Club records tumble in Kew Gardens, Battersea and Chelmsford
Seyfu cruises to victory and the new 10K club record at Kew Gardens
It was another busy week for Heathsiders, during which four club records were smashed and numerous PBs were set. Seyfu had a fantastic run in Kew Gardens, demolishing the club 10K record, which had stood since 2004, Tom Archer knocked an amazing 4s off the club 1500m record, and Mary Kehoe set new V55 records. Steve Pennington ran two marathons simultaneously on different continents.
Battersea Night of the 1500s, Monday 14th September
Simon Baker reports from Battersea: The Club has a number of very talented young athletes, Seyfu is one, another is Thomas Archer who has been spending lockdown training hard on the track despite the absence of competitive athletics. Tuesday night saw a demonstration of his hard work over the summer as he broke the Club's overall 1500m record running 3:51.57, a new PB by 7s. His time was also the age group UK leading time this year and 24th fastest of all time (according to Power of 10). Well run Thomas.!”” Jacob provides further context to Thomas’ performance: “This knocks an amazing 4secs off Sean Dixon’s previous 2005 record. With Thomas being U17 I think we can see this record dropping further. A big round of applause for Thomas!”
Results
1500m
H12 3rd Thomas Archer (U17M) 3:51.57 PB New Overall Club Record AAA Grade 1
Highgate Harriers Middle Distance Open, Parliament Hill, 9th September 2020
Simon Baker sent in the following report from Parliament Hill: “Highgate hosted their bi-annual open meeting which due to Covid-19 restrictions just comprised 1500m and 3000m races. 5 Heathsiders took part with Alex Sweet and David Baah-Okyere in the 1500m. In the 3000m Seyfu ran his second race of the week in a very strong field with Roger Poolman (Highgate) winning in 8:18.9. Julia Kelk produced a strong run to register a PB only 6s outside the club V40 record. Performance of the evening was however Jonny Forsyth who broke Tony Killilea's V45 Club record by 20s.”
Results:-
R2 9th Estibaliz Guyarro Puente 5:19.5 PB
R3 7th Alex Sweet (V35) 4:46.3
R3 10th David Baah-Okyere (U15B) 4:51.6
3000m
R1 4th Julia Kelk (V40) 11:02.3 PB
R2 3rd Jonny Forsyth (V45) 9:36.1 PB New Club V45 Record
R6 8th Seyfu Jamaal (U23) 8:32.9
Harrow 3000m and Long Jump Open, Bannister Stadium, Harrow, 9th September 2020
Simon Baker reports from Harrow: “Some great racing by young Heathsiders at the Bannister Stadium in Harrow. Amara Odeogberin showing her versatility after finishing 3rd in the Club U15G 200m Championships on Monday she ran 3,000m here recording a PB of 12:03.36 and completed our U15G team for the Middlesex Junior Virtual Relays. Two of our young men also ran with Liam Garrett running 8:40.90 and then Jem O'Flaherty ran the fastest 3000m time by a Heathsider this year of 8:29.49 only 2 sec outside Adam Kirk-Smith's senior record and 16 s faster than his previous season best.”
Results
3000m
R1 7th Amara Odeogberin (U15G) 12:03.36 PB
R10 4th Liam Garrett (U20M) 8:40.90
R11 6th Jem O'Flaherty (U23M) 8:29.49 PB
BFTTA Open, Dagenham, 12th September 2020
Simon Baker sent in the following report from Dagenham: “More Junior Heathsiders and some older ones took part in track and field at the weekend. The Be Fit Track Academy held their second Open of the season and certainly one of the biggest with 657 athletes taking part (at £10 each quite an earner too!). U11 Sebastian McNeely got his first taste of track action in the 75m and 150m. In her first ever 100m Suraya Frost just missed out on setting a new Club U13G 100m record by 8 hundreths of a second in what was the 4th fastest by a UK 11 year old this year. She also improved her 200m PB. In the 300m Mary Kehoe broke the V55W Club record and Noelle O'Regan completed another 400m.
The meeting concluded with the 800m with Mia Rosen again the fastest U13G while Larissa Wilson improved her PB by 6 sec. David Baah-Okyere also set a new PB.”
Results
75m
H3 5th Sebastian McNeely (U11B) 12.18 PB
100m
H1 2nd Suraya Frost 13.85 (U13G) PB AAA Grade 3
150m
H3 4th Sebastian McNeely (U11B) 24.84 PB
200m
H2 5th Suraya Frost (U13G) 29.22 PB AAA Grade 3
300m Masters
6th Helene Kehoe (V55W) 50.62 PB New V55W Club Record
400m
H4 4th Noelle O'Regan 1:04.55
800m
U13G H4 1st Mia Rosen (U13G) 2:26.42
U15G H1 2nd Larissa Wilson (U15G) 2:31.66 PB
U15B H3 5th David Baah-Okyere (U15B) 2:14.35 PB AAA Grade 4
Chelmsford Sprints Series, Chelmsford, 8th September 2020
Simon reports from Chelmsford: “Mary Kehoe ran her fastest 100m for 4 years to break the club V55 Women's record at the Chelmsford Sprint meeting. She now holds all the Age Group records from 100m to 800m.”
Results
100m
T8 4th Helene Kehoe (V55) 14.96 New Club V55 Record
200m
T17 4th Helene Kehoe (V55) 31.33
Kew Gardens 10K, Sunday 13th September
Several Heathsiders ran in the Kew Gardens 10K last Sunday, which was particularly notable as the venue for a new club record. Jacob Howe comments: “Seyfu Jamaal ran 30:14 to win the Kew 10k this morning, knocking 9 secs off Piet Jacob’s excellent 2004 time. All our overall club records are really good, and don't get broken that often, so huge round of applause for Seyfu ”. Fellow runner Jonathan comments on the time: “…were Seyfu a GB athlete, [this was] the fastest by a UK U20 this year - it would also be good enough for second quickest U23.” Several Heathsiders set new PBs on the course, including Thomas Stottor (35:22), Nick Hodges-Gibson (36:22) and Kwasi Agyei-Owus (40:41).
Results:
1 Seyfu Jamaal 30:14 (PB, new club record)
35 Thomas Stottor 35:22 (PB)
52 Christopher Vincent 37:42 (PB)
53 Nick Hodges-Gibson 36:22 (PB)
135 (17th female) Olivia Desborough 39:46
114 Jonathan Litchfield 40:34
116 Kwasi Agyei-Owus 40:41 (PB)
117 Danny Olive 40:41
222 (38th female) Jessica Vinluan 43:52
229 (39th female) Ciara Kennedy 43:57
Milton Keynes Enigma marathon, and the virtual Boston marathon
Steve Pennington comes 1st in the Enigma Milton Keynes marathon
Steven Pennington had a great day last week end, running two marathons for the price of one in Milton Keynes. He reports: “Coming off very little training and 2 weeks in Turkey I was delighted to run 2:53 and 1st place (alas only 30people in it) at the Enigma Marathon in MK. This was also done as my virtual Boston marathon and I came 6th overall in the V50-54 age group.”
Results
1st Steven Pennington 2:53 (MK, 6th V50-54 for Boston)
Compiled by Emilia with thanks to Simon Baker, Jonathan Litchfield, Nick Hodges-Gibson, Steve Pennington, Ciera Kennedy, Jacob Howe.
Photos: Steve Pennington, Jonathan Litchfield
Apologies for any errors or omissions. Please send comments to reports@londonheathside.org.uk