be one of the first back. However i loved the buzz of race day, the crowds and medal. It all made for a great day out and that get me inspired.

After I ran Manchester marathon in 2015 I decided I needed something more of a challenge so I entered race to the stones a couple of months later. A 100km ultra marathon. My husband thought I was nuts, but he agreed to drop me off and picked up at the finish line the next day. I planned for it badly and didn’t carry water. By the end I was so dehydrated but absolutely chuffed to bits that I had managed to finish it. In fact I even entered it a couple times more over the following years.

I had a short illness which involved a couple operations and part of my recovery meant I couldn’t run. When I tried to run again I really struggled and it left me demotivated. Its amazing how quickly you lose your fitness. I’ve been pretty much a lone runner over the years. I was/am a member of Vegan runners but this is more of an internet running club with a Facebook community. One of the ladies from the vegan runners community “Gail” put me in touch with Gavin Harrison who attended a running club she also attends called “Sneyd Striders “, but she said he also co-runs a C25K group in walsall. I contacted him straight away and in the same week I join him along with other wannabe runners at “Bloxwich run together” I completed the course and that was it I was hooked again. I started entering every race I could find. Then Gavin told me about the Sneyd striders pudding run, Ironically I had never been to Sneyd Striders or heard of the yearly event the pudding run, even though they would have been my closest club. After I had completed the 5 mile pudding run wearing my vegan runners club vest a couple of the members from Sneyd came over to introduce themselves. They chatted for ages and told me they too were vegans, vegan runners being their second club. I found them so friendly I suddenly realised what I had been missing all these years was a running club with people to run with. I turned up to club on a club night and found them so welcoming that I started running regularly with them. They were after a website designer so I put my name down to get involved even though I was a complete newbie to their club. I knew if able I wanted to give something back as they had given me my love for running back.

Apart from the running I like to attend cross-fit sessions (functional fitness) three times a week. I’m also a keen scuba diver and am qualified up to the level of master scuba. I’ve dived in many exotic locations around the world, including shark diving in South Africa & Egypt, Borneo and Malta. Most of my diving is done around the U.K, mostly in quarries. In my sedate moments I like to attend to my garden and am keen vegetable grower.

However I really love being a part of Sneyd! It’s great being part of a club where politics are irrelevant, it doesn’t matter where you’re from, what your story is, what your background is, how good a runner you are, everybody in the group is encouraging and supportive. It’s not just a running club it’s a community. They have kept me running with rich and supportive friendships.

Chris Roberts

Chris Roberts

Club Captain & Newsletter Editor

My running history began in September 2009, following my school’s first very successful working pilgrimage to Lourdes in SW France in Summer 2009 with a group of six formers from St Thomas More Catholic School, where I taught Physics and Science.  Upon our return to school in September 2009, planning immediately began for our 2010 pilgrimage. All members of the group were asked to come up with ideas to raise the funds needed (about £600 per person!) during the school year. I came up with the rather crazy idea of running a marathon for the first time and inviting sponsorship.So began my history of running. I settled on running the Shakespeare Marathon, Stratford Upon Avon in April 2010 for my fundraising effort for that year. Not having run since Year 9 at secondary school in 1974, it was a daunting challenge to go from nothing to 26.2 miles in 6 months! Yes, I cycled to work every day and have cycled continually since a youngster so at least I had some degree of fitness. So I downloaded the suggested training programme off the Shakespeare marathon website and training began in September 2009, with running 1 lamppost, walking 2 and building up from there! All training was done solo and I discovered the beauty of our local canal network for training purposes. So the big day arrived on 25th April 2010 and I had camped for the weekend with my friends at a small CL campsite just outside Stratford for the weekend. Not only did I enjoy the event, running through lovely countryside, lots of support and finishing with the fantastic Greenway trail to conclude at the finish line opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, but I completed in an amazing (for me) 4:18:40! with my four energy gels sustaining me for the duration. I’d have been happy with anything under 5 hours! So started my love of running!   I subsequently repeated the Shakespeare full in 2011 in a slightly worse time of 4:23:30  in rather more humid conditions than in 2010. I’ve not run another full marathon since then but have ran the Stafford Half Marathon every year from 2012, steadily improving my times.I first joined Sneyd Striders in September 2015 after retiring from teaching and being welcomed by now fellow committee member John Harvey who I used to teach at school many years ago!  Little did I realize back then that I would be Chair in only 5 years! Since joining the Striders, my running has gone from strength to strength with so much friendship and encouragement from fellow members.

I became Newsletter editor and Events Secretary at the 2017 AGM, subsequently passing Events duties over to Debby Snapper when I became Chair in September 2019. Since being a member of the Striders, I have completed numerous half marathons, the Chantilly 12K just outside Paris in June 2018 when we visited our Sister ASC Drancy Club in Paris. Also 10K events and membership of both our North Staffs and Birmingham League Cross Country Teams. And many park runs including regularly volunteering as timekeeper at Walsall Arboretum Parkrun. My best ever Half Marathon time was achieved at Stafford Half, 2020 just before Lockdown  when I achieved a sub 1:40 for the first time ever, completing in 1:38:28 smashing my original PB by nearly 5 mins!

I was re-elected as Chair at our March 2020 AGM and was very proud to be the winner of the club’s Member of the Year 2019-2020.

In 2024 I became club captain for Sneyd Striders.

Maureen Thirza Dargavel

Maureen Thirza Dargavel

Community Welfare

Hi my name is Mo and I am nearly 62 years of age. I started running quite a few years ago now. John was going on an operational tour in Iraq and I badly needed a distraction SO I signed up for the Berlin Marathon. I had run at school but at this point the furthest I could run to was the lamppost at the end of our strasse. I trained, ran the race and howled at the finish, John was there to see me complete it. The next year John ran it with me and the year after John, my son Rich and myself did it again. We have since done lots of races together.

I joined Sneyd 3 years ago after beginning to feel vulnerable as a woman running solo. I was fed up of playing chase the Grandma!! I saw Sharon Blest in a Sneyd picture and recognised her from WMBC so asked her about Sneyd Striders. She persuaded me to come along and the rest as they say is history! Proudest moment (other than marrying John and raising 2 great kids) getting the club place and running the London Marathon in a Sneyd Vest in 2019. I also did it in a Good for Age time which was just the icing on the cake and such a boost.Things I like about the club is that everyone is hugely supportive of each other. I really enjoy the beginners courses and seeing everyone enjoy and achieve. I took on the role of Wellness Champion in the Spring and although COVID 19 changed things for us as a club, I believe it has made us stronger.

My aspirations are to run London next year sub 4 hour and I would love to do Race the Stones or an Ultra if someone would take me under their wing?

John Harvey

John Harvey

Kit Coordinator

Hi. I’m John and I’ve been with the club since 2012. I’ve dabbled with running whilst at university in Manchester. I think it was Parkrun over Platt Fields Park that first got me hooked.

I love the sense of community both at Sneyd and when out on Parkruns, you can guarantee there will be someone you can bump into and chat to. I really enjoy the club socials that are organized throughout the year at club; it is a running joke that we are a drinking club, with a running problem!

I’ve lost count on the amount of races I’ve done, there’s just too many to count. I’ve done 2 full marathons, Chester and Manchester (which turned out to be 250m short) and I’m very fortunate to be doing London Marathon in 2022 for Sneyd Striders on their club allocation for the marathon.

Sometimes the club is a push for me to get out, especially during the Winter when the nights are long and cold and I’m extremely grateful for the support and encouragement we give one-another.

I’m on the committee as Kit Manager, so speak to me if you need any club merchandise such as vests, t-shirts, hoodies and hats.

Mark Till

Mark Till

Race Director
Yvette Dukanovic

Yvette Dukanovic

Joint Women's Cross-Country Captain

Sarah Pallett

Secretary

I am Sarah Pallett, I am 35 years old and I have been a member of Sneyd Striders for 4 years.

I joined Sneyd as I was looking for a local running club that would enable me to fit my running hobby around being a busy mom and working full-time. I have found Sneyd to be a friendly and supportive club who cater for all abilities.

Since joining the club I have especially loved being part of the Cross Country team. I have also enjoyed the well organised social activities and the varied weekly training sessions.

My biggest achievement since joining Sneyd has been progressing to marathon distance. I was inspired by other members of the club who helped and supported me to achieve a time of 3 hours and 47 minutes.

I have been a member of the committee since 2022 and I am proud to be a part of this great club.

John Dargavel

John Dargavel

Chair

I took over as the General Secretary of Sneyd Striders in 2022 after being a member of the club for 3 years. Sport and fitness has been part of my life and at school I played all sports and represented my county at football. Joined the Army at 16 and for the next 44 years of service gave me some great opportunities to play a variety of sports and outdoor activities ranging from scuba diving to dog sledding to ice hockey. However, running is the military core fitness test so running has been with me all my days. Not that has made me any good!! I have always been an average runner and used that to maintain fitness for all the other sports I have done over the years.

On leaving the military I joined Sneyd Striders, aged 60 as my wife is a member and I love the vibe from its members. I am not a prolific racer but have completed 5 marathons, more half marathons and lots of 10K races in my time as well as taken part in may military fitness competitions and challenges. These days I concentrate on 10K distance and will assist any of our members where and when I can.

I’m now Chair of the Sneyd Striders.

Leanne Harrison

Social Media

Kelly Abercrombie-Garner

Joint Women's Cross-Country Captain

My running journey started with cross country in school which I used to really enjoy! I used to feel such a buzz and sense of achievement in both myself and in the team when we all crossed finish lines, there was always such encouragement between us all in what was a difficult but definitely fulfilling sport!

In the years since then there were periods of time when I trained and periods of times where I didn’t train. In 2017 I booked up for my first marathon in Londonderry Ireland with my brother and at the time I was feeling apprehensive and doubting if I could run 26.2 miles – that’s a really long way! But with my brother there too it was going to be achievable, I am slightly competitive so this was the drive I needed. Sadly my brother was unable to run the marathon due to other priorities but I decided that I needed to power on with it both for the competition of it and just for myself too to achieve the target I had set.

I joined a local triathlon club for some running motivation and looking for some team morale as I took on the many many miles of training. I completed the Marathon in 4 hours 16 minutes in 2018 and had the best time, I loved every step and soaked up the atmosphere as I ran every hill and turned every corner, it was a brilliant day and have kept on running since!

I joined Sneyd in 2023 and found a group of people full of encouragement for each other and enthusiasm for running! Taking part in the Cross Country leagues with Sneyd has been a highlight for me, it was great to take part with other people from the club as we all gathered in Sneyd colours ready to run the ups and downs on cold crisp mornings. There is something invigorating about covering miles in the fog and frost! Everyone was different paces, but during cross country we were all one team. I won cross country champion for 2023 which topped off my first cross country season since school perfectly!

This year I was so happy to achieve a sub 4 hour marathon whilst wearing the Sneyd colours, a finish time that I had hoped for for a long time! I used club runs for training as well as weekends for my longer runs and eagerly waited on the Manchester Marathon start line. It was great to see some other club members over the 26.2 miles both running and cheering and to cross the line in 3 hours 51 minutes!

I would recommend anyone who enjoys running or movement to join Sneyd, you will get a warm welcome and support in whatever your goals are.

I am also a keen triathlete and have completed Ironman Bolton which was an intense and challenging course. Next is Ironman Wales, considered one of the hardest Ironman races to do…its a good thing I enjoy a challenge!

Melissa Cook

Treasurer

Laura Stanton

DBS, Membership and Volunteer Coordinator

Chris Davies

Community Welfare
Eve Bates

Eve Bates

Social Media

Julie Cox

Social Secretary