baRUNNER - a website for the British Airways Athletics Club

BA Athletics Club News Digest 29th July 2019

Events:

• Wednesday 31st July - Mile races and AGM (see below) #
• Thursday 1st August - Dream Mile Bath Road from 12:45.
• Wednesday 21st August - CIE Orienteering Event at the Bedfont Club from 18:00 #

We meet at 18:00 at the Bedfont Club on most Wednesdays throughout the year including this Wednesday - but over the summer numbers will be low so let me know to expect you.

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: 29th July.

* Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps] (parkrun details updated 22nd July) / # 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.

NOW & THEN on July 23rd at Hanwell

The mercury was rising but eight colleagues met in the midday sun last Tuesday in Brent Lodge Park, Hanwell. Piers led us on a 5k jog that led us from the bandstand, past the mini-zoo, next to the maze, along the river Brent, through the golf course, up the hill, behind the tennis courts, under the Wharncliffe Viaduct* and back to the cafe to cool down and recover.

In the photo, left to right: Roderick Hoffman, Steve Newell, Piers Keenleyside, Steve Taylor, Marion Taylor, Christine Munden, Denis Foxley, Barry Walters. But don't believe all that you see!

* The Wharncliffe Viaduct was the first major structural design by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Wikipedia describes its history, including its historic role in the apprehension of a murderer, one John Tawell, in 1845.

The next NOW event is being planned for September, at a place of historic importance.

Roderick Hoffman

Mile Races # and AGM on Wednesday 31st July reminder

Schedule:

• 18:00 Meet in the Bedfont Club carpark, change into kit, jog or drive to the Feltham Track. See the club map for the most direct route to walk or jog to the track - distance 2km,
• 18:30 Elite Mile Race for those expected to beat 07:30,
• 18:40 Not-quite-so-elite Mile Race for those slower than 07:30,
• 19:00 Return to the Bedfont Club, shower and change,
• 19:30 Food - provided by the club (plus pay bar throughout evening),
• 20:00 AGM - to include a Chairman's selection process that will be more nail biting but hopefully with a better conclusion than the Conservative Leadership Contest. Probably,
• 21:00 Members Forum - tell us what you think. Also to include a section on the proposed 100k relay event.

Please tell us to expect you (but if you don't, then please turn up anyway). You can tell us either by emailing me and telling me which race you'll be in and whether you are to be catered for OR use the Facebook Event https://www.facebook.com/events/993176511028127/ to provide the same information. For the Facebook event you do need to have a Facebook account and to have requested membership of the "BA Runner" group via https://www.facebook.com/groups/636199849751546/ .

Roderick Hoffman

Club parkrun results for Saturday 27th July 2019

Volunteers include...

It was a very wet Saturday morning this weekend and attendances were well down at many parkruns.  Bushy Park (840) has always been the UK’s busiest and regularly attracts between 1200 and 1400 runners and walkers, dipped below 1000 for the first time since 1st December last year when it was cold and dark as well! More runners completed the parkruns at Southampton and Poole, so this was the first week ever that Bushy parkrun has been held but hasn't been the largest in the UK! This club contributed - by having no runners at Bushy. Over the years 53 club members have run a total of 1281 times at Bushy. John Coffee first ran there on 24th December 2005 (run #65).

After a week off it was business as usual at Bedfont Lakes where efforts have been made recently to fill in the hollows on the track which so readily turn into puddles.  Paul Prescott (19:58) was our fastest runner of the day.  Former members Gill and Paul Westbrook shared tail walking duties.

Kay Trinder (20:46, 83,87%) was in good form at Brooklands.  Paul Watt (22:43) has had a difficult couple of years but recorded his best time at Rushmoor for quite a while and finished ahead of Julie Barclay (22:47) for a change.

Ben Chaytow (25:23) ran at Valentines Park in Ilford for the first time.  It is one of several parks where Richard Ruffell holds the club record (21:25).  Ian Cunningham (23:05) was at Sixfields Upton, not far from Northampton Town FC’s home ground once also used by Coventry City (but I digress).  That is the new club record.  Janet Cunningham (31:58) would have set a female club record, had she been a member.  Sarah Gordon’s time of 35:31 still stands.  A similar situation at Mountbatten School where Steve Taylor (26:47) established a new club record and was chased home by Roderick Hoffman (29:41) and Steve’s wife Marion J Taylor (30:48).  Marion is not a member so the female club record is still available!

Steve Newell (39:43) ventured north to avoid the worst of the rain and ran a parkrun in Bedfordshire for the first time at Great Denham.  An interesting 21st Century Barratt Homes village near to good main roads and a golf course and with its own parkrun.  It is a “civil parish” but comes without the trappings of earlier centuries such as churches, pubs and banks but amazingly has a post office, a medical centre and an embryo sports centre.  Oh, and an amphitheatre!

Next week the normal order may be restored - it will be Bushy's 800th parkrun so a large number may attend.

Steve's parkrun stats - club parkrun stats - UPDATED

NEW club parkrun database - {read access to new club parkrun database} - UP TO DATE - Download and explore.

Steve Newell / Roderick Hoffman

Running in Bushy Park

It is also suggested that the lower numbers at Bushy parkrun were due to regulars having raced there the night before...

Bath Off-road Marathon - 28th July 2019

I did my 9th marathon of the year today at the Relish Running Bath Running Festival. It was a rather hilly course mainly on very rough and often steep trails. Was about an hour slower than 6 years ago when I first did it - finished in 5:46:36. 

Nice but tough hilly course with 3,594 feet of elevation gain according to my Garmin. We started and finished from the Bath University campus which is on a hill overlooking the city.

Now up to 162 lifetime marathons. I was hoping that running 6 tough marathons over the last 10 weeks would shift a bit of weight and get me a bit fitter. I think I've lost all of 1kg and might be about 15 seconds/mile quicker. Not much progress really!  

Piers Keenleyside

Running Shorts

• Dear Ed, in accordance with age I averaged my cross country twice a week.  Averaging 39mins. Andy Rayner. P.S. I am preparing myself to witness Jas, El Supremo, at The London Ride.
• My Niece, Emma Gordon, finished the London Triathlon (Olympic Westminster) on Sunday in a time of 02:43:38 (1.5k swim in 0:25:11, 40km bike in 1:20:40, 10km run in 0:49:00). I wish I could run a 10k in 49 minutes! Roderick Hoffman

Next Digest - Results, news, pictures, feedback, jokes, stories - send them to the editor, Roderick Hoffman, at news@barunner.org.uk.

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