BA Athletics Club News Digest 23rd December 2019
Events:
-
Monday 30th December - Round Heathrow Airport Run (date and start time to be
confirmed)
-
Saturday 11th January Men's and Ladies Cross Countries - details to be
confirmed # (2020 year)
-
Wednesday 22nd January Five Mile Handicap at Bedfont Club from 18:00
#
Our next Bedfont Club
meeting will be on Wednesday 8th January for ad hoc runs and
22nd (Handicap). All members
are welcome.
New members and potential members of all fitness levels and abilities are welcome at
most of our events. The full diary of club featured events is on the club website at: http://www.barunner.org.uk/Event Diary.shtml.
Last updated: 1st November.
* Club Event Map:
[Clickable link to Google Maps]
(parkrun details updated 18th November 2019) /
# 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.
Bedfont Christmas Mile Relay #
The pre-Christmas Bash mile run at Bedfont attracted ten runners who were
arranged in five teams of two - seeded to spread the runners along the rather
narrow footpath in Hatton Road. The same "L" shaped course as last year
was used with the first and fourth quarters along the pavement in Hatton Road
and the second and third quarters up and down the footpath/cycle track between
the allotments and primary school.
The weather was cool with a light drizzle and so not ideal for those wearing
spectacles. Gary Rushmer (6:11) was the first back to the changeover point
and set a new course record (improving on the 6:24 by Simon Turton last year).
Second leg runners lined up in reverse ranking order in the hope of producing a
close finish. We welcomed two prospective members (Harjit Jhooti and
Melanie Miller) who entered into the spirit of the occasion. Reassuringly,
Harjit's new GPS watch confirmed the distance as 1.61km.
Times:
- Gary Rushmer (6:11),
- Chris Kelly (6:37),
- Tim Bellars (7:00),
- Steve Taylor (7:37),
- Graham Taylor (7:44),
- Piers Keenleyside (8:33),
- Neil Frediani (8:35),
- Steve Hillier (8:55),
- Harjit Jhooti (10:11),
- Melanie Miller (10:27).
Steve Newell
# More Club Points Recognition
The Xmas Mile was the last points scoring event in this year's
Round-the-Block club participation competition. Next week's digest will
include a summary of the year and reveal the top three club participants.
Since I last reported on this, three additional members have achieved ten
points over the year so congratulations and thanks go out to:
- Steve Taylor,
- Mike
Dennison,
- and Maria Jovani.
Roderick Hoffman obo the whole club and its operating
committee
SPOTY associations
Steve Hillier...
|
Two tenuous claims here.
1972 winner Mary Peters was guest of honour at the World Corporate
Games track (not diving!) event in 1992 at Crystal Palace. She
handed out the medals. (My sprinting talent ensured that I disappeared
at the semi-final stage). She then spent time mingling with the
competitors and families, and had a long chat with my two young sons.
She was very generous with her time, a lovely lady.
2017 winner Sir Mo Farah went to the same school as me (Isleworth),
about 30 years after me. He was also a member of Hounslow AC when
I joined them as a second claim to start hammer training. He was
famous for setting off in the longer track runs at an enormous rate,
running out of puff, and walking for a bit before setting off again to
win the race by a big margin. He was in the same Hounslow AC
junior team as my son Toby, travelling all over the southeast of
England. [Ed: I also remember that on the second
ever club featured parkrun, in Bushy Park on 6th August 2011, Mo Farah
ran and cheered us all on - though sadly he was running in the reverse
direction and not in the parkrun itself].
….not forgetting Linford Christie.....didn't we run at his stadium
for a BAAC T&F champs?
Steve Hillier
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Steve Newell...
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I have two instances worth reporting:
I) in the winter 1962/63 (loads of snow, etc) I was in my first year
at St Andrews university in Scotland and soon got into the swimming team
as a breaststroker. We had matches home and away against the other
three Scottish universities (Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow). Any
diaries from that era have been lost so I'm not going to make even a
guess at a date but I remember going to the excellent Bon Accord pool in
Aberdeen on a freezing cold day (outside). Ian Black (SPOTY 1958),
possibly in his final year by then - I don't remember him the following
season, was in the Aberdeen team that day and swimming butterfly and
maybe freestyle in the relay. I'm not claiming to have raced
against him directly but I was at the same pool on the same day in the
same competition!
The pool was 120 feet long and 15 feet deep at the end with diving
boards. Normally our races were in multiples of 50 yards so all
events except the 200 yard ones were different to usual. The
goalkeeper in the water polo team couldn't stand on the bottom.
The pool is still there but not currently operational. It must
have been state of the art in 1940.
2) Indisputable claim from this year. I was at Clapham Common
parkrun on 31/08/2019. It was crowded and I started near the back,
taking quite a while to get over the start line. A certain Kelly Holmes
(SPOTY 2004) was running there that day. She had made a short
speech before we started. She probably lapped me, certainly
finished (1st female) so far ahead she had time to get her barcode
scanned and then appear across the course to encourage the stragglers
like me on their second lap.
A near miss some might claim (e.g. Alan Anderson, Piers Keenleyside)
- Seb Coe (SPOTY 1979) was at Gunnersbury parkrun on 14th September and
was seen running the course (in about 24 mins). He failed to
produce a barcode and so doesn't appear in the results. There was
a photo of him with Alan Anderson (but I can't find it!).
Steve Newell
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Roderick Hoffman...
|
 Me
with Jessica Ennis at a BA organised sports check-up in Sheffield in May
2012. This included warming up on the indoor track. Sadly, Jessica was
runner-up that year to Bradley Wiggins (PS I wouldn’t have swapped
Jessica for Bradley!). Jessica was also placed third in 2009 and 2010.
Roderick Hoffman
|
Richard Ruffell...
|
I thought we would do a Ruffell family entry into your SPOTY
links.....
So for me, I ran the London Marathon in 2013, when Paula also ran,
the year she set the world record. She was a SPOTY winner the year
before.
For Natalie, she was a Toffee girl way back in about 1991 when
Everton played Newcastle. While not technically on the pitch
during the game, she was during the warm up and went round throwing
toffees to the fans. When she got back to the tunnel Paul Gascoigne was
also just going down the tunnel after finishing his own warm up and
asked her for a toffee, but she had run out! Paul was not happy!!!
Paul was SPOTY winner in 1990. Short story behind this, I took
Natalie and James (as was) to meet the team on a Friday night pre a game
the next day v Charlton Athletic, a meeting set up by the London branch
of the Everton Supporters club. When we arrived there was the whole
Everton team and management but only about 6 fans, of which we were 3!
So we (well me) spent an hour or so chatting to the players, including
Duncan Ferguson and Walter Smith the manager. Some of the players and my
kids got bored so started playing a game of football in the room we were
in, which was a large room in the hotel. Natalie, taking a shot,
somewhat miscued, the ball flew off into a load of teacups (about 100 of
them) stacked on a table. As you can imagine the ball won, and there was
lots of broken china everywhere. Natalie burst into tears and was
inconsolable. About 10 minutes later Steve Watson, who was part of the
game, came back down with a shirt signed by the whole team for her, and
Natalie and James were invited to be ball boy and Toffee girl at a game
at Goodison a few weeks later!
For James (as was), as well as ball boy as above for Natalie has his
own entry. Back in about 2004 James went to a summer athletics training
day at Brunel, which was a running training day for kids during the
school summer holidays based at their track in Uxbridge. And
special coach for the day was the then "up and coming" Mo Farah.
He did not make to SPOTY fame till 2017. While not a race as such,
they certainly ran around the track together a few times! We do
have a nice photo of James and Mo together.
And finally one for Bridget, This one is a bit tenuous as far as
being on the field of play, but Bridget as a project she did with her
company, did the logo and branding for We Are England for the 2010 World
Athletic Championships in Delhi. Bridget's main client who she met and
worked closely with was one Dame Kelly Holmes, SPOTY winner back in
2004. Never on the field of play together, but this was the best I
could manage for Bridget!
Richard Ruffell
|
At the moment Steve
Newell's offer of a pint of Fuller's beer (from the Brewery Shop) for
the most interesting and convincing claim to have shared a 'field of play' with a Sports Personality of the Year
winner appears to be safely with himself (provided he can find a way to denounce
Richard's claim). Let him know quickly of your claim, else the beer will
probably be drunk on Christmas Day! See also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Sports_Personality_of_the_Year_Award
Big Half 2020
Our club supports the London Marathon organisation in marshalling five events
during the year, and in return we receive a generous allocation of guaranteed
entries. Marshalling each event is hard work, but fun and rewarding, and
gives you the best possible view of the race.
Our first opportunity of 2020 takes place on Sunday 1st March in Greenwich,
when we will man a crossing near the finish of the Big Half, close to the Cutty
Sark. We need twenty volunteers who are prepared to give up their
morning. If demand is sufficient, we will lay on transport from the
Bedfont area to Greenwich.
Please could you think about offering your time for this event, and contact
me as soon as possible so that we can put together a marshalling team.
Thanks,
Steve Hillier
Club parkrun results for Saturday 21st December 2019
| Member |
21st December |
parkrun |
Pos |
Time |
Grade |
PB |
Comment |
| TRUE |
Paul PRESCOTT |
Bedfont Lakes |
8 |
00:21:11 |
60.98% |
|
M-8 |
| TRUE |
Neil FREDIANI |
Bedfont Lakes |
89 |
00:30:12 |
54.03% |
|
| TRUE |
David DUGGAN |
Bedfont Lakes |
101 |
00:31:07 |
51.10% |
|
| TRUE |
Joe NOLAN |
Black Park |
358 |
00:31:41 |
52.45% |
|
run #346, 212th at Black Park |
| TRUE |
Ian CUNNINGHAM |
Bushy Park |
247 |
00:23:28 |
66.62% |
|
| TRUE |
Paul TIMMS |
Cirencester |
31 |
00:26:22 |
58.79% |
|
22nd run at Cirencester |
| TRUE |
Caroline Cockram |
Clumber Park |
67 |
00:25:47 |
65.03% |
|
club record, park #84 |
| TRUE |
Ian Cockram |
Clumber Park |
68 |
00:25:47 |
58.11% |
|
club record, park #84 |
| TRUE |
James Shoulder |
Crane Park |
5 |
00:19:07 |
67.48% |
PB |
M-5, parkrun pb, club record |
| TRUE |
Bob Bannister |
Crane Park |
59 |
00:24:54 |
66.13% |
|
| TRUE |
Scott DAVISON |
Crane Park |
50 |
00:24:19 |
59.70% |
|
| TRUE |
Ben Chaytow |
Crane Park |
|
|
|
|
Run 400 run director (plus many family members) |
| TRUE |
David Williams |
Fulham Palace |
205 |
00:25:48 |
53.68% |
|
run #135, 10th at Fulham Palace |
| TRUE |
Steve NEWELL |
Gunnersbury |
|
|
|
|
backup timekeeper (photo evidence operative) |
| TRUE |
Piers KEENLEYSIDE |
Gunnersbury |
|
|
|
|
marshal and guardian of A. Anderson 3km marker |
| TRUE |
Maarten Stenham |
Hanworth |
19 |
00:25:46 |
53.75% |
|
| TRUE |
Denis Foxley |
Harrow |
145 |
00:29:37 |
59.54% |
|
course varied due to floods |
| FALSE |
Joan FOXLEY |
Harrow |
226 |
00:39:38 |
57.11% |
|
| TRUE |
Alice BANKS |
Henley-on-Thames |
55 |
00:33:14 |
60.08% |
|
run #156, 5th at Henley-on-Thames |
| TRUE |
Benita Scaife |
Maidenhead |
228 |
00:32:39 |
62.07% |
|
| TRUE |
John Scaife |
Maidenhead |
229 |
00:32:39 |
51.35% |
|
| TRUE |
Stephen K TAYLOR |
Northala Fields |
96 |
00:27:33 |
56.26% |
|
run #125, 86th at Northala |
| TRUE |
Alan & Ann ANDERSON |
Osterley |
316 |
00:47:19 |
57.66% |
|
assisted |
| TRUE |
Alan ANDERSON |
Osterley |
317 |
00:47:21 |
49.63% |
|
| TRUE |
Jain Reid |
Richmond Park |
244 |
00:29:45 |
59.27% |
|
run #66, 62nd at Richmond Park |
| TRUE |
Mike Dennison |
Rickmansworth |
18 |
00:19:40 |
82.29% |
|
1st run at Rickmansworth, equals club record |
| TRUE |
Maria Jovani |
Rickmansworth |
35 |
00:20:29 |
76.24% |
|
1st run at Rickmansworth, club record (F) |
| TRUE |
Marion WOODHOUSE |
Rickmansworth |
378 |
00:34:30 |
52.46% |
|
14th run at Rickmansworth |
| TRUE |
Tony BARNWELL |
Rickmansworth |
447 |
00:46:10 |
42.60% |
|
24th run at Rickmansworth |
| TRUE |
Christopher T KELLY |
Sandhurst Memorial |
166 |
00:39:13 |
38.84% |
|
1st run at Sandhurst Memorial |
| TRUE |
Kay Trinder |
Soham Village College |
9 |
00:22:19 |
79.01% |
|
F-1, BApark #547, age cat record, club record |
| TRUE |
Keith Johnson |
St Albans |
403 |
00:31:57 |
45.80% |
|
run #37, 15th at St Albans |
| TRUE |
Murray HOGGE |
Woodley |
83 |
00:23:28 |
67.76% |
|
run #49, 1st at Woodley, park #4 |
| TRUE |
Frankie HOGGE |
Woodley |
82 |
00:23:27 |
63.11% |
|
run #278, 1st at Woodley, park #5 |
The wet weather continued to spoil the weekend for many parkrunnners.
As early as Thursday afternoon the runs at Brooklands, Hazelwood, Higginson and
Reading had already been called off because of waterlogged courses. By
Friday afternoon, Aylesbury, Bracknell, Guildford, Woking, Salisbury and
Squerryes Winery had been added. By Saturday morning the UK total totted
up to 75, and it was noted that the 11 nearest parkruns to the epicenter at
Bicester were all cancelled (see map:
https://www.google.com/maps/...stringofletterstoolongtocopy... ). In spite of all the difficulties another four
people completed their 500th run, beating the end of decade target they had set
themselves. There are three more on 498 or 499 who could just make it.
Ben Chaytow was the run director at Crane Park and seemed to be supported by
most of his family who “volunteered” for the 400th edition of parkrun there.
The fast-improving James Shoulder (19:07) was our first member to cross the line
recording his fourth consecutive course pb at Crane and indeed a lifetime
parkrun pb. That is the new club course record although it should be noted
that 34 times Dream Miler Jeremy Short, whose membership continuity has been
somewhat erratic, did run the course in 18:24 back in 2014. Crane Park was
the 33rd parkrun run by club members when John Coffey ran there on 7th July
2012, on run #5. Since then a total of 33 club runners have run there a total of
357 times. Maria Jovani holds the fastest lady record (20:11) and Mike Dennison
the best age grade (80.78%).
Our fastest runner this week was Mike Dennison (19:40, 82.29%) at
Rickmansworth, running there for the first time. That time puts him
3rd/240 in the VM60-64 group there. His time matches John Taylor’s best time at
Rickmansworth in September 2018. Maria Jovani (20:19), also visiting for
the first time, set a new female club record. The floods at Reading sent
regulars Chris Kelly (39:13) to Sandhurst and Frankie and Murray Hogge (23:28)
to Woodley, all for their first runs over a strange course. Alice Banks
(33:14) found the going rather difficult in the damp conditions at Henley.
The only pb there was by a teenage boy who hadn’t been there for over a year.
Kay Trinder (20:19) broke new ground at Soham Village College in
Cambridgeshire taking the club total on to 547. Caroline and Ian Cockram (both
25:47) set new club records at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire.
Several parkruns are putting on extra runs on Christmas Day, mostly at the
usual time of 9 a.m.. parkruns close to Heathrow include Rickmansworth,
Bushy, Crane, Richmond Park, Northala Fields, Old Deer Park, Banstead Woods,
Dinton Pastures, Homewood, Rushmoor, Frimley Lodge, Maidenhead, Guildford,
Prospect Park and Woodley. Ed: The list is subject to
weather related cancellation and also remember that park facilities may not be
open on Christmas Day, but on the other hand they may be open and attendees may
bring lots of cakes and other goodies. Northala Fields tends to be in the
"Open and in spirit" category. For the full list check:
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/special-events/
which also includes the New Year’s Day runs which have variable start times.
More about that next week. The UK special events parkruns are mapped out
here, with their start times:
https://www.google.com/maps/...stringofletterstoolongtocopy...
Steve Newell
Steve's parkrun stats -
club parkrun stats
Full club parkrun database -
{read access to new
club parkrun database} - Download and explore.
Steve Newell
Confirmation of the Adoption of Imperial Distances
A poorly reported consequence of the recent election result is that
of approved running distances. Since 5k is no longer a distance approved
by English Athletics (other than 5,000m on a track) all UK parkruns are
going to have to be re-measured at 3 miles. This will take effect after
the end of March 2020. All participants should be pleased at this news
since as well as the distance being slightly shorter and therefor easier
to run it should lead to a flood of PB times.
Ed: Well, I did hint that I would have
to make up news if insufficient was sent in.
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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.
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