Results for July 2017 on
Results for January to June 2017 here... Hercules Wimbledon Interclub & East Surrey League CC, Wimbledon Common, 9 December 2017
The popular Interclub cross country challenge laid on annually by Hercules Wimbledon once again incorporated the second match of the East Surrey League. The two-lap, 5 mile, course on Wimbledon Common was firm underfoot and the sun shone, although the temperature was not much above zero and the puddles around the start area were frozen. VAC contributed a team of six women and two men. Victoria Carter was first home for VAC, also finishing as third woman, followed by Ola Balme and new member, Lucy Woolhouse. The VAC women, joined by Patricia Thomas, achieved a magnificent first place in the Women’s Team competition.
Full results of the Interclub match are here.
Men’s Surrey League Cross Country, Roundshaw Downs, 2 December 2017 :
The season’s third Division 3/4 match took place on a cool, gloomy day which saw darkness fall on the Roundshaw playing fields before 4.30pm. The course featured long, straight, open grassy sections which stretched out the field and made it easy to fix on opponents ahead, with incentives to dig deep. Gary Towers was once again a front runner in the race and led the eleven-man VAC team home. He was followed by Gary Ironmonger and Vic Maughn, making a welcome return to racing after a long lay-off. Andrew Simms, Peter Giles and Tony Harran packed well in the middle of the field, making all the difference to the VAC scoring. The team closed well and were rewarded by a splendid 5th place on the day, out of the 12 Division Four teams, a considerable improvement on our 11th place in the 2nd match. As a result, VAC’s overall standing after three matches rose to a respectable 7th.
Division 4 Team results, Roundshaw Downs 1 Runnymede Runners 242. 4 Holland Sports 375. 8 Wild Trail Runners 749. 9 Windrush AC 806. Division 4 Overall Team results after three matches 1 Collingwood 1004. 4 Horley Harriers 1486. 5 Wild Trail Runners 1527. 11 British Airways 2380. Full results of the Division 3/4 match and team placings are here.
England Masters Inter-Area Cross Country Challenge, Bournemouth, 25 November 2017
South West Veterans AC organised a fine event at the Kings Park Athletic Centre at Boscombe. The three-lap, 4.5 mile, fast course was an enjoyable mix of grass and trails, with forays into woods, including inclines. There was sunshine but the air was very cold and the wind fierce in places. Ten VAC men formed a full team, backed up by a depleted women’s team of four. The times achieved in the combined race were converted to age-graded percentages to form the final rankings, on which team scores were based. South West Vets deservedly won the men’s and women’s competitions and were awarded the Challenge Cup. VAC’s teams were a worthy second with fine individual performances which saw VAC runners in first and second places in both the age-graded and absolute results. Peter Giles won the age-graded competition with a magnificent 90.48%, just ahead of fellow, top-ranked M70, Brian James with 86.86%. Only three seconds separated them in the race. VAC’s Aaron Brown won the race outright in a time of 25:26, gradually pulling away from Jon Hamblen who finished second in 25:44. Full results are on the BMAF website. VAC’s results are below. VAC Placings, Inter-Area Challenge, Bournemouth
British and Irish Masters Cross Country International, Saturday 18 November 2017, Gransha Park, Derry, Northern Ireland Every five years this event is held in Northern Ireland, but this was the first time that Derry was the host city. The course was on parkland, and although it was pretty flat it was extremely wet which made the going quite hard. 16 VAC members were selected as team members or reserves (14 for England and 2 for Scotland). The women and men over 65 ran 3 laps (6k) and the younger men ran 4 laps (8k). England won the combined trophy and also the separate men’s and women’s. Individual and team medals depict the iconic Derry Peace Bridge constructed in 2011.
Michael Johnson and Mark Cursons ran in the open race. Michael was 1st M75, and Mark was 2nd M55. Victoria Carter (W45) was selected as a reserve for England.
VAC 7 Miles Race Walk Championsip, 11 November 2017, Lee Valley Athletics Centre The event was held in conjunction with Enfield & Haringey AC’s 7 Mile Open race, now in its 91st edition, the morning drizzle had abated and the racing conditions were good. As it was Armistice Day there was a silence to honour those who had fallen in the line of duty in WWI. A turnout of 12 VAC members was good given some regulars were missing. In context, there were a total of 44 on the start line. The VAC contingent was strongly led home by Trevor Jones of Steyning AC (7th overall), new signing Mark Culshaw continued his good season just behind at 8th overall. It was good to see Arthur Thomson, from the host club Enfield HAC, back again and still well up the field. The Enfield League organiser, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ron Wallwork, presented the awards. Results W50 W55 M50 M60 M65 M70 M75 M80
Men’s Surrey League Cross Country, Epsom Downs, 11 November 2017
Every VAC man was a scorer in the team of ten which lined up on Epsom racecourse for the combined Division 3/4 match. The earlier rain had cleared but the skies were dark and the wet grassland of the two lap, 5 mile, course sapped energy. There were 355 finishers, a number which keeps rising as cross country and trail running grows in popularity and clubs use the matches as a rallying cry to their members. Lots of VAC members understandably run for their first claim clubs. Gary Towers (M40) was once again first home for VAC, placing second in the Division Four race in a time of 28:45. First in the race was an Under 20 runner from Runnymede. Gary Ironmonger was next for VAC in 7th place, and first M55, followed by Andrew Simms in 59th. The rest of the team, including team manager, Paddy Clark, fought for every place as scorers. VAC finished a disappointing 11th out of the twelve Division Four teams. Overall, after the two matches, VAC has slipped to 8th but the points’ differences aren’t unsurmountable. There is scope to climb two or three places if we can include some fast runners who would place in the top 50 of the results and make all the difference to the scores.
Division 4 Team results, Epsom Downs 1 Runnymede Runners 246. Division 4 Overall Team results after two matches 1 Collingwood 692.
Men’s Surrey League Cross Country, Wimbledon Common, 14 October 2017
Photos from Jeremy Hemming
Thirteen VAC men lined up on Wimbledon Common for the combined Division 3/4 match. VAC’s was one of twenty one teams battling over a generous 5 mile course of trails and tracks, ending at Caesar’s Well. There were 332 finishers, stretching the course to its maximum capacity in places, but underfoot conditions were good and the weather was pleasantly warm. First home for VAC, and also a magnificent first in the Division Four race was new recruit Gary Towers, in a time of 27:43. Gary Ironmonger was next in 7th place, followed by Richard Batchelor in 16th and Dan Hallam, another new recruit, in 18th. VAC’s scorers packed in well, supported all the way by the other squad members, with great team spirit. VAC finished in a creditable 7th position out of the 12 Division Four teams. However, less than 70 points separate the five clubs in 4th to 8th positions, so there is plenty of scope to improve VAC’s overall placing in the remaining three matches.
Division 4 Teams
East Surrey League, Lloyd Park, 30 September 2017
The first of the three East Surrey League matches was a 5 mile cross country race in Croydon's Lloyd Park. The course was mostly dry and the weather fair. Nine clubs supplied 105 finishers in a good-humoured get-together which acts as a marker for the start of the cross country season. Vets AC were led home by Michael Ussher who fought hard to give no ground and finish in 12th position. Terry Booth was next, followed By Nicky Atkins. Inevitably, with so few runners, VAC is in last place in the men’s and women’s team competition. However, other VAC members rightly competed for their first claim clubs, including Sarah Allen, Vicki Filsell, Gary Ironmonger, Andrew Simms, Julian Spencer-Wood, Lisa Thomas and Andy Weir. The second match is on 9 December as part of the Hercules Wimbledon Inter-Club 5 Mile CC on Wimbledon Common. All VAC members are invited to take part.
VAC Results 24th Terry Booth, M50, 32:34 89th Nicky Atkins, W50, 41:48 Full results here.
VAC 10M Road Championships, Lee Valley VeloPark Races, 30 September 2017
Six VAC members competed in VAC’s championships within the 10 mile race at RunThrough’s HM, 10M, 10k, 5k and One Mile extravaganza of races at the Olympic Park’s velopark. The course was ten laps of the compact one mile cycle circuit, with many twists and challenging undulations. The organisation was good, allowing for all the races, with nearly 500 runners in total, to take place simultaneously, albeit with different start times. There was scope for confusion but most VAC participants welcomed the company and the added interest. There were 75 finishers in the 10M race. First home for VAC, 4th overall and 1st woman in the race, was Victoria Carter (W45) in a time of 68:13. Next was Peter Kennedy (M65) in 72:32, followed by Richard Solomons (M70) in 73:10. The Ron White Shield was won by Richard Solomons whose age-graded performance topped the table with an excellent score of 81.25%. Terry Casey (M75) supported the VAC team by running in the One Mile race, achieving a time of 10:38. Full results are here . VAC’s results are below.
BMAF 1 MILE ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS, CARDIFF SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER
There were also more serious races: Welsh age group championship races, and then finally the combined Welsh and British Masters Championships. There were 3 races for masters runners, with the women altogether in the last race with the men over 65.
Highbury Fields Parkrun 16 September 2017
VAC’s latest quarterly Parkrun visit saw us initially choosing Hampstead Heath in North London but that run was cancelled this day due to clashing with another event (although it has gone ahead in the past on South of England XC day). The closest alternative was Highbury Fields, which has good transport links at nearby Highbury and Islington station. Highbury Fields is a small, sloping open space overlooked by Georgian terraces. As it is less than 1k around its tarmac-path boundary, a start hill and 5 laps are necessary to make up the 5k, the hill changing from being quite gentle first time up it to quite draining the sixth time. On a cool, intermittently sunny, morning 5 VAC members met to tackle the course. Gary Towers had a good battle with the leader from halfway but had to settle for a close second overall. VAC runners scored lots of age group wins and Ros set course age grade and WV65 records. Andy Murray 2 Gary Towers (Eton Manor) 1MV40 16:56 39 Martin Bright (Highgate Harriers) 1MV50 20:45 74/9w Ros Tabor (Dulwich Runners) 1WV65 22:54 - WV65 course record and age graded course record at 94.1% 92 Andy Murray (Dulwich Runners ) 1MV60 23:27 192 Martin Garrett (Sudbury Court RC) 3MV60 28:07 274 ran . VAC 10,000 Championships, Millennium Arena, Battersea Park 13 September 2017
Photos from Jeremy Hemming
There were two seeded races. Eleven men contested the first race. Simon Baines won convincingly in a time of 33:02.5 and was awarded the McDowell Cup and M45 Gold medal. He gradually drew ahead of Jaron Davis, a guest runner from Israel. Simon’s time improves the previous M45 Championship Best Performance of 33:25.9 set by Charlie Dickinson way back in 1995. Ben Reynolds was the second VAC finisher, taking M50 Gold. Tony Macdowall (M35), Dan Madams (M40) and Philip Carstairs (M55) were the other Gold medallists. There were twelve finishers in the second race. The winner was Sean Smith (M50), a guest from Farnham Runners. The first woman was Yuko Gordon (W65), also a guest, from North Herts Runners. Rhiannon Needham was the first VAC woman, claiming W35 Gold in her first 10,000 track race. Pauline Rich and Ann Bath were the W70 and W65 gold medallists. Peter Durrans, returning to running, won the M65 Gold, with Doug Milsom taking the M75 Gold and Ed Bartlett the M70 Gold. Thanks go to the full complement of officials who timed and counted every lap for each athlete.
 VAC Battersea Park Road Races Grand Prix 2017 Snow Cup Results The five road races of VAC’s summer series in Battersea Park counted towards a Grand Prix for VAC members. To be eligible, members had to register times in at least three of the five races. The person with the highest average of his or her three best age-graded performances would be awarded the Snow Cup, a beautiful trophy which dates back to 1950. Nineteen valiant VAC members qualified for the Snow Cup league table. Here are the RESULTS:
Congratulations go to Brian James, the winner with a magnificent average of 87.91%. Penny Elliott placed second with 85.49%, closely followed by Ian Johnston with 84.26%. The top seven runners all achieved percentages of over 80%. Six age groups were represented in the top ten, demonstrating that age grading is a fair way of comparing and rewarding good-for-age performances. Thanks go to the VAC members who supported this new venture and indeed to all, including guests, who competed in Battersea Park over the summer. We start again in April 2018! A summary of all the age-graded performances for each VAC member who ran at Battersea in 2017 is here.
VAC and SCVAC T&F Championship Results 27 August 2017
Veterans AC 5M Road Race and Race Walk 22 August 2017, Battersea Park 5 mile Road Race Race winner, Paul Cheetham, posted the fastest VAC member’s time of the 2017 summer series with a blistering 27:13, only nine seconds short of the M45 course record of 27:04 set by Richard Tomlinson in May 2014. He steadily pulled away from John Law (M40), a guest from Tunbridge Wells Runners who posted 28:08 in a fast-finishing battle with fellow guest Graham Smith of St Alban’s Striders who was three seconds behind on the line. Carol Jones (W60) was the first woman in 37:13, followed by Caroline Helder (W55) and new member, Carol Marsh (W55). A performance to note was Brian James’s M70 time of 32:50 which places him third on the Runbritain national 5 Mile rankings, only three seconds behind top-ranked Peter Giles who set 32:47 at Battersea in June. Another great performance was by guest runner, David Moorekite, whose time of 39:53 set an M75 all-comers record for the Battersea course. Joe Aspinall still holds the VAC record of 40:38 set in 2014. Four VAC members competed in all five of the Battersea races: Joe Aspinall, Cliff Collins, Richard Pitcairn-Knowles and Ed Bartlett, whose amazing attendance record continues. Ed hasn’t missed a Battersea Park fixture for eight years! A summary of VAC members’ performances in the 2017 series is here. Age graded results for VAC members for the August race are here. Brian James (M70) topped the table with 87.7% for his time of 32:50. Gary Ironmonger (M55) was a close second with 87.6% followed by Penny Elliott (W70) with 86%.
5 Mile Race Walk Category B Race Permit No: RWA7037-5 1 David Annetts (Nth Herts) M50 M50 43:16 VAC Battersea Park Road Races Grand Prix 2017 Update after four events A summary of everyone’s age graded results of the four races so far is
here. Sixteen members have posted the required three times. In a
very close contest, only separated by decimal points, Penny Elliott (W70) heads the leader board with an age graded
average of 84.67%, followed by Carol Jones (W60) with 84.06%. Mike Mann (M65) at present lies third with 83.38%.
Next month’s race on Tuesday 22 August will be the last chance to post a time and to improve percentages. There are
a further sixteen members who only need one more time to become eligible, so all the positions could change. The
final event will be the decider. 20th European Masters Athletics Championships Stadia - July 27 - August 6 2017, Aarhus, Denmark
Photos by Andy Murray/Ros Tabor These outdoor track and field (plus cross country, road walk and half marathon) masters championships are held every other year, the previous being in Ismir, Turkey, with the worlds in intervening years (Perth in 2016). Aarhus is a pleasant city on the eastern coast of Jutland, central Denmark. It has a good mix of old and new areas, with a big port and pleasant coastline. It is a European City of Culture this year, displaying many outdoor exhibits. The city has a big student population, hence many bars, and there was a decent choice of mid-price restaurants. Two tracks were in use, one at Ceres Park an 8-laner in a football stadium with good competing and spectating facilities, the other at Viby was more low-key, 5 lanes with little cover for spectators or athletes waiting for events. The cross country course was in a very compact area in Ceres Park, starting on grass inside a velodrome , then 4 laps outside, part on gravel, part up some steps to a football field (also used for some throws), with many turns there to make up the distance. A huge thunderstorm after the women’s races made it very slippery for the men later. The half marathon was on the final Sunday, part of an open race, the course heading into town for a twisty tour and then back to Ceres Park. Walks were on the Viby track or roads near to Ceres Park. Unusually for this type of event we had no local transport passes, so bus fares to and from the venues added to the cost of the trip to an already expensive area. This was a bad summer for Denmark, with many heavy showers and temperatures reaching the low twenties at best. Congratulations to VAC individual European Champions: W35 - Zoe Doyle (1500) As well as the above individual golds there were many other strong performances and a good atmosphere amongst
the GB team, with helpful support from our managers. Full results are available here http://www.fidalservizi.it/risultati/2017/AArhus_2017/Index.htm
VAC 5km Road Race Championships and 5 Mile Race Walk, 11 July 2017, Battersea Park
Photos from Jeremy Hemming 5km Road Race Pouring rain throughout the race did not deter the 43 finishers in the annual 5km dash round Battersea Park. Three course records were broken, in addition to several near misses. The race winner was Simon Baines, also the M45 Gold medallist, whose time of 16:20 was only three seconds off the 16:17 all-time best for the Battersea course, set by M45 Richard Tomlinson in 2014. Paul Cheetham, winning M40 Gold, was second in 16:49 followed by Tony Macdowall, taking M35 Gold in 17:08. The first record-breaker was Alan Camp whose 17:56 M60 time knocked over 30 seconds off Peter Giles’s longstanding M60 course record set in 2006. Alan’s time also beat Laurie O’Hara’s M60 VAC 5km Championship Best Performance of 18:14 set in 1995 at the Eastway Cycle Circuit. Peter Giles’s name stayed on the record book as he convincingly improved his own M70 course record from last year’s 20:07 to 19:25, putting him top of the current Runbritain rankings for 2017. He was undoubtedly spurred on by the intense competition from fellow M70, Brian James, who battled hard to finish only eight seconds behind on the line. The other age group Gold medals were won by Peter Wootton (M50), Peter Hall (M55), Valdis Pauzers (M60), Mike Mann (M65), Les Presland (M75) and Cliff Collins (M80). For the women, Anna Critchlow led the way for W45 Gold in 19:26, 22 seconds off her own W45 course record of 19:04 set last year. The third record breaker was second woman, Ange Norris, whose time of 20:06 knocked ten seconds off Anna Garnier’s W55 course record set in 2010. Marie Synnott-Wells was third, and first W50. Other Gold medallists were Jane Rowden (W60), Penny Elliott (W70) and Marion Rayner (W65) whose time of 25:39 was only 20 seconds short of Sue Lambert’s longstanding W65 course record of 25:19 set in 2010. Age graded performances for VAC members for the July race are here. Peter Giles (M70) once again topped the table with a magnificent 93.6% for his time of 19:25. Alan Camp (M60) was second with nearly 90%, closely followed by Brian James (M70), race winner Simon Baines (M45) and W55 record breaker, Ange Norris. Fourteen VAC members achieved top class age gradings of over 80%. Members must register three performances in order to qualify for the Battersea Park Grand Prix. A summary of the age graded results of the four races so far is here. Next month’s race on Tuesday 22 August will be the last chance to post a time and to improve percentages.
5 Mile Walk
England Masters Track & Field Inter Area Challenge, 2 July 2017, Solihull The VAC team of men and women fought for every point in the annual track and field challenge between eight area masters clubs. Midland Masters made home advantage count in winning both the men’s and women’s competitions, and becoming the overall champions. VAC’s men and women finished 4th and 6th respectively, with VAC placing 6th overall. There were some great individual performances including fine wins for Aaron Brown (M35-50, 1500m), Allan Long (M70, 200m) and Wesley Clarke (M50-60, Hammer). Good second place finishes were achieved by Pat Logan (M50-60, 100m), Paul Cheetham (M35-50, 3,000m), Tony Richards (M60-70, Shot Put), Lisa Webb (W50-60, 800m and 1500m), Fiona Bishop (W35-50, 2km Walk) and Tracey Gould (W35-50, Hammer). The full results are on the BMAF website.
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The Cardiff University Festival of Running consists of a weekend of running in the Welsh capital.
The half marathon takes place on the Sunday. On the day before, the organisers make use of the finish area,
athletes’ village etc. to hold a series of mile races.
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