Tokyo. Job done.

The day started with the usual 5:00AM alarm clock and heading out the hotel to get the early train to the start village.

 One thing the Japanese are great at is efficiency and I arrived at gate 1 for the airport style frisking at security just outside the Government building in Shinjuku. 

After the customary queues for the plastic huts, I headed to pen C for the 9:10 start.

Right, the guidance from my coach Josh was that the first 5k is downhill so don’t get carried away, well that race plan went out the window after the crowding in front of me delivered a 5:00 minute first kilometre.

I put my foot down a little and went through the first 5K in 20 mins, something I’d pay for later!

As we headed out to the suburbs the sun arose causing the temperature to rise rather quickly, I continued through 10K onto 15K breezing along to halfway at Sumida City in 1:27.

On towards the Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine at 25km, before turning and heading back to Sumida City, past Kayabacho and Nihombashi at 30k, only 12km to go, feeling good I headed towards Hibiya Park at 35km, agonisingly viewing the home straight we turned towards the Tokyo tower, another out and back of around 6km.

Well, thats when the wheels fell off, it was the longest 6km of my life and shows just how unforgiving the distance is. 

I finished in 3:04:07, collecting my race medal along with my six-star finisher medal, my 10-year quest was complete. 

Luckily, that performance will be good enough for my GFA placement for London 2025, but first onto London 2024 in 48 days time. 

Under 11, 13 and 15 West Midlands Regional Sportshall finals

Report – Paul Bearman.

Indoor Sportshall athletics combines speed and a tremendous amount of variable skill sets within a relatively confined space.

Warwickshire and Stratford in particular, have had for many years a very beneficial and successful relationship with Sportshall, however, in a winter where, for various reasons, the Warwickshire Sportshall League hasn’t run, it left a massive void in the winter competition calendar.

Having again been invited to compete in the West Midlands Regional finals, between Stratford and our partners at Rugby & Northampton AC ,we ran a “virtual” league and without regular training or competition, combined to put a Warwickshire team together that resulted in 39 Stratford AC U11, U13 and U15 athletes providing the lion’s share of the Warwickshire team that performed superbly in the finals held in Solihull.

Every year all the age groups are very competitive and the competition this year was even more intense than in previous years with some strong athletes in each team making all the events tough going.

This made the competition tight throughout but the largely inexperienced Stratford contingent, with limited training, contributed enormously to the teams’ performances and gave all the teams a competitive edge and genuine team spirit.

Traditionally the huge catchment area of Birmingham dominates the regional competition and they did so again this year coming off the back of a strong competitive winter league by winning 5 of the 6 age/gender groups against other teams from Hereford & Worcestershire and Shropshire as well as Warwickshire.

13 of our U11s joined up with R&N AC, most of whom were competing for the first time let alone in a championship.

The boys team included our Tobias Freeman, Tom Moore, Casper Willis, Dexter Sharpe and Robin Gallagher and were a very close second. Busy boy Robin then dashed off to the National Primary Cross Country Championships where he finished 8^th.

The girls team included Alice McIntosh, Elsa Scott, Lara Ryan-Gill, Maisie Street, Martha Edwards, Megan White, Sophie Kirby and Matilda Hutchings were 3^rd in their respective groups with Matilda Hutchings winning gold in the U11G Target Throw. 

The U13 girls team included Annabel Stacey, Emily White, Eve Mulliner, Niamh Williams and Tahlia Jones and they came up against a powerful Birmingham team and were kept on their toes throughout by our girls who finished 2^nd.

The boys team that included Billy Sheppard, Carter McKenzie Christopher Durance, Toby Wilkinson, Morgan Nabney, Eli Ford (who was poorly on the day) and Kipp Stevens who narrowly missed winning the 6 Lap time trial, not only had to contend with the “giants” from Birmingham but also a surprisingly strong Herefordshire & Worcestershire who pushed the Warwickshire team into 3^rd place.

The U15s event is a combination of all the team having to do a run, throw and jump and relays to find the individual All Rounder champion and then the combined scores are collated to give the overall team score.

The girls team was made up entirely of Stratford athletes Ava Sheppard (13^th), Bayleigh Stubbins (17^th), Ella Smith (19^th), Lois Ford (23^rd), Martha Silvers (21^st), Scarlett Dawson (25^th) and Annie Silvers, who was not only the winner of the gold medal in the Speed Bounce but finished 3^rd overall. Despite putting everything into their events the team finished 4^th.

The U15 boys team of Alex Wood (4^th), Sam McKenzie (13^th), Toby Thomas (8^th), Will Marriott  (7^th) who won the gold medal in the 4 Lap race, Ethan Winning and Jacob Vural from R&N, had a tricky start to the event when Matteo Martinengo fell ill after the first event and so a hasty reshuffle of the team was needed to ensure all the remaining team did their respective 3 events.

Up stepped Ethan, who unphased, chopped and changed his events and finished joint 4^th overall. The overall winner was Jacob and so when the points were totted up it was announced that the Warwickshire team had defeated their perennial rivals from Birmingham and now go on to the National Final in Stoke on Trent on 6th of April

Having been let down with the non-organisation of the Warwickshire league, Carolynn, Janet Wright from R&N and I took on the task on to put a team together in a very short space of time. We ran our virtual training sessions to ensure the athletes had the opportunity to compete as hundreds of our athletes have done over many years at regional and national level. We will be better organised next winter to chase Birmingham and the other counties as hard as we can.

Carolyne thankfully took on the lion’s share of the organising and afterwards praised our athletes saying afterwards “firstly a huge well done to everyone. You all did a grand job today especially with such little preparation. Most of you have never done a regional competition representing your county before so we really did throw you in at the deep end! Having said that, you were all amazing, worked well with your Rugby teammates and we are very proud of you and how you all did your best to support each other as a team. Congratulations in particular to the U15 boys. ????What a result and UK finalists….you all really deserve your place at the final”

Thanks are also due to to Eleanor Nabney, Dave White and Dan Hutchings for helping to officiate.  Without people stepping up these events can’t run.

The National Primary Schools Cross Country Finals

Report – David Jones

These Championships were first held in 2015 at Belvoir Castle and attracted around 800 entries. By 2019 the event had moved to Prestwold Hall in the heart of the Leicestershire Countryside and touched record entries.

The 2020 edition was heading for even higher numbers but of course we all know what happened then…….A cautious return took place in 2021 before returning to Prestwold Hall in 2023 with entries heading towards1500. This year there were some 1900 entrants with many of our junior club members competing.

In the yr 3 girls race run over 1.4k, soon to be club member Nell Wheeler showed what an asset she will be when she joins, coming a magnificent 9th place out of 122 competing in a time of 6.36. After her race Nell commented 

“It was a very competitive race with over one hundred people running. I found it hard running through the mud but I enjoyed it when we ran through the forest. I was very tired by the end and my feet were wet and cold. Mum and dad bought me a black hoodie for doing so well.”

In the year 4 girls race run over 1.6k, Fflur Jones was 14th with a time of 7.59 with Saskia Atkins (8.17) in 29th place. In the year 4 boys race, also run over 1.6k, the ever smiling Ollie Hollis (7.43) was 45th with Jacob Thomas (9.11) in 148th place. There were 175 finishers.

The year 5 girls race run over 2.4k saw Elsie Pipitone (11.10) finish in 52nd place followed by Poppy West (12.19) in 118th place. 249 competitors finished there race.

The year 6 girls race featured Amelie Marshall (12.49) in 39th and Emily lambert (13.37) in 94th. The race was run over 2.7k and there were 253 finishers.

The year 6 boys race saw Robin Gallagher (10.55) beat his nemesis Sebastian Palmer (11.09). Robin was 8th out of 260. In the same race, run over 2.7k, Reuben Joyce (12.00) was in 80th place.

In the year 7 girls race, run over 3k, Isabella Marriott (14.37) was 110th out of 148 finishers and in the year 7 boys, Reece Yarnold (12.53) and Tom Yates (12.54) were 65th and 67th respectively. There were 128 finishers.

In the Independent Schools XC Championships held at Worksop College on Saturday, Elsie Pipitone (9.03) was 36th in the year 5/6 girls. Stella Sant (14.21) was 24th in the year 8/9 girls. In the year 10/11 girls, Annie Silvers (15.51) was 12th and Bo Algate (16.24) 15th.

Apologies if I’ve missed anyone.
 

Elsie’s Weekend

Report – Dean Pipitone

On Saturday Elsie represented the Midlands team at the Independent Schools Association National Cross Country Finals in Worksop.

This was a combined race for yr5 and yr6 girls and Elsie finished in 36th plac, and we believe she was the 5th yr5 girl to finish.

On Sunday, we were at Prestwold Hall for the National Primary School Cross Country Championships. In a competitive field of 249 she managed 52nd place and was the first Warwickshire athlete to finish.

It was a fabulous weekend and she’s raring to go this Saturday in the Warwickshire Primary Schools Cross Country Championships at Warwick University.

Rhayader Round the Lakes 30km road race

2nd March 2024

Report – Kim Lee

Needing a 30km training race prior to Manchester marathon, I leapt at the chance of a spot at this race when offered up by fellow club member, Katy Liddell- thank you!

Starting at 11.30am meant setting off with kids in tow just after 7am to get to registration on time.

 On the way we travelled through thick snow and I was seriously doubting my trainer choice of carbon-slicks . Thankfully, in Rhayader, mid Wales, the snow had turned to rain so the ultra lightweight trainers were ideal and with temperatures only just in positive figures my mind turned to gloves – 1 pair or 2?!

The first 7km of the route is uphill, with the equivalent elevation of twice up Larkstoke, the Tempo Events Winter Series races, were ideal prep. 

The rain turned back to snow half way up and the windswept snow proved painful on the eyes and face at the exposed top section. I was thinking 3 pairs of gloves may have been more appropriate, rather than my decision of just 1. 

Reaching the top looking like a snowman, it was then time for the downhill – 21km undulating downhill through the Elan Valley alongside lakes, dams, waterfalls, sheep and cows.

It was more strenuous than I had envisaged after the legs were fatigued by the initial climb, but the scenery was just stunning.  The temperature also increased on the descent, so 1 pair of gloves was enough.

I found a running buddy in the latter half. With his proud Ironman Wales tattoo on his calf, I started the conversation comparing notes on long distance triathlon efforts, it soon turned to testing the limits with my finest Welsh banter with the odd mention of rugby.

He stuck with me though – either the Welsh banter was lost in translation, or he was well aware England and Wales rugby teams were equally ropey this season, or he was just grateful for any company.

Finally coming back into Rhayader, we were greeted with a cheeky 1km climb and then the last kilometre downhill through to the finish arch.

I was delighted with my finish time of 2hr 53 minutes, 8th in age group and 1st Stratford AC lady : ) 

Meanwhile Joe and the kids had been checking out Rhayader’s amazing cycling pump track and chilled out in the pool and jacuzzi at the local leisure centre.

As soon as I finished, it was over to Joe to run the route in typical Team Lee tag-team training style. He cruised around with plenty of photo stops, in a time of 2hr 41 minutes.

A well organised event that I would definitely recommend. I can see why it’s in its 40th year.