ILFORD CLEAN UP IN THE MUD

Ilford AC 10 Mile Cross Country Championship
Hainault Forest
December 28th 2019

On Saturday Ilford AC hosted their winter showcase 10 mile cross country event on a cold December morning.
Over 110 runners were treated to the thick mud and hills that characterises most of the 3.3 mile course which is negotiated 3 times. Due to recent rain the mud was thicker this year than in many of the previous years.

Ilfords men totally dominated the race providing the first 7 finishers.
Aaron Samuel continued his great 2009 form with first place for 1:01:52 which also made him the youngest winner in the events 40 year history.
Close behind was Tom Gardner recording 1:02:17 for 2nd, Mungo Prior 1:02:36 for Bronze with Jak Wright closing the team in 4th place in 1:03:26.
The men’s team, of course, won 1st place in the team competition.

Ilfords other men, all ran well and included Bradley Deacon 5th 1:03:40, Gary Coombes 6th and 1st V40 in 1:03:46, Malcolm Muir 7th in 1:05:21 and John Crawley 9th in 1:08:48.
Just a few minutes back a father and son battle was taking place with son Ryan Holeyman in 13th place for 1:13:18 just edging in front of Dad Danny Holeyman in 14th place in 1:13:53.
Danny was followed in 15th place by Hayden Newland in 1:14:12 with Bradley Brown completing the men’s squad in 61st place for 1:34:29 

Anna Crawley was the first Ilford female home, and 3rd female on the day in 32nd place for 1:22:27. Following closely was Bree Nordin in 37th place and first FV60 for 1:24:27, Alison Sale in 67th place for 1:42:24 and Julia Galea completing the Ilford ladies team which finished second on the day in 73rd place for 1:47:52.
Also running well on the day was Frieda Keane in 75th place for 1:49:10

With the race also doubling as the clubs own 10 mile championships Gold, Silver and Bronze medals were awarded to Aaron Samuel, Tom Gardner and Mungo Prior for the men, and Anna Crawley, Bree Nordin and Alison Sale for the ladies.

This year, for the second time, the club also opened the race up to relay teams with 3 different runners each running a lap of the tough course.
The Relays were again won by Ilford AC with a team consisting of Farris Patel 20:24, Jordan Hinds 24:50 and Joseph Grange 21:23. The combined time of 1:06:36 gave them the title by nearly a 5 minute margin.

Also competing in the relays for Ilford or mixed clubs and doing one 3.3m lap were :- Sam Rahman 22:07, Matthew Hick 23:44, Aaron Hick 24:06, Wayne Hick 26:15, Ernie Forsyth 28:57, Jim Tilbrook 30:10 and Sharon Honey 30:55

The race, although over 40 years old, is now held annually to commemorate Ilford AC stalwart Kevin Newell who unfortunately suffered a serious brain injury five years ago and now requires full-time care . A donation will be made from the race proceeds to a suitable charity. It is not only supported and promoted by his comrades at Ilford Athletic Club but many of his friends that he has made from the local running community and throughout the county also turn up to either run, volunteer, or just cheer on the runners in tribute to Kevin.

 

Wicklow 5k
26th December 2019

Diarmuid Mac Donnell travelled back to his native Ireland to run in the Wicklow 5k St. Stephens day race.
Diarmuid was pleased with his 42nd place, which also gave him 3rd V45 place and a prize of a set of resistance bands. His time was 18:48

 

Witham 5m
26th December 2019

Brother and sister team Malcolm and Carol Muir took on the Witham 5m Road race on Boxing day.
Malcolm continues his impressive form with 19th place for 28:50 whilst Carol recorded a seasons best of 46:37 for 276th place

 

Serpentine 5k
Hyde Park
27th December 2019

Serpentine running club held its monthly end of the month 5k in Hyde Park on a cold but dry morning.
In a field of over 200 runners Gary Coombes ran an impressive 16:23 for 12th place.
This time was a 5k PB by over 30 seconds, which caps off a great year for Gary.

 

lford AC Boxing Day Handicap
Hainault Forest
December 26th 2019

A field of 18 runners brushed off the Turkey and Christmas hangover to toe the line for the 11th 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
This year, for the second time, the course was marked out due to people getting lost and running their own route in previous years.

As in previous years a member of the Hick family ran out as winners with Wayne Hick recording 48:08 for first place, just beating Steve Philcox who came in just 9 seconds later. Steve was closely followed by Denis Brigs 48:27, Danny Holeyman 49:04 and George and Matthew Hick who had their own little battle finishing 5th and 6th in times of 49:09 and 49:16.

Special mention to the youngest member out there in the mud Noah Crawley who placed 7th place in 49:21 to win some sweets.

First lady home was a lady who has worked really hard this year to come back from a little time away from competing Sharon Honey who finished in 49:23, just over a minute from the leaders.

Next lady home was Launa Broadley who’s screams as she encountered the mud brought attention from miles around.

Finishing in last place, obviously too full of the Christmas Spirit(s) was Billy Green in 52:23 – a full 4 minutes from threatening the leader board! 

 

	FINISHING POSITIONS										TIME WITHOUT HANDICAP
	NAME	Mins	Secs		HANDICAP		NETT	TIME				NAME	Mins	Secs
1	Wayne Hick	48	08		24		24	08			1	Steve Philcox	21	17
2	Steve Philcox	48	17		27		21	17			2	Sam Rahman	22	30
3	Denis Briggs	48	27		24		24	27			3	Ryan Holeyman	22	55
4	Danny Holeyman	49	04		26		23	04			4	Danny Holeyman	23	04
5	George Hick	49	09		22		27	09			5	Hayden Newland	23	15
6	Matthew Hick	49	16		26		23	16			6	Matthew Hick	23	16
7	Noah Crawley	49	21		0		49	21			7	Wayne Hick	24	08
8	Sharon Honey	49	23		18		31	23			8	Denis Briggs	24	27
9	Aaron Hick	49	31		25		24	31			9	Aaron Hick	24	31
10	Ernie Forsyth	49	46		20		29	46			10	Karl Hick	25	04
11	Ryan Holeyman	49	55		27		22	55			11	George Hick	27	09
12	Alfie Hick	49	58		22		27	58			12	Alfie Hick	27	58
13	Karl Hick	50	04		25		25	04			13	Charlie Hick	29	32
14	Hayden Newland	50	15		27		23	15			14	Ernie Forsyth	29	46
15	Sam Rahman	50	30		28		22	30			15	Billy Green	31	23
16	Charlie Hick	51	32		22		29	32			16	Sharon Honey	49	21
17	Launa Broadley	51	53		13		38	53			17	Launa Broadley	38	53
18	Billy Green	52	23		21		31	23			18	Noah Crawley	49	21

Havering 5m Handicap
26th December 2019

6 Ilford runners turned up on Boxing day morning to compete in the Havering 5m Handicap.

Unfortunately Paul Grange, Joseph Grange and Jak Wright arrived too late to get numbers and times, but were allowed to compete and ran well.

Of the 3 that did have numbers Trevor Robinson was the first of the trio home for Ilford in 11th place with a Handicap time of 56:28 and a running time of 39:58. Trevor was followed by Gary Coombes in 25th place with a handicap time of 58:04 and a running time of 26:14.
The trio was completed by Bree Nordin in 49th place with a handicap time of 59:37 and a running time of 34:52

 

 

ESSEX CROSS-COUNTRY LEAGUE
Writtle College
Saturday 14 December

ILFORD CLAIM SENIOR MALE AND TEAM TITLES

Ilford AC created a piece of club history last Saturday winning an Essex League match for the first time as their Senior men’s team triumphed in the 3rd match of the season at Writtle College beating local rivals Havering AC by just 2pts.

The men’s race was over around 8.5k on a muddy course in a stiff chilly breeze. Ahmed Abdulle was in superb form winning by over 200 metres in 29 mins 09 secs. He was supported by Alex Richards on his first run over the country this season in 8th with 30 mins 58 secs and Paul Grange who ran well for 11th in 31 mins 18 secs. Tom Gardner was as consistent as ever in 18th with 31 mins 34 secs and Mungo Prior, who is still in the under 20 category, came home 26th in 32 mins 06 secs. Gary Coombes moved through the field as the race progressed to 36th with 32 mins 51 secs.  Next home was Oscar Peris in 39th with 32 mins 59 secs followed by Paul Holloway in 67th timed at 35 mins 04 secs. The improving Haydn Newland recorded 36 mins 40 secs for 89th two places and 2 seconds in front of Diarmuid Mac Donnell. Alan Pearl had a strong run in 114th with 39 mins 18 secs and Terry Knightley crossed the line in 39 mins 22 secs for 116th.
Other Ilford finishers, all running well were :  Dennis briggs (135th 40.34) Jim Tilbrook (182nd   47.25) Bradley Brown (186th 48.38) Jim Huddart (202nd  68.01)

The Ilford ladies raced over 7km with Anna Crawley leading the way in 27th spot with 30 mins 11secs with Jenni Sheehan in 35th  in a time of 30 mins 55 secs. The evergreen Bree Nordin came home 50th in 32 mins 12 secs. Nicola Hopkinson completed the team scorers in 69th with 35 mins 05 secs. Alison Sale ran well for 71st in 35 mins 08 secs with Dianne Crisp recording 41 mins 45 secs for 83rd.
The remaining Ilford ladies all putting in a fine effort were  Doris Gaga 104th in 41.45 and Lovedip Dhaliwal  109th in 45.06

In the match Ilford finished 9th in the first division.
Over the season the Ilford senior men are placed in a strong 3rd place in the division with the ladies 10th in the top tier.

Ilford are also placed well in the Individual tables.

Mungo prior is 4th in the under 20s and Tom Gardner 4th senior man after three matches. Bree Nordin is top of the F6 rankings and Nicola Hopkinbson 2nd in the F55 group. Paul Grange lies second in the M40 age category with Dennis Briggs 6th in the same group. Gary Coombes is second in the M45 age group while Alan Pearl is leading the M60 group.

 

Chingford League
Stratford Velodrome
Wednesday 11th December

The latest round of the Chingford League took place on the floodlit cycle circuit in the Olympic Park over a rolling 5km course. Doris Gaga was the only Ilford AC in action finishing 99th in the ladies race in 28 mins 30 secs

Victoria Park 10km\Half Marathon
Hackney
Sunday 15 December

Doris Gaga was in action again taking part in 10km around the flat course in Victoria Park. She came home in 366th place overall and 4th in the F55 age group in 58 minutes exactly.

In the accompanying half marathon recent Ilford recruit Sameena Ahmed recorded a new pb of 1hr 32 mins 17 secs for 108th and 2nd in the F40 category

 

 

Olympic Park Runthrough 10k
Stratford
Saturday 14th December

On a wet and windy Stratford morning Pauline Tester tested herself over the 10k distance.
Pauline was pleased with her time of 50 mins 45 seconds which placed her 3rd in the Female V55 category 

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

 

Zuzana Sinalova recently left England to return to her native Slovakia, but she has been getting in the races and recently nipped across the border to nearby Austria to compete in the Vienna Winter Series. Running along the same streets where Kipchoge recently ran sub 2 hours for the marathon inspired Zuzana to a 5k pb of 19.56 and an age category victory.
She is using the series as build up to the Slovakian half marathon championships in April

Essex County U13 / U15 / Veterans’ Championships
Writtle College
Saturday 30 November

The Essex county cross-country championship for master athletes was held in the grounds of Writtle College near Chelmsford on a bright chilly Saturday morning. All three races were held over a 2 lap 8km course featuring grassland, mud at a couple of challenging climbs.

First up was the ladies race where the runners compete in 5 year age bands. Ilford Ac were led home by the consistent Bree Nordin in 33 rd overall in 42 mins 19 secs. This position earned the silver medal in the F60 age grouping. Next home for the Ilford ladies was Nicola Hopkinson in 56th, and 8th in the F55 category, with 47 mins 05 secs.  Dianne Crisp placed 70th in 49 mins 31 secs, while Frieda Keane ran steadily for 101st with 54 mins 42 secs. Lovedip Dhaliwal completed the Ilford line up in 106th in 56 mins 08 secs.

Leading the way for Ilford in the mens 50 and over race was Steve Philcox with a fine 5th place in 33 mins 30 secs and Paul Holloway gave a determined performance for 13th with 34 mins 48 secs.. Terry Knightley came home 9th in the M55 group and 40th overall with 37 mins 30 secs. Alan Pearl completed the Ilford scorers as the team placed 5th. Pearl was 4th the M60 category and 45 overall in a time of 37 mins 40 secs.
Jim Tilbrook was 98th with 44 mins 04 secs and Satha Alaganandasundaram recorded 58 mins 11 secs in 129th.

The M40-49 age group race was the last of the morning and saw good results for the Ilford club. Paul Grange ran a good tactical race to win the M40 championship in 30 mins 36 secs as he finished 2nd overall. Malcolm Muir gave 100% as always placing 11th 32 mins 23 secs. Gary Coombes moved through to come home 14th after a slow start in 32 mins 30 secs. Dan Holeyman had good race to cross the line 34th in 35 mins 06 secs.
These 4 together finished second in the team event for the silver medals.
Diarmuid Mac Donnell completed well for 43rd with 36 mins 17 secs, while Dennis Briggs finished 66th in 40 mins 29 secs. Trevor Robinson completed the Ilford squad with 46 mins 16 secs for 79th.