We Are The Champions and Medals Galore

Paul Hawkins – A Personal Appreciation

 Tony Jackson.

With Paul finally stepping down as Chair of SUAAC, David J  asked me to do a piece for the newsletter recognising Paul’s service to the club.

Although Paul also worked for NFUM it was only when I joined the club in the late 1990’s (on a free transfer from Leamington C&AC) that I really came to know him.

We were both very committed athletes in those days, often training together several times a week and hence a rivalry was born that I think spurred us both on. We would compete against each other in various road races before joining forces to represent the club in the Cross Country during the winter and Track and Field in the summer.

Paul captained and organised both those teams which for anyone who has subsequently taken on those roles will know is a thankless task. But he was committed to the club and did those duties for nearly twenty years always looking to improve standards and encourage others to become involved. 

He was a driving force in getting the track operational which has been transformational for the club.  He provided the essential link between the Junior and Senior sections and he can take great satisfaction from the numbers using the facility during the week.

The Monday night track sessions at the Home Guard club are now just a distant memory

I knew he was a qualified coach although it was only later that I understood his additional commitment to the Junior section, a commitment that remains. He was also a qualified official for both track and field events, a route that he inspired me to follow and, on many occasions, we would find ourselves officiating and competing in strange events all to support the club. 

One of my favourite anecdotes was when he had to provide an A and B athlete  in the 110m Hurdles. Paul had to choose between a young Andrew Pozzi and myself. He chose Andrew as the A athlete and as they say the ‘rest is history’ (To be fair Andrew could have run two races in the time I took)

He would probably admit that he wasn’t the most naturally gifted runner but his training regime and his grit and determination ensured that he always gave his absolute maximum in his races. Incredibly his serious knee injury merely resulted in him redefining himself as a Racewalker where he has gone on to represent England.

Against all of this background he was the Club Chairman keeping a steady hand on the tiller. He steps down from that role having seen the club be transformed from those early days when we first met.

Finally, although he is no longer Club Chairman he is still very much involved in the club. 

Warwickshire 2024 Cross Country Championships
 
Saturday 14 December.

Solihull Riding Club

Juniors race Report – Angela Williamson

An exciting new location was the venue for the these Championships last Saturday.  Although purpose built for equine cross-country, it turned out to be an excellent facility for athletes of the two-footed variety. 

The courses varied slightly in layout and significantly in distance throughout the day but all had undulations, open fields and wooded areas and all ended with a long uphill to the finish!  

The weather was kind, the runners in the first few races being dazzled by bright sunshine on the final hill and although it clouded up later it was still relatively warm.  The ground held up well, with only a few boggy patches dotted around the course. 

For several of the age categories the boys and girls races were on course at the same time, a reporting challenge given that it was impossible to be in several places at once!  

The top three placed athletes counted towards the team club competition and the first three finishers for the county would gain automatic selection for the Inter County Championships to be held in Nottingham on 8 March 2025.

The occasion was no doubt a great experience for our youngest athletes, competing over 1500m.  And didn’t they do well?!  A fabulous 3^rd position for the U11 Boys in the team competition.  Our first three finishers were Henry Yates 9^th/06:15, Rafe White 11^th/06:23 and Oliver Hollis 15^th/06:28, followed by Dexter Sharpe, Simon Zawada and Bertie Hovell, who put in a sterling effort up the final hill to the finish.    

Hot on their heels came the talented U11 Girls trio of Elsie Pipitone 5^th/06:10, Saskia Atkins 7^th/6:26 and Sara Clewer 12^th/6:47, and they clinched a brilliant 2^nd position in the team competition.  Poppy West13^th/06:52 finished just after Sara.  Quinn Lancaster and Imogen Jolly completed a great race for us, with a strong finish and overtake by Imogen on the final hill.  

Our U13 Boys Robin Gallagher 10th/ 11:11, Charlie Cassells 12^th/ 11:32, Tobias Wilkinson 22^nd/ 12:37 acquitted themselves well in a fast race over 3000m, followed closely by the U13 Girls.  Excellent runs by Amelie Marshall 2^nd/11:14, Maggie Silvers 7^th/11:38 and Emily Lambert 14^th/12:08 brought home a fantastic individual and team silver!  A top 20 finish by Jasmine Mothershaw capped a very successful event for SuAAC.

The U15s competed over 4000m, the races as exciting and eventful as ever.  In the boys, Will Hovell made a fast start and managed to hold a strong 3^rd position coming into the final hill.  He seized his opportunity when then 2^nd placed Charlie Egerton (Bromsgrove and Redditch) took a fall, to finish in silver position 2^nd/14:36!  Our next two athletes were close behind, of the two Joel Ledgard had the stronger finish, overtaking Arthur Williamson on the final hill straight to take 3^rd/ 14:58 with Arthur in 4th/15:01.  A wonderful result, U15 Boys Champions together with individual silver and bronze!

The medals kept on coming in the U15 Girls.  Marijke Tear-Verweij taking a brilliant 2^nd/18:48 and, together with Elle Weir 15^th/ 21:42 and Rachel Sparrow 17^th/ 22:22, team bronze.  Georgia Sharpe secured another top 20 finish.
 

To recap, ot was a hugely successful event for Stratford upon Avon Athletics Club:

Warwickshire U17 Men Team Champions – Sam Lambert, Zak Lambert, William Mayes

Warwickshire U17 Men Individual Silver – Sam Lambert

Warwickshire U15 Boys Team Champions – William Hovell, Joel Ledgard, Arthur Williamson

Warwickshire U15 Boys Individual medals: Silver – William Hovell, Bronze – Joel Ledgard

Warwickshire U15 Girls Team Bronze – Marijke Tear-Verweij, Elle Weir, Rachel Sparrow 

Warwickshire U15 Girls Individual Silver – Marijke Tear-Verweij

Warwickshire U13 Girls Team Silver – Amelie Marshall, Maggie Silvers, Emily Lambert 

Warwickshire U13 Girls Individual Silver – Amelie Marshall

Warwickshire U11 Girls Team Silver – Elsie Pipitone, Saskia Atkins, Sara Clewer

Warwickshire 2024 Cross Country Championships

 Solihull Riding Centre

Senior Ladies race report – Becks Pridham

It’s getting closer to Christmas and the cross country fairy just keeps on giving!

Solihull Riding Centre was the location for the 2024 Counties Cross Country, which proved to be a rather delightful course (I may be in the minority here…). Undulating fields, a small cluster of woodland with added mud and a deep (dry) ditch which challenged the legs on each circuit. Tilly and Niamh had decorated the club tent with tinsel, fairy lights and lots of yummy snacks for the post race celebrations.

Niamh Hillard turned her ankle during the warm up, so sadly pulled out prior to the race, we all wish her a speedy recovery.

First ladies home for Stratford AC were Georgie Campbell (2^nd, 26:55), Jess Sheppard (18^th, 29:42) and Emma Bexson (36^th, 31:51). Georgie and Jess both racing well on the course, although Georgie was slightly miffed by her being pipped to the coveted first place by Banbury Harriers’ Emily Thompson. Emma somehow running on caffeine and fumes and a significant lack of sleep in the preceding few days. No idea how she pulls out the results every time.

Abi Cooper (44, 32:48) and Immy Sheppard ( 70^th, 36:10) ran well on a course which demanded concentration, strong cores and some dogged determination. 

Suzi Graham (89^th, 37:57), Tilly Campbell (107^th, 39:47), Becks Pridham (114^th, 41:06), Kath Pester (119^th, 42:26) and Sue Mothershaw (125^th, 45:27) completed the Stratford Ladies line up.

Sue Mothershaw had a magnificent finish and in her words “for the first time in forever, I felt like could actually catch another runner!” and she charged up the hill to the finish, “I can’t believe I achieved it!”. 

Cross country has the speedy runners and the steady runners, but all of them are determined and they went out there and did it. Some of them even smiled too!

Stratford came second in the Warwickshire Senior Team Results with Georgie, Jess and Immy Sheppard. Stratford Masters Team came seventh with Emma Bexson, Suzi Graham and Becks Pridham.

Extra thanks goes to Nick Campbell for the amazing photos and being on Chief Tent Duty.

Winter Series Race 3
 

Report – Becks Pridham
 

This Ilmington race is renowned for tackling the ‘big hill’ of Larkstoke clockwise and then anticlockwise for five races over the winter months.

However, last year saw the Tempo team try an alternative ‘mystery’ route for the December race which proved to be so popular that they did it again for 2024.

This route avoids Larkstoke altogether, instead heading north out of the village and climbing steadily, then routing back to rejoin the ‘village loop’ which is more familiar to the Winter Series faithful for the last 3-4 km.

Stratford had a significant contingent with 36 athletes getting up early on a Sunday morning for the bracing run, accounting for over 10% of the total runners.

Notable results for the day included Andy Lawrence (1st, 34:06)  and Jamie Hall (2nd, 35:05) who were first and second overall and for Stratford. Ade Mason (9^th, 39:06) was first in the MV45 category and Eloise du Luart (2^nd lady, 40:35) being first Stratford lady home.

Some of the Sunday runners had also raced the day before at the Warwickshire Counties Cross Country Championships, so kudos to Suzi Graham Sue Mothershaw and Becks Pridham (who rather bizarrely, found her legs to be on form and had her best race in the series this year!).

Club results are shown below (apologies, this has been filtered by the team name)