County School Success, Silver at Southern Championships and Comrades Marathon

This week’s highlight’s include Elkie Baker winning discuss throw of 36.78m (placing her 5th among the UK U17s) and Suraya Frosts first place and new club record (12:00) in the U17 80m hurdles, both in the County Schools Championships, while Rosa Cormacain won the U15 1500. Meanwhile in the Southern Senior and U20 Championships, Trey Corlis won bronze in the U20 class in the 110m hurdles setting a new club record and PB of 14.52. And in the extremely hilly 87km Comrades Marathon (the up-run this year), V50 Mike Stocks picked up 8th silver medal, finishing in 6:51:15.

Contents

Southern Senior & U20 Champs

Comrades Marathon

County Schools Champs

Thames Valley Harriers Open

Parkruns

Southern Senior & U20 Championships, Eton, June 9 2024

Simon Baker reports that the highlight of an eventful Southern Senior Championships was Trey Corlis winning bronze in the U20 110mH setting a new club record and PB of 14.52.  In the 800m Abel Woldegiorgis was 7th in his heat while George Saint (U20) was 6th in his.  Imani Quamina (U20W) unfortunately injured herself in the 400mH and was unable to return for the 100mH.  In the U15 3000m Ennio Kaloukian was unfortunately disqualified for stepping on the inside of the track.

Results

800m
H1 7th Abel Woldegiorgis 2:03.55

800m (U20)
H2 6th George Saint (U20M) 2:02.08

3000m (U15B)
DQ Ennio Kaloukian

110mH (U20)
H2 3rd Trey Corlis (U20M) 14.81
Final 3rd Trey Corlis (U20M) 14.52 PB NCR 🥉

400mH
H1 Imani Quamina (U20M) DNF

Damien Lane after the Comrades

Comrades Marathon, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, June 9

Two Heathside ultra superstar V50s completed this year’s Comrades Marathon (the up-run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg). Mike Stocks picked up his 8thh silver medal and his first in four years as a V50 by completing the hilly 87km in 6.51:11, just four minutes shy of his PB set eight years ago on the faster down-run. Mike was the 10th V50 and came 236th overall (out of 25,000 entrants). All runners who complete the race in 7:30 or less get a silver medal.

Damien Lane also had an excellent race, finishing in 7:39:52 (25 minutes shy of last year’s down-run PB but his third fastest time in six tries).  ‘It was a tough day over the land of a thousand hills but I loved every minute of it,’ said Damien. And I am looking forward to dragging a group of Heathsiders to Durban next year for the down-run.’

This was a reference to the at least eight Heathsiders planning on running the 2025 Comrades. To qualify, you have to run a marathon in under 4:50 in the 12 months before the race.

County Schools Championships, Lee Valley, June 8

Simon Baker reports on last weekend’s County Schools Championships where our young athletes strove to qualify for the English Schools Championships due to be held in July at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham. 

Participants already had to qualify for their Borough with a mix of Club and School athletes there is often a range of standards.  Outer London Boroughs i.e. Barnet/Haringey are in Middlesex who competed at Lee Valley and Islington, Hackney and Camden are in London who had to head south of the river to Battersea Park.  This year we also had competitors in Kent and Essex.

At Lee Valley we had a fair number representing Haringey.  In the Junior Girls (U15) Rosa Cormacain ran a very composed 1500m not panicking when caught with 400m to go and coming back over the last 100m to win the race.    Myla Miller in her first year as an U15 finished 3rd in the highly competitive 100m.

Suraya Frost recorded a time of 12s in the IG (U17) 80mH to take 1st place in a new club record.  Also improving her club record Elkie Baker won the Discus with 36.78m only 28cm outside the Championship best and placing her 5th U17W in the UK.  Sam Brown again produced a strong performance to take the IB 400m title.

There was no Steeplechase at Lee Valley so Sam Turner headed to Gillingham to compete as a Guest of Kent Schools.  It proved a worthwhile trip finishing 3rd behind two Surrey athletes but with 4:36.01 he obtained English Schools Qualifying standard.

Amy Kirk produced a solid run to finish 2nd in the IG 1500m with Jessica Lappin also running, Ivy Gray ran in the IG 800m and Caitlin Roberts the JG 1500m.

In Essex Gabriel Edwards took part in his first school championships finishing 6th in the 80mH in a PB of 11.87s.

The London Championships saw only one title with Asia Emanuel setting a new U17W 100m record in the heats of 12.70s before going on to win the final in 12.85s.  Elsewhere Malakai was 4th in the IB 100m final and 2nd in the 100mH in a PB of 13.82s.  The Paitoo Sisters both secured 3rd places with Ivy setting a new club record in the JG SP of 9.90m and older sister Magdeline in the IG 300m.

Results

Yet to be published

Thames Valley Harriers Open, Wormwood Scrubs, June 5

Elkie Baker had the opportunity to compete alongside UK Number 1 Discus thrower Jade Lally at the Thames Valley Open.  A great experience throwing alongside and seeing close up a top level international athlete.

Result

Discus (U17W)

1st Elkie Baker (U17W) 32.15m

Parkruns

Eighty-six Heathsiders competed in 36 Parkruns on Saturday, and our lot produced five winners: Christopher Gracie at Finsbury Park (16:32), Ciara Williams at Somerdale Pavilion (20:50), Tom Fancett at Highbury Fields (18:01), Jane Higgins (good to see her back in racing action) at Worden (23:40) and young Fred Beale at Ally Pally (18:09). Full Heathside results here .

Report by Gavin Evans with big thanks to Simon Baker and Damien Lane.