Retro reports part 1: Cross-country review and Jerry's life of running
This week’s report is different from the usual one, as you might expect. To give you even more of a reason to stay indoors, we bring an extra-special report, covering a roundup of the youngsters’ cross-country season, stories from your training this week and highlights from the archives, reminding us of life before COVID-19 took over. Most special of all, we have a report from Chairman Jerry, answering all the questions you’ve probably wanted to ask him in the past about his running life…or at least, the first installment of it, covering life before he went to America.
Before we begin, we’d also like to remind you of the importance of complying with current restrictions by staying a home, keeping 2 metres away from others if you do go out and limiting yourselves to just one form of outside exercise a day. You could be saving many people’s lives by doing so…
Review of the youngsters’ cross-country season, by Simon Baker
As expected the Cross Country Season and indeed all athletics activity was abruptly curtailed. While the Met League was completed in February and the National Schools Championships was completed on the 13th March, the National Primary Schools Championships were cancelled with several young Heathsiders including Ben Redland, Mia Rosen, Eric Beale, Elkie Baker and Ella Higgins missing the chance to run for Haringey.
The end of the season also meant the conclusion of the North West London Youth League, the other Junior Cross Country League the club competes in. The last fixture in Harrow had been cancelled due to bad weather and the final fixture scheduled for the 28th March at Wormwood Scrubs could not then take place. This is the most disruption the league has had in it's 54 year history. As a result final places were been decided on the three races that were run with prizes awarded to the first 6 individuals as well as the Team competition.
As in the Met League, Heathside had an outstanding year and were joint 1st with Cookham in the Boys competition and 5th in the Girls. This was the clubs first overall win for over 10 years. The Club win the U15 Boys Team competition and were 2nd in the U17 Women and 3rd in the U17 Men. Individually Tynan Parker (U13 Boys) and Mimi Blake (U17 Women) both won their age groups. In her first Mia Rosen (U13 Girls) tied on points for 1st place but missed on countback and Ben Redland (U13 Boys) was 2nd. Spike Blake (U13 Boys) and Oliver O’Connor (U17 Men) both recorded 3rd places. 6 other young Heathsiders finished in their respective age group top 10.
North West London YA Cross Country League 2019-2020
U11 Girls
1st Highgate Harriers 29 pts, 8th London Heathside 13 pts
6th Elkie Baker 106 pts
U13 Girls
1st TVH 29 pts, 4th London Heathside 20 pts
2nd Mia Rosen 141 (level on points with 1st but 1 lower placing)
4th Hattie Munday 132 pts
U15 Girls
1st Dacorum & Tring 30 pts, 7th London Heathside 11 pts
U17 Women
1st TVH 29 pts, 2nd London Heathside 27 pts
1st Mimi Blake 195 pts
5th Mia Manttan 91 pts
Overall:- 1st Dacorum & Tring 86 pts, 5th London Heathside 71 pts
U11 Boys
1st Cookham 30 pts, 5th= London Heathside 16 pts
2nd Ben Redland 142 pts
U13 Boys
1st Highgate Harriers 29 pts, 5th= London Heathside 15 pts
1st Tynan Parker 132 pts
U15 Boys
1st London Heathside 30 pts
3rd Spike Blake 138 pts
6th Michael Smith 128 pts
10th Jack Davis Black 94 pts
U17 Men
1st Dacorum & Tring 29 pts, 3rd London Heathside 23 pts
3rd= Oliver O’Connor 127 pts
8th Sam Ingram 104 pts
Overall:- 1st=London Heathside 84 pts, 1st= Cookham 84 pts
London Heathside Junior XC Points Championships
With all the races now completed the Junior XC Points Championship final places can be announced. So Congratulations to age group winners Ben, Kiara, Tynan, Hattie, Spike, Maia, Oliver and Mimi.
U11 Boys - 1st Ben Redland 48 pts, 2nd Sam Turner 32 pts, 3rd Eden Brown 27 pts
U11 Girls - 1st Kiara Corkin 48 pts, 2nd Elkie Baker 44 pts, 3rd Lettice Gundry 19 pts
U13 Boys - 1st Tynan Parker 55 pts, 2nd Ivor Joslin 50 pts 3rd Benjy Bediako 48 pts
U13 Girls - 1st Hattie Munday 56 pts, 2nd Amara Odeogberin 44 pts, 3rd Mia Rosen 31 pts
U15 Boys - 1st Spike Blake 52 pts 2nd Michael Smith 48 pts, 3rd Jack Davis-Black 43 pts
U15 Girls - 1st Maia Hampton-Phillips 52 pts, 2nd Lorna Dumbleton 40 pts, 3rd Fabienne Weston 39 pts
U17 Men - 1st Oliver O’Connor 51 pts, 2nd Jake Evans 51 pts, 3rd Thomas Archer 40 pts
U17 Women - 1st Mimi Blake 56 pts, 2nd Mia Manttan 37 pts, 3rd Rose Garrett 28 pts
5 Juniors ran in all 11 potential races for the club so well done to Elkie Baker (U11G), Ben Redland (U11B), Hattie Munday (U13G), Amara Odeogberin (U13G) and Michael Smith (U15B),
Thanks to team managers Russell Weston and Ruth Miller as well as coaches Zac and Kabir. Not forgetting all the parents who have transported youngsters to the races and spent hours cleaning mud from running shoes or cars.
Stories from your training
Kim Butler was happy to report “I'm proud to report on Lenny's Strava segment challenge I gained a 67sec PR on the infamous rollercoaster in Crouch End! 13:38 being my new time.” In addition, Trudy Victoria reported: “On Saturday, I ran my longest run of 2020 (10 miles) after picking up a bad injury in early Jan. Until recently, I could barely manage 1 mile so I honestly thought that this day would never come! Hopefully some positive news for any injured Heathsiders!” Lenny has been posting a suggested “segment of the day” for anyone wanting to run virtually with other Heathsiders, whilst complying with public health measures. If you’re interested in following a segment, please check the posts on Facebook.
Highlights from the archives
The following was the top story this time last year:
“Seyfu won the London Landmarks Half Marathon by a country mile on Sunday (probably more) as he finished over 5 mins ahead of the field, with Michele Bucci in second place leading the way for a great day at the office for a bunch of Heathsiders who had decided that one half marathon in this campaign just wasn’t enough! “
You can read all about it here:
Interestingly, two years ago races had also been cancelled due to a certain “Mini beast from the east”:
Jerry’s life of running. Part I. The pre-Kentucky years
By Jerry Odlin
From time to time I get asked by a curious club member what time did you run?! (For the record, 800m: 1:54.6, 1500: 3:45.9 5000m: 13:51.6, 10k: 28:56.2, and ½ Mar: 65:08).
So we thought it might be fun to set out a potted history of my running career to give a little competitive background to these times. The only problem of course being It was such a LONG time ago and memories can fade very badly. So this is going to be in two parts, pre and post 1977. That year I headed off to Murray State University in Kentucky on an athletic scholarship returning permanently back to the UK in 1982.
I joined the club in April 1969 at the tender age of 13 and 3/4. The first race a road relay organised by Barnet AC around Oak Hill Park, East Barnet. As I was bought up in Stroud Green (Victoria Road and my school, Stroud Green Infant and Junior School) travelling up to East Barnet was a bit of a culture shock :) I started running a year or so before that first with the boy scouts and then at Stationers School (now Stationers Park) where our PE lesson involved a version of Kabir’s now famous roller coaster. Joining the club very shortly after me were Peter Holland (many of you will know) and Mark English (now living in HK). The three of us formed the core of a training and racing group right up to the time we all disappeared off to uni and afterwards on our various return periods in the Mid 80’s. Up until I went off to the States the three of us pushed each other on a daily and weekly basis. This is why it’s so great for me to see our Young Athletes now replicating that history and forming friendship groups for life.
Our coach John Sullivan, ex rag trade machinist, cabbie and god knows what else supervised most of our training and kept a close eye on the competition program. By our mid/late teens we were training with senior members of the club pushing us even harder in track sessions. They went out of their way to bring us through. In the summer we did a lot of repetition 200’s, 300’s. As we got older a couple of my favourite sessions included 16 x 400m with just 30 secs rest, 6 x 600m accelerating every 200m, some 800 sessions and so on. In most years we never went near the track until January, using all the autumn for steady and not so steady runs. Aerobically we laid a great foundation, Sundays consisted of 75-90 mins on the Heath intermixed with short relays, hills and intervals, Wednesdays were always a “no prisoners” run from the Hampstead base, then a changing room under the Freemasons Arms. Whilst we were all still at school our PE teachers gave up on trying to make us play football on games afternoons. Instead we were all given bus tickets and headed unaccompanied to Parli Hill for an hours run on the Heath. Track training was normally on a Monday at New River (it had a brand-new all-weather surface) and Thursdays at Finsbury Park on the then cinders track.
I must mention the mentoring role that Ron Lambert provided (immortalised now as the Lambert Trophy for the leading women’s xc runner). Always on hand to to guide Sunday and Wednesday’s training. Ron now permanently resides amongst the group of trees on the Heath known as the Tumulus :) . Also Ivor Wiggett, who many of you know as our chief starter in the track season, would drive us all over the country to get us into the right race as well as lifts to training sessions. It was all very much of a team effort.
The three of us started to collect local titles, Haringey Schools Champ, Middlesex XC Champ and so on but it wasn’t until the sixth form, years 12 and 13 that things started to take off for me. Leaving school in 73 I didn’t have the courage of Mark and Peter who went straight to Uni but rather I ended up working in an insurance office in Pall Mall. As it turns out that was a great way to rest between races and sessions. :) It wasn’t until 4 years after leaving the 6th form that I headed to the USA. I’ve tried to create a timeline of the most important races and track times below, forgive me if I can’t exactly remember the dates. If I haven’t completely bored you by now, I can pad out the races over a pint. Funny how we are all good at that!
As part of this I have been asked did you have any bad races, the answer is of course yes…many! Two I can recall. My first National XC at Sutton Coalfield 1972. In those days there were only 3 age groups Youths, Juniors and Seniors basically u17’s, u 21’s and so on The women had their own separate champs on a different day. Our club only accepted women into it around 1982. (This and the fact that I went to an all boys school being part of the reason why girls scare me so much J.) After around 200m I got caught from behind and ended up head first in a ditch, second lap, same bloody ditch misplaced my footing and fell straight in, ending up in the 100’s when I should have been in the 20’s. Made up for it the following year by taking a National individual medal. Secondly around the age 20 I entered the AAA 5k track champs at Crystal Palace (basically the UK champs with invited overseas athletes). Normally you would expect at least 30 runners, this enables you to get tucked in and dragged round for a PB. 11 runners towed the line, all International athletes including a sprinkling of Kenyans who loved their mid race surges. With a crowd of around 20000, I spent the hour or so before the race familiarising myself with all the loos at CP. Needless to say the race didn’t go that well other than I didn’t finish last, managing to beat Mike McLeod (silver medal 1984 Olympics at 10k) who was running worse than I!
Anyway, some key races that I can remember
English Schools 72. Results in AW and the answer to the question who the only Englishman is to ever beat Seb Coe and Steve Ovett in the same race
1972
English Schools XC Champs Senior Race (years 12 and 13), 29th.
Peter Holland Intermediate Race, (Years 10 and 11), 38th. (Peter’s race being the famous pub quiz question involving naming the only Englishman ever to beat Seb Coe and Steve Ovett in the same race).
Aged 16, 4:02 at 1500m and 8:53 at 3k
1973
English Schools 73. Results in AW
XC: Middx Champs 1st. Southern XC Champs 1st. National XC Champs 3rd. (Both on Parli Hill)
English Schools XC Champs Senior Race, 3rd. (Mark 22nd, same race. Peter 8th in the Intermediate age group, years 10 and 11)
International schools England Vs Scotland Ireland and Wales, 2nd
Track PB’s advance to 3:55, 1500m 8:30 ish for 3k.
Southern U17 Champs 1500m, 3rd. The race where Steve Ovett cruises past me with 300m to go, taps me on the shoulder and says “nice try Jerry” before putting at least 4 secs between him and me in the last 250m!
1974
Int XC Champs 74. Results in AW from the world champs in Monza Italy
San Sebastian Spain, first England Junior XC vest. Finished 5th I think.
National Junior (u21’s) XC Champs 5th.
In the youth’s race, Mark 12th and Peter 14th
World Junior XC Champs Monza Italy: 29th
UK u21’s 3k champs at Crystal Palace 3rd behind John Treacy of Ireland. Later twice world xc champion. Medals presented by a decent miler, Sir Roger Bannister himself.
Southern 3km Champs at Crystal Palace, 1st, Mark English 2nd.
PB’s at aged 18 go to 3:52 for 1500 8:18 for 3k, 14:31 for 5k
Internationals: GB Juniors vs West Germany 2nd 5000m. GB Juniors vs Spain and Portugal in Madrid 5000m, 3rd (I think)
1975
XC Southern Junior u21’s XC Champs 1st (but a poor National …14th)
In the same race, Peter 9th, Mark 12th. We must have won the team race!
1976-Summer 77
Shafts 10. Result in AW probably 1976. Southern 10mile road champs. A rare outing on the road for me.
Three or four Met XC League wins. London XC Champs 1st, North London Champs 1st. Resulting in a Senior England XC vest running in Lyon, France.
Run 14:06 for 5k at the Middlesex Track Champs, still the Championship Best Performance.
PB’s set at 800m and 1500m at Crystal Palace. 8:05 for 3km and the 14:06 as above
Southern 10-mile Road race championship, 2nd 49:06
August 1977
Off to uni in Kentucky
Stationers. Me on the left in a picture set up after our win in the Haringey Schools XC Champs probably 1970. Taken on Mayfield road N8
Southern Youths pic. From 1973 after the first mile lap on Parli Hill about to pass the leader and go on for the win
Southern Youths. Result for above picture. Mark in 10th, Peter was still too young for this race
AAA 3k 1974. Medal presentation. Me on the right receiving a bronze medal from Sir Roger Bannister.
AAA Champs. (same race as above) me behind the eventual winner John Treacy
U20 rankings 1975, I think. 14th in 1500m, 3rd in the 3k and 2nd in the 5k. Mark 8th in the 5k. Ovett showing some promise in the 800m. 5 years later he is Olympic Champion at Moscow.
London Champs. Picture from AW either 1976 or 77
Schools International. Teams for the Eng Vs Scot, Wales and Ireland. Me back row far left
Southern 3k. Mark and I in a 1-2 in the u20’s
Southern 1500 result. From AW, the race where Ovett has a chat with me with 300m to go
Southern 1500m Picture from above. R to L Paul Williams, Me, Steve Ovett
Three Amigos. Reunion of L to R Peter, Me and Mark at Trent Park 3 or 4 years ago, courtesy of Ken Townsen
You will be able to read part 2 of Jerry’s life of running in a future report.
Compiled by Emilia, written by Jerry Odlin, Simon Baker, Trudy Victoria, Kim Butler
Finally, stay well, stay indoors and keep 2 metres away from others if you go out. You could be saving many people’s lives by doing so…