Ilford AC Press Report 28th February 2022  

ENGLISH NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Parliament Hill Fields
Saturday 26 February

The English Cross Country Championships were held at Parliament Hill Fields over the usual undulating and extremely muddy course with large fields in all the races.
For the first time in a number of years Ilford AC had full teams in both the mens and ladies Senior events as well as 4 juniors competing.

Ryder Islam ran well for 284th place in the U13 Boys race in 15:06 over the 3k distance.

Ilford had 3 boys in the U15 race which was held over 4.5k. Joseph Grange led the team home with a superb run of 15:03 which placed him in 11th place. Joseph was up with the leading group the whole race with just 45 seconds separating the first 11 runners. Joseph was backed up with equally impressive runs over the muddy course by Aaron Hick in 17:47 for 238th and Samuel Crane in 17:55 for 248th.

The Ilford ladies squad was led home by Jordan Hinds in an impressive 292nd spot in her first year as a senior with 38mins 36 secs for the 8km race. Alison Sale finished a creditable 655th in 45mins 33 secs and Hannah Sheikh came home 825th with 50mins 23 secs. Frieda Keane battled hard to finish in 933th and close the team who finished 88th in the senior ladies team event

The best performance from Ilford on the day belonged to Ahmed Abdulle in the 12km senior men’s race. Abdulle was with the leading group at the top of the climb from the start line and kept with them over the 3 lap course to finish an impressive 13th in a time of 43 minutes exactly.
This was the second highest placing by an Ilford Male in the Championships history, and the best since 1958 when Ilfords Alan Perkins won the event. 

Malcolm Muir put in a determined run to finish 579th with 53 mins 36secs, while Dan Holeyman came home 1013th just breaking an hour in 59 mins 34 secs. Next home was Diarmuid Mac Donnell in 67 mins exact for 1485th. Stephen Crane finished 1599th with 68m 55s and Ray ‘Sparra’ Everingham took on the challenge of the hardest race in the cross country season, and for the first time in his years at the club, closed the teams scorers in 2092nd. 

Overall the men’s team finished in 98th place.

Wokingham Half Marathon
Sunday 27 February

On Sunday Ilford AC Veteran Terry Knightley smashed the Male Veteran Over 60 Ilford AC Club Half Marathon record  by over 4 Minutes and 30 seconds when Running in The Wokingham Half Marathon.

In a huge Top Quality field of over 3000 entrants on a one lap course around the outskirts of Wokingham, Terry finished in 289th position overall and 4th Male Veteran Over 60 in a  time of 82 Minutes and 47 seconds which was the 3rd time he has broken the club MV60 Half Marathon Record.

Also running was Steve Chissell finishing 37th in the Male Veteran Over 55 category with a time of 99 Minutes 53 seconds for 916th place overall.

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