Press Report 24th January 2023  

Jan 242023
 

Chingford League Cross Country
Epping Forest
Saturday 21st January

On a cold, icy Saturday morning, Ilford AC sent a small team to Epping Forest for the toughest Cross Country fixture in the Chingford League season, a  hilly 5 miles in Epping Forest.
A race only for the hardcore runners, so much so that Ilford were unable to field a men’s team.

The ladies however did the club proud with a great team performance from Alison Sale, Pauline Tester and Frieda Keane..
In the ladies 2nd division match Alison Sale was 6th home in 46 mins 56 seconds, followed by Pauline Tester in 12th place in 52 mins 31 secs and the ever reliable Frieda Keane in 21st place in 1 hr 1 minute 22 seconds.

The performance earned Ilford a 5th place spot for the ladies on the day.

Farnborough Winter Half
Saturday 21st January

The Farnborough Winter Half is a fast, flat, traffic-free route; that starts under the historic Airship Hangar alongside Farnborough Airport and takes you on a delightful semi-rural loop around Farnborough and its surrounding areas.
Ilford AC had 2 runners taking part in this years event. Both Joel Denning and Joanne Reeves put in impressive performances, continuing their fine season, with Joel coming home in 375th place, in a field of over 1700 runners in a time of 1 hr 34 mins and 15 seconds and Joanne finishing in 468th place in 1 hr 38 mins and 27 seconds

MADEIRA 8Km
Funchal, Madeira
Sunday 22 January

The European Masters Marathon Championship was held on a warm morning over a challenging course in Funchal, the capital of the island of Madeira.
Two runners from Ilford AC took part in one of the supporting races, the 8km, which was actually 8.33km. Club endurance coach laced them up for this one and recorded 49 mins 07 secs for 174th in the men’s race and 11th in the M65 age category. Julia Galea had a good run winning the F65 age group by over 3 minutes in 49 mins 39 secs for 84th overall in the ladies event out of 221 finishers

  Press Report 17th January 2022  

Jan 172023
 

REGENTS PARK 10KM
Sunday 8th January

The Regents Park 10km is held over 3 twisty laps on the paths in the Park.
This year the race incorporated selection for the England Masters team to race in Chester later in the year and was of a good standard in all age groups.
Ilford Ac had a team of 10 in this event with Joel Denning leading the team home despite taking a fall towards the end of the race. He finished 68th overall in 42 mins 19 secs with Dennis Briggs 91st in 45 mins 06 secs.
Jo Reeves was the pick of the ladies team in 97th overall and 33rd female with 45 mins 26 secs, with Hannah Sheikh recording 119th overall and 42nd female with 48 mins 41 secs and Gaye Young 123rd and 44th in the ladies race with 49 mins exactly.
Sean Costello in his first competitive 10km finished in 50 mins 04 secs whilst Mandy Reid improved her personal best over the distance to 54 mins 23 secs.
Rob Sargent came home in 59 mins 48 secs closely followed by Batmanaden Ramen, also making his 10km debut, in 60 mins 41 seconds and Doris Gaga in 65 mins 01 secs.

Mercury 10
Epping Forest
Saturday 14th January

Saturday morning saw the 100th running of the Mercury 10 in Epping Forest.
 Incorporating tough muddy hills the race, whilst picturesque in places, is a real challenge for runners. Ilford’s sole representative Mandy Reid, however, was up for the challenge and continued her outstanding season so far with a gritty performance to finish in 1 hr 51 mins 22 secs for 127th place.

Benfleet 15
Sunday 15th Jan

Terry Knightley was the sole Ilford AC representative at the 35th Annual Benfleet 15 Miles Multi-Terrain Race.
The race was held over the unbelievably challenging and Hilly Haldleigh Downs in deep thick sticky Mud and also sections of the Canvey Island Sea Wall running against a biting chilly wind.
Terry found the conditions tough but persevered and finished in 2 Hours 14 Minutes and 30 seconds for 148th place out of over 700 athletes and was 4th Male Veteran Over 60.

Every finisher was rewarded with a medal with the inscription on the side ‘The Battle Of Benfleet’

 

  Press Report 10th January 2023  

Jan 102023
 
Essex Cross Country Championships
Gloucester Park
January 7th 2023

Ilford AC sent a strong team of runners across all of the age groups to contest this yearly Cross Country event

Performance of the day, undoubtedly, came in the men’s senior 12 kilometres race where Ahmed Abdulle won his first Essex senior cross-country title.
He has had a strong season so far with a previous win at the London Cross Country Championships. He ran alongside second place Gus Withers from Leigh on Sea running club, breaking away on the last lap for a comfortable win and Essex qualification for the inter counties championships later in the year.
The team race was six to score and Ahmed was backed up by strong performances from Alex Richards (15th), Malcolm Muir (39th ), Paul Grange (45th ), Fabrizio Stefanoni (57th), Neil Crisp (121st ) and Steve Crane (126th ).

In the Women’s event Jordan Hinds had a superb race finishing in 14th Place. This was a real improvement on last year’s performance and is reward for her hard work over the winter.
The Women’s team race was four to score and Jordan was followed in by Alison Sale (64th), Mandy Reid (77th), Dianne Crisp (82nd), Julia Galea (90th ) and Frieda Keane (91st )

Ilford earned its second inter-counties qualification in the U17 Boys event where Joseph Grange had a good race to finish fourth. He was followed in by Ronan Edwards in 11th place.

Finally in the boys u15 race, Ilford put together a team a five who all started strongly together and should be happy with their performances in a strong field.
The placings were, Samuel Crane (18th), Aaron Hick (19th ), Ryder Islam (32nd ), Aron Berhe (36th ) and James Thake (38th )

 

  Press Report 3rd January 2023  

Jan 022023
 
Ilford AC Boxing Day Handicap
Hainault Forest
26th December 2022

A field of 16 runners brushed off the Turkey and Christmas hangover to toe the line for the 13th annual Ilford AC Boxing day handicap.
The route is 3.3 miles through the hills and mud of Hainault Forest and forms one lap of the clubs own 10 mile championships
Each runner is given a handicap based on their previous form over the year, as chosen by club President Gary Floate

This years winner was Danny Holeyman who ran the course in 24:45 off of a 10 minute handicap giving him a Nett time of 34:45, just a second ahead of Neil Crisp and 56 seconds ahead of third place Dennis Briggs, both who also ran off of a 10 minute handicap.
For the second year running Julia Galea was the first lady home, running off scratch and finishing in 36 minutes exactly.
Handicap aside the actual finishing times were as follows (unfortunately Jordan Hinds and Samuel Crane went off course and are excluded from the results!)


1 Ronan Edwards 20 58

2 Steve Philcox 21 24

3 Aaron Hick 22 5

4 Danny Holeyman 24 45

5 Neil Crisp 24 45

6 Alfie Hick 25 7

7 Steve Crane 25 41

8 Dennis Brggs 25 41

9 Wayne Hick 26 36

10 George Hick 27 54

11 Charlie Hick 29 51

12 Di Crisp 34 40

13 Julia Galea 36 0

14 Doris Gaga 37 42

ILFORD CLEAN UP IN THE MUD

Ilford AC 10 Mile Cross Country Championship
Hainault Forest
December 27th 2022

On Tuesday Ilford AC hosted their winter showcase 10-mile cross country event on a pleasantly mild December morning.
Runners were treated to the thick mud and hills that characterizes most of the 3.3-mile course which is negotiated 3 times.

Ilford’s men totally dominated the race providing 7 of the first 10 finishers.

Coming home in first place was Joseph Grange in 59:16 followed by Alex Richards in 2nd place in 59:48 and Tom Gardner in 3rd in 60:45.
In 5th was Paul Grange in 63:47, 6th Malcolm Muir in 65:01, 8th Stephen Philcox 67:35 and Fabrizio Stefanoni in 9th in 67:42.

First lady home by a margin of almost 8 minutes was Ilfords Neringa Masilioniene in 11th place in a very impressive 67:42.

The next 3 Ilford females home were Alison Sale 43rd 91:45, Gaye Young 46th 93:42 and Pauline Tester 93:55.

Also finishing the tough course for the club were:-
Richard Woolterton 14th 74:26, Stephen Crane 16th 75:28, Daniel Holeyman 24th 80:18, Terry Knightley 26th 81:10, Bradley Brown 33rd 88:11, Stephen Lacey 37th 89:24, Sean Costello 100:29, Sharon Honey 53rd 100:35, Mandy Ried 54th 101:47, Ramen 62nd 112:21, Ray ‘Sparra’ Everingham 64th 115:55, Julia Galea 65th 115:59 and Frieda Keane 66th 116:34

With the race also doubling as the clubs own 10-mile championships Gold, Silver and Bronze medals were awarded to Joseph Grange, Alex Richards and Tom Gardner for the men, and Neringa Masilioniene, Alison Sale and Gaye Young for the ladies.

In the clubs vets categories there were Gold medals in the V40, V50 and V60 categories for Paul Grange, Stephen Philcox and Terry Knightley for the men and in the same categories Gold medals were won by Mandy Reid, Alison Sale and Sharon Honey for the women.

LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH 5Km
Hyde Park
30th December 2022

Four runners from Ilford AC ended their year with an outing in the Serpentine Runners Last Friday of the Month 5km on a two lap course in London’ s Hyde Park.
First to finish from the quartet was Joel Denning in 51st and 4th in the M45 age group in 19 mins 58 secs. Next home was Joanne Reeves with 22 mins 30 secs for 104th overall and 3rd   in the F45 category.
Rob Sargent came home 167th in 29 mins 16 secs and Carol Muir completed the squad in 31 mins 57 secs for 180th.

In other races over the Christmas period Malcolm Muir was the only Ilford entrant in the Witham Boxing Day 5m race finishing in 18th place in a time of 29:02 and Diarmuid MacDonnell competed in the Wicklow Boxing Day 5k race finishing in a time of 19:02 for 41st place


  Press Report 13th December 2022  

Dec 132022
 

Sikh’s In The City Running Festival
Woodford Green
Sunday 11th December

The ‘Sikh’s In The City Running Club’ held its 10th Anniversary running festival on a bitterly cold, sub zero temperature, Sunday Morning in Woodford Green.

Over 200 competitors took part on a short 2k course around the Woodford area in various distances ranging from 10k right through to the Marathon distance.

Ilford’s bright young running star Ryder Islam took part in the 5 lap 10k distance race and led the field to take home a Gold Medal in a time of 39 minutes and 30 seconds.

Seasoned veteran Ray ‘Sparra’ Everingham took on the 11 lap Half Marathon challenge and was pleased with his 22nd place in a time of 2 Hours 37 minutes and 58 Seconds.

Telford 10k
Sunday 11th December
Meanwhile Brother and Sister team, Malcolm and Carol Muir took on the 2 lap, Traffic free Telford 10k in equally challenging cold conditions.. 

In a large field of over 1,100 runners Malcolm put in a strong performance to finish in a time of 36 minutes and 08 seconds for 358th place, with sister Carol pleased with her finishing time of 1 hour, 2 minutes and 23 seconds for 1,000th place.

Spending the weekend in Telford both also took part in the Telford parkrun on the Saturday morning with Malcolm winning the event in 18:30 on his 150th parkrun, and Carol finishing in 31:18 in her 523rd running of the event.for 135th place