Press Report 21st May 2024
Southern Counties Masters League
13th May 2024
Ilford AC Vets team travelled to Lee Valley for the first match of the Herts and Middlesex Masters League on the evening of Monday 13th May.
Consistent performances across all the groups resulted in a team score of 134 points to finish first on the evening with the highlight being a club record in the V50 1500m.
Team Manager Henry Ricketts competed in the V35 100m finishing fourth in 14.16s and in the V50 shot finished third with a distance of 8m 32.
Sam Malekout finished third in the V40 100m in a time of 12.85s, second in the V35 shot with 8m 82 and sixth in the V35 hammer with 15m 28.
Michael Osunsami covered the V50 100m finishing third in 15.13s.
James Lambden in the V60 100m also finished in 15.5s. As a non-scorer he competed in the 1500m with a time of 5.47.29s.
David Butler finished second in the V70 100m in 18.4s and won the age group 1500m in 5.42.24s. He also achieved 4.75m in the hammer gaining 6 points for fourth place.
The 400m had athletes in age groups V35, V40 and V50. Berekhet Berakhy, negotiating an athlete falling across his lane, finished fourth in 68.87s. Chris Scott battled hard for second place in 61.24s and Fabrizio Stefanoni fourth in 64.16s.
In the 1500m Malcolm Muir, grabbing third position in the last meters of the home straight placed third V35 in 4.39.37s and in the process broke the previously held Tony Nixon V50 record of 4.39.90s..(*Malcolm, although a V50, competed in Ilford’s V35 team)
Berekhet in his second race finished third in 4.55.74s. Fabrizio also in his second race won the V50 age group in 4.58.04s. Neil Crisp won the V60 age group in 5.43.88s. Danny Holeyman as a non-scorer finished in 5.20.90.
Peter Whiting, covering the V60 hammer, threw 20m 89 for fifth place.
The evening closed with the 4 x 100m with Michael, Chris, Henry and Sam bringing the baton home in 54.35s for third place.
South Woodham Runners 10k
19th May 2024
Six Ilford AC members headed out to South Woodham in Essex on a very hot Sunday morning for the South Woodham Runners 10k. Probably one of the most scenic 10k’s in the south, the route takes in the beautiful countryside and farmlands of South Essex and is mainly run along the banks of the River Crouch.
Leading the team home in 48th place in a time of 51:15 was Billy Green, followed just one place and one second later by Anna Crawley who claimed 2nd in her age category.
Next home in 71st place was Alison Sale to claim 1st place in her age grouping in a time of 53:54. Rachel Halpin crossed the line in 57:42 for 95th place, and the team were completed by Jim Tilbrook in 124th place in 1:01:07 and Julia Galea in 181st place in 1:07:09
Hackney Half Marathon
19th May 2024
The Hackney Half Marathon is one of London’s newest, and largest halves with over 20,000 athletes congregating on Hackney marshes for the early start, including 2 Ilford AC members, Stephen Lacey and Mandy Reid..
The route skirts parks and the major roads through Hackney, which are all closed to traffic, taking in parts of the Olympic Park, before winding its way back to Hackney Marshes.
Despite the early start the heat was intense as the race got going but Ilford’s two competitors were made of stern stuff, and both ran well. Stephen Lacey finished in 1 hr 54 mins 09 secs and Mandy Reid coming in at 2 hrs 21 mins 49 secs
European Masters Road Running Championships
Porto Santo
17/19 May 2024
The European Masters Road Running Championship was held on the island of Porto Santo, which is 25 miles off of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean
The races were held in fine warm spring weather along the coastal road from the town of Porto Santo.
The first event was on Friday morning and was an out and back course of 10km. Ilford AC member Ed Skinner ran the M65 category finishing 15th and 128th overall in 54 minutes 17 seconds. he was also allocated to the M35 age group team who were short of a member and they placed 3rd in the team competition winning Ed a bronze medal.
Sunday morning saw the half marathon where Rob Sargent ran in the M65 grouping finishing 12th and 126th overall.
