The Medals Keep Coming!

Written by David Jones on 25/08/2022. Posted in News

Team Stratford at The Summer Six

We start with a reminder for the Club Championships on 11th September. Be there or be square!

There were some fabulous performances and plenty of medals at the recent Midland Counties AA U15 & U17 Championships.

We have a great report from Max Ross on last Saturday’s Summer Six, one of the clubs big annual fund raisers.

There was more recognition for a couple of our top juniors at the recent U20 Welsh International fixture.

Sarah Odell has sent another of her excellent reports, this time on Race the Train.

Dave Wilson has been in action again and finally a trip down memory lane with a programme from the Club Awards in 2011.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Take care

Best Wishes

David Jones

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Important Reminder.

Club Championships

11th September

It’s the final countdown to our club’s Track and Field Championships. Held at Stratford High’s track on 11th Sept. For senior members, as well as competing in the main Championships, it is a great opportunity to score points in the Shakespeare League with the reintroduction of the 5000m race. You will also be supporting the club at the most important event of the club calendar.

This is open to all members – both seniors and juniors! You need to sign up by 4th Sept. Details have now been updated on the website and linked here, so get your skates on!

https://stratfordac.co.uk/track-and-field-championships/

Amy Rowe.

Joel Masters

Nikola Wodsisz

Seb Hillard.

Scarlett Dawson

The Midland Counties AA U15 and U17 Championships

Report – Paul Bearman

Held at the Pingles Stadium in Nuneaton, these Championships offer top class competition just below national level and in blistering energy sapping heat the Stratford ACs youngsters who took part came home with a varied selection of medals that underlined the quality in the junior’s ranks.

Under 13s Scarlett Dawson and Elfirc McKenzie competed in the U13 Quadrathlon (100m, 600m for Elfric and 800m for Scarlett, Howler and Long Jump) and despite some confusion with some of the events and the scoring for the boys, they both competed consistently throughout their respective competitions with both of them finishing the 4 events in the gold medal position.

Joel Masters has burst into the top ranks of UK U15 sprinters this season and he continued his superb form with a good win in his 100m heat and in a high quality line up for the final that would rival a national championship, he soon took the lead and held it to the line to win gold and equalled his PB of 11.41s.

The same scenario was emulated in the 200m and despite having to manage a niggling knee problem Joel continued his hot streak by winning double gold in the 200m final in a new PB of 23.1m.

U15 Seb Hillard had his first taste of competition at this level and ended up as a double bronze medallist. In the Long Jump he finished with a best jump of 5.16m, a new PB, and in the 80m Hurdles he ran a PB of 12.79s.

After a mix up with the timetable, Nikola Wodzisz had the disappointment of missing the Javelin where she was favourite for the title but made up for it by throwing new PBs in the shot, 10.50m to win gold and followed it up in the Discus to win silver with a best throw of 19.15m.

U15 Tom Stanton enjoyed his weekend by jumping a new PB of 4.70m in the Long Jump, and then ran a PB of 13.73s in the 100m and 28.41s in the 200m.

After running in the Midland League the day before, Maddie Linfoot competed in the 1500m finishing 5^th in a PB equalling time of 5.03.47.

Sandy, Carolyne and I couldn’t recall a competition that was run in such oppressive heat and despite the quantity of our athletes competing being low, the quality was exceptional with medals and especially PBs aplenty.

Matt Burdus-Cook on his way to a 2nd place finish.

Alex Pester, Jamie Hall and Ade Mason.

Stratford Summer Six

Saturday 20th August

Report – Max Ross

Hosting on home turf for the Stratford Athletics Club, prized points were up for grabs in the Grand Prix and our reputation at stake in the Warwickshire Road Race League, we had everything to race for last Saturday evening in one of the club’s big annual fund raisers!

A gently undulating course around the Wilmcote countryside, the 6 mile race does have one noteworthy descent at the 1 mile mark, however, is it more notable on your return journey as an uphill slog at mile 5.

The winners of race, in which 192 runners competed, were David Brewis of Sphinx AC with a time of 32:35 and first lady finisher was Natalie Bhangal of Leamington C&AC in 38:15.

Leading the way for the home team was Matt Burdus-Cook, earning the silver medal with 33:01 on the clock. Burdus-Cook was pleasantly surprised by the fast paced first half, but opted for a comfortably positioned second place. Next in for the club was Jamie Hall in 34:25 taking 6^th place, followed by our Under 20’s runner Alex Pester in 11^th place with 35:42 and 2nd U20 finisher

Seth Turner finished next in 17^th place, over the line in 37:51 and stripping nearly two minutes off his previous effort in 2019. Also keen for a course PB and next over the finish line was Max Ross, trimming his 2019 time by 3 and a half minutes for 21^st place in 38:26. Following closely, having taken a couple of months away from racing, came Andrew Cox, 25^th in 39:06, then James Coy nabbing a sub 40 in 31^stplace with 39:50.

33^rd place was Rob Gisbourne, thoroughly buzzing with his first effort on this course, finishing in 40:29. Next in was Ade Mason, sadly forced into taking it easy due to ongoing hamstring niggles, completing in 41:28. Brian Boyle was next, 92^nd in 47:21 and chased in by Susan Hunt, 99^th place with 48:03. 128^thwas David Maundrell in 52:13. Having given 115% effort in the heat and forced to take an en-route rest, Pip Bell came 144^th in 54:59. Lisa Stevens followed in 55:43 for 149^th. Emma Lee came in at 59:27 for 164^th place together with Karen Gisbourne, 165^th in 59:28. 167^th was Katheryn Woodcock securing a sub hour time with 59:49. Long serving club member Allan Coldicott was next fnisher in 177th place with a time of 1:04.06 followed by John Butler in 1:08:45, 180^th place, faster than his 2021 time and nearly matching his 2019 effort. Finally Rosie Slocombe, the club’s most improved athlete of the year crossed the line in a time of 1:11.26 despite a heavily bandaged finger following a fall at the track on the previous Monday which resulted in a 5 hour visit to A&E.

Sarah Bland commented ” It was a lovely evening on Saturday a huge thanks to everyone for getting involved – in the end there were lots of you running and lots marshalling. Sally Bliss and Beverly Brigden worked very hard to get the marshals organised, it’s a big job, so many thanks to both of you.

Millie Leighton

George Fox Rowe

U20 Welsh international

Report – Paul Bearman

England Athletics selected three representative teams at this year’s U20 Welsh International: England North, England South and England Midlands against athletes and teams from across the UK, held at Swansea University Athletics Stadium.

This annual competition is considered to be an important part of the development of competitive international opportunities for young athletes. The aim of selections for these teams will be to enable the best athletes in England to prepare to hopefully compete internationally.

Millie Leighton has been the outstanding U20 Triple Jumper in the West Midlands this season and her selection for the Midlands team was a reward for her consistent performances throughout the summer and leading the regional rankings.

Running into a minus headwind is never easy for jumpers, especially the Triple Jump, as they sail through the air in the 3 phases but her best jump of 11.38 was good enough for 4^th place with a delighted Millie declaring understatedly “not a bad day at all”.

George Fox Rowe was selected for the High Jump as the leading ranked jumper in the Midlands with a PB of 2m recently achieved in the Midland League. However, with limited training recently and so no opportunity for building a consistent rhythm and sharpening up, George was disappointed to go out of the competition with a best of 1.82m and finishing 5^th. George said he wasn’t happy and the day didn’t go to plan because he went out at 1:82.

This is terrific recognition for both Millie and George and reflects well on the club for producing such high quality athletes who can compete at this level.
.

Race The Train 2022

Report – Sarah Odell

Having entered this race back in early 2020,  Covid then pushing it back, I had totally forgotten I had entered until 3 weeks ago before the race when a race number landed on my door mat and I thought “oh whoopsadaisy”,  I’ve done no long runs, so 2 x 12 miles runs was the level of my training. Having done this race back in 2013 I knew it wasn’t going to be easy as I was a lot fitter then and regularly runs long.

Race the Train was started 1984 and is supported by the Rotary club of Twyyn. It is approximately 14 miles long. The classic start is on the crest of the main railway line bridge adjacent to the Talyllyn Railway station.

Both the runners and the train are started by the train whistle ordered by the timekeeper.

The course, which is on public roads for just over a mile, runs through the town before heading for Brynglas. At this point the course turns up a farm drive to cross the railway and follow it all the way to Rhyd-yr- Onnen. After the farm drive there is a mixture of tracks and fields.

At Rhyd-yr-Onnen you leave the railway and run up a tarmac lane for 1/3 mile before turning on to an unmetaled track running through a ford to reach the first refreshment point.

From here you return to run alongside the railway over fields, rough pasture and farm tracks to reach Brynglas. Here you will find the second refreshment point and after climbing up a short stretch of farm road you cross the railway to run the next section with the railway on your right. The first 1.5 miles of this section is over fields and rough pasture to Dolgoch where briefly you cross the car park before ascending across a field to run through trees before dropping down a tricky slope on to fields again and refreshment point three. A short run down an unmade track turns back on to well cultivated pasture all the way to the turn point at 7 miles.

The second half is much tougher than the first. As you turn up to a wooded area it becomes very rough and narrow under feet, you are running on a camber from mile 7 – 8. I turned my ankle 3 times, fell over twice and on my second fall a nice man grabbed my arm and stopped me dropping down the ravine! I decided that I would be safer to walk until the course became wider. After a short run through the field the course becomes an uncultivated sloping hillside, it then crosses a stream and runs under the railway to climb very steeply and run across the face of the hillside on narrow sheep tracks for over a mile when it then climbs to join the road back to Tywyn top of this hill again at Dolgoch Farm, Brynglas (as on outward run) Tynllwyn Hen and finally at Hendy Farm just over a mile to the finish.

The finish is in Tywyn. I was very happy to finish in one piece. When Nick asked me how long I would take I said about 2.20, so really pleased to finish in 2.21, 3rd in my age group.

Note to self – start doing more regular long runs and don’t forget you have entered events.

Masters athlete Dave Wilson competed at the Kettering Harriers AC Open in the 200m. He came 2nd in his heat in 26.32 which would have bee a massive pb but unfortunately the wind was over the legal limit.

And Finally

Mr Bearman has been rummaging through his archives and he came across this programme for the Club Awards in 2011.

Many familiar faces.

Remember The Awards ??

They’ll be back!