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BA Athletics Club News Digest 12th June 2023

Events Calendar - online here

Events marked "#" are points scoring for the club's participation trophy - for the 2023 title.

Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps]

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.

Monthly Mile (please submit your June Mile performance by the end of the month):

Run one mile and send me your time or add the details to the prompt in Facebook. The mile can be somebody else's formal event or even one mile within a longer run. 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 How Measured Duration/Time Comment: e.g. event
 

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

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

Editorial - Standing Down as Chairman

I've made the decision to stand down from my role of Chairman of BAAC. Having been Chair, or acting Chair, since 2016 it is time for me to have a change, and time for the club to have a change. I will be continuing my communications role, for at least another year.

Roderick Hoffman

BAAC AGM Announcement 2023

BAAC will be holding its Annual General Meeting at the Bedfont Club, on Wednesday 5th July at 20:00.  Please make all efforts to attend – we will hear reports on the club’s successes in 2022/3, elect a new committee, and discuss any other burning issues.  This year in particular we have some important issues to discuss, affecting all members.

Please note that all committee positions are vacant at the AGM.  Currently we do not have any candidates for several committee positions.  We would welcome new faces onto the committee, so please consider getting involved in this interesting activity.  The committee posts to be filled are:

  • Chairman
  • Deputy Chairman
  • Honorary Secretary   
  • Honorary Treasurer                                                            
  • Ladies Captain
  • Welfare Officer                                           
  • Men’s Captain                                                                                  
  • Membership Secretary                                                                  
  • Communications Secretary
  • Events Secretary                             
  • Track & Field Captain                  
  • Committee Members (without portfolio)

Of course, it wouldn’t be the AGM without running a mile beforehand.  If you want to take part in that event, please let Steve Newell know.

And, as a reward for turning up at the AGM, we will be providing food.

See you there!

Steve Hillier (Hon Sec BAAC)

Events Secretary Role

My announcement above means that the existing members of the committee will be stretched thinner, unless one or more other club members offer to step forward onto the committee. Each role doesn't involve much work - the current problem is that many of those on the committee are filling two roles. I'll try to sell one of the unfilled roles to you...

The Events Secretary is an easy role. You need to have an interest in the events that the club involves itself in and either update each in the club diary or nag, sorry, remind others to put in the details. Ideally you'd also manage the Bedfont Club bookings for the Wednesday evenings when we plan to meet. Once a week you could drop the Communications Secretary a reminder of forthcoming events - but that probably isn't necessary since most members have access to the club diary or its extracts in the digest.

You could do this, including at a distance, let Steve know.

Roderick Hoffman

2023 Ladies on Wednesday 21st June

With ten days to go we've got at least 46 registered for the Speedbird Ladies Race. The maximum we'll allow is 70 and we won't allow entries on the day. If you, or someone you know, is hesitant about registering, please do so soon.

We will need volunteers on the day, although that hasn't proved a problem in the past.

>>> Roderick Hoffman

Track & Field 2023 – sunny Uxbridge 

Our second week of competition (and third match) took place at the Uxbridge track last Monday.  The last few years have seen this event blighted by strange, by which I mean awful, weather.  We’ve had monsoon rain, gales, thunderstorm and freezing cold evenings hitting the home of Hillingdon AC.  Strangely, a soft early summer evening greeted our athletes for this Vets League match.

Injuries and clashes with other events are keeping the team small at the moment.  Mike Ball maintained his early season form with a battling 200m, in a really tight race with the Serpentine athlete.  Steve Hillier attempted to propel heavy objects through the air, battling with large numbers of veterans.  The hammer competition was busy, while the shot event attracted huge numbers.  We enjoyed cheering on the MV70 athletes, who would put a shot, go off to run a 3000m and return to the shot circle for the final round.

Our next events will be the Rosenheim League at Ewell on Wednesday 14th June, followed by the Vets competition at Battersea on Monday 19th June. Please come along and join in the fun.

Event Comp. Age Group BA Competitor Our Age Group Measurement Position
200m M60 Michael Ball M60 0:00:35.6 5th
Hammer (5kg) M60 Steve Hillier M65 17.77m 4th
Shot (5kg) M60 Steve Hillier M65 6.10m 6th

Steve Hillier

England Athletics Standards - Privacy and Inclusion

As you will be aware, EA have asked all affiliated clubs to produce seven standards which the club's committee and members are required to aspire to.

I've attached the latest two standards, which cover Privacy and Inclusion.  These have been scrutinised by the committee, and we would like you, the members to take a look at them prior to signing them off at the AGM on July 5th.  Please would you take this opportunity to review these words, before we commit them to England Athletics.

Privacy: BAAC Club-Template-Privacy-Notice v2.doc

Inclusion: BAAC Club-Template-Inclusion-Policy v2.doc

Thanks,

Steve Hillier

Comrades 2023 - Results

Not one, not two, but five BA and BA linked runners this year. All completed the double marathon distance within the 12 hour cutoff time.

  • Murray Hogge - 10:11:30 (6944, cat 142) PB,
  • Frankie Hogge - 10:11:30 (snap) First run,
  • Tim Bellars - 10:51:04 First run,
  • Jain Reid - 10:57:48 First run,
  • Chris Kelly - 11:41:34 (pos 13,583) nth run.

Some pictures below.

Recent Activity Achievements

22 members' achievements were communicated to me. Your achievement not listed? It could be because you didn't submit it.

Colleague Activity Distance Course When Duration Comments
Tim Bellars Ultra-run 88kms Comrades Sun 10:51:04 Comrades Marathon SA 88km (55.2miles). 10:49:45 on my watch, gun to gun and a bronze medal. Very tough and demanding in great conditions.
Steve Hillier Cycling 22miles Uxbridge and Chalfonts Sun am 02:30:00 A warm cycle ride for me this morning.  Firstly to Uxbridge for a short trip along the canal to Denham. Then the climb to Chalfont St Peter and on to Chalfont and Latimer.
Simon Turton Orienteering 9km Chalfont Park, Lower Earley Sat 01:00:00 BKO summer orienteering parks series - long course. Started circa. 10:45 so running in the heat . Lost concentration part way round, which cost me time but gradually got it together again.
Roderick Hoffman Running 13.82km Basingstoke Canal Sun am 01:42:13 New Haw to Brookwood - continuing my June Canalathon challenge - 34 new miles walked or run so far this calendar month.
Richard Ruffell Triathlon Olympic Dorney Lake Sat See below
Piers Keenleyside  Race Half-M St Albans Sun am 02:07:52 For the 17th time, 40 years since I first ran this in 1983 (picture with brothers Andrew and Miles and Andrew's friend Paul Bollington). That was my first ever road race and the start of my running adventure that has recently got me to 200 marathons. Kept my pace slow so as not to aggravate the returned groin strain and finished in 2:07:52 and 17th V60/69 of 59 and 759th of 1693 overall. No medal to show - they ran out of them!
Petra Otto Various 3x gym, 1x tough circuit training, 35 mins walk. March Parkrun was cancelled due to the summer festival taking part in the park.
Neil Frediani  Race 5.8miles Blaydon race Fri pm 00:52:51 My first Blaydon race which was my first friday night race and first race to require singing a song at the start! 5.8miles in 52:51 including a first 5k which beats all my parkruns in the last 2 years. 14hours later so it felt like the same race I ran my 300th parkrun at a similar pace and also got in a 50th volunteer event.
Melanie Miller Walking 10.41km Reeuwijkse Hout Lake, Netherlands 02:11:00 Recent memorable walk.
John Scaife Gardening 5km Braywick Park Mon We were busy clearing an overgrown path in Braywick Park on Monday in readiness for Maidenhead AC hosting a 5k on Tue evening. Six clubs in the Thames valley have a 5k summer series and it’s our turn to host.
Jasvir Singh Modaher  Race Half-M Swansea Sun Spotted by one of the Concorde One Hour competitors from the previous week.
Janet Smith parkrun 15km Scandinavian triple 4 days Completing the Scandi triple parkrun and getting initiated into the World Tourist parkrun group ‍♀️ I had such fun and it was nice to see Julie, Paul, Fiona and Roderick. I ran Oslo on the Saturday as well.
Jain Reid Ultra-run 88kms Comrades Sun 10:57:42 Comrades marathon for the first time. Lovely to see Chris Kelly before and after. Finish time 10:57:42. Thrilled.
Harjit Jhooti Walking 17.76km Suffolk - Aldeburgh to Sizewell. Fri 04:06:17 Suffolk coastal walk
Emma Moreton ! Rafting 1.2km Shepperton 00:50:00 A slow raft “race” at Shepperton Village Fair on our homemade raft - 50 minutes to travel 1.2km Our theme was NHS 75
Clara Halket Running 16km Long Beach, LAX A 16km jog along the harbourfront in LA ending up in Long Beach ⛱️
Chris Kelly Ultra-run 88kms Comrades Sun 11:41:34 Saw Jain, Murray, and Frankie before the start, and not again till after the finish! But lots of other entertainment to distract from the pain.
Caroline Yarnell Running 10km Chester My first run with Chester Road Runners - 5:14 per km for 10k with some light chat at times.
Ben Cooper Running 19.38km Cardiff 01:45:16 "Me: Hey Garmin coach, I'd like to run 10k in September, can you help. Garmin: sure, give me 20k now. Me: but I only normally do 6 or 7k. The last time I did that distance was 2016 . Garmin: Do it, do it now!" *
Barry Walters  Race 6km Trail de Manduel near Nimes Sun 00:41:17 See below
Andy Rayner Running 1mile Rhodes Back from Rhodes so, hopefully, will report more. However, I can report that whilst there I did run uphill  1m XC to a nav point on a cliff. Plus I sea swam four times (each one approx 400 metres). Beer was good! Best regards, Andy Rayner.
Adrian Haines  Race 1mile British Masters Mile Road Race 00:04:55 3rd in 4-55. Fell off the pace at half way. The race was won in 4:35 in a World best time by a 58 year old. Our M55 was quicker than the M45/50, Always good to run against the best. It’s my first race in a while so hopefully kick start the track season.

* Sounds like Ben's Garmin coach is like me - I always say training for a race should be speed work over half the race distance and stamina work over double the distance. But I've never trained for the Comrades!

Roderick Hoffman

parkrun Results for Monday 5th June, Tuesday 6th June and Saturday 10th June

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

Club parkrunner parkrun 5th June Run# Pos Time Age Grade Comment
Paul WATT Damhusengen 92 12 0:20:53 75.50%
Julie BARCLAY Damhusengen 92 34 0:23:24 80.63%
Fiona Bishop Damhusengen 92 46 0:24:54 81.39% run #238
Janet SMITH Damhusengen 92 116 0:36:00 51.67%
Fiona Bishop Amager Strandpark 518 69 0:24:04 84.21% [late result from last week]
Club parkrunner parkrun 6th June Run# Pos Time Age Grade Comment
Paul WATT Uppsala 184 17 0:20:20 77.54% run #246, park #144
Julie BARCLAY Uppsala 184 40 0:23:12 81.32% run #298, park #148
Roderick HOFFMAN Uppsala 184 92 0:28:25 57.42% run #462, park #354
Janet SMITH Uppsala 184 133 0:37:27 49.67% run #153, park #60, three countries in a weekend

parkrun review - Scandinavian Specials

The final flourish of special (extra) parkruns in Scandinavia saw some astonishing attendances.

Fiona Bishop (24:04, 84.21%) followed up a previously unreported run at the long established Amager Strandpark (Copenhagen East) on Saturday with a run (24:54, 81.39%) at Damhusengen (Copenhagen West) on Monday (5th June) where she was joined by Paul Watt (20:53), Julie Barclay (23:24) and Janet Smith (36:00).  Amager Strandpark has a long term average attendance over 519 runs of 51 but attracted 234 on Saturday and then 644 on Monday. Anything over 100 has been extremely rare in the past.  Previous Saturday – average 59 with 6 helpers, last Saturday 234 with 21 helpers, Monday Special 644 runners with 34 helpers. [previous record 189]

The more recently established (post-Covid19) Damhusengen is normally a much smaller event and averaging only 26 runners.  On Saturday the parkrun attracted 76 and on Monday 150, many of them dedicated parkrunners from UK clubs.

And so on to Tuesday and Sweden.  Over “The Bridge” and a longish drive or a flight to Stockholm (probably).  The chosen parkrun was Uppsala to the north of Stockholm with an average attendance of 33 and on Tuesday a record (by a big margin) 149, twice as many as for the run on 6th June last year – the previous record.  For Paul Watt(20:20), Julie Barclay(23:12) it was the third parkrun of a very long weekend. Roderick Hoffman (28:25) logged his 354th different parkrun and Janet Smith (37:27) with her third country in a long weekend, her 60th.

The numbers at Växjösjön in central southern Sweden (no BA runners to date but two Hoffman Club members have run there, just the once of course) - Saturday – the average 21 with 6 helpers. Tuesday special - 727 with 52 helpers. Including 18 first timers, which is interesting. [previous record, 56 at their inaugural].  This last Saturday up 1 to 22 runners handled by four volunteers.

Ed: It is important to point out that the high attendances had been anticipated and planned for. This isn't 700 people randomly turning up at a parkrun but a coordinated visit, coordinated by members of the parkrun World Tourist group working with the event teams. The season of spring Specials is now complete. The next extra parkrun opportunity is probably that for Germany on Unification Day in October.

Club parkrunner parkrun 10th June Run# Pos Time Age Grade Comment
Scott DAVISON Bedfont Lakes 645 56 0:27:27 54.58%
Bob BANNISTER Black Park 663 136 0:26:31 63.86%
Joe NOLAN Black Park 663 224 0:29:57 57.60%
Sarah GORDON Braunstone 588 Marshal at Braunstone
Ian Haylock Bushy Park 934 95 0:20:44 72.27% 360th Bushy parkrun - and 71st Bushy Park parkrun since running anywhere else.
Ian CUNNINGHAM Bushy Park 934 205 0:22:33 71.10%
Melanie Miller Chalkwell Beach 99 318 0:39:38 45.08% New BA park #737.
Adam MOQUET Clair 450 2 0:19:18 68.74% Fastest BA male, but not grade record, from David Cowell
Ben CHAYTOW Crane Park 509 20 0:23:15 61.43%
David Cowell Darlington South Park 470 11 0:19:28 72.86% Club records (from Denis Foxley)
Piers KEENLEYSIDE Gunnersbury 526 296 0:29:28 57.47%
Joan FOXLEY Harrow 351 Timekeeper at Harrow
Denis FOXLEY Harrow 351 Run Director at Harrow
Paul WATT Highbury Fields 536 27 0:20:13 77.99% run #247, a step nearer Londone
Julie BARCLAY Highbury Fields 536 94 0:23:26 81.65% run #299. BA Ladies record and Age Grade record.
Harjit Jhooti Ipswich 487 134 0:33:48 52.86% Not just there for the "I"! (been there, done that!). First BA lady.
Fiona Bishop Long Eaton 333 138 0:24:26 82.95% 52 second PB
Benita SCAIFE Maidenhead Finish Tokens at Maidenhead
John SCAIFE Maidenhead Token Support at Maidenhead.
Jain REID North Beach 452 294 0:32:34 56.35% First BA lady and BA Age Grade record from Piers.
Trish MCCABE Osterley 427 94 0:27:27 58.41%
Alan ANDERSON Osterley 427 260 0:50:36 53.85%
Neil FREDIANI Prudhoe Riverside 262 64 0:29:11 58.02%
John TAYLOR Rickmansworth 256 54 0:22:09 71.18%
Mike DENNISON Southwark 424 31 0:20:02 83.69% BA best Age Grade.
Maria JOVANI Southwark 424 80 0:22:22 72.43% BA Ladies record.
David DUGGAN Stockley Country 22 63 0:34:45 47.39% plus First Timers Welcome
Roderick HOFFMAN Stockley Country 22 Timekeeper at Stockley Country
Steve NEWELL Thames Path, Woolwich 6 298 0:50:33 40.62% Londone once more, park #127 (62 in the London boroughs)
Christopher T KELLY Umhlanga 370 325 0:44:27 35.17% PB by about twenty minutes.
Ray HAMPTON Forfar Loch 66 113 0:33:41 60.96% New BA park #736.

parkrun Review 10th June 2023

Highlights for Saturday (10th June).  Strong sunshine and very warm temperatures even at 9 a.m. for some.  Adam Moquet (19:18) was our quickest this week with his run to gain second place at Clair parkrun at Haywards Heath in West Sussex.

Away from the heat, Jain Reid (32:34 at North Beach) and Chris Kelly (44:27 at Umhlanga) were both in mid-winter Durban warming up ahead of the Comrades 90km double marathon on Sunday.  Results reported elsewhere.

Mike Dennison (20:02) was at Southwark parkrun (Surrey Quays), soon to celebrate its 10th anniversary, for the first time and went straight up to 2nd place (out of over 200) in his age group list.  Standards and participation by mature runners have both improved over a decade.  Steve Newell was top of the same age group for a full six months in 2013/14 with a time nine minutes slower.  The more youthful Paul Watt has been there too and done 20:00.

Steve Newell

 

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

Letters to the Editor

Barry reporting some results from the South of France,

Duncan warmed up for next year's Green Belt relay with 2 runs this weekend:

Le Course des Capitelles Sommieres a 13k race held on a wet and slippery circuit on Saturday 10th June. He finished 1st V60 in 1:02:51.

On Sunday 11th June  he ran an 11k run around the vineyards of the Trail de Manduel for a distance of 11k in 0:47:36 and was again 1st V60.

I also did the 6k Trail de Manduel near Nimes and in the hot conditions finished in 0:41:17 for 2nd in my age group. We both received a complementary bottle of rose.  

Barry Walters

 

Hottest day of the year so far so must be a race day for me. If you ever need to know when we are going to get some hot weather just ask me when I have a race planned!

This morning I was back to Dorney Lake for an Olympic distance event run by ATW who do put on a great event. As usual they had all distance triathlons, plus several different runs with aquabike thrown in just in case. Made for a pretty busy venue.

My wave were last off for the tris and as we waited in the water for the start the starter kindly told us that there had been a few hundred other nervous triathletes through so far so probably best not to drink the water! Thanks for that.

The swim went okay for me, about midway in the field, back in just over 28mins and no dramas. Then onto the bike. A flat fast 8 laps, completed in 62mins at 22.4mph, so happy with that, in the top 15%. Then the run, within the first 400m it was clear this was going to be hard as temperatures were now about 27 to 28 degrees, and there was no shade to be seen anywhere. A 2 lap 10k course completed in just over 46 mins but it was tough, in top 20%.

Overall finished in 2hrs 23mins 9 secs and ended up 56th out of 303, and first in AG.

Dorney is a great venue, flat, no cars and generally good water and ATW events are always well organised.

So if you are looking for some good weather for a weekend away in the UK suggest you try Sunday 9th July when I am off to Holkham for a 70.3 event.

Richard Ruffell

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

Not for you, no longer interested? remove me please.

Difficulty viewing this? Read it from the website:- http://www.barunner.org.uk/News Latest.shtml. Club website: www.barunner.org.uk.

 

      

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