Part 1: Bramley 20 and gold medals and club records at Vets AC in Lea Valley
This week’s race report is in two parts. The first part features the non-muddy races, including Gavin’s run in the Bramley 20, just a week after running the Watford half marathon and the vets AC champs at Lea Valley, featuring club records and from Israel and a gold medal from Adrian Day. Part 2 will feature the Met league in Trent Park, as soon as the mud has been washed off 😊
Vets AC Champs at Lea Valley Athletics Centre, 11th February
Adrian Day sent in the following report from Lea Valley:
Mike Salousti, Israel Nworgu and Adrian Day competed in the Vets AC indoor champs (Vets AC is London’s masters club) at Lea Valley athletics centre (you may remember last year’s Vets AC outdoor champs were held at Finsbury Park). Mike won a bronze in the M60 60m with a time of 9.16s, coming 4th in the 200m in a time of 30.65s. Coach Israel won two silvers - in the long jump with a Heathside M35 club record of 5.57 metres and in the 60 metre hurdles (whilst trying not to be too distracted by news of his young Heathside charges competing in Sheffield). Adrian Day won gold in the M65 400m with a time of 67.82s.
Next up is the British masters this coming weekend, again at Lea Valley (we’re very lucky having this facility nearby). And for those interested in competing in masters events, it can be helpful to join an area masters club, such as Vets AC, as your ‘second claim’ club (keeping Heathside as your first claim club). More information here https://bmaf.org.uk/newcomers-to-the-bmaf/ (this website is managed by our own multi-talented ‘master of masters’ Adrian Essex) and here http://www.vetsac.org.uk/
Armagh International 5K, 8th February
Jacob reports from Armagh:: “At the Armagh International 5k, Thursday Feb 8th, 132 people ran sub-15 5ks. Two Heathsiders were in the race, with a big PB for Joe.”
87. Joe Young 14:40 (PB)
166. James Hurrell 15:23
Bramley 20, Bramley, Hants, Sunday February 12
Gavin sent in the following report from Bramley:
I was the only Heathsider to run in the Bramley 20, a two-lap, undulating countryside course that I try to do each year because it serves as a good starter pack for the marathon. This year they prevaricated about it going ahead because of the heavy rains earlier in the week and in the end had to change the course because of flooded roads, adding an extra 270 meters (135m per lap). However, despite the odd deep puddle and a bit of mud, conditions were fine.
I had a slightly odd race. At the end of the first lap an elderly official stood in front of me and blocked my progress, then apologised and let me continue. Maybe he thought I was a 10-miler (there is also a 10 mile race) or was just having a senior moment. Later I was misdirected and then called back.
Perhaps doing this a week after the Watford Half was too much for my aging legs, or perhaps I too was having a senior moment, but anyway, I ran my slowest 20-miler ever – more than 10 minutes slower than last year, and 23-minutes slower than 10 years ago. I finished in 2:29:23.
Results (302 finishers)
83rd Gavin Evans – 2:29:23 (3rd V60)
Parkrun
Eighty Heathsiders ran in park run last Saturday. Congratulations for being the only first place finisher go to Guy Harling (Umfolozi, 20:04). Full results can be found here.
Compiled by Emilia with thanks to Gavin Evans, Adrian Day, Jacob Howe.