BAAC Cross Country Championship - Sunday 17th March 10:30 #*

Hi all,

Next Sunday 17th March is our annual BAAC Cross Country race in Cranford Park with a start time of 10.30 for ladies & men's races. This will follow the usual course and consist of two laps for the ladies and three for the men. The course is often soft but rarely muddy. Meet in the car park next to the church - accessed from the A312 Parkway / M4 roundabout.

If there's anybody who can be there but not able to run, that would be great as we need some Marshalls there as well to help with finish line duties and on course marshaling. 

Hope to see many of you on Sunday. 

Gary Rushmere {gary.rushmer@btinternet.com}

BA Clubs Members Update Meeting

Steve Hillier and I attended a BA Cubs members meeting last week and other members are encouraged to attend two equivalent sessions, one tomorrow (12th) at 7pm and then on Wednesday 20th March also at 7pm.  The location is the Bedfont Club - the bar is open and last week biscuits and sandwiches were also provided. Please attend if you can - and book your place in advance by notifying the BA Clubs membership team at membership@ba.com.

The short answer to what the meeting is about is that it is their first opportunity for over a year to meet with members, look them in the eye and assure then that the BA Club has a future. Some more details are provided in this attachment also sent out last week: BAClubs Member Communication Mar 19 PDF .

The BA Athletics Club continues to be a section within BA Clubs and recommends membership of BA Clubs for BA, ex-BA and non-BA runners. Steve and I will provide some text to better explain the relationships around this, probably coinciding with the Membership Secretary and Treasurer reminding all members to pay their subs due from April.

Roderick Hoffman (Chairman)

Thanks to the Marshals - Big Half 10th March 2019 #

Thanks to all of the marshals who helped man the crossing point yesterday. The picture shows most of us (and I hope that the readers are wearing shades because the jackets were such a lovely shade of pink).

We couldn't have been in a better location for the main race - Mo Farah took off as he ran past us (perhaps he had figured the two runners he was up against would be blinded by the sight of us).

Our involvement appears to have been a success - we were kept busy most of the time from 10:00 to 13:30 and the only real concern was the weather and whether the wind would blow down the barriers at a crucial moment.  Fortunately Graham Taylor and others found a never ending supply of barrier weights (the red things in the photograph).

So thanks to Eddie Ketterick, David Duggan, Maria Jovani, Bob Bannister, Anne Bannister, John Paton, Guilaine Sheward, Zoe Ostley, Tejinder Singh Modaher, Peter Dollman, Mike Dennison, Graham Taylor, Steve Newell and myself (and anyone else who was there please tell me so that I can add your club points).

Roderick Hoffman

ps And thanks to those who ran the event - including Mo Farah (1:01:15), Trish McCabe (2:12:38), Jain Reid (2:14:22) and Tracey Mills (2:27:11).

The British Airways Athletics Club Annual Awards for 2018 (part 2)

Held over until next week.

Wednesday 20th March NOW run at Brooklands near Weybridge from 12:00

The plan is...

• At 12:00 meet at the Brooklands Community Park car park (details below),
• Five km run - probably one slow lap of the two lap parkrun course and then a mixed speed ad hoc run to checkout some of the other paths and surfaces,
• Photo Opportunity at the Concorde Gate Guardian (pictured),
• Visit to Brooklands Museum starting with...
• Brooklands Museum Cafe,
• Visit the Aviation and/or Motor Racing and/or Bus Museum exhibits.

Getting there by road details (borrowed off the Brooklands parkrun course page)...

The park is between Weybridge and Byfleet in Surrey. Just a few minutes from Junction 10 of the M25 and the A3 London-Portsmouth trunk road. If using SATNAV, the nearest postcode is KT13 0YU.

From town/city centre: Turn right onto Monument Hill/A317 and take the 2nd exit of the roundabout onto Hanger Hill. At the roundabout, take 2nd exit and continue onto Hanger Hill. Follow the signs to Brooklands and turn right into Sopwith Drive.

From M25 - At junction 11, exit toward A320/Chertsey/Woking. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto the St Peter’s Way/ A320 Chertsey/Weybridge (follow signs for Brooklands Museum). At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto the Woburn Hill/A317 and continue to follow A317 (follow signs for Brooklands Museum). At the roundabout, take the 4th exit onto Church St/B374 and continue to follow B374(follow signs for Brooklands Museum). At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Brooklands Road/B374 (follow signs for Brooklands Museum). At the roundabout, take the 1st exit and stay on Brooklands Road/B374 (follow signs for Brooklands Museum). Turn into Brooklands Community Park (Sopwith Drive).

Free parking at Brooklands Community Park, KT13 0YU.

Let us know to look out for you: Roderick Hoffman