Essex Cross Country League
Braintree 14/01/2017

Ilford Young Athletes had some encouraging runs at the fourth Essex League held at Braintree on Saturday. The snow from Thursday had but gone, but the freezing conditions meant that parts of the course were still frozen and slippery underfoot.
First up was Matthew Hick in the Under 13 race. After a slow start Matthew began to move up through the field and on the twisty part of the course he was flying along. The final part of the course involved a switchback followed by a steep uphill section and long downhill run into the finish.After negotiating the switch back, Matthew flew up the hill and was still taking people as he came into the finish for an excellent 8th place.
The U15 boys have been Ilford’s most successful team this season. However they have failed to close a team since the first match and yet again late illness meant they only had three runners competing. However all three had very good runs. The team was made up of Aaron Samuel, Mungo Prior and Bradley Deacon, all of whom made good starts with Mungo and Aaron being up with the leaders and Bradley working his way through. By the end of the small lap a lead of group of about eight had been established of which Aaron and Mungo were a part. A little further down the field Bradley was making good progress. In the final mile the lead group brokeup with Leon Wheeler of Thurrock stretching away for Victory. Despite almost falling on one of the hills, Aaron had his best run of the season for 3rdplace. Mungo was in his own battle which he just lost on the line yet still ended up in 5th place. Bradley was still moving through the field and powered up the last hill to take 28th place, which was his best position yet in the league and reward for all his recent hard training.
Jordan Hinds was Ilford’s sole runner in the U17 ladies race and after a season interrupted by injury and exams is gradually racing her way back to form. After a steady start she was nicely positioned inthe middle of the field. Her long flowing style is not ideally suited to muddy cross country, but as the race went on she was moving through the field. As with the others the final part of the race involved a steep hill, and the Saturday morning hill sessions clearly paid off as she pulled away from other runners to take a best place in the under 17 category of 11th.

Essex Track and field Championships
Southend 27th August 2016

Ilford AC had a highly successful day at the final day of this year’sEssex Track Championships at Southend last Saturday. The meeting consisted of afew individual events, but most of the meeting comprised of relays in which Ilford contested eight and picked up medals in six of them.
First up were the women in the Under 17 4x 100 where the teamconsisted of Isabella Hick, Jordan Hinds, Ayshah Lawrence and Ellie Wright. The competition was pretty stiff and they did great to reach the final, where theytook 8th place.
Next up were the under 15 boys also in the 4x 100. TheIlford team of Jack Halil, Aaron Samuel, Mungo Prior and Farris Patel are allmiddle distance runners and the step down to the sprints was a bit of a shockto their systems, but they did well to take 5th place.
The Under 17 women were back up next, in the 3x 800m.Isabella was on first leg and made a fast start and got the team intocontention on the first lap, however her fast early pace took its toll on thesecond lap and she drifted to 5th place. Ellie who is not over keenon running the 800m ran the second leg and despite losing one place ran asteady leg. Jordan flew off on the 3rd leg and was rapidly closingdown on athletes ahead of her, she passed one each lap bringing the team home in 4thplace. However as the U15 were also in the same race Ilford claimed 2ndplace and silver medals in the U17 category.
Like the women’s race the U15 boys and U17 men’s 3x 800 wasa combined race, Mungo ran first leg for Ilford where the Colchester athlete made aflying start and soon established a huge lead. Mungo stayed with the pack andhanded over to Jack in 4th place. For the first lap Jack was content tosit in with the group, but at the bell he surged to the front. However the tworunners went with him, whereas previously he has faltered down the backstraight, this time he hung in there and kicked again over the last 100m tohand over in 3rd. Farris went on leg three. By this time the longtime leaders Colchester were struggling and soon Orion moved into the lead withFarris moving into second place, a position they held until the finish. Howeverin turned out the Orion team were U17’s so Ilford took the gold medal in theU15 category.
The women’s 4x 300m followed and once again Isabella ranfirst leg and against strong opposition handed over in 4th place.Ayshah who has never raced further than 200m and was nervous before the startran a great second leg retaining 4th place. Jordan pulled out allthe stops on the 3rd leg and matched to catch the 3rdplace athlete and handed over to Ellie level with Orion. The last leg runnerfor Orion made a very fast start and created an immediate gap over Ellie, anddespite Ellie closing in the home straight, Ilford had to settle for fourth.However when the results were read out the first place team were disqualified,moving Ilford up to 3rd, which meant across the three events all thegirls, had received a County medal. Which clearly delighted Ayshah who keptsmiling the rest of the day.
Aaron Samuel who is just back from a long holiday and behindin training ran a great opening leg in the Under 15 boys 4x 300 bringing theteam home in 3rd place. Jack had another storming run flying alongthe back straight and handing over in second place. Mungo ran third leg and maintainedsecond place which, which meant Farris ran the anchor leg and bought the teamhome in a hard earned second. Like the girls every one of the boys received acounty medal.
The senior men’s 4x 400 contained a team of middle distancerunners who used this as an end of season blow out. Jack Maher ran first legand came home in an excellent 2nd place, before handing over to AlexRichards who held onto second place. Ahmed Abdulle who rarely runs anythingshorter than 1500m showed he has a turn of speed by maintaining 2ndbefore handing over to Simeon Balsom. Simeon who ran close to 50 seconds in a recent leg match trieddesperately to catch the Chelmsford athlete ahead of him and got to within 15metres but ultimately had to settle for second place.
The final event of the day was the rarely run Medley relaywhich consisted of 200, 200, 400, 800. Young Temi Adershorn ran the first legfor Ilford, and although he prefers the 100m ran a great opening leg cominghome in 3rd place. Jack took the baton on the second leg and ran agreat bend to move the team into second place. Having only just recovered froma great leg in the 4x 400 Simeon was called upon to run anther 400m andalthough he got close to the Chelmsford athlete there was still a gap of 20 metreswhen he handed on to Ahmed . A fast start was made by Ahmed and he halved thegap on the first lap, but going into the wind on the back straight the Chelmsford athlete just managed tostretch the gap out again which he helduntil the finish.
At the end of the meeting Ilford had one Gold Medal, 4Silvers and one Bronze and everyone that competed won at least one medal.