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Award Presentations for Previous Years

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Awards for 2022 (presented March 2023)

Award
(link to previous winners)
2022 Recipient Reason
Chairman’s Award Steve Newell Steve continued his invaluable role in setting up club events not least of which being the Winter Handicap runs. He contributes to each week’s weekly digest with a researched parkrun report. He is also someone always willing to assist in the set-up of new events – including, for example, course measurement. Even being away ‘at sea’ (in the nautical sense) rarely prevents him from being in touch with the club and its needs.
Alamo Trophy Julie Barclay, Tim Bellars, Roderick Hoffman and Paul Watt WARR was held at the far side of the world in Waikik, Hawaii and four club members made it and finished at least one of the races, no one getting so sunburnt surfing the day before that they had to stay in bed (as happened in 1984). The award is given jointly to all four.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Julie Barclay Julie spent the early part of the year battling back from injury, but still managed to produce useful 10K performances in March at Eastleigh, and again in July at the Yateley 10K series. Her best run of the year was back in Hampshire in December, with an excellent 46 minute run in the Southampton 10K.
Tom Rowley Participation Trophy Roderick Hoffman We enjoyed taking part in the 5mile handicap, mile races, Track on fields, NOW events, Club Featured parkruns, and many more. It was a close-run race, deciding who would win the 2022 award.  In the end, Steve Newell missed out to Roderick by a single point.
Men’s Track and Field Steve Hillier Our squad was boosted by the addition of a couple of new faces, including Steve Taylor over the longer runs, and the return of another record-breaking athlete in the guise of Adrian Haines.  Paul Watt and Ian Haylock led the way over the middle distances, while Mike Ball looked after the sprints. Steve determinedly stayed clear of the track, reserving his energy for the field events.
Ladies' Track and Field Janet Smith Our ladies team produced some excellent performances in the Veteran’s League last summer, covering all running and walking distances and all throwing events.  Janet took time out from collecting national age group records, to compete for BA in several matches.  She set new club records in the Hammer and the Shot, and won practically every event she entered for the club.
The Club parkrun Trophy Emma Moreton Emma joined parkrun in 2012 and has been the communications person for Bedfont Lakes for 7 years since 2016 and Laleham juniors since January 2019. In total, she has over 400 volunteer credits of which 93 were in 2022. During 2022 she completed 29 parkruns - it would have been more had she not been injured for some of the year. Since recovering she has been improving her parkrun times, in November of last year set her best age grade result and, already this year, has exceeded that twice - and set her all-time best parkrun time - and that after completing over 300 parkruns.
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy John Taylor Our men competed in five events last winter.  Turnout was good, almost always achieving a full scoring team of ten men.  When available, Adam Moquet produced some spectacular performances, finishing first BA runner in three events.  Paul Prescott also picked up a win in the rain at Denbies Vineyard, while Paul Knechtl led everyone home in the club championships at Cranford Park. There is no substitute for consistency, and both John and Mark Taylor produced it in bucket loads throughout the season.  Both ran in all five races, both had top three finishes, and both have been supporting this cause for decades. John narrowly edged his brother for the award.
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy Amanda Coombs The calculation of this award winner takes account of age, appearances and placings during the winter season 2021/22. We had thirteen lady runners competing, and the three events saw three different winners. Julie Barclay led the team home in Richmond Park, while Emma Moreton took the honours at Wimbledon.  Seven ladies took part in the Tom Rowley memorial race in Cranford Park in March, led home by Maria Jovani.  Amanda took part in all of our events, taking on her new captain’s role with diligence, to secure the Cross Country trophy.
Most Improved Athlete Emma Moreton Emma has been an active member of the club, regularly competing for the Ladies in the Cross Country League - in fact it was whilst representing the Club that she sustained an injury, which reduced her participation during early 2022. However, she has come back to compete for BA in the cross country league.  She had fine runs in the Staines 10K and the Perivale 5 miles.  She battled her way through thunder and lightning to complete the Beachy Head Half Marathon and she ran the London Marathon in under 3:50.
Female Athlete of the Year Maria Jovani Maria had a great 2022 over several distances and a range of disciplines. She is a consistent parkrunner, regularly finishing first in her age category, as well as being a very useful one-mile runner, regularly finishing in just over six minutes. The Green Belt Relay is a popular event for our club, a great social gathering.  But it also involves a weekend of hard running.  To come second on a leg is exceptional.  To do that while breaking your age group record, by over seven minutes, is amazing. We marshalled the Big Half in Greenwich in September, and the London Marathon in October and it was a treat to cheer home one of our runners to excellent times in both races, with a rapid 1:40 achieved in the Half Marathon.
Male Athlete of the Year Mike Dennison Mike has shown that good training, determination, and a little bit of luck, give you the chance of achieving new PB’s.  Despite moving up to a new age category, he is still ticking off new lifetime PB’s. The narrowest improvement came in the mile, where he chipped away one second to improve on a two-year-old mark in the mile.  He trimmed ten seconds off his five-mile PB, and set an impressive fourteen-and-a-quarter kilometre distance, in our own one-hour time trial.  His parkrun and 10K times were within seconds of lifetime bests. Mike has represented the club at cross country, and tackled the tough Green Belt relay with two strong runs.
Veteran’s Trophy Benita and John Scaife Difficult to separate John and Benita regularly take part in club events at Bedfont, and they have led lunchtime NOW events in 2022.  They have hosted several Club parkruns, taking us to new venues around the Home Counties.  Their exploits on the trails and tracks of Berkshire have given us some good Monday night reading in the digest.  They have also been busy flying the flag for the club in Australia, Switzerland and the USA, possibly attracting attention from the paparazzi in New York.

The BA Cross-Country Championship trophy was also presented to Maria Jovani and Paul Knechtl. The 2023 club cross country race moved, as an experiment, to Minet Park in Hayes in March.  It’s just over a mile north of Cranford Park, which is currently being dug up for archaeological work to be done. The course included boggy grass, ruts, a couple of hills and a slippery wooden bridge. The ladies tackled three of the 2 km laps, while the men finished a fourth lap.  Despite picking up an injury in the last few yards of the race, Julie regained this trophy and Paul escaped unscathed, also to retain the award.

The 2021/22 Five Mile Handicap Trophy was awarded. Club members looped around Bedfont, enjoying the Christmas light displays and then passing the dark, brooding allotments. Runners are invited to nominate their time for five miles, then get as close as possible to that time on six opportunities.  Roderick took part in all six, making sure that he had at least four accurate times to boost his points score. Despite the consistency of Benita and John Scaife, our winner got it just right, beating a big field of fifteen competitors to the trophy.

Awards for 2021 (presented March 2022)

Award 2021 Recipient Reason
Chairman’s Award Amanda Coombs A recent joiner to the club but not only has Amanda taken on the challenge of being the Ladies Captain but she has also volunteered to be the club's Welfare Officer.  As well as that she is usually the first to respond to any questions on club matters.
Alamo Trophy not presented There was no WARR held in 2020.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Bob Bannister Unusually, this year’s trophy has been won for a track performance, rather than for a road race.  Bob had a great 2021, with age group PBs at parkrun and ten miles.  He also gained a silver medal at the Surrey County champs over 5K.  His outstanding 10K performance, completed in 47:46, meant that he is now ranked 10th in the country in his age group.
Tom Rowley Participation Trophy Roderick Hoffman and Steve Newell In 2021, two club members stood out in their dedication to organise and compete in BAAC events.  Without them, we would not have enjoyed the 5 mile Handicap, the Solstice Miles, Track on Fields, NOW events, Street sign exploration, the Equinox 5K, and many more.   It was a close run race, deciding who would win the new award.  In the end, our two dedicated members could not be separated.
Men’s Track and Field Paul Watt It was good to be back on the track last summer.  The club competed in the Veterans League and the Rosenheim League, with some success in both.  Paul stood out, producing our best times in all distances from 800m to 3000m.  He also contributed some rapid sprinting in individual and relay events.   His highlight came in achieving an age group club record in the 800m at Battersea.
Ladies' Track and Field Janet Smith Janet is a national record holder in the Weight Throw.  Anyone wishing to throw 16 pounds off a short wire 16 metres is welcome to give it a try.    The Weight Throw didn’t feature in last summer’s BA programme, but four other throws did.  Our winner excelled at each of the throwing events, picking up some club age group records along the way, and helped the club to a successful season.
The Club parkrun Trophy David Duggan David managed to squeeze in 26 parkruns during 2021, despite parkruns in England only operating for five months.  He made an early start by visiting Northern Ireland in July and didn't miss a single Saturday between 10th July and Christmas.  He also visited USA for Thanksgiving to get in an extra run in. Although he is a parkrun tourist, with over 100 events on his record, he also keeps in almost daily touch with his home run at Bedfont Lakes where he has been an almost permanent fixture as volunteer coordinator and supported the fledgling Hanworth parkrun through its first year.  He often writes the report for parkruns which he has visited as a tourist and altogether has notched up a staggering 400 volunteer credits.
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy not presented The 2020/21 season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdowns and processes.
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy not presented The 2020/21 season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdowns and processes.
Most Improved Athlete Mike Dennison This year’s winner had a brilliant year in 2021.  He picked up PBs over one mile, in parkrun, over ten miles, the half marathon and the marathon (sub 3:30).  His best run was surely achieving an 85% age grade PB in the Richmond 10K.   For the first time we have a club member who has retained the Most Improved Athlete Award, for two years of sustained improvement.
Female Athlete of the Year Julie Barclay Julie had an excellent Track & Field season, and was consistently the best age-graded runner of all the clubs competing, not just BAAC.  She was our best runner over all distances from 800m to 3000m, and supported the team by running against V35 sprinters to pick up valuable points.  She has broken ten club records in recent times.   She produced an exceptional time of 21:31 at the Dorney Lake 5K in March, an 83% age grade.  She went on to be her age group winner in all four of the Dinton Pastures races. In Cross Country, our winner has not only been regularly our fastest lady runner in the Surrey League, but she also came top in the MABAC league. Most importantly, she has been an important social member of the club, organising a NOW run and being ever present at club social runs.
Male Athlete of the Year Paul Watt Paul has had his best ever running year, picking up PBs in ten events from 200m to 10K.  He added to his trophy collection with a 400 metres bronze at the Surrey and Sussex Masters.   He became a guest roving parkrun reporter for the Digest, substituting for Steve Newell while he was away.  A great year of parkrun tourism included running a 19:18 PB at Dulwich, his first run exceeding an 80% age grading.  His commitment to the club teams and social events make him a clear choice for this trophy.
Veteran’s Trophy Jas Modaher Jas has been a great servant to this club over many years.  He has helped stage our Concorde races, providing catering for the participants.  He is always there to marshal for us, and it is difficult to persuade him to take rest breaks.  He usually leads the sweep at the challenging Ride London events.  He has encouraged his family to run and marshal with us, and we thank them for their hard work at many club events. .  Our winner is a serial marathon runner, and in 2021 he completed many half marathons across the length and breadth of the UK, proudly wearing his BA vest.  He has become the poster boy for many running events.

The BA Cross-Country Championship trophy was also presented to Maria Jovani and Paul Knechtl for their first BA club finishes in the March 2022 BA Cross-Country championship (the Tom Rowley Cross-Country). Note that Julie Barclay and Adrian Haines were the winners of the 2021 BA Cross Country Championships, held in May 2021.

The 2020/21 Five Mile Handicap Trophy was awarded. Although the event was interrupted by roadworks in Feltham necessitating the introduction of the two lap circuit and the Covid-19 restrictions resulting in the postponements of two events and delays to two others. Amanda Coombs who was able to simply make an appearance in the fourth and final run of the series to get a token single point but still finish well ahead of the second place finisher.

Awards for 2020 (presented August 2021)

Award 2020 Recipient Reason
Chairman’s Award John and Benita Scaife Across the year John and Benita submitted the most number of "Weekend Activity Achievements" and have provided a write-up in Facebook for most of them allowing me to supplement the digest reports. They have also participated in some of the midweek challenges. I would also like to credit Joe Nolan (the current holder) for his Virtual London Marathon Relay efforts, and both Jagjit Singh and Clara Halket for their Long Distance running AND community efforts during this difficult period.
Alamo Trophy not presented There was no WARR held in 2020.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Chris Kelly 2020 was a quiet year for 10K races, but what it lacked in organised runs, it made up for in virtual events.  Our winner likes nothing more than a muddy slog along the banks of the Thames, and he was the winner of our 10K solo event in April.  His speed and endurance gave him the victory in the Sonning 10K, while many virtual runners in remote locations could not match his pace. Fast forward to the Remembrance 10K in Hertfordshire, held in December.  Our hero joined 200 runners at Bovingdon to celebrate the fallen and the ability to run in the same location as others.
Round The Block Trophy Roderick Hoffman In 2020, there were fewer opportunities to score points, but there were still 102 members and friends who manage to get their names onto the league table.  Despite a desperate attempt by a trios of Steves to steal his crown, Roderick wins this having been involved in twenty events, more than anybody else.  He planned or managed many of them.
Men’s Track and Field not presented There were no or negligible Track & Field events held across 2020.
Ladies' Track and Field not presented There were no or negligible Track & Field events held across 2020.
The Club parkrun Trophy not presented There were very few opportunities to undertake actual parkruns across 2020.  
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy Mike Dennison Across the 2019/20 season Mike was first BA runner on the treacherous Sandhurst course and in the four Surrey League matches he was never out of the top four BA runners and just pipped Paul Knechtl to the title. 
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy Julie Barclay Across the 2019/20 season Julie led the ladies through the mud at Priory Park, Mitcham, Wimbledon and Cranford to win the trophy despite us having a larger team of fifteen lady runners. 
Most Improved Athlete Mike Dennison Despite the 2020 lockdowns Mike was very busy: He improved his Street-O performances, he ran to suspended parkrun courses, ran around them and then ran home…..and then he cycled the route to check his distance, he won November’s hexathlon (which involved running, jumping and throwing), he was often the most successful performer in the monthly “Track-on-Field” challenge, he ran a half marathon PB at the “Big Half” in March and he increased his annual mileage by 400 miles to 1750!
Female Athlete of the Year Clara Halket Clara probably covered the most ground of anyone in the club last year. Special performances included: Completing the GB Ultras Everest 135 event, the Run Gatwick 10K, the Virtual London Marathon (in the dark!), regular ten mile plus runs, the Snowdon Ultra Virtual Marathon, the Ultra Scotland Virtual Marathon and others all whilst fitting in crew trips and voluntary hospital shifts.
Male Athlete of the Year Maarten Stenham Maarten started the year as a regular competitor with us in club events:  Cross countries, The Five Mile Handicap through Feltham, and parkrun.  Then lockdown came, but that didn’t stop him from regular participation.   He improved his 5K and 10K times on regular runs through Ashford.  He worked hard with the family in quirky running, spelling and scrabble events throughout the year.  He contributed to our art catalogue with some interesting GPS art.   On a windy and muddy weekend, he and the family showed their all round talents in our running, jumping and throwing Hexathlon competition.   In July 2020, England Athletics staged a virtual 5K championships, and Maarten was the club’s leading runner in this event.
Veteran’s Trophy Piers Keenleyside

Doha Marathon survival plus if we give him the veterans' award perhaps he'll stop damaging himself! 

On the awards night the Speedbird Ladies trophy was also presented to Maria Jovani for her first place finish in the 2021 race, held under Covid-19 guidance including no presentations on the day.

The BA Cross-Country Championship trophy was also presented to Julie Barclay and Gary Rushmer for their first finishes in the 2020 cross-country race.

Awards for 2019 (presented March 2020)

Award 2019 Recipient Reason
Chairman’s Award Joe Nolan The chairman's award this year is to Joe Nolan. Joe lives a busy life and has had health challenges over the last year but still finds time to attend club events and take on coaching responsibilities, and always with a smile (or a well-disguised grimace).
Alamo Trophy Clara Halket and Trish McCabe At the 2019 WARR in Amsterdam. Presented to Clara Halket and Trish McCabe who, on their way to the awards evening, mistakenly found and stood in the nearby queue to get into an all day Rave.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Clara Halket
Round The Block Trophy Roderick Hoffman Across 2019 there were 51 club points scoring events and 1089 points were shared by 275 individuals (including non-members).  24 members achieved ten points or more and particular credit has to go to Steve Hillier who scored points in 35 of the club's 51 events. However Roderick Hoffman finished at the top of the tree with 48 points from 26 events.
Men’s Track and Field Steve Hillier Steve Hillier accumulated points in a range of events, with his best results achieved in the throwing cage
Ladies' Track and Field Julie Barclay For her all-round performances, and particularly her outstanding middle-distance running. Julie Barclay tackled every distance on the track from 100m to 3000m.  She always finished first or second in her own age group, and she was always prepared to compete in the younger age groups, if necessary, to collect good points for the team.
The Club parkrun Trophy Julie Barclay For her dedication to parkrun, and for flying the BA flag around the world, our winner is Julie Barclay.  She is approaching her run number 200, and consistently achieving an 80% performance at hilly, tight and congested courses alike.  She’s a tourist as well, with a recent ladies first finish at a course new to BA, in Poland.  
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy Mark Taylor Across the 2018/19 season Mark Taylor represented BA in the most Surrey League events, was never out of the top six BA runners, and led the team home at both Sandhurst and the BA Championships.
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy Trish McCabe Across the 2018/19 season...
Most Improved Athlete Mike Ball Mike Ball has come late to competitive running, but has been determined to improve each week.  He mixes road running, gym work and track intervals with a busy family schedule, and this winter he has been out on the muddy hills representing the club in league cross-country events.   His first love is sprinting, and he has steadily lowered his times while tackling races from 100m up to 800m.  This has proved an important factor in our track team’s performances in 2019.
Female Athlete of the Year Christine Munden Christine Munden has involved herself in all aspects of the club.  She has been a regular contributor to our cross-country success, and is a regular Track & Field competitor, prepared to fill in if a three-kilometre walker or a shot putter is needed.  She is a regular at our Wednesday events, exploring the streets of Bedfont and providing ideas for future events.   Another string to her bow is Orienteering, joining our Street-O squad to explore West London’s byways.
Male Athlete of the Year Ian Cunningham Ian Cunningham has been trudging around the Surrey hills picking up points for our Cross-Country team.  As a current employee of BA, he’s been busy at Waterside, cajoling fellow staff members for lunchtime runs.  He has now taken on the project of transferring the monthly Bath Road Dream Mile event to the Parkland in Waterside. Individual highlights include four marathons, all sub-four hours, with the best in Berlin clocked at 3:37.  He conquered the 54 mile Comrades Marathon in under ten hours.
Veteran’s Trophy Mike Dennison Mike Dennison has passed his 60th birthday, but he is giving the thirty-somethings a run for their money.  He has had great success in parkrun, with 5K times consistently dipping under twenty minutes, and an age ranking of over 80%.  His times have improved significantly in the past decade, giving us all hope.  Not satisfied with the short stuff, our winner finished in the top ten in the Vitality 10K, completed half marathons in 1:33, and the Seville marathon in 3:34.  He also performs for the club in the Surrey League Cross-Countries and helps us with marshalling at the big events.

2018 Awards (presented in February 2019)

Award
(link to previous winners)
2018 Recipient Reason
Chairman’s Award Simon Turton The chairman's recognition is to Simon Turton for maintaining our relationship and image with the London Marathon organisation.  That enables us to benefit financially, to obtain additional Marathon entries and for members to enjoy the experience of marshalling four or five key events each year.
Alamo Trophy Piers Keenleyside For circumstances which led to Piers Keenleyside embarrassing his colleagues at the Clover Point parkrun (undertaken after the WARR 10k race) by finishing significantly after the tail runner.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Tim Bellars For being the top BA finisher at the WARR 10k events in Victoria, British Columbia and the KLM 10k Beach Race in December.
Round The Block Trophy Steve Newell Over 250 colleagues and friends scored points in the club's Round the Block trophy competition with fifteen colleagues scoring from ten or more events. Very close from last year's winner Roderick Hoffman, but Steve Newell eventually won with 51 points accumulated from 24 different club events.
Men’s Track and Field Steve Hillier Steve Hillier for frequent and all round participation and for representing BA in the heavy throws.
Ladies' Track and Field Janet Smith Janet Smith proved difficult to catch due to her all-round performances and inparticular her outstanding discus and hammer throws including setting a new World Record for Hammer Decathlon. 
The Club parkrun Trophy David Duggan For his dedication to parkrun and to BA's involvement David Duggan managed to clock up 54 "weekly Saturday runs" in 2018 AND also logged 104 parkrun volunteer activities over the twelve months! That included 16 run reports covering parkruns all over the world.
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy Gary Rushmer Competition for this award was fierce, with 24 runners competing in at least one race. Gary Rushmer ran in every BA event, was never out of the top five BA runners, and took a fine second place at Roundshaw Downs. 
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy Helen Smith Ran in all five Ladies Cross Country events, encouraging her team mates to achieve performances to be proud of, and quietly continued as the inspiration which held the team together.
Most Improved Athlete Tim Bellars Increasing success over the year at the Green Belt Relay, at WARR, in Surrey League Cross Country matches and in the KLM Beach run.
Female Athlete of the Year Jacqui Musselwhite Jacqui Musselwhite was our fastest runner this year over the shorter distances in the Veterans and Rosenheim Leagues.  In September, she went on to compete in Malaga in the World Masters Track and Field.  Good individual runs included a four-second PB in the 800m.  Her highlight of the weekend was when she secured a bronze medal for GB in the 4 x 400m relay.
Male Athlete of the Year Chris Kelly Chris Kelly was our only sub-four hour marathon finisher in the heat of last year's London Marathon.  As well as masterminding the team entry in the Green Belt Relay he also ran the 56mile Comrades Marathon for the second time to win the coveted "back to back" medal. As well as his participation in the Dream Mile, Handicap events and Club Cross Countries, Chris chose to “warm down” the year with a steady 3:16 in the Chicago Marathon.
Veteran’s Trophy Adrian Haines For his achievements for club and country in Masters competitions including breaking the club mile record, the British 4x800m relay record and the British Masters 800m. Adrian finished the season ranked 1st in the UK in the 800m Masters.

Awards for 2017 (presented February 2018)

Award
(link to previous winners)
2017 Recipient Reason
Chairman’s Award Steve Newell The chairman's recognition of the considerable efforts of Steve who has proved invaluable with the support that he has given him, the work he does for the communications digest every week and the events that he has organised for the club - for instance including the winter handicap event, where he has sacrificed his own running opportunity to ensure that we continue to have the event. 
Alamo Trophy Tim Bellars, John Scaife and Benita Scaife Deserting their friends and colleagues after the finish of the 10k in order to taxi over and run the Singapore East Coast Park parkrun, on at the same time as the WARR 5k.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Adrian Haines Winning the KLM 10k championships on the North Sea Beach in December when he should have been preparing for the indoor 800m season.
Round The Block Trophy Roderick Hoffman Very close from last year's winner Steve Hillier- it required a recount!  
Men’s Track and Field Steve Hillier Mainly for his ability to lob large lumps of metal a reasonable distance.
Ladies' Track and Field Janet Smith Janet Smith continued her great form in the centre of the arena, throwing international class distances, especially in the discus and hammer and hence narrowly beat last year's winner Julie Barclay to this year's award. 
The Club parkrun Trophy Roderick Hoffman parkrun uber-tourist in the last year visiting 43 different parkruns of which 34 were new to him and 15 new to the club. This included parkruns in six countries including new parkrun countries of Sweden and Germany.
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy Gary Rushmer Ran in every BA event, leading the team home at the dreaded Croydon and took two strong second places.
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy Deby Helsdon Had a great run at Nonsuch, then led the team home at both Ham and Coulsdon, only stopping to turn and cheer the rest of the team home.
Most Improved Athlete Paul Watt A product of the world famous Rowley stable Paul brought his 5k times down close to 20 minutes, and his 10K time improved to a fraction over 44 minutes.  He has represented the club on both the track and the road, producing great times over both 1500 metres and 3000 metres.  
Female Athlete of the Year Trish McCabe She has worked supremely hard to improve her ability over long distance, and to improve her speed on shorter runs.  In the meantime she has inspired others around her to take part and enjoy athletics.  She has brought her parkrun best below 26 minutes, completed her first London Marathon, and she ran more than 1000 miles in 2017.
Male Athlete of the Year Neil Frediani He has kept our Rosenheim challenge alive, brought along new competitors to try the events, and he has helped to grow the club with his links to parkrun.  In the meantime, he has worked hard on his own running, with great results. As well as running strongly in the London Marathon and the Ealing Half Marathon, he completed the Snowdonia trail half marathon, finishing 8th in his category.
Veteran’s Trophy Harry Wild Sixty years after running his best times over 880yards he is still to be found striding the streets of Heston.  What’s more, at every CIE he is at some far flung street corner in his bright yellow jacket, directing us around dodgy corners with a cheery wave.  Most importantly, he is the guardian of the legendary cone, to be found approximately half a mile from the start/finish of the Parkway Mile.  The club has been enriched by his efforts and his friendship.

Awards for 2016 (presented February 2017)

Award
(link to previous winners)
2016 Recipient Reason
Chairman’s Award Steve Hillier Steve's formal role as club secretary involves him administrating the club committee meetings and evenings like the awards evening.  However Steve also handles most communications between the club and many other bodies including BA Clubs, Imperial Collage, local councils, the police, bus companies and even the local pizza supply company.
Alamo Trophy Tom Rowley Tom ran his first ever WARR race for the team in Chicago this year.  At 89 years of age he was the oldest man in the field as he ran round the 5k course to finish in a time of 54:26 - and notably ahead of 56 other finishers.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Paul Knechtl He remains one of the most successful 10K runners this club has ever fielded, and highlighted his abilities with an impressive 36 minute run at WARR in the autumn.  He finished third overall in that race.
Round The Block Trophy Steve Hillier Winner by a narrow margin.  
Men’s Track and Field Gary Rushmer He competed strongly in the Rosenheim League and in the Vets League.  He was a regular throughout the summer, representing BA in all events on the track, as well as the Long Jump and Triple Jump.  At the club championships he won the 400m, 800m, 1000m, 1500m and Triple Jump and tackled all the heavy weights, and he eventually topped the points table by a considerable margin. 
Ladies' Track and Field Julie Barclay She produced excellent times in the Vets League matches in both sprint and middle distance events, to narrowly take the title.
The Club parkrun Trophy Steve Newell By running at Tooting Common early in the year, he reclaimed his "LonDone" status of having run at all London parkruns - and visiting each by public transport or bike. His recent focus has been on earning his 250 parkrun shirt but he'll shortly be on his bike again to catch up on two new London parkruns started recently.  His biggest parkrun contribution to this club is that he maintains the weekly stats of which member have run at which park and their relative achievements (and achievements of relatives).  With highlights published each week in the digest, this enables every member of the club to participate in a team run every Saturday.
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy Richard Ruffell Across 2015/16 22 members took part in some or all of six races.  Our winner performed well in all four Surrey League races and the club championships, beating John and Mark Taylor into 2nd and 3rd places in the race for this trophy.
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy Monica Alonso She didn’t miss a league race and improved throughout the season.
Most Improved Athlete Neil Frediani He had a great 2016, with seven PB’s at seven distances.  He shaved 40 seconds off his 5K time, he achieved a 90 second improvement over 5 miles and he took a massive 40 minutes off his marathon personal best!
Female Athlete of the Year Julie Barclay

She has been running well in the 100m, all the way up to 10K and beyond. She had a great summer in the Track & Field Veterans League, and capped it off with a great run at WARR.  She finished third overall in the Womens 10K, and was the winner of the Womens Masters Event.

Male Athlete of the Year Chris Kelly

He produced regular newsworthy performances for BA.  He continued to compete at parkrun practically every week, with some excellent sub-20 times.  He greets and encourages new runners on a Wednesday night, here at the club.  Meanwhile, he produces good-for-age Marathon performances year after year. He also works hard for the club.

Veteran’s Trophy Helen Smith She has been inspiring others for over a decade.  She has tackled the long runs, put an arm round the injured competitor, and cheered our fast runners to victory.  She has injected fun into every event she has competed in, and helped to make us a truly social club.  What’s more, her performances in the past year make her a strong candidate for Most Improved Athlete.

Awards for 2015 (presented February 2016)

Award
(link to previous winners)
2015 Recipient Reason
Chairman’s Award Chris Kelly This year’s winner is an exceptional athlete, who has achieved great success in parkrun, cross country and marathons.  He has quietly encouraged others to improve their times, and he has put in the hard miles in all weathers to improve his own performances. And for his massive contribution to the well-being of the club as Treasurer.
Alamo Trophy Paul Knechtl For tripping over the curb in-between finishing 5th in the WARR 10k race race and finishing 12th the WARR 5k race - and then discovering that his ankle was actually fractured.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Julie Barclay Returning from a series of niggling injuries to win her age group at WARR, taking the third women’s masters trophy, and finishing second amongst all the BA competitors at the event (male and female!).
Round The Block Trophy Neil Frediani Winner by the clearest margin in years - he captained the Cross Country team during the autumn, and organised or took part almost all of our Club In House and Run of the Month events during 2015.  He sharpened his pace on the track, achieving several PBs.  He was our sole representative at the Epsom Rosenheim in June, with two great performances.  
Men’s Track and Field Gary Rushmer Our winner once again competed strongly in the Rosenheim League and in the Vets League.  He was a regular throughout the summer, representing BA in all events from 100m to 3000m, as well as the Long Jump and Triple Jump. 
Ladies' Track and Field Janet Smith Our former track and field captain returned to compete with us in the Veterans league, and set about out-distancing the opposition with some great performances.  She is the best hammer and weight thrower in her age group in the UK, and she also contributed some excellent performances in the other field events.
The Club parkrun Trophy Alan Anderson The receiver of the trophy in its first year has to be Alan Anderson who has continued to spread the parkrun word to everyone he meets and now in his 80th year continues to set parkrun records at parks he visits, that is on the odd occasion when he can be convinced that the Gunnersbury parkrun team can be relied upon to set their course themselves. For the record, at the time of writing, Alan has completed 399 parkruns (only 15 people in the whole world have run more) and his best time in his 80s has been 28:03.
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy Mark Taylor This trophy is presented to the man who had most success last year with our cross country team.  The calculation of this award winner takes account of age, appearances and placings, with this year’s result being close yet again.  Despite strong challenges from Barry Walters and twin brother Graham, our top male cross country runner is Mark Taylor.
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy Monica Alonso Our most consistent performer on the Cross Country courses , and the winner of the Ladies Cross country trophy is Monica Alonso
Most Improved Athlete Ian Cunningham Our winner has been running consistently for around ten years, but last year he stepped up to knock nearly half a minute off his 10K PB.  He came close to breaking a long held marathon PB, but the really big improvement came with his endurance running. In May, he completed the Weald Challenge Ultra 50k, based around Lewes, finishing in 6 hours 12 minutes.  In October, he ran the Downs Link Ultra, some 38miles, in 6 hours 57 minutes.   The improvement between the two events is that he ran 10K further and 30 seconds per kilometre faster!
Female Athlete of the Year Monica Alonso Our winner has proved herself to be a real all-rounder this year.  She performed well at WARR, she has run some great performances on the road during the year, and as we have seen she has been our top performer in the Cross Country League.
Male Athlete of the Year Colin Haylock This year’s award winner has achieved an exceptional mix of performances.  He run has run PBs over 5K and half marathon, and managed a nine minute improvement in his marathon time.  He has stepped up to ultra distance runs, completing 4 x 20 miles in training as part of his preparation.  Always a team player, he led the Cross country team home at Epsom.
Veteran’s Trophy Joe Nolan Our winner has made a running career out of helping others.  He has embraced parkrun, improving his own times consistently, and creating a large network of pacers who lead their charges to improved times every month.  He has taking on the difficult qualification of “Coach in Running Fitness”, giving up his own time to complete this training course, and passing on the fruits of his learning to club members.

Awards for 2013 (presented February 2014)

Award 2014 Recipient Reason
Chairman’s Award Alastair Heslop For the work he has put into our two flagship events, the Speedbird Ladies 5K and the Concorde 5 miles, for many years, and (hopefully) for years to come.
Alamo Trophy Lissa Pritchard and Deby Helsdon For services on the dance floor.  At the World Airline Road Race in Dublin back in October they showed up all of the non-Irish present by performed an Irish jig then later grabbed everyone's attention with their Ghost Busters Dance finishing with encouraging everyone else onto the dance floor from the start of the evening's "disco".
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Paul Knechtl, Adrian Haines and Dave Dixon Our three leading runners rolled back the years, proving themselves to be not only the best MV40 airline team in the world, but also the best men’s team of any age in Dublin!
Round The Block Trophy Neil Frediani Took this competition to a new level, with great performances at Club In House events and Runs of the Month.  He represented BA in competitions against other clubs, picking up valuable points in the Cross Country meets, and he shone at the Track & Field Grand Prix events.
Men’s Track and Field Gary Rushmer A regular throughout the summer, representing BA in all events from 100m to 3000m, as well as the Long Jump and Triple Jump.
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy Gary Rushmer Our captain led from the front in both 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons with consistent performances.
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy Helen Smith For attendance and performances over the cross country season, narrowly pipping Monica Alonso at the post.
Most Improved Athlete Joe Nolan This year, our winner has achieved great improvements in his own performances, but he has also worked hard to improve other runners as well.  While many of us our now looking for age related PBs, he has managed significant lifetime bests over 5K, 10K, half marathon and twenty miles.
Female Athlete of the Year Janet Smith This year, a long list of age related club records have started to tumble, as a former member has returned to our ranks.  She has given us a successful presence in the ladies events at Rosenheim and Vets Track & Field competitions.  In addition, she has had time to put in strong performances in parkruns and road runs.
Male Athlete of the Year Paul Knechtl The leader in the Magic Mile, with a best time under five minutes, with the added incentive that he is the official timekeeper for all the other finishers!  He is frequently our first finisher over the grueling cross country events.  He commits himself to organising the club “Round the Park” and “Round the Block” each year.  He achieved at WARR, and pushes others to their best performances.
Veteran’s Trophy Eddie Giles Suffered a horrendous 2013, with a spectacular and serious injury leaving him sidelined for many months.  Instead of taking a back seat, he has continued to coach, encourage and lead the Track & Field team, while working his way back to fitness through parkruns and grueling training.  He returned to competition this summer, and has been collecting age related club records, while leading us once again to within a whisker of the Rosenheim final.
Award 2013 Recipient Reason
Special Marathon Award Jagjit Singh Batth For running over 100 marathons on seven continents including Antarctica and raising money for various charities, supporting young and upcoming sportspeople to fulfill themselves through sport and supporting many events including our own Concorde 5Mile.
Chairman’s Award Roderick Hoffman For improving club communications with the introduction of the baRunner website and the weekly news digest, provided in digital and paper forms.
Tom Mitchell Trophy Chris Kelly Awarded by BA Clubs to the top sportsman amongst its thousands of members.  Chris has dominated the Reading parkrun and broke three hours in the London Marathon in 2013 – very good for age. 
Alamo Trophy Richard Ruffell After much debate Richard has been awarded the Alamo Trophy for his participation in the Stellenbosch World Airline Road Race and attracting significant support for the team.  Or for something else.
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Paul Knechtl Being the overall winner of the highly prestigious World Airline Road Race 10K.
Round The Block Trophy Steve Newell Competing in, planning and marshaling more key club events than any other members – and for the second year running.  We would be a poorer club without him.
Men’s Track and Field Gary Rushmer Competing strongly in the Rosenheim League and our new campaign, the Vets League, including running outstanding times over 800m, 1500m and 3000m.    He won the most of our own Grand Prix events, not only on the track, but also triumphing in his new specialty, the Triple Jump. 
Men’s Cross-Country Trophy John Taylor A narrow winner in what this year was a highly competitive event – calculated taking into account of age, appearances and placings in the cross-country league.
Ladies Cross-Country Trophy Marion Woodhouse Achieving more for the club through appearances and placings than our other ladies - despite strong challenges from Helen and Mel.
Most Improved Athlete Roderick Hoffman Now running faster in his fifties than he ever did in his forties - cutting his typical 5k times from 30 minutes to 25 minutes and five mile handicap time from 49 to under 40 - thanks in part to a two stone weight loss.
Female Athlete of the Year Helen Smith A constant presence in the ladies cross country team, and a regular competitor at our in-house events and Runs of the Month. 
Male Athlete of the Year Steve Hillier Regular attendance at our Track and Field events and establishing the club in the London Vets League by being undefeated in the hammer competitions over two matches.
Veteran’s Trophy John Coffey Back from a difficult period to show his determination to run well, despite everything that has been thrown at him.

Awards for 2012 (presented March 2013)

Award Presented For 2012
Male Athlete of the Year This guy has become a legend in our running team. After twenty years of trying to break the bonds, he remains the young man of the team, and the person to be relied upon to pull out an excellent performance when most needed.

As an organiser, he has managed the Concorde 10K for many years, helping it grow to a hugely popular event. He is part of the team working to make its replacement, the Concorde Five, another great success. He is one of the club’s fastest performers over just about every distance, and produced a three hour marathon in 2012.

Paul Knechtl
Female Athlete of the Year This year’s winner had is a constant presence in the ladies cross country team, and a regular competitor at our in house events and runs of the month. She continues to produce great times, she encourages everyone around her to take part, and she always has a smile on her face. Marion Woodhouse
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Special mention should go to Joe Nolan, Steve Newell and Brian Bennett for their competitive times, but they will not be going home with the trophy this time.

Our winner competed on hot days, and on wet days, on flat courses, and on tough courses. As usual, he gave the races his maximum effort.

Tony Barnwell
Most Improved Athlete For some exceptional five mile running last year, and with our good wishes for 2013 Simon Turton
Veteran’s Trophy This year’s winner has continued to provide evergreen performances. He monitors our performances in the popular Saturday morning 5k runs, as well as showing good improvement in his own times. He is the driving force behind our major quarterly in house races. He also ensures that we have angels and wise men running a mile at Christmas. He organises a swim in the Thames which attracts competitors from far and wide. What’s more, he continues to adjudicate in major Triathlon events. Steve Newell
Chairman’s:  Presented by the Chairman to the club member whose efforts have done most to progress the club.  Tom Rowley has been supporting the club for many years including the reliable marking for hosted cross countries and the Speedbird Ladies race. Tom Rowley
Men’s T&F Grand Prix:   Presented to the male club member who has contributed most to the club's track&field events over the year.

Our winner posted strong performances in 13 disciplines through the summer. He won several Grand Prix events, and was ever present at inter club competitions.

Once again, he led the small team to qualify for the final of the Rosenheim League at Tooting Bec. He looks forward to leading the team to more success in the Veterans League in 2013.

Eddie Giles
Ladies T&F Grand Prix Not awarded this year.  
Round The Block Trophy:    Presented to the club member who has devised, marshalled and taken part in most BAAC events throughout the year.  This is worked out using a complex league table based on participation at club featured events. Steve Newell
Men’s XC Trophy: This trophy is presented to the man who had most success last year with our cross country team. We had a tough winter, but twenty-two athletes turned out to run for BA in really testing conditions.

The calculation of the award winner takes account of age, appearances and placings, with this year’s result being the closest ever.

Despite the best efforts of Gary, Denis, John and Mark, the 2011 champion showed his consistency to retain his trophy.

Barry Walters
Ladies XC Trophy: There are rumours that being a member of our ladies cross country team is all about wine tasting, eating sweet treats and enjoying yourself. Nothing could be further from the truth. This dedicated bunch of athletes have spent the winter months representing BA in the cold and wind on the Surrey hills, cheered on by Tom Rowley.

As with the men, there was a very close battle in the ladies competition, although this was for second place. There was one, clear winner.

Helen Smith

Awards for 2011

Award Reason 2011 Holder
Male Athlete of the Year Chris has become one of the most consistent runners of recent times with successes across parkruns, cross country, the ASCA track and field 5000m, Rosenheim team and the Green Belt and Norfolk relays. Chris Kelly
Female Athlete of the Year Early in the year Lissa started with a great debut London Marathon time of 3:48 and has followed it up with performances in both the WARR 10k and 5k and in the winter cross countries. Lissa Pritchard
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy Completed 24 10k races over the year with impressive times including a personal best in Brighton in November. Joe Nolan
Most Improved Athlete Simon has had a spectacular 2011 with improved 5k times, great performances in the Green Belt Relay and as an important member of the cross country team. Simon Ashford
Veteran’s Trophy Coming back from illness and injury John had produced spectacular times, exceptional for his new age group, in parkruns, road races and even on the track. John Coffey
Alamo Trophy Despite all of the hurdles put in his way Adrian still managed to be the airline's top 5k runner finishing 6th overall, 4th Airline finisher and 1st Airline Masters finisher. Adrian Haines
Chairman’s:  As well as joining us for runs whenever he can Simon has continue to deliver the BAAC contribution to the marshalling of the London Marathon and related events. Simon Turton
Ladies T&F Grand Prix: Melanie deserves this award for her gritty 3000 metre run in torrential rain in the ASCA championships for which she was ladies captain. Melanie Holman
Men’s T&F Grand Prix:   Eddie totally dominated the year's Grand Prix track events and the triple jump, javelin and discus. Eddie Giles
Round The Block Trophy:    Won by devising, marshalling and taking part in BA events throughout the year.  Steve Hillier pipped Barry Walters at the post with Steve Newell and Graham Taylor close behind. Steve Hillier
Ladies XC Trophy: This year Marion was a model of consistency and comfortably the top points scorer in the Ladies Surrey League team. Marion Woodhouse
Men’s XC Trophy: Barry put in the most hard miles to collect the Surrey League points necessary to retain our League 3 status.  Paul Knechtl and Coffey pushed hard but Barry was undoubtedly King of the Mud 2011. Barry Walters

Awards for 2010

Award Reason 2010 Holder
Male Athlete of the Year   Paul Knechtl
Female Athlete of the Year   Lissa Pritchard
Brian Forrester 10K Trophy   Dave Dixon  
Most Improved Athlete   Marion Woodhouse  
Veteran’s Trophy   Alan Anderson
Alamo Trophy Delivery of the 2010 World Airline Road Race The WARR Core team Alan Friar, Graham Taylor; Helen Smith; John Taylor; Marion Woodhouse; Mark Taylor; Natalie Lang; Nick Edge; Paul Brandon; Simon Turton
Chairman’s:  Managing the delivery of the 2010 World Airline Road Race Katherine Henville (Stather) and Roderick Hoffman
Ladies T&F Grand Prix:   Katherine Henville (Stather)
Men’s T&F Grand Prix:     Eddie Giles
Round The Block Trophy:      Brian Forrester
Ladies XC Trophy:   Katherine Henville (Stather)
Men’s XC Trophy:   Barry Walters

 

      

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