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BA Athletics Club News Digest 1st November 2021

Events Calendar - online here

 

Events marked "#" are points scoring for the club's participation trophy.

Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps]

We didn't have a Run-of-the-Month for November so I've designated next Sunday's Marlow Half and 7 for it. So points for all those running (or helping on the day). Last time I looked entries were still open: Marlow Striders Half Marathon . We are also missing a Run-of-the-Month for December - any suggestions? And any offers to take over the club diary management function so that it is less foot-to-mouth each month?

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

This Week's Events

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.

Monthly Mile (submit before Monday 15th November):

Run one mile and send me your time or add the details to the Facebook prompt. I'll then produce a fancy graph showing your time this month compared to those of other people and previous runs over the last year.

Mile Participant Location Date Start Time Duration/Time Comment
 

Weekly Athletic Achievement (by late Sunday) or use the Facebook group prompt:

Participant Event Distance Location Day/Start Time or Duration Details or comment, and other achievements
e.g. Running

Five Mile Winter Handicap - 27th October report and results #

The Wednesday Winter 5 mile handicap got off to a good start on 27th October.  Dry and mild conditions with a fresh westerly breeze made for a comfortable run with aircraft whispering into land rather than screaming overhead after takeoff.

Runners started and finished in the carpark at the BA Clubs HQ (alias Bedfont and Feltham FC) and ran two laps of the clockwise course adopted last season (Hatton Road, Faggs Road, Staines Road, Kingston Avenue, footbridge over Duke of Northumberland's River, footpath past allotments, Hatton Road).  The whole course is on fairly quiet pavements/footpaths which of course we share with members of the public and frustratingly the odd parked car.  Changing rooms and showers were available for men and women and the runners (and walkers) gathered in the clubhouse afterwards for a drink and a chat.  No food (other than bar snacks) was provided or available from the bar but the Bedfont Club allows patrons to bring their own sandwiches, food orders, etc. on such occasions.

Times were recorded after one and two laps to allow the study of individual success in keeping an even pace (if that is the goal).  The scoring system favours those who manage to improve progressively by modest amounts over the season.  Six runs are planned and if none are cancelled because of weather, Covid19 or other reasons then the best four scores will be used in the final league table so there is plenty of time for anyone who missed the first run to join in and compete. 

There will always be the option to walk (rather than run) a single lap.  Alan Anderson took up the challenge and his "walk" might not stand-up to close scrutiny but in the absence of VAR his one lap time of 40 minutes (just under 4 mph) was very creditable as he pushed Anne round in a wheelchair the whole way.

The official clock was not visible to the runners before they finished.  Closest to zero was John Scaife (+4 secs) who in his normal gentlemanly fashion allowed his wife Benita (+ 5 secs) to finish one second ahead.  We may not see they like of that again!  Finishing together with the same time is allowed and points can be shared if necessary.

Several of us ran negative splits and Julie was closest to even splits being just 3 seconds slower over the second half.

Run 1 (27/10/21) target actual faster slower penalties ranking pts 1st lap 2nd lap
John Scaife 56:00 55:56 00:04 00:04 1 25 28:25 27:31 (-ve 54)
Benita Scaife 56:00 55:55 00:05 00:05 2 21 28:25 27:30 (-ve 55)
Roderick Hoffman 48:30 47:59 00:31 00:31 3 18 24:10 23:49 (-ve 21)
Julie Barclay 38:00 37:13 00:47 00:47 4 16 18:35 18:38 (+ve 3)
Amanda Coombs 45:00 45:35 00:35 01:10 5 15 22:52 22:43 (-ve 9)
Paul Watt 34:00 32:43 01:17 01:17 6 14 16:10 16:33 (+ve 23)
Denis Foxley 48:30 46:48 01:42 01:42 7 13 24:10 22:38 (-ve 92)
Steve Taylor 42:00 40:06 01:54 01:54 8 12 19:50 20:16 (+ve 26)
Steve Hillier 56:00 57:12 01:12 02:24 9 11 28:25 28:47 (+ve 22)
Alan Anderson (with Anne, one lap) 40:00 40:37

Suggested start order for next run:

 Steve Hillier (57), John Scaife (55:30), Benita Scaife (55:30), Roderick Hoffman (48), Denis Foxley (47),  Amanda Coombs (45:30), Steve Taylor (40), Julie Barclay (37), Paul Watt (32:30) PLUS all members who missed the first run.

Wednesday 24th November for a 7pm finish.

Wednesday 15th December for a 7pm finish.

Steve Newell

Club Points Update #

We've now reached the end of October and have just two months left of this year's club participation competition for the Tom Rowley trophy. Since I previously reported four more club members have earned their recognition here for ten points achieved - well done and thank you  Amanda Coombs, Denis Foxley, Simon Turton and Jain Reid. Four club members are sitting on nine points and two on eight.

At the top Steve Hillier and I have literally been neck and neck for the last six weeks and despite his recent cruise Steve Newell is only just behind. Stephen Taylor, Chris Kelly, Julie Barclay and Paul Watt are in a tight race for fourth place and they have been joined in this by Amanda Coombs.

There are nine points scoring events scheduled to the end of the year (and possibly two more to be inserted). Therefore anyone who currently has a single point is in with a chance of getting up to the magic ten by the end of the year (though participation in both the ladies and men's cross countries may prove a bit tricky). Events are marked with a "#" in the diary.

Roderick Hoffman

Track-on-Field Results for October

October Track-on-Field results

Again, just the three of us testing our sprinting skills with the Track-on-Field challenge. Bob was too fast over all distances for both myself and Steve but I managed to edge Steve other than over the 200m.

Roderick Hoffman

Activity Achievements over the week 25th October to 31st October 2021

24 club members and friends included below but I could have included more or fewer parkrun reports.

Colleague Activity Distance Course Start Time Duration Comments
Andy Rayner Running 2.2miles Local jog Thur 00:32:00 Plus 2.5mile cycle on Monday
Anne Bannister parkrun 5km Osterley Sat am 00:27:13 67th Position,74.46% Age Grade
Ben Cooper Running 13.56km Caerdydd Thur am 01:17:29 Found some motivation after watching a fitness documentary an unplanned long run from my Cardiff home.
Benita Scaife parkrun 5km Colney Lane Sat am The course took us by surprise as the Run Director’s description of a short, sharp climb on each of two laps proved wildly inaccurate as the hill (pictured) is in fact long and steady.  Norfolk is not flat.
Bob Bannister parkrun 5km Osterley Sat am 00:23:10 16th Position, 72.37% Age Grade
Chris Kelly parkrun 5km Bracknell Sat am 00:37:03 Barry's 100th + coffee + cake
Denis Foxley parkrun 5km Harrow Sat am 00:28:29 Wet. Joan didn't run due to the cold Den had passed onto her.
Emma Moreton parkrun 5km Bedfont Lakes Sat am 00:23:38 3rd lady at Bedfont Lakes on my 280th parkrun.
Harjit Jhooti Marshalling Half-M Wimbledon Common Half Marathon Mon Reported by Piers
Jagjit Singh  Race 262.2miles Surrey Ten days See report below
Janet Smith parkrun 5km Bracknel Sat am Barry's 100th parkrun at Bracknell this morning
John Scaife parkrun 5km Colney Lane Sat am I finally completed the greater Norwich parkruns which comprise Norwich, Catton, Sloughbottom, Brundall, Colney Lane and Mulbarton (the latter now discontinued).
Julie Barclay Running 8.4miles London to Charlton Sun 01:22:00 See write-up below
Melanie Miller Walking 10miles Itchen Valley Sun 03:47:13 A very muddy walk, more like Tough Mudder than anything else. Really a question of playing dodge the puddles. Will return to the Itchen Valley River Walk once the rainy season is over.
Michael Ball Track session St. Marys University track Wed "Squat jumps, Star junps, Press-ups, Crouches, Hip raisers, Lunges, High Knees, Tricep Dips, V sits, Calf raisers - 200 of each. Every 4 minutes 10 burpees."
Neil Frediani  Race 6.4miles Lambton Castle, near Chester Le Street. Sat pm 01:05:00 My first cross country race in the north, in glorious conditions and setting. Surprised myself by getting round all 3 laps.
Paul Watt Running 8.4miles London to Charlton Sun 01:22:00 See write-up below
Piers Keenleyside  Race Half-M Wimbledon Common Half Marathon Sun 02:17:28 Heavy rain for first hour and a mud bath under foot! Finished in 2:17:28 and was 354th of 538 finishers - not too bad considering the conditions.
Roderick Hoffman  Race 5miles Skeleton Run Fri night 00:58:55 Five miles took me 11 minutes longer than on Wednesday's 5mile handicap but it was in the pitch black dark and with over 200m of elevation. And in costume.
Sarah Gordon  Race 5miles Skeleton Run Fri night 01:10:59 Location: Beacon Hill County Park (Leics), action photos by Jumpy James.
Simon Turton Running 9.5km Twyford Streets Sat/Sun 00:59:00 Hayley’s entered us for a 5km Dorney Lake run in Dec. Week 2 of 8 training plan was a 20 min tempo run on Sat before the village fireworks and 6km easy today. Bit wet and windy this morning but goal achieved.
Stephen Taylor Running 13.12miles Ealing Half Marathon course Sat 02:10:45 The Ealing Half Marathon route is a familiar route for me as it goes past my door. Back to longer runs this weekend instead of the parkruns of the last few weeks.
Steve Hillier Sprints 6x300m Kings College Track, Ruislip Sun am I ventured to the track this morning, after the rain.  Still windy though.  A few hardy souls were trotting round.  I managed 6 x 300m, average time 1:33.
Tim Bellars Running 4miles Tulum, Mexico 00:34:00 First proper run since London. 4 mile run on a flat dusty road there and back in Tulum Mexico. Happy with an 8:30 min/mile pace in the 30 degree heat!!!!

Week Achievements

Roderick Hoffman

parkrun results for Saturday 30th October 2021

34 runners and volunteers are listed below - get in touch if your activity is missing.

Club parkrunner parkrun Pos Time Age Grade PB? Comment
Ray HAMPTON Alexandra 142 00:31:33 63.66% run #20, park #10, BA park #598
Maarten Stenham Bedfont Lakes 25 00:22:57 61.29%
Emma Moreton Bedfont Lakes 29 00:23:38 65.09%
Barry WALTERS Bracknell 94 00:30:16 55.95% 100th parkrun
Janet Smith Bracknell 139 00:39:16 46.73% PB   PB by 7 minutes (from 2017)
Christopher T KELLY Bracknell 142 00:40:17 38.48%
John Lennon Broadwater 131 00:34:25 46.59% PB   4th course PB in a row. A further 30 second improvement.
Neil FREDIANI Chopwell Wood 44 01:02:52 26.43% "Completed the inaugural Chopwell Woods parkrun with Barbara who was completing her first. It only took 13years to persuade her."  BA park #601
Benita Scaife Colney Lane 195 00:34:30 60.58% run #195 (and finished in 195th place), park #70, BA park #600 (team effort)
John Scaife Colney Lane 196 00:34:31 49.49% run #219, park #79
Harjit Jhooti Eastleigh 107 00:36:58 47.11% First therefore fastest BA lady
Melanie Miller Eastleigh 131 00:46:01 38.32% "East" for compass challenge. Needs "South" and "West".
David DUGGAN Felixstowe 137 00:31:44 51.00% New BA Park (#599) "Doing my bit to help reach 600 parkruns - a breezy run at Felixstowe, time was 31:44 for the second successive week"
Ian CUNNINGHAM Guildford 170 00:28:05 56.62%
Anne ANDERSON Gunnersbury 354 00:48:12 59.79% (Assisted)
Alan ANDERSON Gunnersbury 355 00:48:12 52.25% Assisting Anne. 598th parkrun.
Steve NEWELL Gunnersbury 359 00:58:53 33.40% Tail walker, unable to assist Alan & Ann who were too far ahead
Denis Foxley Harrow 74 00:28:29 63.49% run #168, 144th at Harrow
John COFFEY Hazelwood 67 00:34:46 59.06%
Mike Dennison Henley Wood, Oswestry 4 00:22:07 74.45% New BA Park (#596). "West" for compass challenge (needs "East").
Keith Johnson Houghton Hall 23 00:23:40 62.82%
Adrian Haines Ifield Mill Pond 3 00:20:26 74.55% run #66, 9th at Ifield Mill Pond, M3
Bob Bannister Osterley 16 00:23:10 72.37% 399th parkrun
Scott DAVISON Osterley 41 00:25:09 58.65%
Anne Bannister Osterley 67 00:27:13 74.46%
Trish MCCABE Osterley 89 00:28:59 54.28%
Alan FRIAR Reading 169 00:34:18 57.34%
Eddie GILES Salisbury 159 00:28:45 62.90% "Ran with Tim Newsam on his 500th parkrun. He was one of the early runners at Bushy Park ,back in the day ,and drove from Winchester every week to run there until nearer park runs became available."
Paul WATT South Norwood 11 00:22:34 68.69% Fastest BA man
Julie BARCLAY South Norwood 18 00:24:34 75.71% Fastest BA lady and best grade
Roderick HOFFMAN Watermead Country Park 85 00:29:01 55.77% run #403, park #310, BA park #597 "Water by name, water by nature - very wet"
Sarah GORDON Watermead Country Park 163 00:38:25 52.75% run #271, park #124
Jacqueline MUSSELWHITE Woking 49 00:23:55 72.82% run #105, 79th at Woking
Kay Trinder Woking 86 00:25:38 70.61% run #144, 104th at Woking (#143/103rd last week missed from report)

Lots of activity bidding to grab the headlines this week.  I’ll start at Bracknell where Barry Walters completed (for him) an unprecedented sequence of ten parkruns in ten weeks to complete his century. Something akin to a sprint finish. He was an early adopter and ran his first parkrun at Frimley Lodge in August 2010 and since then has run at least once in every year – he got in early in 2020 with a New Year’s double at Andover and Southampton – two in one day against an annual average of nine per year.  Barry wins this week’s prize for persistence. [Ed: but note from the following graph that Janet Smith has taken the longest amongst us to get to 100 parkruns after her first]

First 100 parkruns for each club member

With the pandemic still rumbling in the background and the possibility of another lockdown or the prohibition of climate changing tourism the membership was encouraged to complete the club’s attendance of at least 600 different venues (including some which have ceased to be).  On the last day of summer time (perversely meaning lighter Saturday mornings in November) the club members answered the call magnificently.  All the runs involved were in England with a 9 a.m. start so our usual convention is to number them internally in the order that our runners finished on a day of multiple parkruns being added

i) Mike Dickinson (22:07) at Henley Wood, Oswestry (Shropshire) – park #596

ii) Roderick Hoffman (29:01) at Watermead Country Park (Leicestershire) – park #597

iii) Ray Hampton (31:33) at Alexandra Park (Moss Side Manchester, not Crewe) – park #598

iv) David Duggan (31:44) at Felixstowe (Promenade/Undercliffe Rd, not actually a park!) – park #599

v) Benita Scaife (34:30) at  Colney Lane (Norwich) – park #600  (and John Scaife in 34:31)

vi) Neil Frediani (1:02:52) at Chopwell Wood (Gateshead) – park #601.

This establishes a new club record for the most new parks visited on the same day.  The previous record was five (1st June 2019) when we reached 500.  Greta Thunburg probably wouldn’t approve! [Ed: But 5 to achieve 500 and 6 to achieve 600 has a nice ring to it!]

New club (gender) records were set by Paul Watt (22:24) and Julie Barclay (24:34, 75.71%) at South Norwood and Harjit Jhooti (36:58) at Eastleigh (Sarah Gordon ran there slightly faster in 2012 before she joined us).

Most parkruns are held in parks and are known as "{parkname} parkrun".  Just a select few however are considered so special by their local community they have been given the title “THE …………… parkrun” (or ...junior parkrun).  It may be a way of keeping numbers down at inaugurals! (see the Great Field, below). In the UK alone we have The Cinder Track, Whitby; The Grange parkrun; The Great Field parkrun; The Leas parkrun, Minster; The Meadows parkrun; The Mystery junior parkrun, Wavertree; The Old Showfield parkrun; The Pastures parkrun; The Station junior parkrun; The Station Yard junior parkrun; The Wammy parkrun, The Waterfront junior parkrun and The Wirral Way junior parkrun, Parkgate. 

Those readers still needing a “T” for the alphabet challenge may like to know that The Grange is a prison between Darlington and Middleborough (so you need an invitation), The Great Field is in Dorchester and only started this weekend, The Leas is on the Isle of Sheppey, The Meadows are in Edinburgh, The Mystery park is in Liverpool, The Old Showfield is in Frome (Somerset), The Pastures are near Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, The Station (Yard) is in Richmond (North Yorkshire), The Wammy is in Newcastle-under-Lyme, The Waterfront is in St Helier (Jersey), The Wirral Way (Parkgate, West Cheshire) course uses what was, pre-Beeching, a rural single track railway branch line, now a linear country park. Early in her reign HM The Queen travelled along pulled by a real coal burning steam engine.  I know, I was there.

Steve Newell

The Great Field attracted a large number for their inaugural on Saturday - 345. However the numbers weren't boosted by coachloads of parkrun tourists from far away - rather it was the number 10 bus from Weymouth just down the road that provided 46% of the attendees and a further 10% were from nearby Yeovil displaced by the closure of their parkrun. Frequent tourists only provided 5% of the total. The start of The Great Field was promoted whereas that of Chopwell Woods wasn't announced until the morning of the first event hence only attracting 45 participants - but that did include our club member Neil who now lives nearby.

 Roderick Hoffman

Full club parkrun database - {read access to club parkrun database} - Download and explore (this is where I get most of my club stats from).

Jagjit 10 in 10Ten out of Ten for Ten in Ten

I have completed 10 marathons in 10 days from 22-10-2021 to 31-10-2021. It was hard challenge. These marathons were organised in Surrey by Saturn Running Organisation.

I wish to raise money for the Mayor of Hillingdon charities which are Domestic Abuse Survivors and Navratri Garba, who help those in need in our community. I am thoroughly impressed with how these charities help the wider community and would like to be a part of this change.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jagjit-singh-1sriguruteghbahadurjifundraiserformayorofhillingdonscharities?utm_term=A6YMjgn7w

Kind regards 

Jagjit Singh

Latest Club runs

Last week saw another busy weekend of running.

Starting with an early drive to South Norwood for a wet and very muddy parkrun with us also volunteering for token sorting and post-event closedown.

A change of clothing and a drive to Charlton as on Sunday we were to run to The Valley for our next football run. We left the car near to the ground where the parking is free, for a change. We knew that they had a home game that day against Doncaster and therefore crowds would not affect us. We caught the train to London Bridge to connect onto the Northern Line for a train to our hotel in Balham. Marvellous, the line was closed for maintenance and therefore a detour via Green Park and Stockwell was required.

Taking advantage of the extra hour of daylight we set off at 06:00 Sunday to Trafalgar Square for the 8.4 miles to Charlton. I thought that South Norwood was wet but this run had it all; rain, wind and buses that delighted in hitting every puddle near to us. Thank goodness we had dry clothes in the car. A new direction of travel for us taking us past The Tate Modern, H.M.S. Belfast, Cutty Sark and Admiralty Way in 1:22.

Paul and Julie visit three more football clubs

Another day and another football ground with Monday being reserved for The Den, Millwall. We were to drive to and leave the car at Millwall but we were so wet that a drive back to the hotel and a hot shower seemed a sensible alternative.

Up at 05:00 on what turned out to be a dryer, brighter and warmer morning and we set off for the ninth time from Trafalgar Square. A more southerly route of 4.7 miles via Elephant and Castle in 47 minutes. A 1.4 mile jog to Canada Water station and back to Balham to savour the hotel’s complimentary continental breakfast.

Rain, wind and train-line closures didn’t and won’t put us off. The clubs remaining are West Ham, Orient, QPR, Sutton and Wembley.

Paul Watt and Julie Barclay

Next Digest - Results, news, pictures, feedback, jokes, stories - send them to the editor, Roderick Hoffman, at news@barunner.org.uk.

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