Press Report 10th March 2015  

InterCounties Cross Country Championships
Cofton Park Birmingham
Saturday 7th March 2015

Ilford AC had 2 athletes representing Essex in the Inter Counties Cross Country Championships held at Cofton Park Birmingham last Saturday in what was arguably the strongest strength-in-depth event of the UK season.
Malcolm Muir competed over 12k in the senior men’s race where he placed 190th out of 283 finishers in a race won by Andrew Buchart of Scotland East clocking 34.26.
Ahmed Abdulle was still carryinga niggle but acquitted himself well in the Under 17’s race held over 6k coming home in 40th out of 274 in a time of 20.43. Mahamed Mahamed of Hampshire won in 18.35.

Sidcup 10 miles
Sunday 8 March

There was a good turnout for the Sidcup 10 road race held on a 3 lap course on a pleasant spring like Sunday morning.

First home for Ilford AC on a tougher than expected course was Malcolm Muir in 10th place with a quick time of 56m 39s, which placed him 4th in the masters category. Next home was Sam Rahman with 59m 19s, just outside his best time for the distance, in 20th place, with Paul Holloway close behind in 23rd with 59m 26s, which gave him 5th in the masters grouping. Supporting were Terry Knightley in 77th with 67m 18s and Andy Catton with a time of 68m 18 which gave him 3rd in the V60 category and 83rd overall.

Leading the ladies challenge was the in form Jenni Sheehan recording a new personal best of 73m 02s in 22nd in the female race and 135th overall . Melinda Jones also improved her best time to 76m 19s in 171st. Third Ilford lady to finish was Rachel Halpin with the club performance of the da y as she took over 10 minutes off her previous personal best for the distance to record 80m 35s in 203rd.

Steve Parker recorded 78m 53s in 190th and Satha Alagandasundaram put in a good run in 195th to just break the 80 minute barrier with 79m 45s. Club endurance coach Rob Sargent had a run out with 80m 45s in 206th and Dianne Crisp returned to racing after a recent illness in 234th and 83m 48s. Squad newcomer, Julia Galea, also gave a fine performance in 307th and 96m 24s. There were 356 finishers.

The race also included the British Masters Championship and Ilford did well in this competition winning third individual and three team medals.

Malcolm Muir took the.bronze medal in the M40 category and it was the same colour for Andy Catton in the m60 and Julia Galea in the F55 age groups.

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It was silver in the M35 team competition for the club with Muir joined by Paul Holloway and Terry Knightley and there was another silver medal in the M55 competition with the team of Andy Catton, Steve Parker and Rob Sargent. The ladies team of Mel Jones, Dianne Crisp and Julia Galea won the bronze medal in the ladies F45 team category.

Roding Valley Half Marathon
Woodford Green
Sunday 8 March

With a large number of Ilford A C’s endurance squad racing at Sidcup there were just 3 athletes from the club racing in the popular local Roding Valley half marathon.

Bree Nordin was a dominant force in the F55 category taking the title in 1h 38m 36s which placed her 7th female ovrall. Declan Cullen looked good recording 1h 43m 28s in 176th spot and the trio was completed by Suki Jandu who finished in 2h 06m 48s

Lydd Half Marathon
Sunday 8 March

Doris Gaga travelled down to the Kent coast for the Lydd Half Marathon. On a flat course she was rewarded with a new personal best time of 2hrs 00mins 51secs.

‘ER Indoors

Meanwhile Ilford AC’s super veteran John Batchelor has been having a fairly active indoor
season over the last few weeks. Last weekend he was involved in the British Masters Indoor Championships at Lee
Valley, at which himself and another “blast from the past” Ilford member, Karl Hick,
competed.

In the 1500m on Saturday Batchelor was defeated within his age group by Vets
AC clubmate and rock bass guitarist Peter Giles, who won the M70 title in 5:20.7
to his own 5:36.9, but on Sunday, in Giles’s absence, was able to retain his M70 3000m title
in 11:52.82. In the M55 3000m, former Ilford star runner Karl Hick, well
supported by a mass of family members, returned to competitive athletics with a
highly creditable fourth in his age group with a time of 11:07.65, a time he
hopes to better significantly when running in the European Masters Championships
in Poland at the end of the month.

In recent competitions Batchelor was second to Peter Giles in the Veterans AC and South of England Indoor Championships on 15th
February over 800m (2:48.02) and 3000m (12:11.43) and on 22nd February won the
M70 800m (2:51.74), 1500m (5:50.16) and 3000m (12:12.45) in the SCVAC
championships. On 1st March, representing SCVAC, the Ilford man won the M70 800m in the EAMA
Inter-Area Challenge (2:45.17) and was second to Peter Giles in the M70 3000m
(12:11.62)).