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BA Athletics Club News Digest 30th December 2019

Events:

  • 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 #
  • Tuesday 28th January - Round-the-Block at Cranford/Heston at 12:30 # (see below)

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.


Tuesday 28th January - Round-the-Block at Cranford/Heston from 12:30 #

The club has had a "Round-the-Block" race around the streets of Cranford and Heston since the early 1980s. Neil and I expect this to be the last time we run around the traditional course at Cranford/Heston.  The annual race once attracted 200 runners, it would be good to have 20 this time. So hopefully you will be able to join us, as a generous lunchtime break from your work locations, or from your retirement cottages. 

Over the years the course has been the same other than we've slightly varied the start and finish location and consequently the distance run between them.  We'll do the full lap this year, which I've GPS measured at 3.4miles/5.5k, and with the start and finish at one of the grass areas opposite the Community College. Street parking should be straightforward.  The course is shown on the club map or more clearly here (it is the same as last year). Note that we have no access to either the Heston Venue or Cranford Community College so participants will need to arrive ready to run, and return whence they came to shower and change afterwards (perhaps via the Queen's Head first for a post race drink and meal).

Please attend and encourage your friends and colleagues to join us also.  Traditionally we charge £1 for participation in this event and this is donated to White Lodge.

Non-runners also welcome. Let us know to expect you by emailing us or responding to the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1196283790762498/

Roderick Hoffman / Neil Frediani


# 2019 Club Round-the-Block Points Final

Each year the club nominates a number of key events over the year and records participation in those events in the Round-the-Block table. The events consist of those we run ourselves such as the CIE "Club In-house Events", recommended external events such as the ROM "Run-of-the-Month", events in leagues in which we compete and events that the club is invited to provide marshals for. Points are awarded for each participant with 4pts for the organiser of an internal event, 2 points for marshalling (without running) and 1pt for runners. We celebrate everyone who over the course of the year accumulates ten or more points and there is a trophy for the highest scoring participant.

This year, 2019, there have been 51 points scoring events. These ranged from the ladies cross-country match 4 in Lloyd Park last March that attracted only two club runners (so 2 points awarded) to the London Marathon which, with runners and marshals, attracted 167 club participants (including non-members) and 313 points awarded. In total 1089 points have been awarded to 275 individuals. By comparison last year there were 49 events and 1067 points awarded to 252 individuals.

The London Marathon can be considered a unique event attracting participants for various reasons as well as club support. For that reason I note those that contribute to two or more events over the year. This year there were 100 such individuals (last year 101). I also consider the 10 point total as being where individuals deserve specific recognition for their efforts. This year 24 individuals achieved at least ten points (last year 20 individuals) so well done and thank you again to:

  • Barry Walters,
  • Benita Scaife,
  • Chris Kelly,
  • Christine Munden,
  • Clara Halket,
  • David Duggan,
  • Gary Rushmer,
  • Graham Taylor,
  • Harry Wild,
  • Joe Nolan,
  • John Scaife,
  • Julie Barclay,
  • Maarten Stenham,
  • Maria Jovani,
  • Michael Ball,
  • Mike Dennison,
  • Neil Frediani,
  • Paul Brandon,
  • Piers Keenleyside,
  • Roderick Hoffman,
  • Simon Turton,
  • Steve Hillier,
  • Steve Newell
  • and Steve Taylor.

The full final table can be viewed here (Excel file shared via OneDrive): https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ao4wOv9pbDU1ht56l7iMQxt-8Rq1ug?e=F4GLXk

Most of the top ten in the final table are either club committee members, or could be considered as such since they are so well established at the club. Two newer members with impressive totals are Christine Munden with 21 points from 19 events and Maartin Stenham with 16 from 16.

The top three contributors are the same as last year, albeit in a different order. Jointly with 44 points is last year's winner Steve Newell and also Steve Hillier. Steve Hillier's points have been gathered from contributions to 35 different events out of the 51 available. Given that some of the 51 events are only open to ladies (and clash with the men's events on the same day) Steve could only contribute to more events if he took up Club Featured parkruns - but then Linda might never see him. The winner this year could be disqualified for also being the judge and jury of the points table, myself on 48 points.

2020 Club Round-the-Block points

The two Steve's and I will be delighted if someone new crashes into the top three in next year's table so please look out for, and offer to set-up and host, those events marked with a "#" in the diary. In short these include:

  • Cross-Country League matches,
  • Track&Field League matches,
  • One Run-of-the-Month each month,
  • One Club In-house Event each month,
  • The Winter Five Mile Handicaps,
  • The bi-monthly Club Featured parkruns,
  • The major marshalling events over the year.

Roderick Hoffman obo the whole club and its operating committee


SPOTY associations

Not a personal claim, but I seem to remember Laurie Kelly passing round an old copy of the results from a track race, probably early 1970s, when Seb Coe ran and was beaten by Barry Walters.  If I’m right, maybe Barry is too modest to submit the claim himself.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Alastair Heslop 


Club parkrun results for Christmas Day and Saturday 28th December 2019

Member 25th December parkrun Pos Time Grade PB Comment
TRUE Benita Scaife Maidenhead 427 00:33:34 60.38% 88th run at Maidenhead, record attendance 623
TRUE John Scaife Norwich 655 00:27:36 60.75% run #199, 4th at Norwich, record attendance of 1358
TRUE Janet Smith Poole 1135 00:41:08 43.44% 1st run at Poole, park #43, attendance record 1345
TRUE Jacqueline MUSSELWHITE Bideford 47 00:23:47 71.34%
TRUE Sarah GORDON Braunstone 444 00:33:52 58.12% 250th run, 81st at Braunstone
TRUE Paul KNECHTL Bushy Park 32 00:17:38 82.33% best time by a member this year (so far)
TRUE John COFFEY Bushy Park 1426 00:29:52 65.85% 6th consecutive Xmas at Bushy
TRUE Paul PRESCOTT Bushy Park 121 00:19:44 65.46%
TRUE Neil FREDIANI Bushy Park 1957 00:33:11 49.17%
TRUE Ian CUNNINGHAM Bushy Park 2189 00:35:41 43.81% Completes full decade of Xmas Day runs at Bushy. But oh deer, so slow.
#N/A Sarah KELLY California Country 208 00:40:27 47.96% PB   course pb by 6 minutes
TRUE Christopher T KELLY California Country 209 00:40:27 37.66% PB   course pb by 6 minutes
TRUE James Shoulder Crane Park 8 00:18:53 68.31% PB   M-7, parkrun pb (streak of 5 at Crane Park)
TRUE Ben Chaytow Crane Park 42 00:22:38 61.71%
TRUE Maria Jovani Crane Park 222 00:35:07 44.47%
TRUE Murray HOGGE Dinton Pastures 33 00:23:32 67.56% 2nd run at Dinton Pastures
TRUE Frankie HOGGE Dinton Pastures 32 00:23:31 62.93% 2nd run at Dinton Pastures
TRUE John Lennon Guildford 427 00:36:53 42.75% run #299, 13th at Guildford
TRUE Caroline Cockram Homewood 82 00:27:42 60.53% PB   course pb by 0:30
TRUE Micheal BALL Homewood 87 00:27:47 56.27%
TRUE Ian Cockram Homewood 83 00:27:42 54.09%
TRUE Scott DAVISON Homewood 91 00:28:08 51.60% PB   course pb by 4:24
TRUE Joe NOLAN Homewood 148 00:33:07 50.18% record attendance 210
TRUE David DUGGAN Homewood 145 00:32:30 48.92% 57th parkrun of 2019
TRUE Jain Reid Marple 146 00:29:02 60.73% 1st run at Marple, club rec (F), park #6
TRUE Denis Foxley Northala Fields 253 00:28:44 61.37% record attendance 594
FALSE Joan FOXLEY Northala Fields 519 00:39:09 58.11% Corrected time*
TRUE Piers KEENLEYSIDE Northala Fields 307 00:30:00 54.39%
#N/A Kathryn Keenleyside Northala Fields 530 00:40:39 49.28% Corrected time*
TRUE Roderick HOFFMAN Northala Fields timekeeper
TRUE Julie BARCLAY Rushmoor 63 00:22:28 80.56% F- 8, run #184, 49th at Rushmoor
TRUE Paul WATT Rushmoor 56 00:22:01 69.19% run #130
TRUE Keith Johnson St Albans 250 00:27:18 53.60%
TRUE Andrew William Jordon Walsall Arboretum 696 00:40:08 37.96% 7th Xmas Day in a row at Walsall, record attendance 739
TRUE Barry WALTERS Woodley 68 00:22:10 74.96% run #83, 3rd at Woodley

parkrun review Christmas Day 2019

About one third of the UK 5km parkruns (and none of the 2km junior ones!) were operating on Christmas Day.  There were some huge attendances with slower runners reaching the funnel to find all the finish tokens had already been given out.  In some cases the results had to wait until Boxing Day as page after page of pencilled scribbles had to be keyed in to the computer the hard way.

At Bushy Park the parkrun world record of 2527 set at North Beach in Durban, which had seemed way out of reach since it was set early in the year, was surpassed.  The new figure is 2545.  Ian Cunningham (35:41) completed a decade of Christmas Day parkrun at Bushy, his streak stretching right back to 2010.  Paul Knechtl (17:38, 82.33%) produced what may well turn out to be the best time by a member this year – two seconds slower than last year but with an improved age grade score.

Andrew Jordan (40:08) was running at Walsall Arboretum for the seventh Christmas Day in a row.  That was another parkrun attracting a record attendance (739).  Other members finding themselves part of record attendances included John Scaife (27:36) at Norwich (1358), Janet Smith (41:08) at Poole (1345),  Benita Scaife (33:34) at Maidenhead (623), Denis Foxley (28:44) and Piers Keenleyside (30:00) at Northala Fields where Roderick Hoffman was kept extra busy on stopwatch duty [* Ed: I promised everyone a good time, by "good" I meant "accurate" hence the correction applied to some of the results!] and a group of refugees from Bedfont Lakes at Homewood (210).

Sarah Gordon (33:52) chose her home run at Braunstone to complete her 250th.  The attendance there was healthy (576) but there was room to breathe. New Year’s Day has attracted significantly bigger numbers.

Member 28th December parkrun Pos Time Grade PB Comment
TRUE Joe NOLAN Black Park 384 00:31:00 53.60% pacing squad next Saturday
TRUE Sarah GORDON Braunstone Marshal
TRUE Paul KNECHTL Bushy Park 9 00:17:42 82.02% Taking it easy - 4 seconds slower than Xmas Day
TRUE John COFFEY Bushy Park 900 00:29:37 66.40% 241st run at Bushy Park
TRUE Ian CUNNINGHAM Bushy Park 650 00:27:00 57.90% Wild variation in run times across 8 days.
TRUE Murray HOGGE California Country 22 00:22:31 70.61% 1st run at California, park #5
TRUE Frankie HOGGE California Country 21 00:22:31 65.73% 1st run at California, park #6
#N/A Sarah KELLY California Country 154 00:40:25 48.00% PB   course PB by 2s
TRUE Christopher T KELLY California Country 155 00:40:26 37.68% PB   course PB by 1s (they all count)
TRUE Scott DAVISON Crane Park 74 00:24:46 58.61%  
TRUE Ben Chaytow Crane Park 172 00:30:51 45.27%  
TRUE Trish MCCABE Deerpark Forest 37 00:29:07 53.23% 1st run at Deerpark Forest
TRUE Roderick HOFFMAN Dolls Point 120 00:31:01 51.26% run #378, park #292 (12th in Australia)
#N/A Charlotte HABGOOD Dolls Point 174 00:40:55 43.67% run #71, 1st at Dolls Point
TRUE Caroline Cockram Feltham 31 00:35:48 46.83% Tail Walker, 3rd time at Feltham YOI
TRUE Ian Cockram Feltham 32 00:35:49 41.83% Tail Walker, 3rd time at Feltham YOI
TRUE John Lennon Guildford 351 00:37:07 42.48% 300th run, 14th at Guildford
TRUE Alastair Heslop Guildford Funnel Manager
#N/A Maddie HESLOP Guildford Run Director
TRUE Steve NEWELL Gunnersbury Funnel Manager
TRUE Bob Bannister Hanworth 11 00:24:42 66.67% PB   course pb, 27s improvement
TRUE Anne Bannister Hanworth 29 00:29:37 66.46% 4th at Hanworth
TRUE Denis Foxley Harrow 105 00:28:32 61.80% will be race director at Harrow on 1st January
FALSE Joan FOXLEY Harrow 175 00:37:56 59.67%  
TRUE Neil FREDIANI Jesmond Dene 104 00:30:57 52.72% 1st run at Jesmond Dene, park #53, BA park #548
TRUE Maria Jovani Maidenhead 23 00:21:51 71.47% 1st run at Maidenhead, club rec(F)
TRUE Benita Scaife Osterley 170 00:31:07 65.13% 4th run at Osterley
TRUE David DUGGAN Osterley 134 00:29:12 54.45% 3rd run at Osterley, 58th parkrun of the year
TRUE John Scaife Osterley 171 00:31:07 53.88% 4th run at Osterley
TRUE Mike Dennison Richmond Park 22 00:20:18 79.72% run #397, 3rd run at Richmond
TRUE Marion WOODHOUSE Rickmansworth 387 00:33:22 54.25% 15th run at Rickmansworth
TRUE Keith Johnson St Albans 203 00:26:35 55.05% 17th run at St Albans
TRUE Paul TIMMS Tetbury Goods Shed 48 00:24:11 64.09% PB   course pb, 46s improvement, improves club rec
TRUE Micheal BALL Woking 129 00:26:44 58.48% 150th run at Woking

parkrun review 28th December 2019

The last Saturday of the year, the decade even, and early morning daylight was at a premium {Ed: Not in Oz!}.  Some areas were still waterlogged {Ed: Not in OZ! So dry the lush grass start/finish stretch was bare soft sand} but in the coming weeks it may be long established cross-country fixtures (e.g. county championships) which will have a superior claim at some venues.

The wanderlust of the members shows no sign of abating with two new parkruns added to the collection . Neil Frediani (30:57) was at Jesmond Dene on Tyneside while Trish McCabe was at Deerpark Forest in Virginia. No, Trish hasn't flown to the USA - the town of Virginia is in County Cavan in Ireland.  According to Wikipedia this is a new town named after Queen Elizabeth 1st, as presumably is Virginia in the States. The next nearest parkrun to Deerpark Forest is…Deerpark! That is Deerpark in Carlanstow which Trish also did recently and this means she has run a hat trick of Deer Parks including Old Deer Park in Richmond, Surrey (psst.. for actual red deer plain Richmond Park is the place to go). Meanwhile Roderick was running with his other sister Charlotte at Dolls Point along with a couple of Qantas WARRiors. Following a hot morning Benita Scaife's club record remains intact. Mind you there is hot and hot - I'm typing this in Melbourne on a day with a 44 degree high. Hopefully there will be a "Cool Change" before my New Year's Day double. Numbers at Dolls Point were boosted to near record levels by a fund raising visit from the local volunteer firies (Auzzie for "fireman"). They were there at the start but had been called away by the time we finished!

Maria Jovani (21:51) went to Maidenhead for the first time and improved the female club record there by a good margin. Paul Timms (24:11) improved the club record at Tetbury Goods Shed by 46 seconds.  Nobody else has run there yet.

Many will have plans for a New Year’s Day double and we can expect some new combinations this year because not all timings are the same as in the past.  I’ve had it on good authority that Osterley (1030) is expecting a big crowd and is borrowing an extra couple of hundred of finish tokens for the occasion. Denis Foxley plans to run at Canons Park (0900) and then be at Harrow to be run director well before the start at 1030. Crane Park has switched to an early slot, perhaps due to overcrowding of the finish area but also following a switch of ED to someone who can get up on New Year's Day morning!

Next week's digest is likely to feature the New Year's Day bumper results. Results from next Saturday's parkruns (4th Jan) are likely to be featured in the following week's digest along with those for the 11th. 

Steve Newell / Roderick Hoffman

Steve's parkrun stats - club parkrun stats

Full club parkrun database - {read access to new club parkrun database} - Download and explore.

Steve Newell


Marathon News

Phoenix Year End Marathon completed on Saturday 28th December to round off my marathons this year with 170 lifetime total and 17 for the year. The course started on the Thames towpath near Sunbury Lock and then ran downstream for just over 3 miles to the turnaround point just after Moseley Lock. We had to do this out and back 4 times - a bit dull as was the weather but at least it did not rain and there were surprisingly few puddles along the route considering how wet it has been of late. Less than 100 ran the marathon with another 100+ doing the half marathon distance. A guy called Nick Nicholson was running the full and earlier in the week he had reached the milestone (and world record) of running 1000 marathons in 4 years! Along the way he has also set a few other records: 100 ultras in 158 days, 281 marathons in a year and 33 in a month! I struggled today due to lack of training since last marathon 3 weeks ago and the groin strain that seemed as bad as 18 months ago! Finished in 5:18:31 - almost my slowest this year.

Piers Keenleyside


Medical Health Advisory

Amongst the new guidelines being issued for 2020 is one that may concern us. For all events over a distance of 10k (6 miles) entrants will need to provide either a medical certificate, or proof of personal health insurance. England Athletics are considering this and haven't yet stated whether affiliation will count as sufficient insurance.

Ed: Well, I did say that I would have to make up false news if insufficient real news was sent in.


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.

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Club website: www.barunner.org.uk.


 

      

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