baRUNNER - a website for the British Airways Athletics Club

BA Athletics Club News Digest 24th Apr 2017

Events:

• Wednesday 3rd May - Speedbird Ladies Race - Harmondsworth start time 19:00.* (see below)
• Thursday 4th May - Dream Mile Bath Road - 12:45*
• Monday 8th May - Track&Field Veterans League Match - Battersea (see below).

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.

*Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps]

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

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Club Facebook Page "BARunner" https://www.facebook.com/BARunnerUK/

This week's Digest distribution

This week's digest mailing should have come from info@barunner.org.uk . If it didn't reach you, and you are reading the online version instead, then please check your spam folders - if you find it there then try to instruct your mail program to accept mail from info@barunner.org.uk as non-spam. If you cannot find this week's digest email then please let me know.  I'll be reviewing the process used next week and the week after. Please do not use my @ba.com address any more since it will shortly become unavailable.

Roderick Hoffman (info@barunner.org.uk)

Watersplash 10km and 5km Wednesday 12th April 2017 - results

A cool, overcast and calm evening made for decent conditions for the 16 runners for the annual Watersplash races which date back to 1990.

The hint of rain detected at the finish was probably just a misaligned windscreen washer jet spray from a passing motorist on the M4 above.  Eight runners including a new member, Hartneep Virk, elected to run the two laps of the figure of 8 course round the Western International Market site, through Cranford Park and back via Roseville Road and North Hyde Road. The others ran the half distance event.

Times	10km		5km
Gary Rushmer	43:18		Neil Frediani	24:28
Simon Turton	44:56		John Scaife	25:03
Hartneep Virk	45:50		John Coffey	27:01
Graham Taylor	48:21		Denis Foxley	27:07
Paul Watt	48:48		Alan Friar	28:39
Julie Barclay	48:55		Steve Hillier	30:04
Steve Taylor	52:20		Alan Anderson	33:14
Roderick Hoffman	55:01		Tony Barnwell	33:28

Race Control: Steve Newell (scribe), Ann Coffey (timekeeper).

Using the simple formula of subtracting the 10km time (in minutes) from the runners age (years) produced clear winners in Gary Rushmer (+13) and Julie Barclay(+5)

The post event refreshments at the Heston Venue were obtained from Marks and Spencer.

The evening concluded with a discussion about contingency plans for midweek training activities for the members when the showers at the old Concorde Centre are no longer accessable. This could be as soon as the end of May and unlikely to be later than the end of July. There was even a suggestion that showers were not essential (censored).  Cleanliness before Godlessness surely! There will be a lot more about this topic in the coming weeks.

Steve Newell

New Venues needed for the Running Club - reminder

We remain keen to hear of alternative venues for our weekly or monthly midweek events.  The club has a problem but we've love to turn it into an opportunity!  Let me know your thoughts and ideas.

Roderick Hoffman (Acting Chair)

Not the London Marathon Results

May Run-of-the-Month - The London Marathon - Sunday 23rd April - Thanks to Marshals

On behalf of the organisers and the BA Athletics Club, I'd like to say a big thank you for your support at the 37th staging of the London Marathon. As you can see from the attached press release, there was a record number of finishers and records tumbled across the various races but it wasn't all about the elites, there were the thousands upon thousands of runners raising millions for charity and I, like you, was proud to be part of the team of over two thousand volunteers that made the day such a great success. Everyone played their part but I'd specifically like to thank, on your behalf, Stuart Glover, Mike Thorn, Colin Bloomfield, Eddie Ketterick and Alastair Heslop for team leading the five crossing points. I’d also like to thank my deputy on Sector 6.2, Alan Friar and Steve Hillier & Melanie Holman, for overseeing sector 8 and dealing with the challenges the additional physical security barriers imposed on the crossing points!

If you've got the helping bug then BAAC also support the following races and we’re always on the look-out for volunteers. There's usually at least a T-shirt on offer and the distances being a lot shorter means it's not a big time commitment:

• Vitality 10000 - Bank Holiday Monday 29th May - contact clarapn@aol.com
• Standard Chartered Great City Race (5km evening race) - Thursday 13th July - contact simon.turton@ba.com
• Prudential Ride London - Sunday 30th July - contact stevehillier@msn.com

If you'd like to help at next year's London Marathon (Sun 22nd Apr 2018) then please drop me an e-mail in Jan 2018. Coordinating 150 marshals whilst trying to balance family and work commitments is quite challenging so I prefer to start with a clean sheet each year.

And finally, as you've marshalled you have the opportunity to apply for a BAAC guaranteed entry BUT you must first apply through the official ballot, which opens on Monday 1st May and is only open for 5 days so be quick.  IF you're rejected you can apply to stevehillier@msn.com to go into the BAAC ballot for a place.

Thanks again and enjoy the rest, you earned it!  

Regards,

Simon Turton (VMLM BAAC coordinator)

Ed: And a big thank you to Simon Turton for doing this job yet again.  If he didn't do it so well the London Marathon organisers would not keep coming back to us asking for more!

Club Runners Results:

* The names in the table should be active links to the VMLM website to show details of each runners race.

Runners Stories

Please send them in - we are all keen to hear how you got on.  What was the best bit, what was the worst? What is it like to be overtaken by a Rhino? How quickly have you recovered? Thanks to Neil for being first out of the blocks...

Roderick Hoffman (roderick@rhoff.org.uk)

The lengths members will go to not do the London Marathon...

Over the weekend members Sarah Gordon did a 24 hour swimming relay (6 miles each for four team members) and Richard Ruffell cycled to Paris (185 miles plus the ferry).  Perhaps we should organise a team Iron Man Triathlon.

Reminder for Wednesday 3rd May

All male members are reminded that the Speedbird Ladies 5km race is at Harmondsworth Moor on Wednesday 3rd May.  The ladies race start is at 7 p.m. near the normal car park (the second on the left in Accommodation Lane). If you are able to come and help it will be much appreciated.  Please arrive by 6.30 p.m. to be allocated a task, most likely to be marshalling round the course.

Steve Newell

Ed: Or get there earlier and do a "safety" check of the course at 18:00.

Track and Field Leagues

Have you ever wondered what it is like to run on a track, throw a javelin, shot, hammer etc. or fancied a go at long, triple, or high jump or even vaulting with a pole?

BAAC is in two evening track and field leagues. They are not scary environments.

The Veterans League is on Monday evenings with four meetings taking place at Battersea, Hillingdon and Perivale. The actual events at each meeting can vary particularly which jumps and throws are included. This is open to members over 35years old - so that is most of our club. If you are interested in taking part then check the club calendar and contact Steve Hillier. First event is Monday 8th May.

The other league is the Rosenheim League which is for ages 17 and above, it tends to have a mixture of youngsters to get experience, athletes recovering from injury, older members and a few keen multi eventers. The events take place on Wednesday evening at Kingston (twice) , Ewell (twice) and Twickenham. Again the actual events at each meeting can vary particularly which jumps and throws are included. If you are interested in taking part then check the club calendar and contact Neil Frediani. First event is Wednesday 3rd May {Ed: The club priority that evening is the Speedbird Ladies but if Track & Field is calling you then please ask Neil for details}.

Neil Frediani

Club parkrun results for Saturday 22nd April

There was a good turnout at Osterley where the temporary two lap anticlockwise course was being used for one of the final times {Ed: It may be continued with until mid-May}.  Roderick Hoffman duly completed his milestone 250th run and has become eligible for a green vest {when the supply boat gets in from China}.  Cake was sliced and distributed at the finish.  Steve Taylor took several photographs including the attached.

Alan Anderson (31:39) established the MV80 record.  It is more than two years since he last ran there and he is the oldest runner to complete Osterley parkrun.  Alice Banks (25:21) set a new female club record for Osterley.

Scott Davison completed his landmark 200th run at Bedfont Lakes where he has run more than anywhere else.

Adrian Haines (18:11) ran his first parkrun as a 50 year old at Horsham.  Straight in at no. 3 out of 336 in his new age group {though 20 seconds outside his own club best there}.

Janice Jones (26:36) set a new female club record at Roundshaw Downs.  Eddie Giles (26:02) lowered his club record at Salisbury.

Piers Keenleyside (48:17), "fresh" from his splendid finish at Marathon des Sables acted as tail runner at Gunnersbury and kept up with the slowest runner/walker.  There was record attendance of 499 so going on finishing positions Piers is now established at Gunnersbury as the worst ever runner.  Life can be so unfair.

Ed: Many London parkruns had record turnouts on London Marathon weekend including Gunnersbury (without Steve N and Alan), Black Park (without Joe and his pacer squad), Maidenhead (without the Scaifes and Alice and her two running friends) and Northala Fields (without Steve T). So the club isn't needed for record turnouts!  However Alastair Heslop had Run Director duties at Guildford for their record 528 turnout.

Steve Newell

Club parkrun stats (not fully updated)

My 250th parkrun

Thanks to those who came to my 250th at Osterley including Trish and Maureen McCabe who came over after Bedfont parkrun.  There is a YouTube video of Saturday's run - showing the current course and most of the BA runners being overtaken (including five minutes of Alice from behind!) Osterley parkrun #187 22/04/2017 . You can skip from 15 to 25 minutes but catch the last twenty seconds for more views of colleagues.

Roderick Hoffman (roderick@rhoff.org.uk)

If you want to promote a special parkrun then let Steve or I know.

And Tom Rowley adds...

Concorde Five Mile Road Race

This year's Concorde Five Mile Road Race will be on Sunday 11th June.  The course is the usual one although this year the Race HQ will be across the road at the Cranford Community College.  Volunteers will be needed for the day but some members may also chose to enter the event - details will follow in a subsequent digest.  There is a promotional poster that you are welcome to print out and put on your nearest community notice board - attachment C5June2017.pdf (934Mb). Ask me if you need laminated copies.

Next Digest?

Is it your turn to send something in this week?

Results, news, pictures, feedback, jokes, stories - send it to us at news@barunner.org.uk.

Club website:

www.barunner.org.uk.