Press Report 24th September  2007
 

Ingatestone - 5 mile Road Race

 

Race organiser and Ilford AC life member Howard Williams was proud to announce a record turnout as 376 runners including world snooker ace Ronnie O'Sullivan took to the country lanes of Ingatestone on Sunday morning. The 5 mile race marked a welcome return to winning ways for Billericay's prolific racer Crispian Bloomfield who earlier admitted to only 4 victories in his last 9 starts, a statistic he was far from happy with and maybe explains why he was spotted rerunning the course at speed some 20 minutes after the presentation.

IIford AC athletes were up there contesting the spoils with Scotsman Ian Campbell fighting a fierce battle between some top class veterans, notably former winner and course record holder Dale Laughlin and Springfield's Paul Dobson. Campbell who was given a very respectable 27 minutes dead and 2nd to Laughlin was characteristically smarting afterwards and now can't wait to defend his Essex cross country title against these same athletes at Chigwell Row later in the year. Similarly another former winner Andy Catton returned an excellent 30.38 to go second in the fifties to Billericay's David Butler and just 2 seconds in front of clubmate Neil Crisp. The most pleasing part of the day was the debut of Carlos Pinilla, the club's latest signing from Columbia, who took the under 20 race in an excellent time of 28.12 on what is universally regarded as not the easiest of courses.

The youngsters theme was continued by 15 year old Liam Leddy who ran the first 3 miles untroubled before succumbing to a troublesome foot injury which caused him to take the foot of the gas and slow to 37.03. Cheerful septegenerian Gerry Pells as ever enjoyed his outing wisecracking his way round in 45.34. 

The combined efforts of Campbell, Pinilla, and Catton were good enough to earn the Cricklefields club the 3rd prize in the men's team race behind very strong contingents from Springfield Striders and Billericay.

In the women's race the classy Stacey Ward from Benfleet won in a very fast time with the Ilford ladies squad fielding no less than 7 athletes. Bree Nordin was the pick of the bunch recording 33.58, placing 2nd in the W45s category to arch rival Julie Palmer of Benfleet. Nicola Hopkinson was next home in 36.57 with Sally Gillam closing the team in 39.37. Dianne Crisp 41.16, Pam Jones 41.21 and Pauline Tester all trooped in next in very close order with Lindsey Barker not far adrift in 43.35.

 

BMAF World Track and Field Championships - Riccione

   

Meanwhile John Batchelor has returned  from the World Masters track and field championships in Riccione with his own version of events of his 5000 metre and 1000 metre exploits.

Batchelor's  5000m race was the last of three, seeded but with not all times submitted, and it started in ideal conditions at 9pm.  A Brazilian and a Slovakian had already posted good times in the first race, but after a fast start had slowed dramatically.  He was lined up in the second row in his race, but when the gun went he charged through the field to follow a fast-starting Australian, Peter Sandery.  This was fatal for both of them.  He quickly got the lactic in his legs and a bunch passed him, but he settled into a steady pace, picking off stragglers from the chasing bunch, and ran a very fast last 300m to finish sixth in the race and 8th overall in 18:53.83.  The Aussie faded from 1st to fourth and sixth overall.  A little disappointing, but probably commensurate with his training status, and the main thing was that the hamstring stood up to the strainas he was by no means confident of being able to finish.

 

Batchelor then decided to run the 10000m only after taking two days rest recovery and completing a final training run, after which he was still apprehensive about the hamstring problem.  The race was a war of attrition, held at 4:30 pm in a shadeless sun-drenched stadium.  There were two races.  In the first the Brazilian who had taken bronze in the 5000m shot off like a rocket, followed at a distance by the Slovakian, Basista.  While Batchelor was being coralled by the officials for race 2 the Brazilian was stretchered off the track exhausted, leaving Basista to finish a better-judged race in 38:13.53, which proved good enough for the gold.  The Ilford man led the first lap slowly and apprehensively in the second race, following which Sandery, who had won the Cross-Country gold, took the lead and pulled a bunch including two Italians, a highly-rated Russian, and a good (on paper) Portuguese, who Batchelor had beaten on the last lap in the 5000m, past him and away, leaving him to fend off another persistent Italian for most of the race.  Again he settled into a metronome pace, counting off the laps remaining and resisting the temptation to chuck it in because of the number of supporters willing him on.  Batchelor passed the Portuguese and subsequently lapped him, shook off the Italian, lapped many runners, and finally finished with another fast last 300m, finishing the last lap 14 seconds faster than those preceding.  Only after he finished was Batchelor told in broken English by a Russian spectator that he had taken the bronze, as everyone between the Aussie and himself had dropped out!  In fact he had been closing on Sandery in the latter stages and finished only 13 seconds behind him in 39:46.17.  The time was not as good as he would have liked, but most runners were minutes off their best times.  The Aussie had a best of 36:55 to his credit pre-race.  Batchelor also gained revenge on a Czech who had finished just ahead of him in the 5000m.

 

Batchelor now looks forwrd to the BMAF 10K road on 30th September.

 

Essex Track and Field Championships (Day 4 and 5)

 

 

The long trip down the A12 to Colchester Garrison track was the place of Essex Day 4 & 5 which were the combined events and relays. The weekend weather was very favourable towards the athletes and although the Ilford squad was small in number they were there to compete well.

 

Saturday (Day 4)

 

Ilford had only the one relay team in the 3x800m in the U/13's as the  U/15's had unfortunately pulled out due to injury. The inexperienced but very determined U/13's team was made up of Thomas King, George Hadler & Ciaran Rodway. Thomas led the team off and although at the back to start with made some good progress on lap 2 to make up 2 places coming into the change over with a recorded time of around: 2min 43sec. He handed over to George Hadler and although his position was under threat immediately and subsequently passed he was still able to run a steady 800m in what was to be a very impressive: 2m 46sec. George  handed over to Ciaran Rodway who was aqlways chasing but still produced a solid run coming home in 6th place with his time of: 2m 51sec approximately and an overall time of - 8m 21.2sec.

 

On the same day Jessica Manning U/20 Women was began her defence of her Heptathlon title despite having done very little quality training this year. It was something of a rematch for her facing 2 of her known rivals. The first event was the 100m Hurdles which she completed in  17.8s. In the following High Jump she was just short of her  PB with 1m 53cm. Next was the Shot Putt and although throwing is not her favourite discipline she was able to gain a PB with a putt of - 8m 39cm. To finish of the day she powered home 1st in the 200m with a time of - 26.9s and a Day 1 overall score of - 2264 points down on her Day 1 of last year.

 

 

Sunday (Day 5)

 

The second day saw Jessica start with the Long Jump. On her first attempt she leaped well to a distance of - 5m 09cm which was not far outside her PB to maintain her lead. The second event of the day was another one of her weaker events, the Javelin, and her distance was down again on last year with a best throw of - 21m 56cm, which cut her lead cut slightly. The last and most gruelling event for the Heptathletes was the 800m. Jessica found this hard going but battled her way around the two laps to finish with a time of - 2m 43.0sec and be crowned again the U/20 Essex Championship Heptathlon Champion 2007 with a overall tally score of - 3705 POINTS - GOLD MEDAL.

 

Jessica Manning's Score sheet.

 

Day 1

 

100m Hurdles - 17.8s (484 Points)

High Jump     - 1m 53cm (655 Points)

Shot Putt      - 8m 39cm (PB) (425 Points)

200m            - 26.9s (700 Points)

 

 

Day 2

 

Long Jump   - 5m 09cm (584 Points)

Javelin         - 21m 56cm (318 Points)

800m          - 2m 43.0sec (539 Points)

 

Overall Total: 3705 Points