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BA Athletics Club News Digest 7th January 2019

Events:

• Saturday 12th January - Men's Surrey League Cross-Country at Oxshott at 14:30 (see below) #
• Wednesday 16th January - Club CIE event and social at the Bedfont Club - details next week #
• Saturday 19th January - Club Featured parkrun at Higginson, Marlow for 09:00 - details below #

We are meeting at the Bedfont Club on Wednesday 9th January 2019 and on most Wednesdays throughout the year.

New members and potential members of all fitness levels and abilities are welcome at all of these events. The full diary of club featured events is on the club website at: http://www.barunner.org.uk/Event Diary.shtml. Last updated: 10th December.

* Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps] (parkrun details updated 10th December) / # Club Points event.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BARunnerUK/ (formal "front window" club page), BA Runner Facebook Group (informal "back office" - ask to join).

Inclusions, with photos, please to Roderick Hoffman at news@barunner.org.uk.

Dream Mile Thursday 3rd January Results

The first dream mile of the year was held on Thursday 3rd January in cool temperatures and with next to no wind.  It was neck and neck between the Office Workers and Non-Office Workers with three from each, though not surprisingly the three younger Office Workers were faster than the Non-Office Workers. 

There was a timing issue with Chris Kelly's run but the photographic evidence shows that he finished shortly ahead of Steve Newell. Then again, perhaps they didn't start together.

Roderick Hoffman

The next Dream Mile will be held on Thursday 7th February.

The Vitality Big Half 10th March 2019 #

It's just under four months to go until our major marshalling event of the year, the London Marathon.  Prior to that, we've again been asked to marshal one crossing at this year's Big Half.  We had a team in Greenwich in 2018 to manage a busy crossing near Cutty Sark, and the London Marathon organisation have asked to help again in 2019.

The race is described as a "Community Running Festival" from Tower Bridge to Greenwich.  It's a lively, noisy day out.  If you would like to help by marshalling at The Big Half, please can you let me know?

Many thanks,

Steve Hillier {stevehillier@msn.com}

Club parkrun results for New Year's Day 2019

In the interests of space and balance, the parkrun results for last Saturday will be included with next Saturday's in next week's digest.

An extraordinary day for parkrun with at least 150 UK venues attracting record attendances and many runners taking advantage of the variety of start times and running 5km twice on the same morning.  Starts of 9 a.m. and 1030 a.m. were the most popular combination.  No club runner attempted a 9 a.m./10 a.m. pairing this year. Club members contributed to 13 records as noted in the table above, including airline familiar numbers of 777 and 787. Flows between parkruns are shown in this table: [Google Map by Charlie Pearce, Data from Ian Rutson] and of club runners Kelly Davis was in the biggest crowd - 457 from Hove Promenade to Brighton & Hove. John Lennon was in the smallest - just one other person made it from Guildford to Reigate Priory.

It was good to see Barry Walters (24:23 at Dinton Pastures) in the results after a break of six months and he and Richard Ruffell had the earliest run start time of 08:30.

Maria Jovani (23:33 at Old Deer Park followed by 22:24 at Osterley Park) was the only member to achieve a better time on the second run, and she ran from Richmond to Osterley as well so she had a busy morning.

No new parks were added to the club total but many of our tourists visited one or two new runs and several new club records have been set :–

• Roderick Hoffman: Billericay (28:49) and South Woodham Ferrers (29:37),
• Ian Cockram: Fareham (23:27) and Lee-on-Solent (23:36),
• Caroline Cockram: Fareham (25:26) and Lee-on-Solent (25:37),
• Chris Kelly: Andover (20:36) and Eastleigh (21:24).

Ed: Some may spot a familiar trend - Roderick taking records off from Steve Newell but losing them to Chris and Ian.

Happy New Year

Steve Newell / Roderick Hoffman

Updated parkrun stats - club parkrun stats

Parkrun records

As well as numbers at parkrun, performance records have also been tumbling. First Alex YEE set the second fastest men's unassisted parkrun time of 13:57 at Dulwich and then Charlotte ARTER broke the women's record by running 15:50 at Cardiff. Charlotte broke the previous record held by Hannah WALKER, set at St Alban's on an occasion when I was there, so I'm sad to see her record broken. Andrew BADDELEY still holds the men's record, set in 2012 at Bushy.

Club Featured parkrun Higginson Marlow 19th January #

Higginson parkrun Marlow started in August 2018, the 19th January will be the 22nd running of what has quickly become a very popular event with both locals and tourists, regularly attracting between 150 and 200 runners.

Parking is available at Court Garden leisure centre though there is a charge, arrive early and you may be lucky and get 2 hours free parking on the causeway, either way, it’s a short jog across the park to the start. As the names implies, the run starts and finishes in Higginson Park, two small laps of the park help to spread the runners out, look out for the larger than life figure of Sir Steve Redgrave. It’s then an out and back course along the Thames towpath towards Hurley where there’s plenty of opportunities to high five or cheer on your team mates as you pass one another. If you’re not too speedy you’ll see the beautiful Bisham church and Bisham Abbey across the river. Post run we meet in the Court Garden coffee shop, the entrance to which is just past the Steve Redgrave statue.

All in all, Higginson parkrun is hard to beat, we look forward to welcoming lots of BAAC members on the 19th Jan.. Webpage: http://www.parkrun.org.uk/higginsonmarlow/

Please note unfortunately the course is not suitable for dogs or buggies.

Alice Banks (also Run Director that day - and there are unfilled slots on the volunteer roster if you are unable to run on the day)

Cliveden 10k XCountry 6th January 2019 Results

472nd Trish McCabe 1:05:13

627th Janet Smith 1:51:44

Running shorts...

• Well, I have been preaching for years the importance of smiling as part of running and it seems that Kipchoge has been listening...  https://www.runnersworld.co.uk/training/motivation/how-smiling-improves-your-running.  Joe Nolan
• Dear Ed. No report of a jog/s this week but an eleven mile cycle was managed in 53.40. On a general note, if I may, I wish all the best to my old friend, Tony Barnwell, and also to Steve Hillier and Simon Turton. My new year's resolution is to have the strength of Brian, marvel at what Piers does and stand back and applaud the Great Jas. If you have not read it, peruse the "Clock Of Time" by Rudyard Kipling. Thank you Ed. for your Promulgations and John Williams for giving me London Marathon entries for 1990 onwards (my first was in 1988). Time flies!    Andy Rayner
• Ealing Street-O Orienteering - Tuesday 8th January, meeting at the Castle Inn W5 5EU at 18:30.

Want to see someone else's performances here? Send them in...

Tom's back

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

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