The long and the short of it

Although longer races are still filling up a good part of the race calendar, they don’t totally dominate, as we see from this weekend's mix. Races ranged from the ever popular Finchley 20, a useful gauge of how spring marathon training is progressing, to the indoor track and field at Lee Valley - with plenty in between, including the Milton Keynes Festival of Running (with a 20 and 10 miler and 10K to pick from) the National Intercounties xc Champs in Birmingham, a 10 miler in Sidcup and a 10K in the Olympic Park. 

BMAF National Championships, Lee Valley, 7.03.2015
Adrian Essex sent along this report on the weekend’s BMAF National Champs - "On Saturday (7th March) at the BMAF national championships a fine day was had by all. In no particular order: Ivan Ross stayed just long enough to achieve 9.83s in the 60m hurdles, inside his 10 second target; Helene Kehoe had PBs in the 60m and the 400m; Mark Lawrence won gold in the long jump and was 4th in the 60m; Ed Garret (4m 29s) and Tony Killilea (4m 44s) ran in the 1500m; Adrian Essex had PBs in the 60m hurdles (11.18) and the 60m (8.49) and club records in the 400m (64.77) and 1500m (but don't mention how long it took)".

National Intercounties XC Championships, Birmingham, 8k, 07.03.2015
Sue Rust, Rebecca Piggott and Rachel Seckl made the journey up to Birmingham to represent Middlesex County and take part in the  National Intercounties cross country Champs on saturday,and despite their salubrious competitors both Sue and Rebecca made it easily in to the top 100 in the 8k distance and Rachel came in 63rd in the U20s 6k distance. Sue wrote: Beautiful blue skies, sun, very little mud - felt like a very strange cross-country race, needless to say. The Intercounties has been held in Cofton Park in Birmingham for several years now, and it's a beautiful venue. The course layout was new this year, taking in more hills and providing a more Parliament Hill-esque start but it was fairly fast and furious given how firm it was underfoot.

Vets Southerns and BMAF Pentathlon, 15.02.2015
Following up on a 'watch this space' from weeks ago, finally a report on the Vets Southerns and BMAF Pentathlon from 15th February (apologies from the reporting team): Ivan Ross set 6 club records and came 2nd in the M40 pentathlon, Adrian had a good in winning the M60 pentathlon at 2983 points with PBs in hurdles and high jump and overall, Tony Killilea  ran in 60m, 200m and 400m.

Q.E. Olympic Park 10K, Hackney, 07.03.2015

Alison Harrow took part in the Olympic Park 10K in Hackney on Saturday, the last of the series of First saturday of the month races held, October - March, and came in a very respectable 5th V45.

Milton Keynes Festival of Running 08.03.2015
Dan sent in this report for the three races that made up the Milton Keynes Festival of Running - "There was a fair selection of Heathsiders at the Milton Keynes Festival of Running, with most of us plumping for the 20-mile event as marathon prep. Performance of the day, though, has to go to James Lynch who ran a PB in the half marathon and finished 14th overall.To make James's achievement doubly impressive, the half marathon goes off a couple of minutes behind the 10K, so the front end of the HM field has to wade through the back end of the 10K field before the courses diverge. Later on, they merge with the 20-mile course and have to wade through another crowd of slow-moving runners.Say what you like about Milton Keynes as a town - they certainly know how to stage a half marathon."

Thames Riverside 20, 08.03.2015

Elinor East, James Felstead and Nick De Sausmarez  took part in this 20 mile paced race along the Thames Towpath. I have little information, aside from the results. But I gather it was a mostly off road course, along towpaths - an out and back route, run with pacers. Elinor was the first of  the three back in a time of 2.26.55, closely followed by James and Nick.

Finchley 20, Hillingdon, 08.03.2015

Gavin sent in this report on the Finchley 20: "The Finchley 20 is where so many marathon dreams come unstuck,” said our magnificent compere Dan McKeown, in motivating why Sunday was a good choice for our cross-country celebrating event. And for quite a few of us that has certainly been true in the past. But not this year – because most of the 24 Heathsiders who turned out in perfect running conditions to run four traffic-heavy laps in Hillingdon (yes, the Finchley 20 is held in Hillingdon) followed Jacob’s Plan. Jacob’s plan consisted of going slowish the first lap, faster for the second, faster still for the third and flat-out for the fourth. And it proved to be a fine way to do this event without ending up injured or reluctant to walk downstairs or unable to run the next day. Others with marathons coming up in the next four to six weeks opted to do the event at marathon pace rather than 20-mile race pace, or at sub-marathon pace. But a few, including front-runner George Stewart (2:04.37) and Jacob himself, pinned their ears back and went for it (but then Jacob can be excused because he is not running a marathon).There were a couple of notable performances. It was wonderful to see the spirited return of Angela Howe, who has suffered injury after injury over the last few years. In her first long race in yonks she cruised in at 2:22.12 to take the prize for the first V40 woman. Carl Heap was another who showed impressive form, finishing in 2:33.33, making him the first V60 man.

Sidcup 10, Sidcup, 08.03.2015

Emerson Paul had a speedy run at Sidcup, mostly due he said to the fact that he wanted the run to be over ...97th  in 69.35 (a PB) - "a 3 lap siteseeing tour of residential Sidcup, mostly run on pavements".

Parkruns
Full results can be found here, and of special note this week - Tom Aldred came in first place at Finsbury Park, Liam Garret at Oakhill and Rebecca Bunting at Finsbury Park.

FULL RESULTS

BMAF National Championships, Lee Valley, 7.03.2015

Ed Garrett
1500m (M40) 4:29.33
5th Overall club indoor record
      
Tony Killilea
1500m (M50) 4:44.35
6th M50 club indoor record
    
Adrian Essex
1500m (M60) 6:16.14
10th M60 club indoor record
 
Adrian Essex
60m Hurdles (M60) 11.18
1st M60 club record
 
Adrian Essex
60m (M60)
8.49
3rd M60 club record
 
Adrian Essex
400m (M60)
64.77
4th M60 club indoor record
          
Ivan Ross
60m Hurdles (M40) 9.83
2nd M40 club record
        
Helene Kehoe
60m (W50) 9.81
5th W45 club record
 
Helene Kehoe
200m (W50) 32.57
2nd W45 club indoor record
 
Helene Kehoe
400m 80.22
4th W45 club indoor record

Mark Lawrence 

60m (M40) 7.41

2nd PB, Club Record

Mark Lawrence 

 Long Jump (M40) 6.01m

1st M40 Club Record

Southern Indoor Champs and National Pentathlon Champs, Lee Valley 15.02.2015
 

M40
Ivan Ross Pentathlon 2655

 
M40
Ivan Ross 60m hurdles 10.14

 
M40
Ivan Ross Long jump 4.79

 
M40
Ivan Ross High jump 1.54

M40
Ivan Ross Shot put 8.43

 
M40

Ivan Ross 1,000m 3:05.87
           
M50
Tony Killilea 200m 28.01

 
M50
Tony Killilea 400m 60.62

            
M60
Adrian Essex
Pentathlon 2983

 
M60
Adrian Essex 60m hurdles 11.41

 
M60
Adrian Essex Long jump 4.39

 
M60
Adrian Essex High jump 1.39
 

National Intercounties XC Championship, Birmingham 07.03.2015

U20 Women (6k)
63 Rachel Seckl 25:35
143 finishers

Senior Women (8k)
86 Sue Rust 28:37
98 Rebecca Piggott 28:56
275 finishers

Q.E. Olympic Park 10K, Hackney, 07.03.2015

Alison Harrow 52.26 secs, (56th female, 5th VW45)
585 finishers

Thames Riverside 20, Thames Towpath, 08.03.2015

Elinor East 2.26.55
James Felstead 2.39.10
Nick De Sausmarez 2.40.05

Milton Keynes Festival of Running 08.03.2015

MK 10K
99 Louisa Pointon 45:36

MK Half
14 James Lynch 1:22:36
1439 Rosie Peasgood 2:11:48

MK 20 mile
70 Daniel McKeown 2:26:17
167 Oli Brook 2:42:58
456 Yasmin Mcdonald 3:14:47
527 Jill Gundry 3:28:32
528 Laura Boothman 3:28:45
530 Jane Stephens 3:29:05

Finchley 20, Hillingdon, 08.03.2015

19 George Stewart 2:04.37

38 Matt Collins 2.08.33
43 Dan Madams 2:09.29
51 Andy Welshman 2:10.50
60 Steve Armstrong 2:12.11
67 Jacob Howe 2:13.49
79. Mark Anderson 2:15.42
81 Paul Mercer 2:16.20
95 Gavin Evans 2:18.04
100 Edward Adams 2:19.34
103 Leigh James 2:19.46
108 Rebecca Piggott 2:20.43
110 Stuart Meiklejohn 2:21.16
113 Angela Howe 2:22.12 (first V40 woman)
129 Cathy Jeremiah 2:24.53
136 Joe McKeown 2:25.57
142 Edward Coughlan 2:27.47
177 Carl Heap 2:33.33 (first V60 man)
228 Gavin Parish 2:41.04
243 Benjamin Janks 2:43.27
279 Mario Cadete 2:50:01
320 Edyta Szot 2:57.33
324 Ken Townson 2:57.39
328 Kathryn Creaney 2:58.34
361 Eleanor Jones 3:05.28

Sidcup 10, Sidcup 08.03.2015

97th Emerson Paul 69.35 (PB)