The show is about to begin !

Kenilworth Half Marathon and 5k.

Report – David Jones

19 of the almost 1000 finishers in this year’s Kenilworth Half are listed as SAC members in the official results.

We also had 3 of our juniors’ competing in the 5k race. Brothers Josh and Ben Harrison, along with Jasmine Mothershaw. Josh, who was competing in the senior race after winning the junior category last year, finished 9^th overall in a time of 18:40. Younger brother Ben, also competing in the race for the second year, finished 8^th in the junior category in 24:18. Jasmine completed the race in 26:55.  Strong performances from all 3 on the undulating course. 

The full list of 5k runners are in the link below:

https://www.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16418&RId=969&EId=2&dt=0

For the half marathon please read Jamie Hall’s report below on his superlative victory by the relatively comfortable margin of 26 seconds.

The next of our runners, in 30th place with a time of 1:23.10 was Drew Sambridge, who then went over to Nuneaton to compete for our Vets T&F team in the Midland Vets League ‘A’ Cup final. A real trooper. Our 3rd runner home was the ever improving James Lake in 43rd place with a PB time of 1:25.50, over a couple of minutes quicker than his previous best time over this distance. Then it was Seth Turner (57th – 1:27.55), followed by Ian Stevens ( 79th – 1:31.10).

Rob Gisbourne then ran 1:31.51 to finish in 90th place, followed by Ted Burch (1:36.33), Graham Hill (1:44.12) and Nigel Chidgey (1:46.08).

A mere 6 seconds behind Nigel was Chris Bloomfield in a time of 1:46.14. Chris was followed just 18 seconds later by Wayne Vickers in 1:46.32, who himself was followed by his wife Emma in 1:46.33. Did you beat her in a sprint finish Wayne ? Emma was 2nd out of 35 in her FV55 age category.

Ultra runner Mark Barker ran 1:47.15, a 1:26 improvement on his previous best half marathon at Windsor last year.

Next were our ladies Yumiko Turner (1:51.01) and Lisa Stevens (2:09.51). Lisa was followed by Karen Gisbourne who’s time of 2:14.03 was a huge 7 minute improvement on her previous best time at Worcester last year.

Kath Pester (2:20.56) was next, followed by Sue Mothershaw (2:21.22), showing a massive 7:30 improvement on her time in this race last year. Finally Sian Jossi completed our contingent in a time of 2:28.10.

For the full list of those listed as our club members please follow the link below:

https://www.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=16418&RId=969&EId=1&dt=0&adv=1

Well done one and all.

Jamie’s Victorious Kenilworth Half

Report – Jamie Hall

The Kenilworth Half was 5 weeks on from my last triathlon of the season. I had spent the previous months trying to get quicker in the pool and on the bike, with some success. The running had taken a back step and was needed after a spring marathon block. However, I booked the London Vitality 10k, which is at the end of this month, as a focus after the triathlons. I then decided to book a few races before to help get me in from for a PB attempt, and Kenilworth Half was one of those races. 

With it not being a goal race and with it being the same week as the Wednesday club race, I decided to not taper and just have a good week of training. So I had no expectations whatsoever on the day. I even told my fiancée not to come and watch because it was a “training run”. 

Race start – I started off sensibly and watched the runners run off into the distance.

3km – I was just inside the top 10 and the pace felt surprisingly comfortable.

3km–11km – I began to pick up the pace and the kilometres ticked by as I kept spotting the next runner ahead to catch.

12km–14km – I could see two Aldridge runners just ahead, and I remembered at the start they were just behind the front two. So I thought this could be a battle for the podium. I pushed harder up the hill and then even harder on the downhill and ran my fastest split of 3:14. This helped me to run into 3rd place, which I was delighted with at the time!

15km – I turned left to head back towards Kenilworth, and this was the first time I could see the front of the race. At this point of the course, runners were running up the road in the opposite direction towards the loop. The support from the SAC runners was amazing and it really inspired me to not settle for 3rd place.

17km – I had caught the Coventry Godiva runner who fallen back from the lead. Again, I pushed on to put a gap into him. It wasn’t long before the turnaround point and I could see the lead car and bike ahead. The Spa Strider really wasn’t far away. This was the first time in the race I thought that there was a chance of winning, and the first point in the race I had the experience of being filmed for the live stream.

18km – The Spa Strider runner definitely put in a surge after seeing me at the turnaround point, and I didn’t feel like I was gaining. 

19km – The gap had really closed and I was approaching the bottom of the final big hill, which was where Spa Striders had taken over and made it into a club fan zone. At this point, everyone was cheering the other runner’s name and this must have given me the extra motivation I needed. At the top of the hill, I took the lead for the first time. I did enjoy being filmed at this point, and I think it’s on Kenilworth Runners’ Facebook and YouTube if you fancy a watch!

To the finish line – I kept up the pace and managed to put a gap into the runner and was just waiting for the sight of the high street. On the final corner, I took a look back and knew at this point I had done enough.

To be honest, I couldn’t quite believe what had happened, but it felt incredible to win my first half marathon, especially when it was so unexpected!

UK Youth Development League (YDL) Upper Age Grroup National Final

Liverpool

Saturday 6th September

Paul Bearman

A few years ago I was looking for higher competition opportunities for our older juniors and fortuitously I was approached by John Gercs at Rugby & Northampton AC to see if we would be interested in joining in with them in taking part in the UK Youth Development League upper age group. 

I jumped at the opportunity and this has developed over the last few year into a mutually beneficial “marriage” for both clubs with Stratford athletes competing as 2^nd claim, thus giving the Stratford athletes the chance to compete in higher level competition against their peers in other strong clubs, whilst considerably strengthening the R&N team. 

Report on the day:

Compiled by Louise & Emily Lambert and Nikki Hillard

This season 13 Stratford athletes have competed helping R&N reach the National Final in Liverpool for the 2nd year running against the top teams in the country. John Gercs commented afterwards “the Stratford athletes have all competed really well throughout the season with the several competing in the final, where the team finished an unbelievable 2nd position again just behind the mighty Blackheath and Bromley. The Stratford athletes play such a pivotal role in the success of this team – without them this success would not be at all possible”.!

It was a great show from our Stratford athletes on a rainy Liverpool for the YDL upper age group national finals. 

First up were our hurdle runners. Seb Hillard in the 400m (under 20m). Seb cleared them all with ease and came in 2nd to gain the silver medal. Following this was Will Hovell (under 17m) who came in a credible 4th. Finally, Annie Silvers ran the 300m hurdles (under 17w) to secure another silver medal for the Stratford athletes. 

Following this  it was the turn of our 1500m athletes. First up was Zak Lambert who battled bravely to secure yet another silver medal and he was followed by brother Sam who ran a great tactical race to finished in the gold medal position. Niamh Hillard then pushed through determinably to finish 3rd and take the bronze medal. 

Next it was the turn of the 400m runners with Alex Wood (under 17m) running a great race for 2nd place and another silver medal for the total. Ella Smith (under 17w) then took to the track with a great performance taking bronze in the 200m followed by Niamh Hillard taking her second medal of the day in the 800m but this time a silver. Annie Silvers also matched this achievement in the 800m with a silver medal. 

Meanwhile on the field Seb Hillard secured yet another silver in the shot put with a distance of 9.91m and Will Hovell also bought home the silver with a 2.75m pole vault.

The relays finished a very busy day for our Stratford athletes with Will, Annie and Ella all part of the 4 x 400m teams that all won silver medals.

What a great day for our Stratford athletes with the biggest points haul they had ever and greatly helping Rugby and Northampton secure a tremendous second position. 

Well done all!

Stratford athletes in the final

Girls:

Niamh Hillard – 800m and 1500m

Ella Smith – 200m and 4 x 300m relay

Annie Silvers – 300mH, 800m and 4 x 300m relay

Marijke Tear Verweij – 3000m

Boys:

William Hovell 400mH, PV and 4 x 400m

Alex Wood 400m and 4 x 400m relay

Seb Hillard 400mH and shot

Zak Lambert 1500m

Sam Lambert 1500m

All of our athletes who have competed for R&N in the YDL this year.

Seb Hillard

Alex Wood

Will Hovell

Zak Lambert

Arthur Mansbridge

Sam Lambert

Tom Stanton

Ruby Edwards

Lucy Lane

Ella Smith

Ava Sheppard

Niamh Hillard

Annie Silvers

Great North Run

Report  – Simon Dexter-Jones

The agony and the ecstasy; mostly agony I have to say but I’d do it all again.

This year, to give myself a fighting chance of beating my PB, I embarked upon my training earlier than the previous year.

All was going well and then bang, with seven weeks to go, I developed Achilles tendinopathy and had to stop the training completely for just under five weeks. This left me with two weeks training before the race itself, not enough as it turned out.

If I had been running just for myself, I would have deferred to next year but as I was running for charity and I had already raised nearly £500, my target no longer became a PB but just to complete the race. 

So alongside 60,000 other runners and approximately 250,000 spectators, I set off to the sounds of the red arrows flying overhead.

My achilles was giving me no problem and I maintained a steady race pace. The support from the crowd was unbelievable and if you have not done the GNR, the atmosphere is truly electric.

All was going well until I reached 17 km and then it happened, excruciating pain in my knee; I just had to slow down and try and manage it. The problem was that this slowing down further fatigued my already stressed muscles and cramp set in and set in it did … big time. I was in agony and I still had 4 km to go but there was no way I was going to stop, I kept telling myself this is about the charity.

Other runners slowed to encourage me, to run with me and to ensure I got to the end. It was truly humbling and the crowd lining the last mile, that is something I will never forget, they could see the agony on my face and little by little a crescendo of ‘Go on Simon, you can do it, not much further’ built itself into a Mexican wave of cheering and shouting for me.

Never have I experienced that ever.

I crossed the line feeling very emotional. I’m pretty sure I could not have done it without the support of fellow runners and the crowd.

That is what running is about, that is what a club like ours is about.
Would I do it again? Of course I would, but not with Achilles tendinopathy.