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BA Athletics Club News Digest 30th November 2015

Events:

  • Thursday 3rd December - Dream Mile on the Bath Road from 12:45*. With mince pies and mulled wine promised! (see below)
  • Sunday 6th December - Run of the Month - Perivale Five* 10:00 (now full though you can turn up to cheer on our team members).
  • Wednesday 9th December - 5 mile handicap, at Heston Venue from 18:00.*

New members and non-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. Updated 11th November.

Running related gossip and chat: Facebook "BA Runner" (link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/636199849751546/).

*Club Event Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z31P-sSECWno.kIIgdFzUuZAo&usp=sharing

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December Dream Mile reminder - this Thursday lunchtime

Quick reminder that December's Dream Mile event is taking place this Thursday - 3rd December.  Event will start at 12:45 by the Newport Road Junction -->http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=507119&y=176891&z=110&s…. Route ( http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6061575) then heads back towards Waterside on the Bath Road, stopping just before the Thistle hotel.  Either meet at the start or outside the gym at 12:25 for a gentle jog to the start. It's a self timed event, just remember your watch.

Because this is the December event there will be mince pies and mulled wine at the finish!

More details email Paul.Knechtl@ba.com .

Roderick Hoffman for Paul Knechtl


ASCA Cross Country 2016: 2nd April, Hamburg

We have been informed that the ASCA Cross Country will be hosted by Lufthansa in Hamburg on 02April, 2016. For those who are not familiar with this event, it is one of the inter airlines events we participate in over many years. Race distance is approximately 6-8k.

I have 4 runners on the ladies' team list as I wrote and hope to have a big ladies contingency, so email me (clarapn@aol.com) if you are interested in attending this event. It will be fun and great for socialising with colleagues from other airlines as well as our own.

Clara Halket


5 Mile Handicap Wednesday 9th December

No sooner have we run the November Handicap race the December run comes into view.  Be ready for six o'clock though start times will vary so that we all finish at around the same time, about seven o'clock.  Please run without checking your watch or timing/tracking device. 

Roderick Hoffman


Club parkrun results for Saturday 28th November 2015

28th Nov 2015

Family, Friends,+

Time

parkrun

Comment

Grade

Mohamed Mohamed 15:06 Gunnersbury course record 85%
Barry Walters 20:49 Woking run #39 77%
Richard Ruffell 20:29 Cassiobury run #95, 6th at Cassiobury 74%
Kerstin Luksch 20:36 Gunnersbury new pb 73%
Gary Rushmer 21:10 Bedfont Lakes run #54 72%
Alice Banks 26:19 Maidenhead run #41, 18th at Maidenhead 72%
Alan Anderson 29:40 Gunnersbury run #386 71%
John Coffey 26:49 Bushy Park run #191 68%
Chris Kelly 21:34 Reading run #263 68%
John Scaife 23:48 Norwich run #28, 1st run at Norwich 68%
Natalie Ruffell 22:08 Fulham Palace run #38 67%
Paul Timms 22:31 East Coast Park parkrun pb, club course rec 67%
Denis Foxley 25:30 Harrow run #23 66%
Alan Friar 28:11 Reading run #181 63%
Robbie Stewart 22:24 Tilgate run #2, pb 63%
Joan Foxley 33:18 Harrow run #16 63%
Lissa Pritchard 23:59 Gunnersbury run #12 63%
Ian Cunningham 24:06 Bushy Park run #218 63%
Neil Frediani 25:46 Bedfont Lakes run #131 61%
Oliver Mathai 26:44 Gunnersbury run #32 61%
Kimberley Turner 26:03 Chichester run #7, pb 61%
Scott Davison 23:12 Bedfont Lakes run #139 61%
David Duggan 26:41 St Albans first run at St Albans 58%
Roderick Hoffman 26:48 Harrow run #182, running at venue for 2nd time! 57%
Steve Newell 31:27 Gunnersbury run #200 57%
Tony Barnwell 32:44 Wycombe Rye run #94 56%
Mike Lawrence 28:29 Gunnersbury run #11 55%
Joe Nolan 29:00 Black Park run #243 55%
Kevin Holland 31:08 Woking run #30 55%
John Lennon 28:22 Bedfont Lakes run #183 54%
Piers Keenleyside 29:35 Gunnersbury run #116 53%
Caroline Cockram 32:53 Hampstead Heath run #204 49%
Tom Rowley volunteer Woking

The Saturday morning weather throughout November has been fairly horrible so a cool but mainly dry day with glimpses of sunshine was an improvement.

Our fastest runner this week was Richard Ruffell (20:29) at Cassiobury Park in Watford.  Barry Walters (20:49) was at Woking for the first time since turning 60 and that performance was the third best in the all time list there for his age category just half a minute off the top rung of the ladder.

On the tourist front John Scaife (23:48) was at Eaton Park in Norwich to run his 20th different park and take the club total to 210.  Paul Timms(22:31) became the first member to run at East Coast Park in Singapore for a second time.  That time is his best ever for a parkrun and sets a new club record.  David Duggan (26:41) visited St Albans for the first time taking his personal tally to 20 as well.

Gary Rushmer (21:10) made his first appearance at a parkrun in 2015 at Bedfont Lakes.  Denis Foxley (25:30) celebrated his nomination as runner of the month at Harrow.  He was the last to receive pair of shoes from Sweatshop before the partnership ended.

There was plenty of action at Gunnersbury where Event Director Arlene Gallagher who is getting married shortly ran the course in full costume with the rest of her hen party.  There was a new course record (15:06) set by Mohamed Mohamed of Thames Valley Harriers.  He has won at Northala Fields (14:43) and Bushy Park (14:56) in recent weeks so is clearly a talented lad.  Kerstin Luksch (20:36) set yet another pb, Lissa Pritchard (23:59) had another good outing.  Oliver Mathai (26:44) and former member Mike Lawrence (28:29) made one of their occasional appearances.  Alan Anderson (29:40) had his best run since August and three minutes better than last week.

For those planning to run on Christmas Day or New Years Day the link you need is
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/christmas-compendium/ .  Two runs are allowed on 1st January and plenty of options have already been confirmed.  More about that in the coming weeks.

Updated club parkrun stats: www.barunner.org.uk/results/ba_parkrun_park_totals.xls 

Steve Newell

Ed: Kerstin's PB was her 30th PB at Gunnersbury where since 31st December 2011 she has improved her time from a creditable 27:07 to a highly impressive 20:36.  With nearly two minutes improvement in 2015 an under 20 minute time would appear to be achievable. And at Harrow, whilst Denis wasn't that pleased with his time, he did show me a clean pair of heels. They were not so clean by the end though.

Parkrun Tourism

Did Norwich parkrun yesterday. Satisfied with 23:48 although I lost out on 1st M60 by 1 second.  I have now done parkruns to the west (Norwich), north (Catton) and east (Brundall) of the city, with only south (Mulbarton) to go before I have to venture out of Greater Norwich.

John Scaife


Meet the Committee - Steve Newell (co-opted committee member)

Steve Newell

In his youth Steve Newell was much better at swimming than running and joined the old Speedbird Club swimming section in the late 1960’s.  He was on the committee and was the last BOAC captain of swimming.  He also served time as chair of the BOAC subaqua section and was editor of Boaqua News an early photocopied version of a newsletter for members.  Perhaps his greatest achievement of those early years was the first ever full scale disco in the main hall at the Speedbird Club, attended by 400 ravers paying five shillings each.  Steve’s interest in swimming continues to this day and he has organised swimming in the tidal Thames and enrolled the help of Brian Forrester, Paul Brandon and John Williams.

Following a move to the old BEA headquarters at South Ruislip in 1975, Steve was introduced to the concept of lunchtime running by Denis Foxley and Steve Hillier and met Athletics Section founder members Guy de Bousac, Dave Blackett and David Barnard who were pioneers of a later popular annual jaunt of flying over to take part in the New York City Marathon.  Steve watched the first London Marathon with his young children in 1981, decided he wanted to be part of it and joined the newly formed BAAC soon afterwards.  There was the setback of a broken leg sustained sprinting to the finish of the Fleet and Crookham half marathon in 1983 but by 1985 Steve had joined the committee and was one of many who helped with the 1985 WARR in Hyde Park.

It was the WARR experience that triggered an interest in race organisation and during his years on the committee Steve introduced some of the events we still hold today such as the Parkway Mile, the Equinox 5km and the Watersplash 10km.  Inspired by the legendary Patrick Barnes, Steve developed an interest (later an obsession) in triathlon and from 1987 to 1993 organised the Munchman Duathlon (run-bike-run) based in Cranford Park.  This eventually had to be abandoned due to increased traffic volumes round Heathrow and the erection of more and more traffic lights (running red lights is a strictly enforced rule penalised by disqualification).  Retirement from BA came earlier than anticipated and may indeed have been prompted by possibly his greatest triumph on behalf of the Athletics Section.  This was the Millennium Mile, a 100 x one mile relay run in the Waterside grounds during working hours in July 1999.  Made possible only by the company wide introduction of email, 100 employees and pensioners fitted their run in round various shifts, flex-time core periods and days off and the team of 100 finished in just over ten hours.  Within months, the defeat of the Millennium Bug heralded the end of an era.

Now a grandfather, Steve believes in continuity rather than perpetuity and has retired to the back benches.  He continues to help the committee when required and was heavily involved with measuring the course round Royal Victoria Dock for WARR in 2010.  He has attended 24 WARR events and has become an enthusiastic ‘parkrunner’, familiar with all the courses in London.

Steve Newell


Running Shorts

The Rowley Report

Nice surprise to see Barry Walters warming up this morning [at Woking parkrun] although buddy Mike Waine’s shift prevented a little friendly battle.  Today Barry ran the 3x1600m laps equally (roughly) at 6.50 pace and ran the final 200m in 40 sec. where it was a bit congested to get a good clear run in.  On the day Barry was a clear first 0/60 (and 18th o/a) in 20:49 though unfortunately he missed the 0/60 course rec. of 20.19 by 30 sec.  Come back again Barry, before too much mud appears.

Tom Rowley

PS: I have trouble trying to contact 0/65 Kevin Holland (BA member) who often runs here as most have gone home when I return from my marshaling point.

Ed: Kevin - seek out Tom next time you are there. 

Preparing for a Spring Marathon with International Marathon Athlete Mara Yamauchi

Please find details on our website for our next Marathon Workshop with Mara Yamauchi, which will take place on Friday 29th January from 6:30pm-9:30pm at Southwark Council Offices, 160 Tooley Street, SE1 2TZ (Nearest Station: London Bridge) . The workshop costs £10.

 http://www.londonathletics.org/spring-marathon-preparation

Places are limited, this will be done on a first-come basis, bookings are done online book now to avoid disappointment: http://www.ulearnathletics.com/cpdEvent/82659

Julia Bailey - Club and Coach Support Officer - South London

England Athletics

I'm going to have low availability throughout December so please send me digest submissions in plenty and early - preferably on the Sunday.  I will continue to generate weekly digests provided there is material to include.

Roderick Hoffman


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Club website:

www.barunner.org.uk.


 

      

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