A simply stunning victory.

The London Masters International, part of the European Masters Athletic League was hosted at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre and saw 350 athletes compete in an action-packed weekend filled with standout performances and record-breaking moments.

Two world records and one European record made this event a resounding success.

3 of those competing were our very own Elaine Ledden, Paula Williams and Dave Wilson.

Dave came came second in his first heat of the 100m and 1st in his second, winning a very close battle with Sam Nash from Thames Valley Harriers. He was extremely pleased to have run a new PB in 12.98, which is his fastest recorded electronic time.

Dave also came first in his 200m heat.  So overall, he says, he had a very pleasing weekend. Dave is currently ranked in the top 20 UK rankings in his age group in 60, 100 and 200m.

Paula Williams commented “Masters meetings are always fun. You meet up with friends and those that don’t know are your friends yet”

She was nursing yet another case of Achilles tendinitis but warmed up for her 80mh, running against a masters world record holder and a former Olympian – so she managed expectations somewhat.
 
She started to experience pain from about hurdle 3 but managed to finish in a time comparable to her last 80mh race. 

Paula thinks she shouldn’t have started the 100m even though she had hadn’t competed in the second round of hurdles. She felt that there was no push out of the blocks and she limped her way over the line in a personal worst! 

In better news, her results in the shot put proved that her hand is recovering from yet another injury – volar plate – where her fingers were over extended when she released the shot about 5 weeks ago. She  had three throws over 13m and achieved a new Lee Valley Age Group Stadium Record of 13.30m.

Our final competitor was Elaine Ledden who had successful outings in both the 100 and 200ms, recording times of 33.02 and 78.93 respectively.

The Championship is run on a Multi Event basis i.e.to be included in the Club Championship competition, athletes need to compete in 2 events i.e. 1 Track and 1 Field.

• Senior competitors i.e. Under 20 plus can compete in as many events as they wish, however,

2 events must be 1 Track and 1 Field to be scored for the championship.

We are pleased to be running the 5000m which is a race that will be included in the Shakespeare Race Series.

• Junior competitors – Under 11, 13, 15 & 17 can compete in amaximum of 4 events. Under 20 athletes can compete in a maximum of 5 events. 2 events must be 1 Track and 1 Field to be scored for the championship.

• Please note Under 13, 15 & 17 athletes can only compete in either the 800m or the1500m not both. U11s can’t compete in either.

• Relays will be organised on the day and do not count towards the championship.

Points are allocated to each event. The athletes highest score for 1 Track and 1 Field in their respective age/gender group (see points scoring tables attached) will be used for the championship scoring.

Outline Timetable: – 10.00 to 12.30 male track, female field:  1.00 to 3.30 female track, male field (See attached)

All athletes are encouraged to compete in 1 Track and 1 Field, however, by exception athletes could choose to compete in a single track or field event and just the points from that single event will still be included in the championship.

To enter go to https://www.riderhq.com/events/p/kbo8rmzi/f/stratford-upon-avon-ac–2025-track–field-championships and follow the instructions to complete the entry.

 Take care when completing the form.

• You will need to select the event that you are completing the form for ‘Someone Else (Child)’ NOT you the parent.

• The system requires you to repeat the athlete’s details for each event that you are entering.

• You need to keep a note of the events you have entered for each athlete.

• You will receive a general email acknowledgement for each event but it will not detail the events you have entered.

Please enter now, the earlier the better! The deadline is 5th Septemberat the latest (no manual forms will be accepted). Please keep a copy of your events for your reference.

Notes:

• The scoring charts and timetable are attached but please note timings may change and a revised timetable will be issued nearer to the competition if it does need to change.
• The field events will run concurrently and be open for a specific allotted timeframe so that athletes can focus on the track but then go to their field event.
• If events clash the Track events take priority over Field events. Athletes will be able to go back to their field event after the track event within the allotted timescale.

Athletes can wear spikes and should wear a club vest or club T shirt but if not, athletes should wear an appropriate plain white or yellow T shirt (not football shirts etc). You can purchase club kit fromhttps://www.stratfordac.co.uk/shop/ but please don’t leave it until the last minute.

 Parents/Carers: The Club Championships is a collective effort between everyone (not just the regular volunteers) involved in the club and the success of the event for the athletes relies on people helping on the day and parents will be needed to support the club Officials in the field events. We will be in touch.

For the younger juniors a parent/carer will be required to accompany their child and be responsible for them during the competition and to get them to their respective events.

We are going to again run the traditional fun Novelty Events for everyone at the end of the event which is always the most competitive part of the day!

If you have any queries, please contact the respective Age Group Leader or coach.

U11          Carolyne Johnston         juniormembership@suaac.co.uk

U13          Paivi McMillan               paivi.athletics@gmail.com

U15          Carolyne Johnston        juniormembership@suaac.co.uk

U17+         Paul Bearman               suaac@hotmail.com

Endurance      Paul Hawkins                paul.hawkins66@btinternet.com

Paul Bearman

Enter now via https://www.riderhq.com/events/p/kbo8rmzi/f/stratford-upon-avon-ac–2025-track–field-championships

To comply with the Competition licence, we are required by UKA to include this statement……

All participants (including athletes and athlete support personnel) in any licensed event are bound to UK Athletics’ anti-doping rules and must make themselves familiar with these rules on the UKA website. Organisers of licensed events are expected to cooperate with UK Anti-Doping with regards to any code-compliant anti-doping investigations and proceedings linked to their event or participants in their event, and to include the following statement regarding anti-doping compliance, provided by UKAD, within their event registration process:

“An entrant shall be deemed to have made himself/herself/themself, familiar with, and agreed to be bound by the UKA Anti-Doping Rules and to submit to the authority of UK Anti-Doping in the application and enforcement of the Anti-Doping Rules. The UKA Anti-Doping Rules apply to entrants participating in the sport of Athletics, for 12 months from the date of entering the event, whether or not the participant is a citizen of, or resident in, the UK.”

South West Coast Ultra

Report – Mark Barker

It was a bit of a last-minute decision to enter the South West Coast Ultra this year. Having absolutely loved the event in 2024, I finally gave in to temptation and signed up, just ten days before race day.

Each ultra is so unique that tracking progress across events is difficult, so I saw this as the perfect chance to race against my 2024 self and see if I could come out on top.

The real draw of this event is the spectacular course. The 50k circular route begins at Dunster Castle in Somerset, with the first half following the South West Coast Path and the second winding inland through the rugged Exmoor National Park.  

Race day delivered ideal conditions: sunny skies, but not too hot. I started strong, enjoying the coastal views and coping with the rolling terrain.  At the halfway point, I reached the rest stop feeling good and tucked into a well-earned lunch.

Then came the beast: a 7-mile climb to Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor. It was brutal. I felt slower than last year and swore the hills had grown steeper!   That stretch was especially tough because I was running solo, only spotting two other runners and they were overtaking me!   Reaching the summit was a huge relief, and I picked up the pace on the descent to the next rest stop.

There, I found a group of runners still refuelling.  I downed a few cups of flat Coke, topped up my water bottles and got back out quickly.  I managed to keep the group in sight and even overtook a few.  

The last section was packed with technical trails and more punishing hills, but I felt much stronger and really enjoyed this final section of the race.

I crossed the finish line in 7 hrs 36 mins, a full 44 minutes faster than my 2024 time!  Way beyond what I expected. Maybe I’d just forgotten how tough last year really was… but either way, I’ll take the win!