BasMag | Summer 2017 | Issue 2 by BasMag

THE MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO BASILDON ATHLETICS CLUB

BASMAG ISSUE 2

SUMMER 2017

ROAD WARRIORS

The triumphant runners from the Brentwood Half

GOING BEYOND Basildon’s youngsters clock up list of personal records at junior league openers

PODIUM PERFORMERS This year’s victors from Essex Schools

BATTLE OF THE BUCS

All the action from the 2017 University Championships

REGULARS

NEWS

Coverage of the spring road season, Essex County Schools, World Indoor Masters, Southern Senior Championships and the national U23 Championships. Brought together with all the other news from around the club.

ATHLETES IN ACTION

TALK OF THE TOWN

From Peterborough to Mile End, Luton to Southend, BasMag has a round up of athletes in action since the start of the track season. COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017

PURE GOLD

With 18 gold medals from this year’s county championship weekend, Basildon’s athletes cleaned up. But how do their performances compare nationally? PROFILE

A WINNING MENTALITY An outstanding career in track and field has brought medals and trophies to one of Basildon’s best known coaches. We look back at the career of Vespa Ellis.

FIXTURES

ALL FOR YOU

A diary of forthcoming road, track and multi-terrain events, covering local, regional and national competitions.

CONTENTS

Summer 2017

HIGHLIGHTS ACTION

BATTLE OF THE BUCS

With the World University Games looming at the end of the summer, Basildon’s athletes in higher education had an added incentive to perform at this year’s British Universities championships. EASTERN YOUNG ATHLETES’ LEAGUE

IN THE MIX

Basildon opened their Eastern Young Athletes League campaign in May with a respectable third place finish.

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B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017 3

News

Results / Achievements / Performances / Club Events / Training Updates / Gossip / Developments / Success

VIRGIN MONEY LONDON MARATHON 2017

WINTER TRAINING PAYS FOR MARATHON MAN DAVE LONG distance duo David Findlay and Simon Tippett flew the Basildon flag at the 2017 London Marathon, finishing in commendable times. Findlay was the first of the two home, completing the course in 3:32.57, just a couple of minutes outside his lifetime best, set at last year’s Chelmsford Marathon in October. His time placed him in the top 600 runners in the M50 age group. Basildon’s Southern Athletics League men’s team manager has enjoyed a strong winter season, completing the testing “Benfleet 15” multi-terrain course in January in 1:55, the fifth masters athlete home. He was also a regular scoring runner in the Senior Men’s cross country team throughout the winter. Tippett last donned the Basildon vest at last year’s Essex County Masters’ Championships. In London, he was also narrowly outside his best which he set back in 2012, then running for East Essex Tri Club. This year, representing the other Gloucester Park club, he clocked 4:00.11 to finish 1,556 in the M45 age category at the event.

DOUBLE BRONZE FINISH FOR ATHLETES CONTESTING GLOUCESTER Park athletes brought back two bronze medals from this year’s Senior and U20 Championships which took place on 10 and 11 June 2017. At the South of England Amateur Athletics (SEAA) Championships in Crystal Palace, Max Jones took bronze in the U20 Men’s 1500m which saw three athletes cross the line in 4 minutes and 12 seconds. It was later ruled that Barnet’s Thomas Butler had snatched the gold in 4:12.37 ahead of Adam Moor from Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow in 4:12.38. Basildon’s Jones was third in 4:12.74. On another day, Jones could have taken the gold as he boasts a lifetime best of 3:56.56, 4 B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017

set at the BMC Regional Race in Brighton, back in May, but it wasn’t to be the case at Crystal Palace. Further north, Joe McGrath brought back an unexpected bronze from the Midland Counties AA Championships in the Senior Men’s pole vault. McGrath – who qualifies for the MCAA area because he was born in Bristol – was competing in a very windy Nuneaton. Here, he faced fellow veteran Derek Hateley, who he had beaten in the indoor championships earlier in the season. This time, however, the medal positions were reversed and McGrath settled for bronze with a vault of 3.10m. Hateley took silver with 3.30m and the

ESSEX COUNTY SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS

EIGHT VICTORIES AND MULTIPLE BESTS AS BASILDON TRIUMPH AT ESSEX SCHOOLS BASILDON athletes recorded eight wins at this year’s Essex Schools Track & Field Championships which took place in Chelmsford on 10 June. The club’s ongoing strength in hurdling was once again evident, with wins for Kiera Bainsfair in the U17 Women’s 300m Hurdles, Sam Bennett in the U17 Men’s 100m Hurdles and Joseph Harding in the U15 Boys’ 80m Hurdles. Both Bainsfair and Harding recorded lifetime bests at the event. Bainsfair’s 44.24 seconds was a full second quicker than her previous best, set at the Essex County Championships, while Harding’s winning time of 10.80 seconds was a personal best and quicker than his heat. It was also a tenth of a second quicker than he set at the Schools Combined Events Championships in May. There was a personal best for Harrison Chapman too, who is having a phenomenal season. Chapman went two seconds quicker than his heat to win the 400m over the flat in 50.51, a time that places him 19th nationally in his age group and 231st nationally across all age groups, including Senior Men. Also impressing was two lap specialist Oliver Lill who won the

News in brief Snippets from around the club across all disciplines and ages

SOUTHERN CHAMPS DEADLINE APPROACHING

Athletes have until 8 August to register for this year’s South of England U17 Championships. Enter online at http://seaa.org.uk.

800m in 1:59.23. Lill, who is in his first year in the Under 17 Men’s age group is ranked 16th in his age group nationally, thanks to a nippy 1:55.73 at the BMC races in Eltham at the end of May. There was good news from the field events too, with Kenneth Ikeji setting a personal best in the Hammer, throwing the 4K Hammer out to 51.98. This stunning throw puts Kenneth top of the UK leaderboard for his age group by more than a metre. In the Javelin, Harriette Mortlock won a competitive battle in the Under 15 Women’s event with a throw of 31.36, just five centimetres further than Havering’s Adelaide ThatcherGray. The podium topping positions could have been even

higher, with a further six athletes finishing in silver medal positions. In the 1500m, there were three silver medal performances from Daniel Riley (U17 Men), Luke Meridew (U15 Boys) and Grace Burrell (U17 Women). Cameron Ellis continued his strong season with a second place in the Long Jump, leaping 5.81m for a new personal best. In the Triple Jump, Andrew Adegbite added 69 centimetres to his best, with a jump of 12.79, putting him 24th in his age group nationally. In the Javelin, Jess Walker, had a noteworthy competition, throwing 54.18m – a new personal best. It was also places him eighth in his age group nationally.

NEW WEBSITE FOR PRESCRIBED DRUGS

England Athletics has told athletes to check medications on a website before competitions. http://GlobalDRO.com.

QUALIFY AS A COACH IN SOUTHEND IN SEPTEMBER

U20 & SENIOR AREA CHAMPIONSHIPS championship was won by Callum Court of Cardiff in 4.40m. Back in London, there could easily have been more medals. Stephen Strange (pictured, left) continued his recent run of form in the 800m, breezing through the heats in a time of 1:56.08 and going even quicker in the semi final, crossing the line in 1:56.01. While his time was quick, it was a mere one second outside of the fastest losers spots to make the final. Had he had the opportunity to run this time in the final, it would have placed him fifth. Two further medal hopes on the day were with Victoria Oshunremi in the Women’s Triple Jump and Archie Leeming in the Shot. Oshunremi looked like she might grab a medal,

but finished 4th with a jump of 11.59m. Her personal best of 11.85m would have been enough for bronze, but she was up against a small, but talented, field. Archie Leeming – who smashed the club record again at this year’s Essex County Championships – was hoping for another monster performance in the Shot. Sadly, it wasn’t to be and a 13.25m put was insufficient to challenge the medals this time around. Finally, there were two other representatives from Basildon who made the journey to fly the flag for Basildon. In the U20 Men’s 110m Hurdles, Michael Shields ran a nippy 15.64 seconds against some tough opponents and Emily Bullis ran 4:59.16 in the Senior Women’s 1500m.

New coaches can take their first qualification at Southend on 9 and 10 September 2017. Details are on England Athletics’ website.

WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES APPROACHES

The 2017 Summer Universiade will be held in Taipei, Chinese Taipei from the 19 until 30 August. More details are on the BUCS website.

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NEWS ENGLAND U20/U23 CHAMPIONSHIPS

IVES OUT OF MEDALS BUT YOUNG HURDLERS IMPRESS AT NATIONALS GUTSY 800 metre rising star Isobel Ives was battled out of the medals at this year’s England Athletics U23 and U20 Championships which took place in Bedford on the 17 and 18 June 2017. Despite coming through her heat comfortably, in a time of 2:11.34, she was unable to match the blistering pace of Enfield & Haringey’s Isabelle Boffey who won the Under 20 Women’s 800m in a time of 2:05.87. Ives’s local rival Khahisa Mhlanga – of Chelmsford AC - finished in the silver medal position in 2:06.67 and Shaftesbury Barnet’s Ellie Baker finished third in 2:06.96. Ives held her own in a class

field, however, having returned from a strong performance at the Loughborough International in May where she ran 2:07.88 – just a fraction outside of her lifetime best. In the hurdling events, Basildon again showed its pedigree. In the Under 18 Men’s 110m Hurdles, Sam Bennett continued his fine run of form when he finished in silver medal position in 13.75 seconds behind Stratford upon Avon’s Jack Sumners who clocked 13.70 seconds. Bennett’s team mate Michael Shields produced a stellar performance in the Under 20 Men’s 110 Hurdles, where he ran a season’s best of 15.17 seconds. 400m hurdler Jack Avery

clocked a new lifetime best in the Under 23 age group races finishing sixth in his heat in 56.78 seconds. All three hurdlers are coached by Steve Surety. The standard of this meeting was so high that spectators witnessed a new British Junior record in the Hurdles. Chesterfield AC’s Alicia Barrett – who is coached by Jessica Ennis-Hill’s former coach, Toni Minichiello, clocked a UK junior record for the 100 hurdles not once, but twice, as she eased to 13.07 for a heat and final win. Basildon had other representation in this high standard event in the Under 20 Men’s 1500m, where Max Jones ran 4:12.77 in the first heat.

HOTEL PRIZE FOR SURVEY ENGLAND Athletics has opened its 2017 consultation and will be awarding one respondent 30,000 points to spend with hotel group IHG. The online survey – which takes around 25 minutes to complete – is designed to help athletes of all ages shape athletics in England for the future and help the organisation with its future planning. In addition to the main prize for one lucky competitor, 10 others will be picked to receive a New Balance athletics T Shirt. To complete the survey, log on to surveymonkey.co. uk/r/5LHGQDJ.

WORLD INDOOR MASTERS

BMAF CHAMPION CLINT BRINGS WORLD BRONZE HOME TO GLOUCESTER PARK REIGNING British Masters Indoor Pentathlon champion, Clint Nicholls, added a world bronze to his collection of medals as the 2017 indoor season came to a close. Nicholls – who competes in the 35-39 age group – clocked personal bests in the 60m Hurdles (8.79) and the 1,000 metres (3:09.91) to beat rivals from around the world at the World Masters Championships in Daegu, South Korea at the end of March. Nicholls was initially in

contention for the title, but a disappointing Shot and High Jump allowed France’s Laurent Jobard (pictured right, middle) and Hong Kong’s Chit Wing Ng (pictured right, left) to move ahead. It’s been a strong winter season for Nicholls, who has collected numerous titles, thanks to an intensive and co-ordinated winter training programme from coach Vespa Ellis. In the Men’s M35 age group, he has taken gold in the British Masters Pentathlon, British Masters Indoor Shot, British Masters High Jump, England Athletics Inter Area High Jump and silver in the British Masters 60m Hurdles and Essex County Championships 60m. In the Senior Men’s age group, he has also taken bronze at the Essex County

6 B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017

Championships 60m Hurdles. Nicholls – a star performer in Basildon’s Southern Athletics League squad last year – will tackle the summer season with renewed confidence and will surely be among the contenders for the British Masters Decathlon title, in September.

NEWS BRENTWOOD HALF MARATHON

LAURA LANDS SILVER IN BRENTWOOD WHILE TEAM MATES DELIVER ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS BASILDON’S road team entered the spring with a scorching opener at the 2017 Brentwood Half Marathon, snatching a silver medal in the women’s individual competition. Laura Brooks (pictured, right) took second spot by just five seconds, ahead of Dartford Road Runners’ Hazel Behagg and less than two minutes behind Chelmsford’s Alexa Joel, the winner of the women’s race. Brooks’s time of 83:47 was a lifetime best and places her top of Basildon’s female half marathon rankings for the year so far at the time of writing. Team mate Kirsty Tydeman was just a minute outside of the medal positions in the individual standings, finishing fourth in 85:06, another lifetime best. In the men’s race, it was James Tydeman (pictured, below) who

led the team home, finishing ninth overall with a huge personal best of 75:15 – some seven minutes off of his previous best of 82:46, set back in 2015. Christian Gray, meanwhile, was the second Under 20 home, in a time of 86:32, sufficient for 76th in the overall finishing positions. This year’s Brentwood Half was hosted over a different course to previous years, prompting much discussion among runners as to whether the difficulty level had increased. Elsewhere, Basildon’s Under 23 Daisy Durden completed the Bath Half Marathon in March with a new personal best of 1:41.39 and Janine Phillips ran the Chertsey Half earlier in the year in 2:02.24, just two minutes shy of her lifetime best.

BASILDON’S JUNIORS JOIN THE BRENTWOOD PARTY JUNIOR athletes from Basildon AC took all three podium positions at this year’s Rotary Brentwood Fun Run, hosted alongside the Brentwood Half Marathon. Oliver Lill won the three mile race in 16:53 ahead of team mates Luke Savage (17:11) and Joshua McGill (17:22). The performances by the Basildon trio were sufficient to keep Havering’s Samuel Atkins out of

the medals. Lill – who goes up to the Under 17 age group on the track this summer looks set for a promising track season. He has enjoyed a successful winter season, finishing second at the London U17 Indoor Games in the 800m and dipping under the two minute mark in the same event for only the second time in his career at the England Indoor Championships in Sheffield, back in February. B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017 7

NEWS ESSEX AA COMBINED EVENTS

GOLD AND SILVER IN ESSEX MULTI CHAMPS JOSEPH Harding opened his outdoor season with County Championship gold at this year’s Essex Pentathlon Championships, held in Grays on 1 May. Basildon’s multi-events rising star was fresh from an indoor season that saw him win the national age group combined events championships in March and he was hungry for another title. Harding would not be disappointed, as he dominated the hurdles race, winning in a time of 11.3. He followed up his impressive hurdles performance with a new personal best in the High Jump of 1.69m. His Long Jump of 6.24m would have been superb for any athlete his age, but this was some 40cm down on his mark from the national indoor championships, two months earlier. The title could have been confirmed after his Shot Put, with a distance of 10.99m, but he was to be challenged in the final event of the day, the 800m, which saw him home in 2:18.7, sufficient only

for second. That failed to impact the final result, though. The title was in the bag when he clocked a final score of 2,947 points. The second athlete representing Basildon at these championships was Kiera Bainsfair. The Under 17 had also enjoyed success at the national indoor championships two months earlier, but she would be tested in Thurrock. In Sheffield, she had managed to see off local rival Jessica Hopkins to take the bronze medal, but Hopkins was keen to settle the score this time and pushed Bainsfair throughout the competition. Ultimately, two personal best performances in the Shot and Long Jump would not be enough to see off Chelmsford’s Hopkins who was outstanding on the day. Bainsfair even equalled her best in the High Jump, clearing 1.62m. She also ran an impressive 800m, winning in 2:28.5. Her points total on the day was 3,421, just a slither behind Hopkins who won with 3,478 to take gold.

UK RANKINGS

VESPA TOP RANKED IN UK MASTERS SHOT CLUB coach and life-long Basildon athlete Vespa Ellis is currently sitting pretty at the top of the UK rankings for the female Masters’ shot in the V60 age group Masters after securing a league record in the first round of the Eastern Masters’ League. Her throw of 8.97m puts her just 2cm ahead of the reigning British Masters indoor champion - Wakefield AC’s Jennifer Ibbitson – who threw 8.95m at Lee Valley earlier this year. Ellis could have easily extended her mark with a subsequent throw which travelled further but was unable to balance the

momentum and remain inside the circle. Her victory – which was also a club record in the age group - was over 1.5m clear of the competition. Chelmsford’s Shirley Quinn managing an effort of 7.43m. The throw was the stand out performance from a depleted Basildon team who competed in the first round of the Eastern Masters League at Thurrock in May. Despite securing half a dozen victories on the night, a lack of athletes in the oldest age group hampered Basildon’s score.

COMMENT: TIME TO BUILD ON OUR WINNING STREAK The start of the 2017 season has underscored the gains already made by Basildon team members from winter training. The dominance of the first Southern Athletics League match highlighted not just the improvement in performance but an improvement in attitude. It seems, once again, we want to win. And we want to win together. TOGETHER AS ONE While the 2016 season had individual success stories, team successes were lesser spotted. But the change in attitude - already noted by some coaches - goes beyond the S.A.L. Our athletes want to see their team mates prosper. In the leagues, it means that little extra injection of effort to pick up an extra place, doing one more event to get the point and supporting those who do just that. On an individual level, it means recognising the achievements that Basildon athletes make - and there are many. CELEBRATE THE WIN From BUCS to BMAF, from County to Country, our athletes are performing. And we are beginning to realise how broad and wide-ranging our pool of talent and tally of trophies is becoming. Let’s keep it up.Trackside on a Monday and Wednesday night, you hear athletes barking at each other, to

work harder, to run faster, to hurdle better, to jump higher. The young sprinters ‘trash talking’ or the masters athletes bemoaning their aches and pains don’t take away from the positivity that’s growing in the club. It’s the same in competition. As well as being the best at the S.A.L. in Luton, we were the loudest. Our athletes had support. Is it any wonder they did so well? CRUCIAL TIMING At the time of writing, we were about to enter the time of year when major championships are contested. Coming up we have the Southern age group championships, inter counties and the nationals. For a select few, there may even be the promise of internationals. Now is the time to take an interest in those around you. Go beyond your discipline, your training group, your age group. Recognise the work and discipline it takes to succeed, even if it is in an event that you don’t fully understand. And most importantly, enjoy the victories. It looks like we are set to have more than a few. Buckle up for a blistering summer of achievement. Sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, throwers, vaulters and runners, let’s stack up the medals and show what Gloucester Park really has to offer. B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017 9

Basildon AC’s composite team with Newham & Essex Beagles proved more than a match for any of the teams in the UK Youth Development League at Mile End on 28 May 2017. Both U20 teams (pictured) won their events by a significant margin.

TALK OF THE TOWN A brief round up of Basildon athletes in action around the country over the past three months

Youngsters show promise in EYAL Basildon’s young athletes have enjoyed a flying start to the season in both the EYAL and Youth Development League: 1/ Basildon’s girls performed well in the Eastern Young Athletes’ league in Peterborough in May. 2 / Cameron Ellis (pictured, middle) has been stacking up PBs on the track and in the field. 3 / Basildon had plenty of options in the middle distance events at the Peterborough match. • See a full round up of our junior athletes’ performances so far this year in our special feature on page 23.

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Multi-eventer Nicholas takes High Jump crown in EMAC League

Basildon AC stunned their new Division Three rivals in the first round of this year’s Southern Athletics League with a convincing win. The sizeable travelling squad left the first fixture at Luton with maximum points, some 40 points ahead of the second-place hosts.

Multi-eventer Heidi Nicholas (pictured, below) won the athlete of the match award at the second Eastern Masters’ League match at Southend on Sea in June after setting a league record in the High Jump. Her 1.49m jump was one centimetre higher than she had managed at the South of England Indoor Masters Championships and sufficient to take maximum points ahead of Chelmsford AC’s Heidi Johnson, who jumped 1.30m. The performance will further extend her position at the top of the national leaderboard for High Jump in the W35 age group, where she leads Bedford’s Leanne Buxton (1.45m). At the British Masters’ Indoor Championships in March, she jumped 1.45m in the high jump which was also sufficient to take gold in the 35-39 years age group, ahead of Shettleston’s Maria Davila (1.40m) and Leicester’s Jody Ward (1.30m). In fact, across six competitions in the High Jump this year – Senior and Masters – only once has she been beaten. Nicholas is enjoying a good season this year, taking wins at the Essex County Championships in the Masters’ 100m and a silver in the 300m. Earlier in the season, she won the Essex and Eastern Indoor Championships 60m in the W35 age group. It is the second league record from a Basildon athlete this year, with Vespa Ellis having taken the record for the women’s W60 shot at match one (see page 9 for report).

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ACTION / County Championships 2017

PURE

GOLD

With 18 gold medals from this year’s county championship weekend, Basildon’s athletes cleaned up. But how do their performances compare nationally and in which English county is it most difficult to win gold? BasMag investigates…

ASILDON athletes bagged 51 medals from this year’s County Championships, with 18 golds, 19 silvers and 14 bronzes in total. As with the indoor championships earlier in the year, the Hurdles proved to be Basildon’s most successful event for medals, generating seven of this year’s total, three of these gold. The club was also strong in the short sprints, with six medals from the 100m or 200m, four of which were gold. There were also six medals in the long jump and in the javelin. Basildon’s distance runners, who had enjoyed a successful winter season on the cross country circuit took five medals in the 3,000m, with gold in the Under 20 Men and Under 17 Women’s events. There were also four middle distance medals, three from the high jump and two from pole vault, discus and hammer. Essex ranks as the seventh largest English county by population, according to the Office of National Statistics, with 1.8 million people. Statistically, this should mean that Essex is one of the most competitive counties in the country for the annual county championships event. But how varied is the standard across the country? BasMag took the performances of Basildon AC’s county champions in 2017 and compared them against the same competitions of the 36 other English counties that had complete results on the Powerof10 website. The results were surprising. METHOD Results from Northampton and Wiltshire were excluded from the analysis as results were incomplete at the time of writing. Oxford and Buckinghamshire’s results were treated as a combined set of results, with the highest performance used for ranking purposes. Champions awarded medals for Masters categories were excluded because not all counties hold competitions for athletes over 35 years of age. In some counties, certain events were not held. For example, the 12 B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017

5,000m was held in some places instead of the 3,000m. In these instances, the comparison was only made with counties that had comparable competitions. Performances in heats were discounted and only performances in finals were used for the comparison. In events where a county had a competition in an event discipline, but no entrants in that age group, a win was granted to the Basildon athlete, because, if they had competed on the day, they would have won. Once the results were compiled, each county was given a percentage score. This shows the percentage of our athletes that would have won in that county. A 100% score means everybody would have won a gold medal. 0% means nobody would have won gold. ACROSS THE BOARD Based on this year’s winners, every one of Basildon’s 2017 county champions would have won if they had competed in Cumbria. And, while Herefordshire’s results were incomplete, Basildon athletes would have won in every event for which an official result was published. The next easiest two counties to take gold were Cornwall and Gloucestershire. In Cornwall, our champions would have still won in 14 out of 16 of the events, giving an 88% chance of winning overall. Close behind was Worcestershire (86.7%), Humberside (85.7%) and Oxford and Buckinghamshire (85.7%). In fact, Basildon’s champs would still have had a good chance of winning (higher than 80%) in Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire and Suffolk. The toughest place to win a medal, based on our sample of champions was in Hampshire (31.3%), where less than a third of our champions would have taken the top spot. The next most difficult county was Yorkshire, where half of our champions would have failed.

ACTION / County Championships 2017

B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017 13

ACTION / County Championships 2017 Had our champions competed in Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Surrey and Warwickshire, they would have succeeded in winning in 56.3% of events. UNBEATABLE There were three performances which were unmatched anywhere in England. Two of these were from up and coming multi-eventer Joseph Harding (pictured, right). In the U15 boys’ Long Jump, Harding is already ranked no.1 nationally and eighth on the U15 all-time list (second indoors). At this year’s Essex County Championships, he set a championship record when he leapt 6.76m. This was unmatched anywhere in England during counties weekend and it also means he is 89th on the all age groups listings for 2017 – a list which includes senior men. This would have been impressive enough, but his 11.01 seconds in the 80m Hurdles in Chelmsford added a second unbeatable mark, nationally. Basildon’s third performance that was unmatched across England came in the U15 boys’ Hammer, where Kenneth Ikeji launched the 4K weight out to 51.67m, putting him top of the national listings for 2017, one metre ahead of Annan AC’s Danny Gracie.

“At this year’s Essex County Championships, he set a championship record when he leapt 6.76m...” in the 100m and 200m sprints. Of the two flat races, the statistics show he is stronger over the shorter distance. His sprint of 11.27 seconds would have won in 69.4% of races nationally that weekend. His 200m was still fast at 22.94 seconds, enough to win at 55.6% of venues. Grace Burrell, Basildon’s plucky U17 3,000 metre runner took gold in 10:37.93 at this year’s Essex Championships, a mark that would have put her on top of the podium at 69% of counties in England. Meanwhile, Clint Nicholls (pictured, left with Triple Jump silver medalist Adeolu Adeyemi) took gold in the Senior Men’s High Jump with 1.75m. Nicholls saw off all other senior men comepetitors to take the title, despite being a Masters athlete. His mark of 1.75m would have ensured a victory at 61.1% of championships. Fellow Masters athlete Joe McGrath won the pole vault at the Avon County Championships with a height of 3.11m. This would have sufficed in just over half of competitions nationally (51.5%).

THE GREAT Sam Bennett’s 100m Hurdles was almost enough to give him a clean sweep. The U17 men’s Essex County Champion (pictured, below right) stopped the clock at 13.37 seconds in Chelmsford to take gold and this would have won at 91.4% of competitions held that weekend. Only in Berkshire, Somerset and Warwickshire would he have been beaten. Multi-eventer Kiera Bainsfair also performed strongly at this year’s Essex Championships. The U17 woman triumphed in both the 80m Hurdles (11.86 seconds) and the 300m Hurdles (45.22 seconds) to become a double county champion. Both performances held up strongly against competitors in other counties over the championship weekend. She would have taken gold in 82.9% of races for both disciplines. For the 80m Hurdles, she would have been beaten in Avon, Devon, Hampshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. For the 300m Hurdles, she would have been beaten in Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire. THE GOOD The majority of Basildon’s champions would have won in more than half of counties across England. U20 1500 metre runner Harrison Smith would have enjoyed success in 77.1% of counties with his performance of 4:05.39, while U15 Malik Oshiyemi would have won his 300m sprint at three quarters of venues this year, finishing in 38.81 seconds. Sam Bennett added to his gold from the 110m Hurdles with golds 14 B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017

STRONG COMPETITION Of course, some events have stronger competition that others. Under 20 Man Joe Payne was victorious in the Essex 3,000m when he ran 10:47.82. This performance would have taken gold in 42.3% of championships held that weekend. Charlotte Skeggs became a double gold medallist at this year’s Essex County Championships, winning the Long Jump and the Javelin in the U20 women’s category. Her Javelin throw of 30.56m, when compared to those nationally was the strongest and would have secured a win at 38.9% of venues. In the Long Jump, her leap of 5.04m would still have beaten a third of the country (33.3%).

ACTION / County Championships 2017 2

CHANCE OF WIN (%)

COUNTY CHAMPION

Kiera Bainsfair

Joe McGrath

Clint Nicholls

Joseph Harding

Charlotte Skeggs

Kenneth Ikeji

Charlotte Skeggs

U17

U15

U17

U15

U20

U15

U20

3000

80mH

100mH

300mH

22.94

38.81

4:05.39

10:47.82

10:37.93

11.01

11.86

13.37

45.22

3.11

1.75

6.76

5.04

51.67

30.56

√

PERFORMANCE 11.27

Sam Bennett

U20

1500

Kiera Bainsfair

U20

300

Joseph Harding

U15

200

Grace Burrell

Malik Oshiyemi

U17

100

Joe Payne

Sam Bennett

U17

DISCIPLINE

Harrison Smith

Sam Bennett

AGE GROUP

NAME OF COUNTY

Avon

Bedfordshire

Berkshire

Cambridgeshre

Cheshire

√

Cornwall

√

Cumbria

√

Derbyshire

√

Devon

√

Dorset

√

Essex

√

100

Gloucestershire

√

Greater Manchester

√

Hampshire

√

Herefordshire

√

Hertfordshire

√

Humberside

√

Kent

√

Lancashire

√

Leicestershire +

√

√ √

√

√ √

√ √ √ √ √

√

100

√

√ √

√

75 31 √

100

√

√ √

√

Rutland 21

Lincolnshire

√

Merseyside

√

Middlesex

√

Norfolk

√

North East

√

Nottinghamshire

√

Oxford and Bucks

√

Shropshire

Somerset

√

Staffordshire

√

Suffolk

Surrey

Sussex

Warwickshire

Worcestershire

√

Yorkshire

√

TOTAL WINS

Competitions

69.4

55.6

75.0

77.1

42.3

√ √

√ √ √

√ NH

√

√ √

√

√ √

√

√ √

√

√ √

√

81 √

√

69.0

100.0

82.9

91.4

82.9

51.5

61.1

100.0

33.3

100.0

38.9

√

87 50

holding the event ELITE SCORE (%) How to read the Table: 1. The Table shows how Basildon’s 2017 county champions would have fared in other counties if they had raced there and produced the same performance in the same weekend. A √ indicates that the athlete would have won. 2. The “Total Wins” score at the bottom of the Table shows in how many counties that performance would have won gold. However, as some counties do not hold every event, a not held - or ‘NH’ - mark is written in that column. The row marked “Competitions holding the event” shows the maximum score that an athlete could have achieved in the “Total Wins” column. 3. R = Results unavailable. For Herefordshire the results were incomplete on the Powerof10 website and so could not be included. Results from Northamptonshire and Wiltshire were not used for this analysis at all, as they were unavailable at the time of writing. 4. The “Chance Of Win” score in the final column shows the percentage of Basildon’s champions that would have won in an area. A 100% rating means everyone would be champion and a 0% rating means nobody would. 5. The “Elite Score” on the bottom row shows the percentage of counties in which the athlete’s performance would have been sufficient to win. 6. County Champions in the Masters age group were not used for this comparison because not all counties hold Masters events. Source: Powerof10. B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017 15

ACTION / County Championships 2017 COUNTY CHAMPIONS 2017 100m: Sam Bennett (U17M), 11.27; Heidi Nicholas(VW), 14.30

300m Hurdles: Kiera Bainsfair (U17W), 45.22

200m: Sam Bennett (U17M), 22.94

High Jump: Clint Nicholls (SM), 1.75m

300m: Malik Oshiyemi (U15M), 38.81

Long Jump: Joseph Harding (U15M),6.76m; Charlotte Skeggs (U20W) 5.04m

1500m: Harrison Smith (U20M), 4:05.39 3,000m: Joe Payne (U20M), 10:47.82; Grace Burrell (U17W), 10:37.93 Sprint Hurdles: Joseph Harding (U15M), 11.01; Kiera Bainsfair (U17W), 11.86; Sam Bennett (U17M), 13.37

Hammer: Kenneth Ikeji (U15M), 51.67m Javelin: Charlotte Skeggs (U20W), 30.56m Pole Vault: Joe McGrath (SM, Avon County), 3.11m

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS 2017 100m: Jan Barnard (VM), 12.18

Long Jump: Cameron Ellis (U15M), 5.51m

200m: India Perry (U15W), 26.96 300m: Heidi Nicholas (V), 49.59 400m: William Rean (U17M), 51.78 1500m: Emily Bullis (SW), 4:51.19 3,000m: Holly Freegard (U15W), 11:04.1 Sprint Hurdles: Michael Shields (U20M), 15.25 HJ: Holly Newman (U13W), 1.25 Pole Vault: Andrei Gare (U17M), 2.80m

Triple Jump: Nicole Harvey (U17W), 10.72m; Adeolu Adeyemi (SM), 11.74m Shot: Archie Leeming (SM), 14.66m [PB], Jemma Pemberton (SW), 9.84m Discus: Kenneth Ikeji (U15M), 33.89m; Eloise Badger (U17W), 25.78m Javelin: Jess Walker (U17M), 46.45m; Katherine Ellis (SW), 16.82m; Ella Lewis (U15W), 31.22m; Simon Hill (U13M, 30.22m)

BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS 2017 100m: Clint Nicholls (VM), 12.41 300m: Amanda Dodge (VW), 52.73 800m: Oliver Lill (U17M), 1.57.8 1500m: Anna Whitfield (SW), 4:57.89 3,000m: Emily Bullis (SW), 10:27.26; Sophie Wetheridge (U15W), 11:21.49 16 B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017

Sprint Hurdles: Clint Nicholls (SM), 16.72; Jack Broadbent (U20M), 15.93 HJ: Keiran Kelly (SM), 1.65m LJ: Heidi Nicholas (SW), 4.79m; Adeolu Adeyemi (SM), 5.84m; Zowie Dodge (U13), 3.65m Hammer: Katherine Ellis (SW), 32.13m Javelin: Jemma Pemberton (SW), 26.27m

Sweatshop Southern Athletics League 2017 Division Three North June 17 2017 @ St Albans

Competing clubs: St Albans, Huntingdonshire, Chiltern Harriers with Bedford & County (B), Vale of Aylesbury, Basildon, Orion Harriers

July 8 2017 @ Hemel Hempstead Competing clubs: Vale of Aylesbury, Woodford Green with Essex Ladies, Harlow AC, Watford, Enfield & Haringey with Hawcs, Basildon

August 19 2017 @ Colchester Competing clubs: Colchester & Tendring, West Suffolk, Braintree, Loughton, Basildon, Ilford

PROFILE / VESPA ELLIS

A winning mentality

An outstanding career in track and field has brought medals and trophies to one of Basildon’s best known coaches. But her most recent record underscored the competitive spirit that still thrives in Vespa Ellis.

ew long-standing club members were surprised to learn that Vespa Ellis brought back yet another record to Basildon at the beginning of May. For most people at the club, Vespa is the no-nonsense, outspoken, multi-events coach with high expectations of all of her athletes. But the expectations she had of herself have always been that little bit higher. In her first competitive outing since 2012, the multi-events coach bagged a league record at the opening fixture of the EMAC League in Thurrock, when she launched the shot just shy of nine metres. That same throw that would have placed her second in her age group on last year’s listings. Unsurprisingly for anyone who knows Ellis, she was relatively nonplussed by the whole affair and a quick look into the history books explains why.

SPEED DEMON

As a younger athlete, Ellis was a sprinter. And she was fast. The pinnacle of her career came in 1983 at the South of England Athletics Association (SEAA) Championships in Hendon, where she ran two lifetime bests. Her 100m personal best of 11.89 seconds would have been enough to raise eyebrows of anyone reading the senior women’s results sheet from that day, but even more so when you consider she also

competing during the aforementioned 14-year period. She says: “There were always heats and finals, which I think brought out the best in us. It was competitive. “Throughout the day, there would be a buzz around the stadium, people would be talking and making guesses as to who would win. “I have been asked if my athletes were aware of my performances over the years in the Essex Championships. “My reply is ‘as it was a hundred years ago, I’m sure they’re not’”. Those who’ve been with the club throughout their life, will recall that Ellis has always instilled a competitive spirit both in her own performances and in the performances of her athletes.

“There were always heats and finals, which I think brought out the best in us. It was competitive. ” ran 200m in 23.85. While the 1983 SEAA Championships gave Ellis her only Area medal, she won eight gold county medals between 1978 and 1992 over the two sprint distances. She also picked up no fewer than 17 silvers during that period. Ellis recalls the Essex County Championships with immense fondness, noting that there were large numbers

LOST IN TIME

Unlike today, where all UK registered athletes enjoy the ranking and results system Power of 10, many of Ellis’s performances were sadly not documented. Thankfully, towards the end of her sprinting career, one of them did make it, however. In 1991, 13 years after she contested her B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017 17

PROFILE / VESPA ELLIS

first senior women’s county title, she lined up against five female international sprinters at the RPM meeting in Haringey. Three of these competitors would later qualify for the Olympic Games. Among them were Birchfield Harriers’ Lorraine Hanson and Marshall Milton Keynes’ Stephi Douglass who both made the Olympic team for Barcelona a year later. Also in the race was double Olympian Phyllis Smith of Sale Harriers who placed fourth in the 400m in

some gems. In 1983, Ellis was flying high. A medal and two lifetime bests at the SEAA championships led her to expand her repertoire at that year’s National Championships – then referred to as ‘the AAAs of England Championships’. Despite being a short sprints specialist, she made the final, clocking 55.26 in the heats, the day before, but the final would prove to be a tough ask with seven of the eight lanes occupied by international

“I was pleased to have made the final... After all, I was on live TV and some members of the family saw it. The phone rang quite a lot on Saturday night.”

Barcelona and made the Atlanta Olympic squad again in 1996. It was this race which earnt Ellis a place on the prestigious ‘UK All Time’ list. Her performance of 18.01 seconds may not have resulted in a medal, but once again illustrated the competitive spirit which Ellis still embodies to this day. While many of her athletic achievements on the track could have been lost in history, Ellis’s insistence on keeping a race diary during her time as a senior offers up 18 B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017

athletes. In the end, she came home in 55.2 in the final, albeit in eighth place. The race was won by Boyd Australia in 51.62. In her race diary, at the time, she wrote: “I was pleased to have made the final and it didn’t bother me coming last. “After all, I was on live TV and a number of people, including some members of the family saw it. The phone rang quite a lot on Saturday night.”

PASSING THE BATON

Today, Ellis finds herself unable to compete in the sprints, due to some knee pain, but this has not prevented her passing the baton the next generation of sprinters. At the youngest end of her coaching group, she mentors a squad of hurdlers,

sprinters, jumpers and multi-eventers, many of whom continue to collect medals and awards, driven by the Vespa Ellis competitive spirit. In recognition of her efforts, she was awarded the Active Essex Community Champion award at the turn of the year. In doing so. she was invited to join a select group of elite athletes and coaches, including double Olympic Champion Max Whitlock and Paralympic bronze medallist Gemma Prescott at a presentation evening in Basildon. So while she may not be returning to the top of the podium at the AAA of England Championships any time, it’s good to know that her wisdom and experience, gained from a life in athletics, is still alive and producing results.

Action / British Universities Championships 2017

Seven athletes from Basildon AC competed at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s British Universities outdoor athletics championships

Battle of the BUCS With the World University Games looming at the end of the summer, Basildon’s athletes in higher education had an added incentive to perform at this year’s British Universities championships. BasMag reports

hree Basildon athletes made finals at this year’s British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships in Bedford, one of them taking bronze and another smashing his own club record. 800m runner Isobel Ives was the only medallist for Basildon at this year’s notoriously competitive championships. She made her way through the heats, the semi-final and eventually to the final in the colours of Bath University. Ives was progressively quicker with each round, clocking 2:16.11 in the heats, 2:12.26 in the semi-final and 2:09.27 in the final. Her final race saw her up against local rival and eventual winner Jessica Judd who took gold in 2:05.52 for Loughborough University. Mhairi Hendry was second in 2:05.53, representing Strathclyde. However, Ives managed to maintain her composure to edge out St Mary’s University’s Lilly Coward into fourth place by nearly a second. The medal tally for Basildon’s seven Basildon athletes who travelled to Bedford this year could have been higher. Archie Leeming continued his phenomenal season in the Shot with yet another personal best (which has since been eclipsed once more). In the heats, he easily qualified to the final with a throw of 14.36m wearing the colours of Southampton University. Like Ives, Leeming left his best performance for the final when he pulled out a massive 14.55m – smashing the club

record yet again. His larger 14.66m performance at the county championships two weeks later would later break this record once more. Elsewhere in the field, promising Triple Jumper Victoria Oshunremi again proved that she can make finals at major competitions. Her jump of 11.12m was well below her personal best in qualifying but more than sufficient to see her through to the final for her university, Sheffield Hallam. The South of England indoor bronze medallist Oshunremi would find herself in an exceptionally windy final, however, with some competitors benefitting from tail winds of +3.5 in the final result. Her performance of 11.46m would also be wind assisted (+2.4) but was insufficient to challenge the medals on this occasion. Back on the track, there were mixed emotions from Basildon’s Adam Houchell who went under four minutes in the 1500m qualifiers to earn a new personal best of 3:59.32. Running for the University of Nottingham, Houchell lined up for the third semi-final knowing he was up against some of the best in the country. His run of 4:04.28 was not enough to earn him a place in the prized final, but the lifetime best from the day before went some way to easing the disappointment. The race was won by eventual silver medallist Jamie Williamson of Loughborough University in 3:55.68. The only Basildon athlete to compete in two events at these championships was

400m hurdler Jack Avery who lined up for both the quarter mile sprint and the barriers. In the men’s 400 metres there were 11 heats, underscoring how competitive this event has become at these championships. He finished a respectable fourth in his heat in 52.21 seconds for Brighton University. Avery – one of the dependable top scorers in the Southern Athletics League – also battled in the 400m Hurdles, finishing fifth in a time of 58.11 seconds. Long distance runner Jonathan Burton lined up in the 3,000m steeplechase for his university, Kings College London. Burton finished with a lifetime best for his efforts, finishing 12th in 10:59.02. Jemma Pemberton got her throwing season off to a flying start representing the University of Kent in the Javelin. Her performance of 27.64m would ultimately be sufficient for 11th in the first qualifying round. Attention will now shift to the World University Games in Taipei on 19 to 30 August. BUCS handles entry for these games on behalf of Team GB with support from British Athletics. The World University Games is held every two years and is now the largest multi-sport event in the world after the Olympics with more than 10,000 athletes expected to take part from more than 150 countries around the world. Those interested in being selected for the British team should consult the eligibility criteria link on the main BUCS website. B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017 21

ACTION / Eastern Young Athletes League

In the mix Basildon opened their Eastern Young Athletes League campaign in May with a respectable third place finish in Peterborough.

LEVEN A-string wins and numerous personal bests fired Basildon’s youth team off to a flying start in the Eastern Young Athletes League in the opening match at Peterborough in May. Three of these wins came in middle distance races with Isaac Brown and Abigail Ives scoring personal bests to win their A-string 800m races. Brown crossed the line in 2:01.6 to win in the Under 17 Men’s category while Ives managed 2:24.0 to win the Under 15 Girls’ race. Luke Meridew, competing in the Boys’ Under 15 1500m took the win in a time of 4:37.9 to bag maximum points for the team. FAST START In the sprints, the team also acquitted themselves well with Under 15 Richard Olaniyan winning his A-string 100m in a time of 11.8 seconds and Jamie Rashbrook doing the same in the 300m in the same age group, in a time of 40 seconds dead. A personal best at the time but one that he has since beaten twice more. Over the longest sprint of the day, Harrison Chapman showed the benefits of a tough winter’s training by hammering out a 52 second 400m to take the win in the U17 Men’s event. He has also since beaten this time.

BESTS OVER BARRIERS In the sprint hurdles there were two A-string victories for Richard Olaniyan who clocked a new personal best over 80m with 12.4

seconds, while Kiera Bainsfair took maximum points over the same distance for the Under 17 Women’s hurdles. In the field, A-string wins were harder to come by for the squad, but Eloise Badger’s 27.62m in the Discus was a strong victory in the Under 17 Women’s category and a personal best to boot. In the Javelin, Jess Walker won with a commendable distance of 47.48m to win the Men’s U17 event. In the jumps, there was only one A-string win of the day and that went to triple jumper Nicole Harvey who took maximum points with 10.09m. B-STRING BACK-UP As with all league matches, it is never purely about the A-string events and it is often said that “B-strings win matches”. While Basildon placed third on the day, the B-string team had plenty of impressive performances of their own, serving the squad well, points-wise. In the throws, Zoe Rixson won the Under 15 B-string in the Shot with a throw of 6.95m, while Hannah Phipps took maximum points in the Under 17 Women’s Discus, throwing 17.53m – a personal best. There were PBs too for Ella Lewis in the Javelin, winning the B event with a throw of 30.23m, and Ellis Wright who won the Under 13 Boys’ B-string event with 24.18m. DOUBLE BUBBLE In the sprints, Cameron Ellis won the Under 15 Boys’ B-string 100m in a new personal best time of 12 seconds dead and followed that up with a PB in the hurdles too, finishing in 12.8 seconds to win the B race. Kiera Bainsfar won the Under 17 Women’s 200m in a PB of 26.6 seconds and Abigail Ives won the Under 15 Girls’ 300m B-string in 46 seconds, also a PB. Over the middle distance events, there were B-string wins for Jamie Rashbrook and Alexander Dyos over the 800m and 1500m, clocking 2:15.2 and 4:53.8 respectively in the Under 15 Boys’ event. Finally, in the jumps, Joshua McGill won the High Jump B-string with a height of 1.50m and Kiera Bott took the Under 15 Girls’ B-string event with 1.35m. Zara Leaver completed the B event wins with a 4.90m long jump in the Under 17 Women’s event. B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017 2 3

FIXTURES

TRACK & FIELD

Fri 30 June – Sun 2 July British Athletics Championships Birmingham Fri 30 June Essex County Relays Champs Upminster Saturday 1 July English Schools Cup Final Horspath, Oxford Saturday 1 July Scottish Athletics Masters Open Grangemouth Saturday 1 July until Sunday 2 July Scottish Athletics Combined Events Open Grangemouth Sunday 2 July British Masters’ Inter Area Solihull Sunday 2 July Eastern Young Athletes’ League Various Sunday 2 July Marshall Milton Keynes Open Milton Keynes Sunday 2 July Newham Open Newham Sunday 2 July Southern Inter-Counties Kingsmeadow 24 B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017

Monday 3 July British Milers’ Club Races Chester le Street

Monday 10 July Blackheath & Bromley Open Bromley

Saturday 22 July Herne Hill Harriers’ Open Tooting Bec

Tuesday 4 July Avril Bowring Open Tonbridge

Wednesday 12 July Watford Graded Open Watford

Tuesday 4 July Woodford Green Open Woodford

Thursday 13 July Invicta East Kent Open Canterbury

Saturday 22 July until Sunday 23 July International Youth Games Lancaster

Wednesday 5 July Eastern Masters’ League Chelmsford

Saturday 15 July UK Youth Development League U13/U15 Various

Wednesday 5 July Summer Sprints Open Lee Valley Wednesday 5 July Cambridgeshire AA Open St Ives Friday 7 July until Saturday 8 July English Schools Championships Birmingham Saturday 8 July Sweatshop Southern Athletics League Hemel Hempstead Saturday 8 July BMC Grand Prix Loughborough Sunday 9 July Medway & Maidstone AC Open Gillingham

Sunday 16 July Dacorum & Tring Pentathlon Hemel Hempstead Tuesday 18 July British Milers’ Club Races Tipton Wednesday 19 July Cambridge Harriers Open Eltham Wednesday 19 July Oxford City Open Horspath Wednesday 19 July Winchester AC Graded Open Winchester Thursday 20 July until Sunday 23 July European U20 Championships Grosseto, Italy Saturday 22 July Eastern Masters’ Champs Southend

Saturday 22 July South of England Area Combined Events Championships Horspath Sunday 23 July UK Youth Development League U17/U20 Various Tuesday 25 July British Milers’ Club Gold Races Stretford Tuesday 25 July British Milers’ Club Races Exeter Wednesday 26 July Crawley Open Series Crawley Wednesday 26 July Eastern Masters’ League Ipswich Wednesday 26 July Watford Graded Open Watford Saturday 29 July until Sunday 30 July England Inter County Championships Bedford

FIXTURES Saturday 29 July until Sunday 30 July England Athletics Senior Championships Bedford Sunday 30 July Eastern Young Athletes’ League Various Sunday 30 July Livingston Pentathlon Open Livingston Wednesday 2 August Winchester AC Graded Open Winchester Wednesday 9 August British Milers’ Club Gold Races Watford Wednesday 9 August South of England AA U15 / U20 Inter County Championships Horspath Wednesday 9 August Watford Graded Open Watford Thursday 10 August Eastern Masters’ League Final Bedford Thursday 10 August Invicta East Kent Open Canterbury Saturday 12 August until Sunday 13 August England Athletics U15 / U17 Combined Events Championships Sportcity Saturday 12 August Wrexham Games Medal Open Wrexham Sunday 13 August Eastern Young Athletes League Various Monday 14 August Blackheath & Bromley Open Bromley Wednesday 16 August Cambridge Harriers Open Eltham

Wednesday 16 August England Manchester International Sportcity Wednesday 16 August Summer Sprint Series Lee Valley T Wednesday 16 August Oxford City AC Graded Open Horspath

Sweatshop Southern Athletics League 2017 Division Three North

Saturday 19 August until Sunday 20 August South of England AA U15 / U17 Championships Ashford Saturday 19 August Sweatshop Southern Athletics League Colchester Saturday 26 August until Sunday 27 August Cambridge Multi Events Games Cambridge Saturday 26 August until Sunday 27 August England Athletics U17/U15 Championships Bedford Monday 28 August Avril Bowring Memorial Open Series Tonbridge Monday 28 August Southend on Sea AC Open Southend Wednesday 30 August Summer Sprints Series Lee Valley

June 17 2017 @ St Albans

Competing clubs: St Albans Huntingdonshire Chiltern Harriers with Bedford & County Vale of Aylesbury Basildon Orion Harriers

July 8 2017 @ Hemel Hempstead Competing clubs: Vale of Aylesbury Woodford Green with Essex Ladies Harlow AC Watford Enfield & Haringey with Hawcs Basildon

August 19 2017 @ Colchester Competing clubs: Colchester & Tendring West Suffolk Braintree Loughton Basildon Ilford

Thursday 31 August Sainsbury’s School Games Loughborough Saturday 2 September until Sunday 3 September BMAF Senior Decathlon Open Sheffield Saturday 2 September until Sunday 3 September BMAF Masters Decathlon Championships Sheffield B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017 2 5

FIXTURES Saturday 2 September UK Youth Development U13/ U15 League National Final Birmingham Sunday 3 September Eastern Young Athletes’ League Final TBC Saturday 9 September Eastern Inter Counties including Hibbard, Bemax & Peterhouse Trophy Stevenage Saturday 9 September until Sunday 10 September Surrey & Sussex County Combined Events Open Carshalton

Tue 20 June Harwich 5K Series Harwich

Tuesday 11 July Veterans’ AC 5 London Battersea Park

Sunday 23 July The Bath Half Bath

Thu 22 June Maldon Handicap 5K Series Maldon

Friday 14 July Gravesend Floodlit 10/5K Series Gravesend

Sunday 23 July Richmond Park Half Marathon Richmond

Sat 24 June RunThrough 5K / 10K / 10M / Half Marathon Stratford Sun 25 June Royal Parks Summer 10K Series Greenwich Saturday 1 July QEOP Summer 10K Series London Olympic Park

Sunday 10 September Kent County Masters Jumps Open Bromley

Sunday 2 July Great Newham London Run 10K Newham

Wednesday 13 September Summer Sprints Series Lee Valley

Sunday 2 July Nice Work Richmond Park 10K Series Richmond

Wednesday 13 September Invicta East Kent Open Canterbury Saturday 16 September – Sunday 17 September English Schools Combined Events Championships Boston Saturday 16 September – Sunday 17 September Kent County Combined Events Open Erith Saturday 23 September Basingstoke Speed Decathlon & Combined Events Open Meeting Basingstoke Sunday 24 September Eastern Counties AA Pentathlon Championships Peterborough ROAD

Sun 18 June British Masters 5K Road Championships Horwich 2 6 B A S M A G / S U M M E R 2 017

Sunday 2 July Nice Work Richmond Park 5K Series Richmond Sunday 2 July Regent’s Park Summer 10K Series London Regent’s Park Wednesday 5 July Clacton Summer 5K Series Clacton-on-Sea Wednesday 5 July RunThrough Chase the Sun Clapham Common 5K / 10K Clapham Saturday 8 July RunThrough Regent’s Park 5K / 10K London Regent’s Park Sunday 9 July Southend Half Marathon Shoeburyness Tuesday 11 July Harwich 5K Series Info Harwich

Sunday 16 July Harry Hawkes 10 Thames Ditton Wednesday 19 July Peterborough Grand Prix 5K Peterborough Friday 21 July Ashford Summer Series 5/10K Ashford Monday 24 July Standard Chartered City 5K London Saturday 29 July RunThrough Lee Valley VeloPark 5K to Half Marathon Lee Valley Wednesday 9 August Medway Sport 5K Summer Series Gillingham Sunday 20 August Royal Parks Summer 10K Series London Hyde Park MULTI TERRAIN

Sun 25 June British Masters Multi-terrain Championships Gravesend Saturday 1 July Orion Harriers Forest 5 Chingford Sunday 9 July Nice Work Bushy Park 5/10K Series Hampton Court Wednesday 12 July Crown to Crown 5K Basildon Thursday 20 July Wimbledon Common Half Marathon Wimbledon

Saturday 5 August Orion Harriers Forest 5 Chingford Saturday 5 August Phoenix Summer Marathon Walton-on-Thames Wednesday 9 August Crown to Crown 5K Basildon Sunday 20 August Bushy Park 10K Hampton Court Monday 28 August Bath Two Tunnels 10K Bath Sunday 3 September Tour of Milton Keynes: Day 1 Tattenhoe 11K Newton Longville Monday 4 September Tour of Milton Keynes: Day 2 Potterspury 5 Milton Keynes Wednesday 6 September Crown to Crown 5K Basildon Sunday 10 September Cheddar Gorge Marathon Somerset Sunday 10 September Meon Valley Half Marathon Wickham Sunday 10 September New Forest Marathon Brockenhurst Sunday 17 September Truro Half Marathon Cornwall Saturday 30 September Pyjamathon Walton on Thames

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