baRUNNER - a website for the British Airways Athletics Club

BA Athletics Club News Digest 1st April 2024

Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps] [parkrun run by club members updated January 2024]

For future weeks: inclusions, with photos, please to Roderick Hoffman at news@barunner.org.uk.

Results for Next Week

Please help me by sending in your results, for instance by filling in the tables below and forwarding to News@barunner.org.uk. Some events will have "Prompts" set up in Facebook. These allow the posting of a single image and some text and make it easy to flip through everyone's entries.

Your Athletic Achievement of the Week (or use the prompt in the BAAC Facebook group):

BAAC 2023 Awards Evening – Wednesday 20th March 2024 - Part 2

Award	2023 Recipient	Reason	Steve Hillier presented the second set of awards, except for the Participation trophy that was presented by the runner-up, Steve Newell.
BA Cross Country Championship Trophy (March 2024)	Paul Knechtl and Vicky McFarlin	This year’s race was run in honour of Harry Wild, a long-time servant of British Airways AC and Hillingdon AC.  Both clubs fielded strong teams.  The event had been preceded by weeks of rain, and Cranford Park began to take on the look of a swamp.  After two changes in route, the run was able to take place across heavy ground, with the areas of knee deep water avoided.  The ladies tackled 2 laps measuring 3 miles, with the men enduring a third lap.  The race for leading BA man saw strong runs by John and Mark Taylor, but at the front of the pack was Paul Knechtl for the third year running.  In the ladies race, Emma Moreton challenged throughout the two laps, but the leading BA lady was new member Vicky McFarlin (who, unfortunately, was unable to attend on the evening).
Tom Rowley Participation Trophy	Roderick Hoffman	This trophy rewards club involvement.  The more events you devise, organise, help with or compete in, the more chances you have of winning the award.   It is dedicated to that great participator in club events, Tom Rowley. Once again, competition for this award was tight between three members, all of whom would be happy to be challenged for this award.  At the end of this close-run race, Steve Hillier and Steve Newell tied for second place, but ahead of them by the equivalent of one marshalling effort was Roderick Hoffman.
Most Improved Athlete	Fiona Bishop	Fiona is yet another product of the Tom Rowley stable of fine improving athletes.  In 2023 she has improved her age grade times to an amazing figure above 84%, up from 74% two years earlier.  As far as Track and Field is concerned, she has helped the British Airways cause by covering events from 200m to 3000m, and continues to break Club records, including her own, on a regular basis.  She has always finished in the top two in her age group.  Most significantly, she has made the 2000m walk an art form, with times around thirteen minutes in a blur of trainers, where one foot is always on the ground.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy	Julie Barclay	10k races are less popular than they used to be twenty years ago, but there are still a swathe of events to be run, and a healthy group of members still tackle them.  Notable performances in 2023 included good runs by Phil & Paola Howard at WARR and Ian Haylock tackling a Grizzly Bear run in Battersea Park,.  Trish McCabe ran in extreme conditions: torrential rain in Tenby and very hot weather on Horsell Common.  Julie ran an outstanding 10k race at WARR, to win her own age category, and also "win" the next age group younger.	(edited photo)
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy (2022/23 season)	Paul Knechtl	This trophy is presented to the man who had most success last year with our cross-country team.  This takes account of age, appearances and placings during the winter season 2022/23.  Our men competed in six events.  Turnout was down slightly from the previous winter, but a combination of talent and determination kept the team mid-table in the league.  Once again, Adam Moquet produced some spectacular performances, finishing first BA runner in the four events he covered.  Mark, John and Graham Taylor were regular supports of the team, with Mark picking up two second places and Graham battling injury to complete five of the six events.  Paul was never out of the top two for the club, and leading the team home at Chobham and Minet Park.  He ran in every race, he just held off Mark for this trophy, and he finished top V50 in the league.
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy (2022/23 season)	Amanda Coombs	We had eight lady runners competing during the 2022/23 season, and the six events had three different leading BA ladies.  Emma Moreton led the team home at Chobham and Moden, while Julie Barclay took first place at Oxshott and Minet Park.  Julie’s sister Vera also had a strong season, with three league finishes. Amanda was first at Reigate and Sandhurst.  She competed in every race throughout the winter, and her organisation and captaincy ensured a fine league finish for the Ladies.
Female Athlete of the Year	Jain Reid	We have seen some impressive performances by our female athletes this year.  Mention must also go to Frankie Hogge, who completed the Comrades Marathon in an impressive debut time.  This year’s Female Athlete winner has battled back from injury to complete in a series of major races in exceptional times.  Seven marathons were ticked off, including Seville, Valencia, Berlin and London.  Her times were consistent throughout the year.  Between these races, she is a regular parkrunner in Richmond Park, and can be found supporting BAAC marshalling efforts at the big London races.  In May, she made the trek to South Africa to take part in the gruelling Comrades Marathon (actually twice the marathon distance).  Her determination took her to the end of the course in less than eleven hours.
Male Athlete of the Year	Paul Knechtl	Early summer 2023 was a busy time for the club.  Not only were we involved in the London Marathon, the Comrades, and the Track and Field season, we also committed ourselves once again to the Green Belt Relay.  This gruelling event involves many club members, who not only run but move cars, marshal, ferry runners and generally have a stressful but good time.  Our overall top half position was a team effort, but was much helped by Paul who won the V50 category on his leg on both days.  As well as his cross-country performances he also produced some strong parkrun times and a fast run in the Farnborough Half Marathon.

All of this year's winners are already listed on the club trophies page at: baRUNNER News Trophies page

Thanks to Paul Brandon for taking the photographs.

Roderick Hoffman

Five-Mile Winter Handicap 2023/24 - Sixth and Final Round

The sixth and final round of the club 5 mile handicap was held in blustery conditions on Wednesday 27th March 2024.  As anticipated the outcome of the whole series was decided on very small margins with two runners avoiding a large puddle in the car park and crossing the line just one second later than the target time, with three more within the next 20 seconds.

Julie Barclay  (38:01) was the fastest on the night and crossed the line with Roderick Hoffman (47:44) with Stephen Taylor (44:51) coming in next.  Steve Hillier faded on the second lap but as he ran every one of the six monthly evening events he was able to discard his worst two results.
Julie Barclay became the latest winner of the five mile handicap - a competition which has remarkably produced a different winner now every year for a decade during which it has migrated from the Concorde Club via the Green Man pub to Bedfont FC.  Some years one lap, some years two, but always clockwise.

Results Round 6 Wednesday 27th March 2024

	Start	Clock 1/2 Way	Finish	1st half	2nd half	5m Time	Slow v target	Fast v target	Ranking determinent	points
Julie Barclay	1:38:00	1:18:52	0:59:59	19:08	18:53	38:01	00:01		00:02	23
Roderick Hoffman	1:47:45	1:23:53	0:59:59	23:52	23:54	47:46	00:01		00:02	23
Stephen Taylor	1:44:45	1:22:26	0:59:54	22:19	22:32	44:51	00:06		00:12	18
Benita Scaife	1:51:45	1:25:44	0:59:42	26:01	26:02	52:03	00:18		00:36	15.5
John Scaife	1:51:45	1:25:50	0:59:42	25:55	26:08	52:03	00:18		00:36	15.5
Steve Hillier	2:01:30	1:29:52	0:55:38	31:38	34:14	1:05:52	03:37		07:14	14

Points table after six events (best four to count)

	Oct	Nov	Dec	"Jan"	Feb	Mar	runs	Total Points
Julie Barclay  *	21		25	25	(11)	23	5	94
Stephen Taylor **	18	23	21	(14)	25	(18)	6	87
Steve Hiller **	(12)	23	14	21	18	(14)	6	76
Chris Kelly *	16	(14)	16	18	14		5	64
Roderick Hoffman *	11		15	(11)	13	23	5	62
Benita Scaife	14.5	15.5		12.5		15.5	4	58
John Scaife	14.5	15.5		12.5		15.5	4	58
Amanda Coombs	13	18		16			3	47
Paul Watt	25				15.5		2	40.5
Scott Davison	10		18		12		3	40
Fiona Bishop				15	21		2	36
Mike Dennison					15.5		1	15.5

The provisional dates for the first legs of 2024/25 Winter 5 mile handicap are 23rd October (start in daylight), 20th November and  12th December.

Steve Newell

Ed: The last ten winners of the Handicap Trophy have been Richard Ruffell (retaining the trophy from the previous year), Piers Keenleyside, Gary Rushmer, Trish McCabe, Maarten Stenham, Simon Turton, Amanda Coombs, Roderick Hoffman, Paul Watt and now Julie Barclay. Looking forward to next year, none of this year's 2nd to 4th place finishers have yet to win this trophy!

March Mile Results

Because no one had submitted a mile time for March I borrowed a DeLorean and went back and collected some previous results.

The popular Arethusa Mile in Bushy Park returns from 1st May but hopefully we'll get some ad hoc mile results reported during April. Our Wednesdays are quite busy in May, so I've flagged the 5th June for a club meet-up at the Arethusa Mile. Then we will have our regular club summer mile prior to the AGM on 3rd July.

Roderick

Track is Back - Summer 2024!

Yes, I know, you’re still trying to get your cross-country studs and spikes clean.  Mud is everywhere.  However, a new season of Track & Field is almost upon us.  We can offer competition for all standards, whether you are a beginner, a star sprinter, a field athlete, or a veteran.  Please come along and enjoy something from the T&F menu.

The season commences with an in-house competition at Feltham track, on Wednesday 1st May at 6pm.  The plan is to run five events: 1500m, 800m, 400m, 200m and 100m, with an opportunity for a breather between each.  This will be a season warm-up, a chance to tackle an interesting combination of intervals.

The club competes in the mid-London division of the Southern Counties Veterans AC League, a chance for everyone from 35 to 105 to tackle events against their peers.  Age groups covered are V35, V50, V60 and V70.  These meetings are all located in the West London area.  These are really fun evenings, so please make an effort to join us.

We also compete in the Rosenheim League, a friendly T&F competition spread around tracks south of Heathrow.  Again, all standards are welcome, and you will find someone to compete with, whether you plan to run 100 metres, 3000m, or try a field event.  There’s always a place available in our legendary 200m relay squads!

Non-competitors are always welcome to attend.  We need to supply track and field assistants (pit raking, implement collection etc.).  Or, if you simply want to come along and support the team, we will be very pleased to see you.

Here are the planned dates

• Wed 1st May, 6pm: “Track on Field” competition, Feltham track: 1500m/800m/400m/200m/100m
• Mon 13th May:  Veteran’s League, Battersea
• Wed 22nd May:  Rosenheim League, Kingston
• Mon 3rd June:  Veteran’s League, Uxbridge
• Wed 12th June:  Rosenheim League, Epsom
• Mon 17th June:  Veteran’s League, Tooting Bec
• Wed 10th July:  Veteran’s League, Perivale
• Wed 17th July:  Rosenheim League, Walton

Let me know if you are interested in joining us at any of these.

> Steve Hillier

Recent Activity Achievements

Only 9 members' achievements were communicated to me before (two very close to) this week's publication time. Perhaps it's holiday time!

parkrun Results for Saturday 30th March 2024

39 activities are recorded below. Please get in touch if your activity is missing.

parkrun Review Saturday 30th March 2024

The last Saturday of March saw slightly fewer cancellations than in previous weeks but the impact of a double ration of rain during the month was still being felt.  Many of us stuck fairly close to home whatever that may mean – several members are forever restless and moving to fresh pastures every week. 

Paul Watt (19:48) and Julie Barclay (22:49) were at Rickmansworth for the first time and have now run every parkrun within the M25 along with Trish McCabe who completed her tour last week at Roding Valley. 

Sarah Gordon (53:23), no stranger to parkrun tourism, added another venue to our collection this week when she visited Aston Hall in Birmingham where the parkrun started last October. Ed: And for two week's running Sarah has been listed top of the table - last week Abbey park, this week Aston Hall. perhaps next week she'll be at Abingdon.

David Cowell (19:11) was third across the line at Watermead Country Park (near Syston, Leicestershire). 

Several of our ladies who rarely stray too far from home were on tour this weekend.  Jain Reid (19:38), who normally runs at Richmond Park, went to Luton Wardown for the first time. Di Smith (49:00) who until a month ago had never been beyond Bushy Park was at a very well attended Shrewsbury parkrun.  Maria Jovani (23:23) was third lady home at Reigate Priory where the going was a little muddy in places – familiar to those who have been at XC fixtures there.  Fiona Bishop (26:19) went to Southampton which attracted over 1000 runners as usual. Janet Smith (37:42) was 100th lady home at Basingstoke on her first visit there. Melanie Miller (55:11) was at Stratford-on-Avon for the first time. 

We had just one runner venturing overseas this week – David Duggan (33:32) was at College Park in Maryland where he found the course to his liking and ran his best parkrun for a couple of months. He had been there once before, in 2021. 

Next Saturday, we’re expecting another member to reach 500 parkruns – Bob Bannister has chosen Bedfont Lakes for his party!  Let us hope for a drier week. 

Steve Newell

Matters Arising - Aston Hall

Aston Hall had its 17th run on Saturday and amongst the 98 finishers only nine had run it before. And that 90% tourist / 10% repeat rate is typical. And the same is true with volunteers - in the 17 runs only two people have received volunteer credits for more than six runs and just five for more than three. The background to the parkrun is that it is in one of the "deprived" areas parkrun wants to champion parkrun in (despite the appearances - see picture above) but the individuals setting it up have had to relocate - thus leaving the new parkrun without a core team. It is in a populous area of Birmingham but not with people who are regular Saturday morning runners (think shop-workers and students). Now, my 2nd parkrun "Home" was Pymmes in North London and that had a similar start and throughout their first year it was a good week if they had more than ten runners and more than three volunteers. That was before parkrun tourism became a significant contribution to numbers. These days Pymmes has 150 each week including 120 repeat runners and a healthy volunteer team.

I'm currently putting together an idea to be at Aston Hall on Saturday 8th June and to organise a volunteer takeover including myself and friends willing to give up a run to help this parkrun through their first year. Let me know if you might be interested - no commitment at this stage. > Roderick

Full club parkrun database - {read access to club parkrun database} - Download or save a copy, and explore at your leisure.

Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps]

Roderick Hoffman

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