Men's

The final fixture is at Wimbledon Common on Sat 9 February 2013 at 3pm seniors, immediately followed by Young Athletes at 3.05pm.

Start and finish are in the open space at junction of West Place and The Causeway, near Grapes Public House, see A-Z map or refer post code SW19 4UH. Course is the same as last time with VAC but a sketch map can be posted on request.

Numbers were issued earlier. Hand in Team Declaration sheets before the start.

Parking near the Start will be very limited but is free; a large car park is at the Windmill, which is 0.8 miles from start. Around Belgrave Hall is metered.

HQ is Belgrave Hall, Denmark Rd SW19 4PG, with facilities. Changing is on ground floor, from side entrance, while afterwards results will be compiled in the Hall, with tea bar; all welcome.

Wimbledon rail / tube, is nearest station. Take 93 Bus from Wimbledon to War Memorial, for Causeway, or a 15 minute walk up, while 93 Bus also comes from Putney.

We hope you have a good day. Bob Belmore Meeting Director.

Men's Captain Gary Rushmer.

Ladies'

Match 4 will be in Denbies Wine Estate, London Road, Dorking, RH5 6AA (on the A24, close to M25 – Junction 9 and the A3) when our hosts will be Dorking & Mole Valley AC and the timetable is:-

12.00 (noon) - Snrs/Vets/U20s 1.00 pm - U15s/U17s 1.30 pm - U13s

Maps of the venue and courses are linked here. Car parking is at Friends Provident, Pixham End, Dorking, RH4 1QA which has room for about 300 cars. This is about 5 – 10 minutes walk from the venue and DO NOT TRY TO PARK AT THE VENUE. With regards to the course map M followed by a number represents where a course marshal is located. You will also see the numbers 1,2,3 - 1 is the full lap of 4.23kms run twice by the Seniors and once by the U15/U17s , 3 is the U13s first lap and 2 is the U13s second lap. Due to the geography of the course the Seniors will have to run slightly overdistance again.

The course is undulating with a step climb and can be run in spikes but trail shoes or trainers recommended, especially if dry, as there is a section of stony path.

There are no changing facilities but there are toilets (portaloos) on the course and in the winery. DMV are unable to provide refreshments themselves but there are facilities in the winery. – DO NOT GO IN WITH MUDDY SHOES as DMV have taken many years to negotiate use of this venue and wish to use it again.

Forwarded by Ladies' Captain Clara Halket who adds: "...the plan is to adjourn to the conservatory for a glass or two afterwards. I hope we'll have many runners for this one and it will be great to see supporters too!"

"The Perch XIV gets my vote as most enjoyable race of the year so far. Despite the fact that they managed to sneakily add in an extra 0.5 miles to the advertised 6.25! (for those of you wondering a perch is 5 ½ yards, and 2000 make 6.25 miles) After the snow and cold of recent weeks it was a glorious sunny morning, if a touch breezy, which lifted the spirits. The course was real old style cross country with a short tarmac start followed by numerous short hills, windswept grass, water features (!!) and (what seemed like) a boggy field. Well organized and marshalled everyone was plastered in mud by the end and finishing was more important than time. At least I’ve now got a PB over 6.8 miles to my name!"

Ian

Choose Track – You can never get lost on the course (but I’m not so sure about Alan & Joe),

Choose 100m – The handshakes at the end of the race (they feel sorry for you for coming 8th),

Choose 400m – Legs go after 300m but you must finish because the crowds are cheering,

Choose 1500m – Getting lapped once by the fast guys, but say to yourself "I am are here for the points gained",

Choose 2000m Steeplechase – Getting lapped twice – wet and struggling over those big hurdles, think of the points,

Choose Long Jump – Even though you bang your trainers together at the track side, why do you get sand in the hallway at home!!,

Choose Pole Vault – How do they do that? Paul Goldsmith knows how to get glass fibre particles in an unmentionable place!,

Choose Javelin – to get the point down on the grass is a success!! (Well done, good throw),

Choose Shot Putt – A chance to let out a loud grunt,

Choose Hammer– It’s that crashing sound of heavy ball & wire against the cage frame (where’s it going to land?),

Choose BA Champs & Fun Day – WELLY THROWING, where else could you do that? I know what else we can do, lets run backwards!!,

Choose Relay – Batons, any colour you like,

Choose Spikes – When you trip up and land on your face , you hope no one has seen you!!,
 

Come and join us, it really is fun.

Eddie Giles , your Captain speaking.

"I thought I would drop a few lines to let you know how my Marathon preparation is going along. I am very grateful to the club for the entry; this will be my 15th London Marathon. However much I enjoy helping as a marshal, I always end the day with the intention to come back & run it the following year.

All is well & I am following the same schedule as I did in 2011. The old legs don't like too much running these days, so to avoid the lower leg problems that have bugged me for years I get a lot of my overall fitness from using the Gym about three times a week & from cycling a couple of time a week also. I run for about an hour every Thursday eve taking part in the Kent night orienteering league, being a competition it keeps the effort level high. Mostly this takes place in the woods of deepest Kent using a headtorch and it's generally great fun. Last night I came across a whole herd of deer deep in the woodlands, all I could see were hundreds of eyes looking at me! Who said orienteering isn't a spectator sport.

The league finishes in mid March & the plan then is to convert the Thursday evening run into distance on the road over the next four weeks, increasing the distance by 15 mins or so each week until I peak at running for two hours about two weeks before the big day. This is what I did in 2011 when I managed to finish in just over five hours. I would be pleased to get a similar time this year.

I also managed to attend the club Wednesday night handicap run in December and January and hope to add this monthly event into the training schedule.

If anyone wants to correspond with me about the challenges associated with running Marathons on low mileages & dodgy legs, then please feel free to drop me an e-mail."

Steve Waite

"Thanks to BA for my Marathon place. Training is going well having set off on a 16 week program I’m up to 14miles, this week will be down to 10 then push on to 15miles will end up with 5- 20mile runs which will hopefully stand me in good stead to break 4hrs having done 4.04 in 2011 and Las Vegas in 3.50 in 2012. All my long runs take me along the Thames, Walton to Kingston area only 1 half planned at fleet. I’m training 5days a week fitting in Bedfont parkrun and some speed sessions in the gym. Looking forward to what will be my 10th London."

Scott Davison

"Last year I did 3:39 and this year I hope to get back to doing under 3:30 - the last time I did this sort of time was 6 or 7 years ago.

To this end I have just joined Virgin Active in Ealing to do some extra training - this is mainly swimming which I manage to do before work 2 or 3 times a week.

My training plan for the next few months is to try and do a run 6 days out of 7:

• Monday - 5 mile with local club
• Tuesday - 9.5 mile run home to Ealing from Waterside
• Wednesday - 5 miles with local club or BA
• Thursday - 9.5 mile run home to Ealing from Waterside
• Friday - day off from running - but will try to go swimming
• Saturday - 5k parkrun usually at Gunnersbury
• Sunday - long training run - varies from 10 to 22 miles or a race -marathon, half-marathon or ultra.

I manage the above perhaps every other week but often work, family or the weather get in the way and cause me to miss a session here and there. In the latter part of 2012 I picked up a hamstring problem which meant I could not run at my fastest but this is now nearly cleared up and my last parkrun time, at 22:02, was quite close to my PB of 21:16. I'm aiming to beat this in April. Over the Christmas holidays I did some extra parkruns going to Richmond Park on Christmas Day and on New Years Day I managed to fit in both the parkrun at Bushy and the one at Kingston.

I recently heard about the 100marathon club and after counting up what I have done over the years realised that joining the club was a realistic goal. To achieve it I have just started running one every calendar month. My January marathon is in Marrakech on 27th which I hope to run in under 3:45. For February I'm doing the Punchbowl Marathon in Surrey (a 32 mile ultra). In March I'll be doing the Cambridge Boundary Marathon (on 3rd) and for April I should be well and truly ready for the London Marathon.

I'll keep you posted."

Piers Keenleyside

Go back two million years and observe at midday on the hot African Plain a primate recently having come down from the trees running after Gazelles and catching them; returning the catch by direct routes back to their camp.  Using tools, yes - spears, knives and skins holding a few precious mouthfuls of water but two million years before the invention of Jelly Babies, Isotopic Drinks and GPS Watches not to mention running shoes.