Press Report 3rd September 2024
The Essex Way Relay 2024
The Essex Way relay is held on the first Sunday in September every year and covers 82 miles of ancient trails, footpaths, and countryside across Essex starting from Epping Station at 8am and finishing after 6pm at the Harwich Old Lighthouse in a 10 stage relay.
This is one of the County’s premier events with 82 teams from across Essex and beyond competing.
Ilfords squad this year consisted of :-
Leg 1 Epping to Chipping Ongar Seb Parris,
Leg 2 Chipping Ongar to Good Easter Frieda Keane and Alison Sale,
Leg 3 Good Easter to Little Leighs Danny Holeyman,
Leg 4 Little Leighs to Cressing Malcolm Muir,
Leg 5 Cressing to Great Tey Jim Tilbrook,
Leg 6 Great Tey to West Bergholt Sharon Honey,
Leg 7 West Bergholt to Dedham Neil Crisp,
Leg 8 Dedham to Bradfield Billy Green,
Leg 9 Bradfield to Ramsey Dianne Crisp,
Leg 10 Ramsey to Harwich Mandy Reid
Of the 82 competing teams Ilford AC finished in 16th place overall and 10th in the vets category.
At the end of the race it is tradition for some of the runners and support crew to meet up at the end of the last leg for a Fish and Chip supper as reward for the days work.
With the logistics of running a relay cross country, especially getting people back to their cars, the club were grateful for the support of Robin Davis, Roger Honey, and Catherine Green
BARKING PARK 5km
The penultimate round of this year’s Elvis competition was held over the unusual twisty but fast course in Barking Park
Leading the way for Ilford AC was Sam Rahman in an excellent 9th place in 17 minutes exactly. Chris King was next home in 17 mins 27 secs for 14th and Josh Adler was 16th in a new personal best of 17 mins 35 secs. Steve Philcox was first in the M50 age category in 17th with 17 mins 41 secs. Next home was Fabrizio Stefanoni in 17 mins 59 secs for 20th and U20 Sam Crane completed the scorers in 18 mins 07 secs.
In the match Ilford finished 2nd and are 3rd in the league with one match to go.
Further down the large field there were new best times for the distance for Michael Perkins (21 mins 04 secs) and Batmanaden Ramen (25 mins 02 secs) whilst Joel Denning equalled his personal best of 19 mins 20 secs, and Neil Crisp was the 1st in the M60 age group in 19 mins 19 secs.
Steve Crane race-walked the event in 28 mins 34 secs.
Leading the way for Ilford ladies was Jordan Hinds with a fine 4th place in 19 mins 11 secs in the female section of the race. Anna Crawley came home 12th with 21 mins 30 secs and another of the club’s U20 athletes Leila Lauder set a new personal best of 22 mins 42 secs in 21st.
Alison Sale recorded 23 mins 49 secs for 30th and one place behind was Bree Nordin with 23 mins 52 secs which won her the F60 age category prize. Pauline Tester completed the team in 42nd place with 24 mins 48 secs.
In the match the Ilford team placed 5th and sit 4th in the league after this match.
Also representing Ilford in the match were: Paul Holloway (23rd 18.10) Ryder Islam (36th 18.54) Dan Holeyman (39th 19.02) Diarmuid Mac Donnell (44th 19.18) Steve Chissell (60th 20.09) Dave Thomas (65th 20.32) Tarik Qirem (73rd 21.08) Bradley Brown (78th 21.16) Steve Lacey (90th 21:58) Tony Young (104th 22.33) Dennis Briggs (107th 22.40) Andy Catton (113th 22.53) Sean Costello (167th 25.09) Mandy Reid (186th 26.18) Dianne Crisp (209th 27.25) Jimmy Huddart (220th 28.05) Freida Keane (235th 29.46) Rob Sargent (247th 30.00) Julia Galea (273rd 32.08)
