• Press Report 21st September 2009
         Ilford AC continue to build a strong road and cross country squad with some excellent performances on a busy weekend of running action. Despite 3 of their established stars away on duty at the Great North Run the Club still managed an excellent result in the final round of the East London Five Interclub Series, the Dagenham 5 miles at Eastbrook End Country Park,  and duly took the awards for the series in both the mens and women's sections.
    The men's race proved to be a very tight affair with Barking Road Runners fielding a very strong team. Indeed with captain Neil Crisp sidelined early on in the race due to injury it was left to youngster Iain Macdonald to pull the troops through backed up by some excellent support from some of the club's experienced veterans.Macdonald made up some very important places in the latter half of the course belived to be approximately 5 and a quarter miles finishing 7th in 31.36. Terrry Knightley and Kevin Newell consolidated just behind with 32.56 and 33.13 for 11th and 12 th plces respectively. Gary Floate was 13th man home clocking 33.40 with Rohan Alexander 19th in 35.10 and Chris Togwell 35.15 for 20th closing the team. Although losing the race team prize based on the first 3 men home by a solitary point the 6 man squad required for the series bettered the Barking effort by 2 points.
    The Ilford ladies squad were pleased to welcome captain Dianne Crisp back from injury and celebrated by a comfortable victory and some excellent packing with the the pecking order changing on several occassions. Nicola Hopkinson eventually found her finishing speed for 9th in 41.12 just getting the better of Sally Gillam 10th in 41.26. Dianne crisp eased herself back to racing in 11th place with 42.00 just ahead of Vanessa Burns 13th with 42.31. 17 year old Natalie Crisp and superveteran Pam Jones completed the scorers with 43.29 17th and 46.26 23rd.
    The 3 woman team of Hopkinson, Gillam and Crisp also took the race ladies team prize. 
    In addition to both Ilford squads retaining their shields there were series victories for  Nicola Hopkinson in the FV35 and Pam Jones in the FV55 categories. Dianne Crisp was top FV45 of the series but took the higher value overall 3rd lady prize.
    Other Ilford perfomances included:- Steve Parker 35.30, Satha Alaganandasundaram 48.13, Robin Davis 52.41, Meredith Floate 57.18
    Pam Jones's grandaughter Bronwen ran in the accomapnying Childrens race and was 1st girl home.
     
    Meanwhile Malcolm Muir, Matt Maple and Darren Bottrill had made the 250 mile trip to Tyneside to be part of the 50,000 plus runners competing in the worlds most popular half marathon, the Bupa Great North Run, the course starting on the central motorway in Newcastle and finishing on the seafront at South Shields. Muir, despite nursing a troublesome knee injury, started conservatively going through 5k in 19.19 to Bottrill's18.43 which was probably a bit too quick, and Maple 19.46. Muir at a much more even pace finished strongly for 128th place clocking 1.21.25. Bottrill was 346th in 1.27.08 and Maple only just adrift with 1.28.44 for 453rd.
     
    Even furher north Robin and Nikki Mcnelis both had excellent runs in the top class Stirling 10k. Robin was delighted to dip under 36 mins, a barrier he has been trying to break for the last 4 years, and was therefore over the moon to record 35.39 for 42nd place. Nikki was similarly pleased with her 48.36. The mild weather saw many PB's with the course record falling to youngster Tsegai Tewelde who set a new course record of 29.07. He was kept company by 3 clubmates, all  4 breaking the magic 30 minute mark.