Press Report 25th December 2018  

Dec 252018
 

Ilford Christmas Relay
Cricklefields Stadium
Tuesday 18 December

The annual Ilford AC Christmas relay took place at their home track at Cricklefields Stadium.
It is the one time of the year when all the clubs running groups come together, the Juniors, Senior track runners and the endurance road and cross country runners.

This year 10 teams of 3 or 4 runners entered the relay event with each team having to do 19 laps. The race is run as a relay with the only rules being that each runner has to do at least 3 laps, and the last lap has to be run by the whole team.

It was a close contest this year, and despite heavy rain was a lot of fun.
All ten teams finished within 500 metres of each other with the winning team finishing in 28 mins 15 seconds.

The winning team consisted of Junior Bradley Deacon, which was a complete turnaround for him as he finished in the last team this time last year, Senior Hayden Newland and Phil Euell another Junior. Their prize was a selection of Chocolates. Second prize, a box of Mince Pies, went to Mungo Prior, Aaron Hick and Matthew Cole, whilst the Selection Box which went to the third team was awarded to Rahana Islam, Aaron Samuels and Doris Gaga

 

 

  Press Report. 17th December 2018  

Dec 172018
 

Southend Rudolph 5 Mile Race
Sunday 9th December

Ilford ladies Carol Muir and Julie Gillender set out on a cold and wet Sunday morning to run the annual Southend rudolph 5 mile race.

The run consisted of part of the Southend parkrun route and then along the promenade and back again  to the finish point.

Christmas elves and Santas all festively dressed for the occasion only to be soaked by the rain but the atmosphere kept everyone’s spirits up. On finishing every runner received a medal,mince pie and Christmas pudding .
Both ladies were pleased with their runs with Julie coming in on 52:39, closely followed by Carol with a time of 53:41

 

ESSEX CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE – SENIORS
Horseheath, Cambridge
​Saturday 15 December

The third round of the Essex Cross-Country League was held on a bitterly cold afternoon on the wide open Horseheath racecourse just over the border into Cambridgeshire.

The ladies race was over 6km with Carlie Qirem leading the way in 38th in 30 mins 06 secs. Next up was Bree Nordin, who is leading the league in the F55 section, with 31 mins 19 secs. Nicola Hopkinson was 63rd in 32 mins 55 secs and Anna Crawley closed out the scorers  in 34 mins 11 secs.
The Ilford ladies fished  8th on the day and are currently in 9th in division one of the league this season.

Also in action were Sharon Honey in 79th with a time of 36:12 and Julia Galea with 89th in a time of 37:55.

The men’s race was an 8.6km event with John Crawley leading the under strength Ilford team in 82nd with 34 mins 13 secs. He was supported by Dan Holeyman in 95th with 35 mins 23 secs, with Diarmuid Mac Donnell just 2 places and 5 seconds behind.
Phil Davies ran a steady race to finish 107th with 36 mins 24 secs and Alan Pearl came 146th in 40 ins 02 secs. Trevor Robinson was the last of the team’s scoring athletes in 41 mins 55 secs.
The Ilford club finished 10th in the match and maintain 7th spot in division one of the Essex League.

The club had 4 other athletes in action in the event; Steve Cheal 162nd   42.31, sprinter Henry Ricketts 171st 46.10 Ray ‘Sparra’ Everingham 177th in 54:12 and Jim Huddart, who is leading the M70 category in the league, 180th in a time of 64:32

 

 

Dawn to Dusk Sunlight Ultra
Woodford Green
Sunday 16th December

The Dawn to Dusk Sunlight Ultra is a running event organised by the ‘Sikhs in the city’ running community every year and consists of races at many Disciplines.
Ilfords Peter Spelman decided to take part in the ‘Marathon event’ which amazingly consists of 21 laps for the 26.2 mile course.
Peter was pleased with his time of 4:59:40 which placed him 31st on the day and 4th in his age category.

  Press Report 11th December 2018  

Dec 112018
 

South of England Masters Cross Country Championship
Oxford
Saturday 8th December

Saturday saw the country’s best vets competing in Oxford for the ‘South of England Masters Cross Country Champs’
Ilford AC had the one athlete running, ex England International Andy Catton, who ran in the Over 60’s race.

On a tough hilly and muddy 10k course Andy finished in an impressive 41.29, a run he described as his best race for years.
Andy’s efforts earned him 5th place in the over 65 category, which placed him one place above World 800m and 1500m champion and record holder Dave Wilcox.

Andrew also placed 11th overall in the over 60’s.

Essex runners won both age groups – Dave Cox of Woodford was first M65 and Mick Bridgeland of Chelmsford first M60

 

WARE CUP
Loughton
Saturday 8 December

This years Ware Cup saw a field of 90 assembled at the Roding Valley Recreational Grounds in Loughton for this 8km team event. The race runs out of the park across the Roding River for 3 laps of the country park area and then back.

The Ilford male challenge was headed by Gary Coombes. who is in good form this autumn, in 9th place with 29 mins 26 secs and 1st M45 over the line.
Hard working Seb Parris backed him up in 13th place in 30 mins 42 secs.
Next up was Diarmuid Mac Donnell in 33 mins 54 secs. Ed Skinner closed the scores in 63rd spot and 2nd in the M60 category in 40 mins 40 secs.
Jim Huddart was the only 70 age category runner in the event and finished 87th.

The Ilford ladies line up was headed by Bree Nordin as 9th in the ladies race in 37 mins 54 secs and 1st in the F60 category. Nicola Hopkinson came home 22nd in a strong field with 41 mins 10 secs and 2nd in the F55 grouping.
Gaye Young completed the team in 33rd spot with 44 mins 53 secs.

In the match Ilford finished 4th in both the mens and the ladies fixtures.

 

  Press Report 4th December 2018  

Dec 042018
 

ESSEX VETERANS CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
Hilly Fields Colchester
Saturday 1 December

The first championships of the winter were held at a damp Hilly Fields in Colchester as the titles and medals for the ladies over 35 and men over 40 were up for grabs.
The races were over a mainly grassland course, just over 7km with a testing hill which had to be negotiated twice

The first race of the day was the Veteran ladies.
The Ilford ladies were led By Bree Nordin, who won the clubs only medal of the day as she took silver in the F55 category, placing 39th in 34 mins 46 secs.
She was supported by Alison sale who is running on the Cross-country circuit for the first time this season in 82nd with 40 mins 20 secs and Doris Gaga, who is returning to form, in 91st with 41 mins 26 secs. Julia Galea completed their scoring team in 104th with 43 mins 53 secs. Also in action for the ladies was Frieda Keane who placed 106th for 44:02 and Sheila Sinclair finishing in 117th in a time of 52.42.
Ilford were the 12th club to finish a team.

The next race was for the men aged 50 and over.
Ilford AC had 4 entrants with Andy Catton coming home 49th and 8th in the M60 category in 31 mins 42 secs and Steve Parker 87th and 16th in the same age category.
Sprinter Henry Ricketts, giving cross-country a go this season came home 109th with 41 mins 45 secs.
However, Ilford were unable to complete a team as Paul Holloway had to pull up with an injury whilst well placed.

In the race for men aged 40-49 Ilford AC had their best results of the afternoon with the ever-reliable Malcolm Muir finishing a fine 7th in 26 mins 31 secs and improving Gary Coombes 12th in 26 mins 52 secs. Dan Holeyman had a good run in 58th with 30 mins 20 secs. Trevor Robinson completed the squad with 36 mins 47 secs for 94th. the Ilford team were the 7th club to finish a team on the day.

 

 

  Press Report 26th November 2018  

Nov 262018
 

Bass Belle 10 Miler
Bassingbourn
Sunday November 27th

Sunday saw the 5th running of the Bass Belle 10 miler, so named as Bassingbourn is known for the famous air plane called the Memphis Belle.
The route is a flat, fast course consisting of 8.5 miles on the road and 1.5 miles on grass track.
The course is described as being perfect for runners making their debut at the distance which is exactly what Ilford AC runner Ray ‘sparra’ Everingham was setting out to achieve.
Sparra joined the club earlier this year at our Wednesday beginner / improvers nights having never done any running before. Through the year he has now represented the club at various distances, including Cross country, culminating in today’s debut at the 10 mile distance.
Sparra was very pleased with his time of 1:38:28 which placed him 255th in a field of 369.

 

A trio of Ilford runners were also out at the weekend running as guests in Cross country races.
On Saturday Gary Coombes and Trevor Robinson ran in the Chingford League at Trent Park over a 7.5k distance. Gary Coombes finished 28th in 28:33, with Trevor Robinson coming in for a time of 38:32 in 190th place.
On the Sunday the duo ran their second gruelling cross-country race of the weekend at Hadleigh in the South Essex League over a 6k distance, where they were joined by Steve Philcox for the particularly hilly and muddy course.
Once again Gary Coombes was first to finish, coming in for 12th place in a time of 24:36. Gary was followed by Steve Philcox in 26:03 for 28th and Trevor Robinson in 33:20 for 160th place.