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BA Athletics Club News Digest 25th November 2019

Events:

  • Sunday 1st December - Run-of-the-Month Perivale 5mile # NOW FULL
  • Thursday 5th December - Xmas Dream Mile from 12:45
  • Wednesday 18th December - CIE mile race and Xmas social at the Bedfont Club #

Our next Bedfont Club meeting will be on Wednesday 4th December (ad hoc runs), 11th December for the Five-Mile Handicap and 18th for our Christmas Run and Social. January club evenings will be on 8th (ad hoc) 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.


London Marathon places 2020

The club will be allocating these much sought after places during the first week in December.  If you have emailed me to confirm your interest during the past week, no further action is required. If you haven't confirmed that you are serious in wanting a place, or haven't applied yet, please contact me as soon as possible. 

Thanks!

Steve Hillier


Annual Club Awards

BAAC will host its Awards night in the Spring. We are currently engaged working out who are the deserving winners for this year.  Last year's award winners are listed on the website: http://www.barunner.org.uk/News_Trophies.shtml

One important award is the Brian Forrester 10K Trophy, and we would like to present it to the most deserving runner.  Please send me details of your 10K times in 2019, and any special information about the races which may be relevant.

Nominations would also be welcome for two of the other awards - the Alamo Trophy (given for the best success OR fail at the year's WARR event) and the parkrun Award. Please let Steve know if you have a nomination (for ANY award) and for what reason. You can (and should) nominate yourself.

Steve Hillier


Roderick in HawaiiWorld Airline Road Race 2020 Confirmed in Hawaii

Next year's WARR event has been confirmed to be held in Waikiki, Hawaii from October 23rd to 25th. Other details are still to be worked out. It would be great to get a large team there - though flight routings will prove a challenge.

This will be a return to Hawaii, the island hosted the 3rd WARR back in 1984. This was a memorable event for all of those who attended. We flew out via LA, getting a deal on Air New Zealand for the leg LA to Hawaii - they didn't have flying rights to carry passengers only between those two stops but as staff we were allowed to take advantage of otherwise empty seats.

PS I've still got the shirt (but not the youthful looks, nor the hat).

Roderick Hoffman


Five-Mile Handicap - run 2 result and close call

20th November run 2 target actual pts this run target next run
Richard Ruffell 41:00 41:10 25.0 40:00
Gary  Rushmer 36:00 35:20 19.5 35:30
Simon Turton 38:00 38:20 19.5 38:15
Roderick Hoffman 49:00 48:13 16.0 48:15
Trish McCabe 48:30 47:32 15.0 47:30
Paul Prescott 36:00 34:53 14.0 35:00
Steve Hillier 56:00 54:30 12.0 54:30
Benita Scaife 56:00 54:30 12.0 54:30
John Scaife 56:00 54:30 12.0 54:30
Neil Frediani 45:00 47:43 10.0 47:30
Denis Foxley 48:00 51:40 9.0 50:00

Simon and Gary are currently leading the winter table but after just two runs there is still all to play for - even if you've yet to join in. The next event is on Wednesday 11th December.

Steve Newell

I set off at 49 minutes to the hour, knowing that Trish would be setting off just 30 seconds later. I wondered how long it would take her to catch me - a 30 second gap isn't difficult to close and as my watch bleeped to note the end of the second kilometer I heard her footsteps behind me. We then spent the next 5k running "together" but hardly ever shoulder-to-shoulder. First Trish edged ahead of me, then we ran on opposite sides of Bedfont Lane for a kilometer, then I was more forceful at a couple of junctions and bus stops and took a short lead before with one kilometer to go, Trish retook me and stretched ahead - and I was happy to see her go in the belief that she and we were running faster than last month hence I'd outscore her by finishing second!  Whilst we were running "together" I assumed it was because having caught me Trish then slowed to my pace - but my Garmin trace told a different tale, my pace improved by 12seconds from the third km through to the sixth.

There were hazards on the run - obviously we had to take care crossing roads but the more likely collisions were with pedestrians, particularly those head down in their mobile phones. Twice I had the issue of busses arriving at bus stops just as I approached - I rudely clapped loudly at the second one to alert those boarding to my imminent presence, it may have been rude but the alternative could have had us all in a heap on the pavement. The closest either of us got to an actual accident wasn't caused by a bus, car, cyclist or pedestrian but by a four-legged animal. I was a few feet behind Trish when I observed what looked like a large ginger cat emerge from a garden just feet ahead of Trish, dash towards her and then disappear into the next garden. She was closer and told me afterwards that it wasn't a cat but a nimble fox instead.

Take care (and reflective clothing) when running at night,

Roderick Hoffman


Club parkrun results for Saturday 23rd November 2019

Member 23rd November parkrun Pos Time Grade PB Comment
TRUE Micheal BALL Woking 114 00:25:58 60.21% run #164, 148th at Woking
TRUE Sarah GORDON Warwick Racecourse 265 00:32:28 60.63% better age-grade% than Hoffman or Moorcroft!
#N/A David Moorcroft Warwick Racecourse 167 00:28:09 60.15% family run, (best track 5000m time is 13:00.41)
TRUE Roderick HOFFMAN Warwick Racecourse 186 00:28:53 55.05% park #289, BA park #542
TRUE Julie BARCLAY Victoria Dock 33 00:21:28 84.32% F-5, age cat record (1st/148), park #35, BA age grade record
TRUE Mike Dennison Victoria Dock 13 00:19:36 82.57% club record, 3rd in age cat
TRUE Maria Jovani Victoria Dock 20 00:20:24 76.55% F-2, club record (F), park #41
TRUE Paul WATT Victoria Dock 35 00:21:34 70.63% park #31
TRUE David DUGGAN Victoria Dock 113 00:27:45 57.30% park #77
TRUE Jain Reid Richmond Park 252 00:29:05 59.89% 60th run at Richmond Park
TRUE James Shoulder Osterley 7 00:19:41 65.54% M-7 , run #60, 4th at Osterley
TRUE Keith Johnson Minehead 18 00:24:41 59.28% PB   course pb by almost two minutes
TRUE Benita Scaife Maidenhead 235 00:32:49 61.76%
TRUE John Scaife Maidenhead 237 00:32:50 51.07%
TRUE Paul TIMMS Lydiard 110 00:24:11 64.09% same course, new name! (was Swindon parkrun) BA age grade record
TRUE Adrian Haines Ifield Mill Pond 3 00:19:16 77.77% M-3, 3rd run at "IMP"
TRUE Ian CUNNINGHAM Horsham 44 00:23:34 66.34% 1st run at Horsham, park #49
TRUE John COFFEY Hazelwood 64 00:32:02 61.39% going getting very soft, very few pbs
TRUE Denis Foxley Harrow 120 00:29:00 60.80%
FALSE Joan FOXLEY Harrow 198 00:37:22 59.59%
TRUE Barry WALTERS Hanworth 9 00:22:14 74.74% PB   M-9, course pb by 17 seconds
TRUE Steve NEWELL Gunnersbury Funnel Manager
TRUE John Lennon Guildford 385 00:35:37 44.27%
TRUE Piers KEENLEYSIDE Firenze 50 00:27:17 59.80% first parkrun in Italy, park #44
TRUE Murray HOGGE Dinton Pastures 27 00:23:02 69.03% 1st run at Dinton Pastures, park #3
TRUE Christopher T KELLY Dinton Pastures 28 00:23:03 66.09% run #456, 3rd at Dinton Pastures
TRUE Frankie HOGGE Dinton Pastures 26 00:23:01 64.30% 1st run at Dinton Pastures, park #4
TRUE Ben Chaytow Crane Park 26 00:22:17 62.68%
TRUE Zoe OSTLEY Brooklands 261 00:35:58 51.02%
TRUE Kevin Holland Brooklands 311 00:42:27 42.05% 1st run for six months, 1st ever at Brooklands
TRUE Trish MCCABE Bromley 389 00:28:23 54.61% first run a Bromley, park #53
TRUE Richard RUFFELL Braunstone 48 00:21:50 72.21% first run at Braunstone, park #89, BA record
TRUE Joe NOLAN Black Park 397 00:32:29 51.15%
TRUE Bob Bannister Bedfont Lakes 29 00:23:51 69.04%
TRUE Anne Bannister Bedfont Lakes 86 00:28:53 68.15%
TRUE Caroline Cockram Bedfont Lakes 49 00:25:15 66.40% Also barcode scanning
TRUE Paul PRESCOTT Bedfont Lakes 6 00:20:44 62.30% M-6
TRUE Neil FREDIANI Bedfont Lakes 100 00:30:45 53.06%
TRUE Scott DAVISON Bedfont Lakes 104 00:31:02 46.78%
#N/A Paul & Gill Westbrook Bedfont Lakes 154 00:51:43 38.03% Tailwalkers
TRUE Ian Cockram Bedfont Lakes Run Director

Five members made the trip to the parkrun at the Royal Victoria Dock where the course covers much of the same ground as we used when we hosted WARR in 2010.  A travel option not available then is the cable car from North Greenwich (discount for Freedom Pass holders).  It is acknowledged to be a fast course.  New club records were set by Mike Dennison (19:36, 82.57%) and Maria Jovani (20:24, 76.55%).  Julie Barclay (21:28, 84.32%) set a new record for her age category at Victoria Dock and possibly more satisfying even than that was to add the letter “V” to her collection. She and Paul Watt (21:34) are closing in on a full collection.  Expect them to appear at Upton Court, Alice Holt Forest and Yeovil Montacute in the coming weeks.  David Duggan (27:45) was also there to complete his 51st parkrun of the year and we are not in December yet.  David also wrote the run report so head over to https://www.parkrun.org.uk/victoriadock/news/ to read that.

Roderick Hoffman (28:53) and Sarah Gordon (32:28) visited Warwick Racecourse which has had a parkrun now for just a couple of months but Saturday was its official launch.  David Moorcroft was there.  He set his parkrun pb (20:14) at Coventry in 2010 but he is more famous for setting the World Record for the 5000m on the track with 13:00.41 in Oslo in 1982. That was the last time that that World Record was set by a non-African runner and it stood as the UK record well into the parkrun era.

The wet weather continued to impact parkrun with Marlow cancelled for a second week and with Reading also too wet to use our runners sought refuge at Dinton Pastures.  Paul Timms (24:11) was at Lydiard.  That is the new name for Swindon parkrun which has been going since 2010.  There is also a new parkrun in Swindon, nearer the centre of the town, called Seven Fields. Note that had "S" for "Swindon" been an important letter for someone's alphabet then they would have just lost it! More name changes are in the pipeline!

Steve's parkrun stats - club parkrun stats

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

Steve Newell & Roderick Hoffman

Ian Cunningham writes in...

"I was touristing at soggy Horsham this morning - nothing remarkable in that but my time of 23:34 did exactly match the time I ran at Bushy last week. Mind you 44th place at Horsham played 273rd at Bushy."

Roderick replies - "That is most unfortunate. Same time in consecutive runs at different parkruns is NOT considered "Groundhog Day" (although Ian has previously achieved this - at Bushy on 8th Nov. 2014). An annual game played is 'Seconds Bingo' where you try to complete a row or column on a 'bingo card' so clearly the aim is to get DIFFERENT numbers of seconds. Ian needs a '19' to complete a column, or four different numbers to complete a row." But perhaps you didn't want to know that.


Marathon Results

Florence Marathon StartFlorence Marathon

Florence is a great city to visit for a few days the cathedral really is something very special. I should have perhaps not gone up the 400+ steps of the bell tower on Saturday but the views were well worth the effort! The marathon route was one of the flattest I have done, only inclines were going over a few bridges and up and down a couple of underpasses. Rain was forecast but it held off and we had perfect running conditions - mild, a little overcast and no wind. Get your entry in for next year! I started at the back of the pack and worked my way up to pass the 4:45, 4:30 and 4:15 pacers. At about mile 21 the 4:15 pace pack passed me. I was a little surprised as at the time I was thinking I might finish in 4:10. Finished by the cathedral in around 4:13 so I reckon the 4:15 pace group did well under 4:10! Good for some but not those 4:15 runners that got left behind!

Piers Keenleyside


Mallory Park StartMallory Park Winter Series

5k Sarah Gordon 0:30:39 28th of 29 Female 60+ 1st
10k Roderick Hoffman 0:58:58 19th of 30

The photo shows that Mallory Park was nearly as scenic as Florence. Well, perhaps not.

Roderick Hoffman


Retired Runners Lunch Details

The Retired Runners Lunch will be on Tuesday 10th December at One-over-the-Ait (12.30 for 1.00 p.m.)  This is the Fuller's pub by the Thames just upstream of Kew Bridge we have been to before.  High tide is predicted for 1.23 p.m.  See: www.oneovertheait.co.uk . If you haven't confirmed with Steve Newell that you will be coming please do so now.

Travel advice...

Kew Bridge is well served by buses from Kingston, Richmond, Hounslow, Ealing, Chiswick, Hammersmith, Fulham and Shepherds Bush.  With Hammersmith Bridge closed to vehicles at the moment, traffic is a bit thicker than normal.  Kew Bridge station is served by South Western Railway.  RMT members are threatening strike action but this usually means reduced frequency rather than no trains at all - but be wary.  Thames Road (downstream) is probably the best for parking (from 12 noon onwards).

The new cycleway 9 (downgraded from Cycling Superhighway 9) is destined to be routed through the junction just north of Kew Bridge.  It is just possible that preparatory work will have started by 10th December.  There is political battle going on and councillors from a certain party have suggested postponing the work until Hammersmith Bridge is fixed.  That might mean forever although work is ongoing at Hammersmith Bridge which is now considered so weak that cyclists now have to dismount and walk across and the rickshaw service which was becoming popular has been suspended.  You couldn't make this up! Ed: The monthly Hammersmith Handicap race is tomorrow so we'll see if the council require the runners to go across the bridge on tiptoe.

Steve Newell


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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