On Saturday club legend John Batchelor celebrated his 80th birthday.
His daughter secretly had a special cake made reflecting his interests – and John thinks she got it spot on!
The lettering on the side of the cake is the Periodic Table of the Elements as John was a chemistry researcher
On a Very Cold and wet Sunday, Four Quality athletes from Ilford AC travelled to Saffron Walden in North Essex for The Essex Remembrance Day 10K Road Race.
Held around an old disused World War 2 Airfield near Debden Army Barracks, the two lap race with socially distanced wave starts, was originally scheduled for Remembrance Sunday in November, however due to Lockdown it was rearranged for 13th December.
First home in the biting wind and torrential rain running his first 10K on a course that was unfortunately ‘long’ by 150 metres was Ryan Holeyman in 36 minutes and 51 seconds for 13th place from around 200 competitors.
Next home was Ryan’s dad, Danny Holeyman in 38 Minutes 25 seconds for 24th position and 11th Male Veteran Over 40.
He was followed by Super-Veteran Terry Knightley in 32nd place for 40 Minutes and 14 seconds for 3rd Male Veteran Over 60.
Kim Baxter ran well to finish in 65 Minutes exactly to finish 142nd and 3rd in the Female Veteran Over 60 category.
PB5K Winter Race Series
Ardingly Showground
13th December 2020
The PB5K Winter series is held on a flat straight course to encourage quality athletes from around the country to come and race against other top athletes and aim for a PB.
Although the poor weather meant that conditions were not ideal, Ilford AC athlete Ahmed Abdulle did indeed achieve a PB, racing in Wave 1 and finishing in a time of 14:45 for 11th place and third athlete in the U23 category
The Chingford League continues to pull out all the stops to get races on during these difficult times and on Sunday, for the second time this season they got a permit to race, this time at the Redbridge cycle track.
Races look a little different at the moment with a series of smaller socially distanced races taking part over the course of an afternoon and results being collated late into the night by the hard working organisers.
Despite challenging hills and cold wet weather the 26 Ilford AC athletes who took on the challenging 5k course on Sunday all enjoyed themselves in the first race of the day at noon.
Alex Richards led from gun to tape and despite taking the field on a longer course due to a wrong turn (3.26 miles) he produced a winning time of 16.51 closely followed by Tom Gardner in 17.00 minutes.
Rhys Edwards ran a great race finishing 3rd Ilford athlete in a time of 17.45.
First female was Sameena Ahmed in 21.21 very closely followed by Jordan Hinds in 21.44.
Full list of runners and times:-
Alex Richards 16.51
Tom Gardner 17.00
Ryhs Edwards 17.45
Gary Coombes 18.02
Paul Holloway 18.21
Sam Rahman 19.05
Dan Holeyman 19.02
Steve Philcox 19.10
Haydn Newland 19.58
Diarmuid McDonnell 20.11
Terry Knightley 21.03
Sameena Ahmed 21.19
Jordan Hinds 22.46
Tony Young 22.37
Anna Crawley 23.07
Breege Nordin 23.14
Andy Catton 24.00
Alison Sale 24.50
Gaye Young 25.05
Steve Cheal 25.28
Rob Sargent 26.29
Julia Galea 28.31
Bradley Brown 28.47
Frieda Keane 29.48
Pramila Munro 30.00
Kim Baxter 33.53
ILFORD ONE MILE HANDICAP
Saturday was supposed to be the 3rd in the Winter series of Ilford Handicap races, however tighter Government restrictions meant that the 1 mile handicap had to be held virtually.
Fifteen athletes took part with each runner given an undisclosed Handicap.
The handicap calculations worked well with the winner Lovedip Dhaliwal finishing in a combined time of 14:50 just one second ahead of Sharon Honey, Frieda Keane and Adam Coals on 14:51.
Fastest actual time on the day was Steve Philcox on 5:25, followed by Phil Davies on 5:50 and Anna Crawley on 6:10. Third male home was Cliff Warren on 6:13 and second and third females were Breege Nordin in 6:35 and Alison Sale / Gaye Young who both finished in 7:08
Handicap time / handicap (in brackets) / actual time as follows…
Lovedip Dhaliwal 14:50 (6.00) 08:50
Frieda Keane 14.51 (6.00) 08.51
Sharon Honey 14:51 (6.30) 08.21
Adam Coals 14:51 (8:30) 06:21
Anna Crawley 14:55 (8:45) 06.10
Julie Gillender 14:56 (5.00) 09:56
Cliff Warren 14:58 (8.45) 06:13
Phil Davies 15.05 (9:15) 05:50
Steve Philcox 15:10 (9:45) 05:25
Breege Nordin 15:20 (8.45) 06:35
Gaye Young 15.23 (8:15) 07.08
Carol Muir 15:25 (7.00) 08.25
Anthony Perkins 15.36 (0.00) 15.36
Alison Sale 15:38 (8.30) 07.08
Gary Smith 15.44 (3.30) 12.14
VITALITY LONDON 10K
Back in May Ilford were due to send eight athletes to Green Park in London for the Vitality 10k run. The race was postponed until September then cancelled and organised as a virtual event.
The Ilford contingent swapped Green Park for Valentines Park in Ilford and run the 10k virtually.
First home was Dennis Briggs in a time of 46:51 with the much improved Alison Sale coming in 2nd place and first female in a time of 53:!2. Remaining runners were Mandy Ried 55.29, Lovedip Dhaliwal 59.07, Billy Green 59.50, Sharon Honey 60.00, Frieda Keane 62.45 and Jimmy Huddart 63:11
EUROPEAN MASTERS ROAD RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIP
Funchal, Madeira
29-31 October 2020
The European Masters Road Running Championships took place in Funchal on the Island of Madeira in sunny conditions. The Championships were postponed from March due to Coronavirus and the restaging was with a reduced attendance than is normal for these championships. The British team totalled just over 30 instead the normal of around 150. The event did attract a good quality field which included the 1995 World Marathon Champion Martin Fiz of Spain who won the M55 half marathon title here.
The first event was the 10km road race which was staged on a two lap course along the seafront and around the town with a start time of 8.30pm.. Ilford AC second claim member Edward Skinner ran in the M60 age category reaching half way in 27mins 23 secs and running steadily came home in 54 mins 19 secs in 106th overall and 18th in his group. As team numbers were reduced Edward was moved down to the M40 team which claimed the bronze team medal in that category. It was Skinner’s first international medal.
The half marathon start was at 4 o’clock on Sunday afternoon and was over a challenging course. Rob Sargent from Ilford AC ran in the M65 age category and found the first two 7km laps over the undulating clifftops very tough and at 10km had a time of 58 mins 52 secs. The race then dropped down a steep gradient for two shorter laps along the seafront. Rob came in at 2hrs 5 mins 16 secs for 76th overall and 8th in the M65 grouping. Sargent ran in the M55 British team who just missed out on the medals in 4th spot
BFTTA Open Academy Track
Dagenham
31st October
An afternoon of PB’s
Some of Ilford’s young athletes had one more track race before the short lived season came to an end, and with blustery wind good times were not expected and even more bizarrely the meeting was almost over after 3 events as the track had been double booked.
Joseph Grange decided to have a go at the 3000m, it was a steady start and Joseph was in the middle of the field, as the race progressed he was running consistent laps and moving his way through the field and eventually ended up in 3rd place in a time 10.01.93. A pb by 6 seconds and his third pb of this season.
Rhys Edwards who has recently joined us from Woodford went in the 1500m, Rhys is in the middle of a heavy exam schedule and therefore missed a bit of training. He had planned out his race tactics in the morning and got them spot to finish in 5th place in a time of 4.22.81, a pb by 2 seconds.
Finally Jordan Hinds also ran in the 1500, and after a good months training was in shape for a good run. The initial pace was very quick and Jordan hung back slightly, at half way she was spot on her race plan. The wind seemed to get even stronger during the second part of her race, and she slightly off her 5 minute schedule, but still finished in an excellent 5.03.28, knocking 6 seconds off her previous best.
SCVAC 10k Championships
Beckley, Nr Rye
1st November 2020
Former England International Andy Catton headed down to deepest Sussex to a little village called Beckley (near Rye) for the SCVAC Champs this weekend, his first race since November last year due to injury and CoronaVirus.
The course was hilly and the wind and rain were relentless with Andy describing the race as one of the toughest 10k races he had ever done.
Keeping up with the leading pack at 5k Andy turned an ankle over in a puddle with a hidden pothole which set him back a little, but he regained composure to keep up the 5m/km pace to finish in exactly 50 minutes which placed him just outside the medals, finishing 4th M65
Gravesend Floodlit 5k
Trevor Robinson competed in the 1st race of the Gravesend Floodlit 5k series last Friday and was pleased with his time of 23:51
