Results: Road season off to a flier with PBs galore

As the mud and guts of a hugely successful cross country season starts to fade into the background, Heathsiders took to the roads in large numbers over the past week and a bit. And, looking at this quickfast set of results, I think it’s fair to say that a few months worth of dragging ourselves through parks and fields that would sometimes have shamed the Somme has left many of us looking in pretty good nick for the challenges ahead over the Spring and Summer. For both the women and the men there were more PBs than you can shake a stick at over a range of distances and podium finishes aplenty, whether real or metaphorical. Here’s the round-up:

London HeathsideMarch 9, 2016Comment

Aldred flies over Donington mud

A busy weekend for Heathsiders, with several putting in outstanding performances, but not for the first time it is Tom Aldred who deserves top spot. His magnificent 28th place out of 1,730 finishers in the 12k (actually, nearly 13) of the senior men’s race in the English National Cross-Country Championships in the muddy, hilly fields of Leicestershire on Saturday was simply astonishing. At the age of 36, after a debilitating series of injuries, our Tom proved himself to be one of our country’s top cross-country runners. What a comeback!

Gavin EvansFebruary 29, 2016Comment

Newstead top woman in Sunday XC League, Bunting first in Girona, Kirk-Smith breaks 15 minute 5k barrier and gold for Spencer

Many excitements to report this week, including news that Rachel Newstead finished top of the senior women’s table in the Sunday XC League, Rebecca Bunting was first women in the Girona 30k in Spain, Adam Kirk-Smith broke the 15 minute barrier in Armagh 5k, and Dave Spencer broke two Heathside over 60s records, 200 and 400 metres.

Caroline WhiteFebruary 23, 2016Comment

Valentine's Day: Gold for the oldies, first place for AKS, a fistful of cash for Bun

First up, Adrian reports a very successful day at the British Masters Indoor Pentathlon Championships, which took me a bit by surprise as I had no idea he knew how to ride a horse or use a gun. Still, over to Adrian:

London HeathsideFebruary 19, 2016Comment

Curtain comes down on Met League 15-16 at Ally Pally

Saturday marked the climax to another fascinating and silverware-decorated Met League season for Heathside, at a cold and muddy Alexandra Palace. Once again, over 100 Senior Women and Men turned out to represent the club - a fantastic show of strength and commitment on a wintry afternoon. Furthermore, a sizeable army of Heathside volunteers, acting as marshals and helpers for the day, cheered us up Ally Pally’s brutal hill (particular thanks to Claire Sliwerski, who screamed like a banshee).

London HeathsideFebruary 16, 2016Comment

Results roundup

Heathsiders were out and about all over the country on a blustery weekend, with the main event for the club (in terms of numbers participating) being the Watford Half where some 40 members took part. A small contingent of brave youngsters also braved the unfavourable weather conditions to represent the club at the NW London Young Athlete’s XC League meeting at Harrow

Greg BellFebruary 8, 2016Comment

Mud, sweat and joy – Heathsiders scale great heights on Parliament Hill

This week saw the Southern England Cross Country Championships, where 94 Heathsiders took on the other clubs in the region on Parliament Hill, one of the UK’s most anticipated cross-country venues. Despite steep, slippery slopes and seemingly endless mud, Heathsiders pulled off one of their best performances in regional cross country history, with the women’s and men’s teams coming 4th and 15th respectively. There were also some great individual performances, including those from club legend Adam Kirk-Smith, Rebecca Piggott and Rachel Seckl. A few Heathsiders also somehow escaped the mud, running in 10ks and half marathons elsewhere.

Emilia VynnyckyFebruary 2, 2016Comment

Kirk-Smith steals 5th Heathside Record

The very well-organized, popular and scenic Fred Hughes 10 hosted nine Heathsiders over rolling hills in the countryside around St Albans this Sunday. Although not serving as the club road championships this year, the race became both historic for London Heathside and memorable for some of the club’s runners.

London HeathsideJanuary 27, 2016Comment

Kirk-Smith comes in from the cold with 1500 bronze in the great indoors

The irrepressible Adam Kirk-Smith rebounded from a soggy, boggy Met League course at Perivale to win bronze in the 1500m. This is AKS's second SEAA medal (he got bronze in the 5000m outdoors last summer). He also broke the club record for 1500 indoor, running 4:04 to win his heat and 4:01 in the final.

London HeathsideJanuary 25, 2016Comment

Hundred-plus Heathsiders get stuck in at Horsenden Hill

The fourth Met League fixture of the season had everything that makes mid-winter cross-country so compelling - mud, hills, puddles (with a bit of ice), cold, mud, and more mud. Add to that some outstanding individual and team performances and you have the makings of another memorable afternoon for the Heathside faithful, of whom more than 100 did battle with the other clubs at Horsenden Hill and lived to tell the tale. Despite much flouting of Hartley’s Rules* among the ranks, results proved to be more than satisfactory.

London HeathsideJanuary 20, 2016Comment

reports

Have a read about the Heathsiders competing in blue, red and gold every week - the team put together a summary of recent competition which gives a flavour of some of the achievements of the club. Reports date back years and you can read through all of them below.

Itching to ask us a question about the club? Want to pick our brains about training, competing or joining? (We usually react quickly, but it might take us a handful of days to reply).

Cover image rights - Lenny Martin

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