A bit of catching up to do – going back to Saturday 8 March Dorset was well represented at the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships held at Crofton Park, Birmingham, with BAC athletes contributing to team results in three age categories. In the Senior Mens’ competition Steve Way, Richard Horton and Rob McTaggart were part of the six man team which finished 20th of 32 complete teams – not bad for tiny Dorset competing against, for example, Yorkshire, Scotland West and Scotland East. The Dorset U20 Mens’ team achieved an excellent result, scoring 4th of 27 teams, helped by David Long and Jo Arundel, with Brendan Kirkton also running in this race. The U15 Boys Dorset Team was 24th of 40 complete teams, and running in this race was Seb Hearn.  The U15 Girls Dorset team received a substantial boost from Bridget Dence, finishing 39th of a total of 277, well before any other Dorset runner, whose efforts are nevertheless to be commended, ensuring there was a complete Dorset team, finishing 21st of 40. Well done to everyone who made the long journey to Birmingham to represent their County!
The Bournemouth Parkruns continue to be well supported by BAC athletes, with Robin Copestick winning on 8 March at Kings Park, with Billy McGreevy second and Emma Dews fourth (first lady). Also running were Jud Kirk, Nikki Sandell, Steve Cox, Joe Price, Caroline Rowley and Will Price. The Bournemouth Parkrun is approaching a regular field of 200, with 192 competing on 8 March, and 219 the following week, 15th March, when Emma Dews was again fourth and first lady, closely followed by David Long, with Ian White (very pleased with a Parkrun PB!), Jud and Paula Kirk, Steve Cox and Will Price also running. Meanwhile in Poole Park, BAC had a winner on 8th March, namely Jacek Cieluszecki, with Karl Welch fourth, followed by Simon Munro (14th) and Gemma Bragg (47th). There were 550 finishers, the same number who finished on 15th March, when Simon Way was second with a “massive PB”!                                    The last of the Poole Runners’ Boscombe Pier 5k Series took place on the evening of Friday 14 March and, of a total of 153, 21st was Lawrence Down (18.25), 32nd Jud Kirk (19.07), 48th Steve Cox (20.05), both Jud and Steve running their fastest 5Ks for some time, 64th Joe Price (21.06), rapidly improving after return from injury, and 132nd Will Price in a time of 25.43.
The Weymouth Bay 10k took place on 16th March, with Billy McGreevy reported to be fourth, despite stopping to help another competitor who’d fallen which probably prevented a PB, as Billy’s time was 30 seconds outside his PB. This race appears to be one of a series of 10Ks organised by a promotions company, and may not qualify for inclusion in the Championship Table, but once the results are published this can be clarified, and we’ll know if there were any other BAC athletes taking part.
Finally, not athletics as such but worth a mention – congratulations to Anya Kay who won a Bronze Medal at the British Two-Woman Bobsleigh Championships held at Igls, Austria on 8th March. Anya will be competing at the BAC Open Meeting at Kings Park on 29 March so it will be possible to offer personal congratulations then!