This weeks News  

This week we lovingly prepare the course for this Saturday’s Extravaganza at Chigwell Row aka the Essex Veterans Cross Country Championships…..Having been advised that the Common is nowhere near boggy enough for traditionalists of the Sport I have arranged for several shipments of Stour and Thames Estuary mud to be liberally applied to the same, watered and ploughed in by a herd of stampeding Suffolk Red Poll Cows richly fed on decaying meadow grass and triple senokot….this should get the area a litlle bit more akin to Parliament Hill both in terms or appearance and aroma whilst also adding some extra atmosphere to the event.
Martin

Press Report
Ilford AC’s Malcolm Muir was in the middle of a busy weekend of Championship action this weekend. On Saturday he tackled the rolling slopes of Nottingham’s Wollaton Park which played host to the British and Irish Masters Cross Country International. Muir featured strongly in the open 8k race where he narrowly missed out on a podium place finishing 4th in a top class field of veteran athletes and within 45 seconds of the winner.

The following afternoon he had returned to Essex to compete in the Chelmsford 10k which also included the Essex County Championships. Another 4th placing in a time of 33.16 saw the Ilford man scoop the Essex Veteran over 40 Gold as he headed some excellent performances from the Cricklefields based club.
The extremely wet condtions did not deter the likes of Kevin Newell,26th, and Sam Rahman,31st, who ran a seasons best of 35.36 and a personal best of 35.52 respectively. Another one in the county medals was Neil Crisp whose 52nd placing and 37.55 was good enough for bronze. Superveteran Graham Williams was top over 70 man of the day finishing in 59.26 and placing 450th out of 516 finishers.
In the ladies race Jennie Sheehan was the club star of the day obliterating her previous best for the distance by some 3 minutes and leading the squad home in 121st and an excellent time of 42.09. She was followed in by Bree Nordin who once again took county gold in the FV55 running 44.21,176th. Nicola Hopkinson 48.16, 254th, and Carol Muir,391st,55,50 completed the team.
Local club Springfield Striders provided both the male and female winners in the guise of Scott Cousins 33.14 and Elizabeth Davies 36.25.

The annual Elvis Series Presentation Award Ceremony was held at the Mill House Social Club in Dagenham last Friday night. This was the 7th year of the increasingly popular series which is held over 7 races and sees 8 local running clubs competing against each other throughout the summer. Ilford had many prizewinners which included the overall Men’s team shield with individual prizes going to Malcolm Muir 1st Man, Krystle Balogun 1st Lady, Jennie Sheehan 3rd Lady, Steve Philcox 1st MV40, Neil Crisp 1st MV50, Andy Catton 1st MV60, Bree Nordin 1st FV55.