CrossCountry_Reports | Bournemouth Athletic Club

Geoff shows them how to run in England Masters Indoor Championships

Richard Brawn — Fri, 01 May 2026 01:11:09 +0000

EUROPEAN MASTERS ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS INDOOR 2026 – TORÚN, POLAND

The first race for Geoff Newton at the European Masters Indoor Championships was the 3000m

On Sunday 22^nd March, like many of you, I watched the World Indoors Athletics Championships at the Torún Arena on BBC television when team GB won three golds. On Friday 27^th of March I found myself in the very same arena running the M80 3000m at the European Masters Indoor Championships.

The Arena had been given a new track and a makeover for the Worlds, so everything had been upgraded and the latest tech installed including many big screens so that spectators could watch all the action no matter where they were sitting.

The M80s assemble ahead of their 3000m race

To their credit the organisers tried to match that for the Masters so that competitors were individually introduced to the spectators beforehand, with close-ups, just like the Worlds. Action was streamed live to who knows where. Everything about the arena is now world class and made for a great experience. There was a decent atmosphere as many of the 3,500 competitors watched a lot of the action when they were not themselves competing.

Geoff was very much hoping to contend for a medal in all his races

Unlike the Outdoor Championships in Madeira last year there were no really outstanding M80 competitors in the Indoors. The 3000m is a new event for me. I am still learning. My only previous foray into this event occurred at a poorly attended British Masters in Cardiff in January. There I was in a race against two classy M70 runners and one fellow M80. Knowing I could easily beat my fellow M80 I tried unsuccessfully to keep up with the M70’s and paid the price with a poor time. The 3000 is on the border between a middle distance and an endurance event. Alas I am no middle-distance runner.

It was a third place finish for Geoff in the M80 3000m race

This time I was up against seven other M80’s and one M65 and one M90. I expected the most opposition from Ake Jonson the Swede and Jerzy Kopta – a Pole. They set the early pace. It soon became obvious that they were setting a pace I could not (and they probably could not) keep up. So, I did not bust a gut trying to keep up. At just over halfway I was caught by Ronaldatus Konduratus a Lithuanian.

Geoff takes his position on the third step of the podium

After a further lap or two I decided to charge for home, despite feeling stretched at the time. The Lithuanian did not respond. I was also making inroads into the gap between me and the two leaders. In the final stages Jerzy Kopta broke free to take gold in 15:30.91 and I just failed in 15:32.09 to catch a spent Ake Jonson (15:30.13) by two seconds.

The podium for the M80 3000m race

The Lithuanian was fourth in 15:51.35. There were two other brits in the race, Michael Johnson and Barrie Roberts who finished 5^thin 16:10.90 and 8^th in 19:41.63 respectively. With hindsight I should have made my charge a lap earlier.

Geoff sets off in the 5k road race

There was only one day’s rest between the 3000m and the 5K road race. These days I need two days rest between races. It was going to be interesting to see if the others would be similarly affected. As things worked out, the 3000m results were turned on their head and I am sure this had something to do with it.

The race didn’t go completely to plan for Geoff

Things got off to a shambolic start. Originally there were to be three separate starts each separated by 5 minutes, the younger men followed by the older men and then all the women… There was a late decision to send off all the men together, but the change was not well publicised. As a result, I had to cut short my warm-up and Michael Johnson missed the start by two minutes. The weather was very cold and breezy.

I started far more quickly than I should, basically to keep warm and paid the price. After 1km I was struggling. I kept expecting Jonson and Kopta to come past but this did not happen. Instead, it was Konduratus who caught me up at about 2km. At about 3km things got worse. For the first time in over 60 years of racing my bowels decided to leak with messy results, which made the rest of the race unpleasant. Fortunately, my shorts did a good job of hiding this problem. About this time Konduratus got away from me. The rest of the race was a struggle.

Geoff battled it out to earn a second place finish

As I neared the finish, I became aware of Kopta finally catching up with me. A frantic sprint ensued. Ronaldus Kondratus got his pace judgement spot on, and this won him the M80 race in a slow 26.26 with me 2^nd M80 in 26.52 with Kopta one second behind me. Ake Jonson was suffering from the 3000m and was 4^th M80 in 27.44.

The missed start led to Michael Johnson recording 29.50 as 6^th M80. Barrie Roberts was 10^th of 11 M80’s in 38.04. Team results are worked out by cumulative time. The first M80 team was Poland, UK second of two. I was hoping to get inside 26 minutes which would have got 1^st M80 but it was not meant to be this time.

The cross country was Geoff’s third race of the European Masters Championships

We had two days of rest before the cross-country. This was held in a “park” adjacent to the Arena. This was basically hilly / undulating forest, mostly of conifers., with a network of paths, mostly surfaced with fine gravel. The ground was surprisingly dry and “flats” were the order of the day.

The ground was surprisingly dry so Geoff wore his flats

The courses were based on a 2km lap designed to incorporate as many hills as possible. I enjoy this sort of thing. However, the hills mean that it is advisable for most old people to avoid going eyeballs out at the start. The over 70’s ran three laps and younger age groups ran four laps.

It was an undulating course but Geoff enjoys that

I identified the two Irish runners John McMullin and Richard Mullins (both newly into the age group) as the main threats and thought I could handle the other 8 M80’s in the race. I set off at what seemed to be a reasonable pace and found myself just behind John McMullin and clear of Richard Mullins.

Geoff came away with another second place finish

However, John went off at a pace I would not be able to sustain, and he was out of sight by half-way round the first lap. By which time I had caught and passed Ake Jonson who offered no resistance. Eventually, soon after the start of the 3^rd lap John M came back into sight in the distance, giving me the incentive to press harder.

Geoff collects his silver medal after the cross country race

Whilst he had clearly slowed, he had not blown up either. My pursuit became ever more frantic as the finish came nearer, culminating in a flat-out sprint. I finished just 3 seconds behind John, some helpful person warning him of my approach. He was first M80 and I was 2^nd M80.

Michael Johnson had dipped out of the race and flown home early, so a potential gold team medal was lost. However, Barrie Roberts and me were able to drop down to make up an M75 team with Ron Cattle. Ron finished 2^nd M75 and the three of us finished 3^rd M75 (of 4 teams) and got a bronze medal as some compensation.

Geoff with the other M80 medallists from the cross country race

Glass half full or glass half empty? These days I am permanently on the verge of retirement as in my training my feet hurt and more often than not, I feel knackered. However, the adrenaline in racing overcomes this. So, a haul of three individual medals and two team medals from three races is plenty of incentive to continue.

The downside is that with better pace judgement some of the individual silvers might have been gold and the bronze might have been a silver.

I did not recognise any other BAC members there, although I did see Andrew Ridley who some of you might know. He won an impressive 800m and 1500m double in M60 in 2:07.63 and 4:22.97 respectively.

Geoff with the other team medallists from the M75 category

Of course, competition between 80 year olds is more about longevity and stubbornness than talent. There were several world age group records broken at this event including John Wright of GB setting an M65 World indoor 400m record of 54.92. Even a few big names present including former Olympic medal winning athletes from Poland. Not to mention the controversial Dwayne Chambers.

In the future there will be many more big events here in the Torún Arena, both in professional athletics and with the “Masters”. Torún as a city is a nice place to visit. The walled old town on the banks of the Vistula is separated from the modern city by a ring of parks and is a UNESCO World Heritage site for it’s Gothic Architecture. So I can recommend anyone to take part in the European or World Masters Indoors when they next come back to Torún.

Geoff Newton

BAC youngsters stand up to the test at Southern Cross Country Champs

Richard Brawn — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 03:57:19 +0000

Six Bournemouth AC members were primed and ready for action in the Under 15 Boys race at the SEAA Main Cross Country Championships

On a cold, honest afternoon at Beckenham Place Park, the SEAA Main Cross Country Championships offered no shortcuts and very little mercy. This was proper championship terrain: long, grinding climbs, twisting descents, and grass that asked awkward questions of tired legs.

Aiden Blagden and Callum Pearson were in action in the Under 15 Boys race

For Bournemouth AC’s young athletes, it was a day of learning, resilience and, in several cases, clear progress on one of the biggest stages in the domestic cross country calendar.

The BAC runners tackled a testing route with some notable undulations

The Under 15 Boys were first to face the test, tackling a demanding 4.5km course that rolled relentlessly and included a half-mile incline that seemed to stretch both patience and lungs. With 224 runners on the line, positioning and discipline mattered from the gun.

Riley Austin was the fastest of the Under 15 Bournemouth AC runners

Leading the Bournemouth AC sextet was Riley Austin, who once again underlined his growing stature as a championship performer. Fifth overall in the Upton Summer Series and second Under 15 in the Wessex Cross Country League, Riley arrived with form and confidence – and delivered.

Riley ran really well on tough terrain

He ran strongly throughout to finish 22nd in 14:49 – a significant improvement on his 50th place finish at these championships last year.

Riley finished in 22nd place

Barney Smith was the next BAC member to reach the finish

Barney got round in 15:04

Close behind, Barney Smith showed real grit to claim 33rd in 15:04, while Charlie Powell battled gamely through the field to finish 153rd in 16:53.

Barney came 33rd in the Under 15 Boys race

Charlie Powell in the black t-shirt (1978)

Charlie found himself in a sprint finish at the end

Charlie won the sprint finish and came 153rd

Further back, but no less committed, Aiden Blagden clocked 17:09 for 169th place, averaging a solid 6:37 per mile on a course that made every second count.

Aiden Blagden giving his all at the end

Aiden got round in 17:09 which put him 169th

Callum Pearson followed in 184th with 17:37 at 6:39 per mile, continuing his steady championship progression after placing 43rd at the South West Championships three weeks earlier.

Callum Pearson approaches the finish

Callum was the fifth Bournemouth AC boy over the line

Callum came 184th in 17:37

Connor Grocott completed the Bournemouth contingent, crossing the line in 202nd place in 18:02. At the front, Taylor Thom-Watts of Brighton & Hove was a class apart, taking victory in 13:44, while Poole AC’s Theo Cobley ran well for 15th in 14:36.

Connor Grocott was the final BAC finisher in the Under 15 Boys race

Connor came 202nd in 18:02

Connor arrives at the finish relieved

The Under 15 Girls raced over the same unforgiving route, where Ellie Taylor carried the Bournemouth AC colours with determination. Winner of the Under 15 category in the Wessex Cross Country League and still smarting from a controversial second place at the Run Bournemouth Supernova 5k despite getting the fastest chip time, Ellie once again showed her strength in big fields.

Ellie Taylor was the sole BAC representative in the Under 15 Girls race

Ellie works her way up the finishing straight

She finished 42nd out of 164 in 17:32 – a respectable result on a course that rewarded patience more than aggression. Up front, Summer Smith of Brentwood Beagles edged out Poppy Guest of Aldershot Farnham & District in a sprint finish, both clocking 15:04.

Ellie took 42nd place out of 164

There were high hopes for Isaac May in the Under 17 Men’s race

The Under 17 Men then took on a sterner examination; 6km with more than 300 feet of elevation and very little flat respite. Isaac May led the Bournemouth AC trio, finishing 59th out of 152 in 20:48.

Isaac ran well in a very strong field

Isaac finished in 59th place

It was a composed run from an athlete who had placed 16th at the South West Championships and was second to Oliver Canavan in the Wessex League standings.

Jack Webb was also competing in the Under 17 Men’s race

Jack performed admirably to finish in 22:01

Jack Webb followed in 109th in 22:01, averaging 6:01 per mile, with Jacob Taylor close behind in 118th place in 22:17 at 6:09 per mile.

Jack finished in 109th position

Jacob Taylor worked hard to deliver the best performance he could

Jacob, fresh from a second place at the Running GP at Goodwood and a top-five finish at the Bournemouth Coastal 10k, found the climbs a different sort of challenge. Victory went to Joseph Scanes of Blackheath & Bromley in a commanding 18:35.

Jacob came 118th in 22:17

The Under 17 Women raced the same course, where Flo Dootson showed real resolve to complete a tough afternoon, finishing 122nd of 124 in 31:42. The win went to Molly Smithers of Chichester in 21:47.

Amelia Lawrence featured in the Under 20 Women’s race

In the Under 20 Women’s race, also over 6km, Amelia Lawrence produced one of the standout Bournemouth-linked performances of the day.

Amelia was representing her first claim club Cambridge Harriers

Competing for her first-claim club Cambridge Harriers, Amelia – third at the South East Inter-Counties, a consistent force in both the Hampshire and Wessex leagues, and fresh from a 37:21 victory in her first ever 10k at Boscombe – ran with maturity and control to finish 7th in 23:09.

Katie Pye of Aldershot Farnham & District claimed the win in that race, recording a time of 21:54.

Amelia was one of the stronger runners in the field

Amelia finished 7th in 23:08

Elsewhere on the programme, the Under 20 Men raced over 8km, with Cosmo Benyan of Cambridge & Coleridge taking victory in 24:16.

It was a good improvement on her placing from last year

Poole AC’s Charlie Collins continued his fine winter form to finish 6th in 25:03, adding to a season that has already seen him dominate the Wessex Cross Country scene and narrowly miss out on a win at the Broadstone Quarter Marathon.

The Senior Women had to run 8km

The front runners in the Senior Women’s race

The Senior Women tackled the same 8km loop, where Kate O’Neil of Havering AC edged out Andrea Clement of Blackheath & Bromley by just two seconds, winning in 27:20.

It all came down to a sprint finish in the end

Kate O’Neil of Havering just got the better of Andrea Clement of Blackheath & Bromley

The Senior Men’s race was over a 14km distance

The day concluded with the Senior Men’s race; a bruising 14km with more than 700 feet of climbing and a field of 603 starters. James Kingston of Tonbridge AC, runner-up last year, went one better this time, claiming victory in 44:27.

James Kingston outclassed all the others

Callum Charleston of Aldershot Farnham & District was second in 45:52, with Jack Kavanagh third in 46:03. Jonathan Cornish, a familiar face in the Poole area though racing for Hercules Wimbledon, finished a solid 15th in 47:36.

Jonathan Cornish is often seen around the Poole area

James comes in to take a resounding victory

By the time the last spikes were cleaned and the final results checked, Beckenham Place Park had once again done what the Southern Championships do best – expose weaknesses, reward resilience, and give young athletes a clear sense of where they stand.

Callum Charleston of Aldershot Farnham & District was runner up

For Bournemouth AC’s contingent, it was a demanding but valuable afternoon that will quietly strengthen them for the races still to come.

Jack Kavanagh had to settle for third

There were some encouraging performances amongst the BAC representatives

Mud, Mettle and County Colours at Merryfield

Richard Brawn — Sat, 24 Jan 2026 03:40:35 +0000

Isabel Cherrett was defending her crown after emerging victorious at last year’s South West Cross Country Championships

On a blustery Somerset afternoon at RNAS Merryfield, the South West Club & County Cross Country Championships once again delivered the kind of honest, unforgiving test that strips racing back to its basics – mud, wind, grit, and a refusal to give an inch. Against that backdrop, Bournemouth AC athletes, representing both club and county, produced performances full of resolve, promise and quiet class.

Isaac May and Oliver Canavan were featuring in the Under 17 Men’s race

The Under 17 Men’s race saw Dorset well represented by Bournemouth AC duo Oliver Canavan and Isaac May, lining up against a deep regional field. At the sharp end, Rory Barclay-Wyatt of Exeter Harriers stamped his authority on the race, striding clear to take the title in 17:55, with Thomas Vestey of Taunton (18:21) and Jasper Forty of Exeter Harriers (18:27) completing the podium.

Isabel was hoping to start the year off on a high

Behind them, Oliver Canavan showed why his winter reputation is growing to match his formidable track credentials. The Boscombe Seafront 5k winner, Dorset and South West Schools 1500m champion, and a regular Bournemouth parkrun front-runner, ran a measured and determined race to finish 11th in 19:45, first Dorset scorer on the day.

Isaac May, no stranger to county honours himself after a Dorset Schools cross country title and strong showings on the track, followed him home in 16th place in 20:05. Their combined efforts helped Dorset to a highly creditable 4th place in the County team competition.

Isaac ran well to finish in 16th place

In the Under 17 Women’s race, Isabel Cherrett returned to defend the title she won twelve months ago and once again delivered a performance of real authority. Fresh from victories in the Dorset and South West Schools Cross Country Championships, a ninth place at the Southern Championships, and a clean sweep of the Wessex Cross Country League, Isabel was right in the hunt from the gun. Only Ellie Foster of Devon could deny her, Foster taking the win in exactly 17 minutes, with Isabel finishing a strong second in 17:31.

Isaac was second scorer for the Dorset team

Another Bournemouth AC athlete, Flo Dootson, showed great determination to complete the course in testing conditions, finishing 34th in 24:00. With Isabel leading the way, Dorset secured second place in the County standings, behind Devon.

Isabel was battling it out at the front of the field

Isabel had to settle for second place this time

The Under 15 Boys tackled their own demanding course with Bournemouth AC trio Finley Hurst Atkins, Callum Pearson and Aiden Blagden all gaining valuable championship experience. Finley, already a three-time winner of his age group in the Junior Upton Summer Series, and Callum, who completed all six races in the Upton series and finished third overall in the 14–17 category, crossed the line together in 43rd and 44th places respectively, both clocking 12:43 for the two-mile route at an average pace of 6:14 per mile. Aiden Blagden, who ran 18:18 for 5k at the Run Bournemouth Supernova and finished 37th in last year’s Under 13 South West Championships, placed 50th in 13:03. Up front, Poole AC’s Theo Cobley claimed victory in 10:53, while Dorset finished 5th in the County team competition.

Callum Pearson was running in the Under15 Boys race

In the Under 15 Girls race, Isla May and Jess Long wore Dorset colours alongside fellow Bournemouth AC runner Lola Thomasson. Isla led the Dorset scorers home in 18th place in 13:23, Jess followed in 37th in 14:16, and Lola completed the course in 59th with a time of 16:39. Ellie Birchall of Exeter Harriers took the individual honours in 12:22, and Dorset finished 4th in the County team standings.

Aiden Blagden was also representing Dorset in the Under 15 Boys race

The Under 13 races brought further Dorset success. While no Bournemouth AC athletes featured in the boys’ event, Louis Robinett of Poole Runners dominated the race, winning in 9:27, 23 seconds clear of Bristol & West’s Charlie Barnes, with club-mate Seth Hollyman taking fourth in 10:05.

Aiden went on to finish in 50th place

In the girls’ race, Allegra Ramirez continued her excellent season, finishing 9th in 11:31 and acting as third scorer for Dorset. Abigail Moors (11:05) and Imogen Beisley (11:13), both of Poole AC, finished second and fourth respectively, helping Dorset to second place in the County competition behind Wiltshire.

There was no Bournemouth AC presence in the senior races, and Dorset did not field teams, but familiar faces were still to be found near the front. Former Bournemouth AC athlete Harry Smith, competing for Wiltshire since he lives in Salisbury, produced a fine run to take second place in the Senior Men’s race. He covered the 7km course in 22:24, averaging a brisk 5:04 per mile, bettered only by Bristol & West’s Felix McGrath, who won in 22:17. Ben Robinson, also of Bristol & West, claimed bronze in 22:41. Bristol & West took the Club team title, with Cornwall winning the County honours.

Jess Long was in action in the Under 15 Girls race

In the Senior Women’s race, Annabel Arnold of City of Plymouth emerged victorious in 26:04, ahead of Tamara Beach of Cornwall (26:29). Sophie Nicholls of Wells City Harriers finished third in 26:31 and was first Under 20. Team Bath secured the Club team victory, while Cornwall once again topped the County standings.

Jess works her way up the slope

All told, it was a championship day that showcased both established class and emerging talent, with Bournemouth AC athletes once again proving that, when the mud flies and the stakes rise, they are more than ready to answer the call.

Jess was the sixth Dorset runner to get round

BAC Juniors impress at South West Cross Country Championships

Richard Brawn — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 16:34:29 +0000

The Bournemouth AC girls were representing club and county and the South West Cross Country Championships

Several Bournemouth AC members headed over to RNAS Merryfield for the 2025 South West Cross Country Championships, determined to make their mark against some of the finest athletes in the region. They were mostly athletes from the Junior divisions, coached by Simon Hearn and Simon Saunders.

The two Simons put a lot of work in on the training ground preparing the youngsters for big events like the South West Cross Country Championships so they look forward to seeing those under their stewardship flourishing on the big stage.

Riley Austin and Isaac May are two promising and talented products from the BAC academy and there are a number of them in the Under 15 Girls division, with the O’Brien sisters Clodagh and Albha, Constance King and Jessica Long.

Riley Austin is one of the fastest Bournemouth AC boys

Perhaps one of Bournemouth AC’s brightest prospects, Ellie Taylor, was featuring in the Under 13 Girls race and, likely to be the star of the show from a BAC perspective was Isabel Cherrett in the Under 17 Women’s race.

Isabel finished third in the South West Cross Country Championships last year so she’d already shown he had what it takes to be a contender. In fact, RNAS Merryfield was a happy place for her last year as she went on to win the South West Schools’ Championship there a month later. She also won the Dorset Schools’ Championships on home turf at Kings Park and won a Hampshire League Cross Country race there as well when Bournemouth AC hosted it at the end of November.

She also had some sensational successes on the track, winning the South West School’s Championships 3000 metres and the Dorset Country Schools’ Championship 1500 metres. She’d also cut her parkrun PB down to 17:24 and was 2nd female in her first ever 10k road race at Round the Lakes.

Isabel Cherrett won the Under 17 Women’s race

The way she’d been progressing throughout the year, there was always a good chance she would better her position from last year at the South West Cross Country Championships and she did just that. Completing the 4.4km distance in a remarkable time of 17 minutes 55 seconds, Isabel was first to line, becoming Under 17 Girls South West Cross Country Champion.

Isaac May was featuring in the Under 17 Men’s race

It was a fantastic achievement for Isabel and very well deserved after all the hard work she puts in in training, with her dad Phil guiding her along the path to success. She was seven seconds ahead of Olivia Steel from Exeter Harriers, with another Dorset runner, Matilda Bengtsson of Poole AC taking third in 18:20. It was a double gold medal for Isabel as Dorset won the County Team competition as well which made it an even sweeter victory for Isabel.

Featuring in the Under 17 Men’s race, Isaac May came 31st in the South West Cross Country Championships last year. He’d progressed well over the course of the year though and ended 2024 with an excellent 16:27 parkrun.

Isaac ran well to finish in 18th place

In that sort of form it would be interesting to see what he could produce at RNAS Merryfield this year. The course for his race was 5.4km and Isaac completed it in 20:26 which put him in 18th place. That was a good result given that its all the best runners from Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire involved. Charlie Collins of Poole AC finished third and Dorset were third in the County Team competition so Isaac got a bronze medal for that.

Riley Austin finished 14th in the Under 15 Boys race

Proving to be a very accomplished cross country runner, Riley Austin topped the standings in the Wessex Cross Country League, winning two of the races and finishing 4th in the other. He also did well in the Hampshire Cross Country League, winning one of the Kings Park ones and finishing 9th in the other and 4th at Prospect Park. His 5k best was a 17:28 which he recorded at the Run Bournemouth Supernova.

Jacob Taylor was in the Under 15 Boys race

In the Under 15 Boys race at the South West Cross Country Championships, Riley raced to a 14th place finish, completing the 3.2km course in 12 minutes 10 seconds. It was a terrific performance from Riley and he helped Dorset on to a third place finish in the County Team competition.

Jacob Taylor was another Bournemouth AC member featuring in the Under 15 Boys race and he finished 29th in a time of 12:42. Jacob had a good campaign in the Wessex Cross Country League as well finishing 4th, 5th and 6th in his races and has a best parkrun time of 18:22. Theo Cobley of Poole AC finished fifth in that race recording a time of 11:46.

Jacob finished 29th in 12:42

Clodagh O’Brien was in the Under 15 Girls race

Out of the four Bournemouth AC representatives in the Under 15 Girls race, it was Clodagh O’Brien who finished highest up. She managed 17th place in 13:39 for the 3.2km course and was third Dorset runner.

Constance King makes her way up the incline

Constance King wasn’t far behind though, getting to the line in 13:53 which put her in 22nd place. Albha O’Brien was the next Dorset girl in, clocking a time of 14:19 which put her in 30th place.

Constance was second scorer for Bournemouth AC

Albha O’Brien making her way round

Jessica Long came in in 34th place recording a time of 14:42 and Bournemouth AC finished third in the Club Team competition behind Team Bath and Exeter Harriers. Dorset were third in the County Team competition meaning Clodagh and Constance got two bronze medals each as they were two of the four scorers for the Inter Counties. Jemima Chetford of Poole AC was one of the other ones and she finished 6th in 13:12.

Jessica Long was also competing the Under 15 Girls race

Jessica was one of four BAC members in the Under 15 Girls race

Coming into it off the back of a brilliant 2024, Ellie Taylor definitely had the potential to go well in the Under 13 Girls race. She won all her Wessex Cross Country League races last season and also finished runner up in both the Dorset Country Schools Championships and Dorset County Championship 1500 metre events. She’d also nailed a new PB of 19:51 in the Run Bournemouth Supernova 5k.

Ellie Taylor was having a superb run in Under 13 Girls race

Putting in a magnificent performance at the South West Cross Country Championships, Ellie completed the 2.79km course in 11 minutes 29 seconds which put her in 7th place. She was only 14 seconds behind the winner as well and was first Dorset runner.

Jessica finished 29th in her race

Aiden Blagden was wearing his green Dorset vest

The Dorset team ended up finishing second in the Inter County competition which meant Ellie was rewarded with a silver medal for her efforts. Abigail Moors of Poole AC finished 9th in 11:43.

Aiden and Edward King were in the Under 13 Boys race

In the Under 13 Boys race, Aiden Blagden finished 37th in a time of 12 minutes 10 seconds. The course for his race was 1.75 miles and Aiden came away with an average pace of 6:56 per mile. Running in that same race, Edward King completed the course in exactly 13 minutes which put him in 47th place.

Joseph Preston of Poole Runners was third in the Under 13 Boys race in a time of 10:08, with Charlie Harrison of Poole AC taking 4th in 10:17.

There was also Bournemouth AC representation in the Senior Women’s race from Kirsty Drewett and she finished 61st in a time of 41:02. Former BAC member Erin Wells was in the race as well and she did brilliantly to finish 8th overall and third out of the Under 20 Women in a time of 29:19. She would have taken home a bronze medal for that.

Edward King finished in exactly 13 minutes

Rosie Hamilton-James of Westbury Harriers was the winner of the Senior Women’s race in a time of 27:11 on a course that was 7.13km. Her teammate Freya Bradley was second but she was an Under 20 Woman so effectively, they both won.

Jacob Taylor picked up a bronze medal for the County Team competition

Jack Millar of Bristol & West was the winner of the Senior Men’s race in a time of 23:11, with his teammate Felix McGrath taking second in 23:38. Amazingly, Bristol & West had four men in the top seven. Owain Jones was first M40 and 4th overall in 24 minutes exactly. Dillon Millard of Taunton AC was first Under 20 Man in 24:10.

The Under 11 Boys and Girls raced together and Louis Robinett of Poole Runners won that race in a time of 7:03. Poole AC member Imogen Beisley was first girl in the race, getting over the line in 7:49 which put her a second ahead of her nearest rival. She was 6th overall in the combined standings.

Both Simon Hearn and Simon Saunders were really proud of the achievements of their athletes and the commitment that they showed. No fewer than 17 junior athletes from Bournemouth AC have been selected to represent Dorset at the Inter County Cross Country Championships in March which is a real testament to the coaching and the development at the club. It also means there are many bright prospects at the club who will in time, get their time to shine.

The Bournemouth AC boys had risen to the challenge and come away with medals

Hampshire XC League, Inter-Counties XC Championships and general XC

Ian Graham — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 17:51:10 +0000

Ben Collins, Rob McTaggart, Geoff Newton, Szymon Chojnacki, David Crowther, Tim Hughes, Adrian James, Bryn Smith, Alex Goulding and Jud Kirk (Josh King and Ryan Pegoraro absent)

The Hampshire Cross Country League 2023/2024 season drew to a close at Kings Park, Bournemouth on Saturday 10 February, with the BAC‘s Senior Men all but safe in Division 1, but still requiring a decent result to be sure. Fortunately this was delivered by Josh King, Rob McTaggart, Bryn Smith, Szymon Chojnacki and Ryan Pegoraro all of whom ran exceptionally to finish 12th, 20th, 26th, 32nd and 34th respectively, with Ben Collins in 38th position just missing out on a team place. The team were 5th of 10 on the day, 7th for the season, ensuring a Division 1 competition next year. In all, 12 BAC senior/veteran men competed, with the veteran mens’ team of Szymon, Adrian James and Alex Goulding securing an incredible 2nd team place on the day, 9th of 16 teams overall for the season. BAC‘s Senior Women also put out a team of Sian McIlwaine, Julia Austin and Nikki McTaggart, with Daisy Musk the essential back-up. The team were 15th of 18 on the day, 16th of 18 for the season. There were some notable performances from BAC‘s younger athletes at Kings Park, with Riley Austin and Connor Grocott 1st and 2nd respectively of the U13 boys, Isabel Cherrett 2nd U15 girl and Oliver Canavan 7th U15 boy. Many congratulations to Connor, who concluded the season as the 1st U13 Boy of the League for the season, to Riley, the 3rd U13 Boy of the League, and to Isabel, 2nd U15 Girl of the League. Many thanks to Simon Saunders, who has taken over the organisation of this fixture, for a successful day, including laying on good weather!

Daisy Musk, Sian McIlwaine, Nikki McTaggart and Julia Austin

Results (BAC): Senior/Veteran Men: 12. Josh King 32.37, 20. Rob McTaggart 33.54, 26. Bryn Smith 34.31, 32. Szymon Chojnacki 35.24, 34. Ryan Pegoraro 35.33, 38. Ben Collins 35.49, 51. Adrian James 37.21, 76. Alex Goulding 38.58, 142. David Crowther 45.07, 143. Jud Kirk 45.12, 163. Tim Hughes 47.21, 170, Geoff Newton 51.08; Senior/Veteran Women: 58. Sian McIlwaine 28.00, 69. Julia Austin 29.09, 82. Nikki McTaggart 30.31, 93. Daisy Musk 32.33; U17 Men: 21. Nathan Mearns 22.58; U15 Boys: 7. Oliver Canavan 14.26, 23. Steven Kiff 17.06; U15 Girls: 2. Isabel Cherrett 14.50, 24. Elizabeth Davie 21.08: U13 Boys: 1. Riley Austin 10.54, 2. Connor Grocott 10.58, 22. Callum Pearson 12.58, 29. Solly Abu-Ghaba 13.39; U11 Boys: 15. Edward Davie 8.27, 28. Leo Sims 9.18, 29. Timo Green 9.20, 37. Joshua Wells 9.59, 38. Anderson Peaty 10.15; U11 Girls: 27. Imogen Savage 10.20, 29. Alicja Mysliwska 10.26.

Josh King leads the BAC team

Ryan Pegoraro completes BAC’s team

The Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships took place at Wollaton Park, Nottingham on 8 March with at least 21 BAC athletes supporting the Dorset team. Bryn Smith, Ben Collins and Chris O’Brien all competed in the Senior Mens’ race, and amongst the 18 or so BAC youngsters taking part there were some very creditable performances. Bearing in mind the huge numbers racing for Counties the length and breadth of England, Isabel Cherrett‘s 19th finish in her age category was outstanding (Isabel was 3rd in her age category in the South West Cross Country Championship). The same can be said of Connor Grocott‘s 56th placing (Connor actually won his age category in the Hampshire Cross Country Championship), also of Hugo Richardson‘s 79th placing (Hugo was 3rd in his age category in the Dorset County Championship, as were Imogen Pope and Isaac May in their categories), of Oliver Canavan‘s 12th (yes, 12th!) placing (Oliver won his category in the Dorset County Championship), of Riley Austin‘s 32nd placing (Riley was 5th in his category in the South West Cross Country Championship), and of Ellie Taylor’s 62nd placing (Ellie was 4th in her category in the Dorset County Championship). Referring to earlier Championships, in their categories Seb Crowe was 3rd in the Dorset County Championship, and Oscar Newbery was 8th in the South West Championship.

Simon Saunders has written: “BAC Juniors coached by Nick Marshall, Chris O’Brien, Leon Hurst-Atkins, Simon Hearn & Simon Saunders have represented the club and county over the cross-country at Wessex & Hampshire Leagues, Dorset & Hampshire County Championships, SW County Championships, South of England Championships and Inter-Counties Championships

Over 100 performances from BAC Juniors who have represented BAC and or Dorset / Hampshire at county, regional or national level.

Many of the Juniors also represented Dorset / Hampshire at this past weekend’s English Schools Cross-Country in Pontefract drawing the season to a conclusion.

We would like to thank all the officials, parents, coaches and athletes for representing their club and we look forward to translating this into strong performances on the track.”

Maybe it’s worth listing all those youngsters to whom Simon refers: Aiden Blagden, Albha O’Brien, Amy Betts, Ava Richmond, Callum Pearson, Clodagh O’Brien, Connor Grocott, Constance King, Edward King, Elizabeth Davie, Ellie Taylor, Emily Coltman, Esmee Hurst Atkins, Finley Hurst Atkins, Harry Butcher, Hugo Richardson, Imogen Pope, Isaac May, Isabel Cherrett, Isabella Crawford, Isla May, Jack Webb, Jessica Long, Matilde Blagden, Nathan Mearns, Oliver Canavan, Oscar Newbery, Riley Austin, Samuel Brewer, Seb Crowe, Solly Abu-Ghaba, Steven Kiff, William Moss. In an exercise such as this there is always the risk that someone has inadvertently been left out, and sincere apologies if this has occurred.

There remains the National Cross Country Championships, in which Bryn Smith will be competing. This was scheduled for 24 February at Weston Park, Shropshire, but a deluge of rain a day or two before meant it was impossible to proceed (mainly because of car parking difficulties rather than the course itself). It is now scheduled for September 14, and we wish Bryn the very best of luck.

Finally, here are some photographs of the Inter Counties Cross Country Championship at Nottingham.

Dorset U17 Men

Dorset U20 Men

Dorset U 15 Boys

Dorset U15 Girls

Dorset U 13 Girls

Isabel Cherrett on her way to finishing 19th

Senior Women Start

General View

Ollie James seals silver at Welsh National Cross Country Champs

Richard Brawn — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 02:08:04 +0000

Ollie James was featuring in the Under 20 Men’s race at the Welsh National Cross Country Championships

One Bournemouth AC star very much on the rise at the moment is steeplechase specialist and cross country connoisseur Oliver James. Since moving up north to study at Durham University, Ollie’s running has continued to thrive, just as it was when he was based here in Bournemouth. He just seems to keep getting stronger and stronger and faster and faster.

It was probably in 2021 where Ollie’s running really began to hit another stratosphere. That year he won the 2000 metre steeplechase at the Welsh Junior Championships and also became Dorset Schools’ Champions and Dorset County Champion at the same event. Later on that year he ran a very impressive 15:36 at Moors Valley parkrun. That was a little teaser of the kind of ability that was bubbling under the surface.

In 2022 he retained his Welsh Junior Championships and Dorset Schools’ Championship titles in the 2000m steeplechase. He also finished 2nd at the South West Schools’ Championships and 3rd in the English Schools’ Championships at that same event.

He also achieved some very impressive cross country results that year, finishing 18th at the Southerns and 5th in the Welsh National Championships. On top of that, he ran an astonishing sub 15 minute 5000m at a Hercules Wimbledon Night of Graded 5000m Races where he was battling it out with club mate Rob McTaggart.

In 2023 Ollie ran a 32:19 10k at the Run Newcastle Valentines event and also finished a second outside the Moors Valley parkrun course record, tearing round in 15:23. That was another glimpse at what he was capable of when in full swing. He went on to finish 2nd in the Dorset County Championship Cross Country race, when only the super fast William Rabjohns was able to beat him in a star studded line up.

Ollie ran on a very muddy course at the BUCS Cross Country Championships

Putting in an incredible performance at the Broadstone Quarter Marathon on New Years Day, Ollie finished 2nd to Joe Arudel, with both men recording times that would have beaten the previous course record. Ollie’s managed a 34:37 on a very tough undulating course and that’s a time most athletes wouldn’t even get near for a 10k!!

Ollie has also achieved some impressive cross country results already this year, finishing 2nd Under 20 at the South West Inter County Championships at RNAS Merryfield and 7th at the Southern Championships. Those were terrific outcomes in very high standard races.

The BUCS Cross Country was one of the hardest races Ollie’s ever done

Putting in perhaps one of his best ever performances, Ollie finished 31st at the BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) Cross Country Championships on one of the hardest courses he’d ever ran on. The mud in that race was a different level but Ollie felt super strong and tackled it with aplomb.

Ollie with his Durham University teammates at the BUCS Cross Country Championships

Ollie was battling some of the very best Wales had to offer in the Welsh National Championships

Competing in the Under 20 Men‘s race at the Welsh National Cross Country Championships, Ollie was going for gold over a 6.85km course. The running scene in Wales is big though and there are a lot of top quality athletes around so it was always going to be hotly contested.

In the end it was between Ollie and Dafydd Jones off Swansea Harriers

The location was Penlan Arena in Brecon and the course was wet, muddy, winding and undulating. Ollie ran well though and came away with a silver medal, recording a superb time of 20:44, putting his average pace at a very impressive 5:32. The only man able to better that on the day was Dafydd Jones of Swansea Harriers who clocked a time of 20:25.

Crossing the line 30 seconds ahead of the third placed man Henry Evans from Newport Harriers, Ollie’s silver medal was never really under threat. It was another excellent result for Ollie as he continued on his remarkable running journey where he just keeps getting better and better.

The weekend after the Welsh National Cross Country Championships, Ollie took to the track for the BUCS Athletics Indoor Championship 3000 metres. Clocking a five second PB in that one, Ollie got round in 8:28.89 which put him in 3rd place in his heat. He was pipped for 2nd place by 0.63 of a second and just missed out on the required qualifying time for the final so Ollie was a little disappointed with that. It was still a very impressive display though.

Ollie takes his place on the podium after finishing 2nd

For his next challenge, Ollie would be lining up for one of the fastest 10k races in the UK when he took on the Trafford 10k. That race also brought him an opportunity to don the famous Welsh Athletics vest again and it was going to be very interesting to see what sort of time he could produce.

The top three on the in the Under 20 Men’s race

Cherrett’s on fire in South West Schools’ Championships

Richard Brawn — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 13:03:00 +0000

Isabel Cherrett was representing Dorset in the South West Schools’ Cross Country Championships at RNAS Merryfield

Without a doubt one of Bournemouth AC‘s most promising young athletes, Isabel Cherrett has been progressing remarkably well of late. Cutting her parkrun times down to under 18 minutes, she’d won the Dorset Schools’ Cross Country Championships in January at Kings Park and all the signs were there that she was on verge of achieving something truly spectacular.

Despite her obvious talent, exemplary attitude and work ethic, along with her many impressive performances, there was still a sense that Isabel hadn’t quite had her moment yet. For a variety of reasons, it just hadn’t quite come together for her in a really big cross country race. She’d had incidents where she’d slipped over and been spiked, gone the wrong way and even had an unexpected dog interruption, all scuppering her chances of achieving the success that she was well capable of.

What she didn’t do though was she didn’t sulk or moan about it. She didn’t let it discourage her from continuing to train hard and aspiring to be the very best that she can be. She carried on, knowing that if she kept the belief, her moment will come.

Coached attentively by her dad Phil, Isabel couldn’t really have hoped to have a more positive influence guiding her on her journey. Phil has many connections to Bournemouth AC and is always there with some words of encouragement, not just to Isabel but to everyone he knows really. He always takes an interest in how others are doing and his positivity is revered by many.

Isabel works her way up to the front of the pack

Being Dorset Schools’ Champion, Isabel was afforded selection for the South West Schools’ Championships at RNAS Merryfield in Taunton, where she would represent her county. It was a huge race for her and after finishing 9th in the event last year, she was hoping for even better this time round. In an event of that magnitude though, the competition was always going to be fierce.

It wasn’t long before Isabel took the lead and began to drive the pace

Isabel had already raced at RNAS Merryfield once this year, finishing 3rd in the South West Inter County Championships on the first weekend of January. That was an extremely impressive result in such a prestigious fixture. Now she was striving for an even better result at the South West Schools’ Championships.

In 10th place after the first few hundred metres, Isabel had taken the lead the first corner, demonstrating great courage to take it on. She led a group of eight runners for the first 2km lap before making an even braver decision to pull away at the start of the second lap. It proved to be right decision as she held her advantage and made it to the finish line in first place, clocking a time of 13 minutes 33 seconds. That was over a 3.7km course.

The other girls were unable to match Isabel’s exhilarating speed

She’d made it to the line 17 seconds ahead of her nearest challenger, Paige Quinn, of Torbay. It was an incredible result for Isabel and it was great to see her realise the potential that she has. It was a tough course with a lot of mud and some very testing inclines but that’s the kind of environment Isabel thrives in. She’d seized her opportunity, delivering the performance she craved and most importantly, getting the result she deserved.

It was a race to remember for Isabel as she got everything right and performed like a champion

Suffice to say, she was delighted with how it went and perhaps a little shocked even to be declared South West Schools’ Inter Girls Cross Country Champion. Especially since it was an Under 17 women’s race and Isabel was in the Under 15 category, so she was competing with girls in the year above her.

Other Bournemouth AC members competing at the South West Schools’ Championships included Oliver Canavan who came 24th in the Under 17 Men‘s race and was 9th Under 15. He recorded a time of 16 minutes 16 seconds for the 4.75km course. Isaac May was in that race as well and he came 42nd and 15th Under 15. His time was 16:51.

In the Under 13 boys race, Finley Hurst Atkins finished 19th out of 65 runners. His time for the 2.6km course was 9 minutes 37 seconds. Reuben Holleran was in that race as well and he came 28th in a time of 9:42.

Since that win Isabel has gone on post a fabulous new parkrun PB of 17:24 which is an astonishing time or an athlete of her age. She then went on to finish 2nd at Blandford parkrun the weekend after in 17:51.

There is very much a feeling that her South West Schools’ Championship win is just the beginning for Isabel. With the talent she has and the way that she trains, her potential truly has no bounds and it will be exciting to see what she can achieve in the coming years.

BAC athlete’s (Henry B-R) life saving action at Popham and Cross Country Round-Up

Ian Graham — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:42:26 +0000

Henry Bramwell-Reeks racing at Popham before his life saving skills were called into action

As I was just starting the last lap of the Hampshire Cross Country League fixture at Popham on Saturday 11 November, I was met by someone who appeared to be suggesting I cut off a corner. I thought at the time that this was an invitation, perhaps kindly meant, to an elderly athlete at the tail end of the field to save a bit of time and energy which would not in any way affect the race result. Naturally, I was having nothing of this, and continued along the proper course. However, very soon I realised what the point of all this had been. On the course an athlete was lying on the ground, with medics in attendance, and someone (who I discovered later was BAC‘s own Henry Bramwell-Reeks) applying compressions, so clearly this was a very, very serious incident. I kept out of the way, so I couldn’t at the time identify any of the individuals involved, and continued to finish the race. Just how serious the incident was became clear when not only an ambulance appeared, but also a helicopter, which eventually took off, we assumed taking the casualty to hospital. Later I heard a rumour that Henry, who had earlier lapped me and was running well, had become involved in the incident so I started digging to see what had happened. It appears that following the collapse of the athlete, who later identified himself on the League FaceBook page as Piers Puntan, of Overton Harriers, a runner had started compressions, from whom Henry took over, having voluntarily attended the scene of the incident, and Henry continued the compressions till handing over to the air ambulance. In his post on the League website Piers wrote “I was in no position to know who came to my aid but thank you as you almost certainly saved my life”. Henry is a qualified Lifeguard and knew, not only exactly what to do, but also that he might have been able to assist and so took the initiative to go to the scene. So well done, Henry, your quick thinking and actions on that day really did make a difference. Later I was able to put Piers in touch with Henry, and Piers has emailed Henry to thank him for his intervention and explained that Henry‘s intervention not only ensured that he survived but also that he has minimal heart damage and no oxygen starvation brain damage. Piers also said “apparently only 7% of cardiac arrest patients survive where it occurs outside of a hospital”. Thanks to Henry, Piers was amongst those 7% of survivors.

As far as the race is concerned, Henry was among a number of star BAC performers that day, finishing the senior mens’ race an astonishing 15^th in 33.55. There were also incredible runs from Henry’s twin sister, Poppaea, 11^th in the senior womens’ race in 24.29, Hugo Richardson, 5^th U17 man in 18.25, Isabel Cherrett, 2^nd U15 girl in 15.26 and Connor Grocott, 3^rd U13 boy in 11.25. The only complete BAC teams at Popham were the senior and veteran men and also the U15 boys. The senior mens’ team was completed by Rob McTaggart (31^st in 34.430), Ben Collins (79^th in 38.34), Ryan Pegoraro (74^th in 38.26), and Rich Brawn (97^th in 39.38). The senior mens’ team were 7^th of 10 division 1 teams on the day and are also 7^th 0f 10 aggregate for the season so far, so remain out of the relegation zone. The veteran mens’ team of Rich, Patrick Kingston (156^th in 42.50) and Jud Kirk (242^nd in 48.24) were 14^th team on the day and lie 16^th of 21 teams aggregate. I (Ian Graham) was the rock holding up the mens’ teams, finishing 282^nd in 62.46. Joining Poppaea in the senior womens’ race was Nikki McTaggart (106^th in 32.36) and joining Hugo in the U17 mens’ race was Nathan Mearns (29^th in 20.39). As mentioned, BAC‘s U15 boys fielded a team of Jack Webb (19^th in 15.26), William Moss (20^th in 15.32) and Steven Kiff (33^rd in 16.24) the team finishing 5^th of 7 teams on the day. BAC was represented in the U17 womens’ race by Matilde Blagden who was 11^th in 24.02. Joining Isabel in the U15 girls’ race was Elizabeth Davie (38^th in 19.06). Connor‘s sister, Skye, ran in the U13 girls race and was 42^nd in 19.06 and joining Connor in the U13 boys’ race was Aiden Blagden, finishing 34^th in 13.49.

Whilst reporting, I may as well bring the cross country scene up to date. The season opened on 1 October with the Wessex Cross Country fixture at Learoyd Road (see earlier report dated 26 October). Next came a very busy weekend, with the Hampshire Cross Country fixture at Aldershot on 28 October, and the Wessex fixture the next day at Bryanston School. There were wins at Bryanston by Rob McTaggart, Oliver Canavan and Ellie Taylor, and 2^nd placings by Hugo Richardson, Finley Hurst Atkins, Mabel Jundi and (at Aldershot) Connor Grocott, but the greatest praise must be reserved for Oliver Hill, who, alone amongst BAC athletes, competed both at Aldershot and Bryanston.

The BAC results from Aldershot (Hampshire) on 28 October were as follows: Senior Men: 31. Henry Bramwell-Reeks 34.48, 70. Ben Collins 37.25, 74. Ryan Pegoraro 37.33, 142. Patrick Kingston 41.40, 150. Grzegorz Kazaniecki 42.12, 225. Jud Kirk 47.22; Senior Women: 10. Poppaea Bramwell-Reeks 23.32; U17 Men: 24. Oliver Hill 22.47; U15 Girls: 6. Isabel Cherrett 15.18; U13 Boys: 2. Connor Grocott 10.49, 5. Riley Austin 11.09.

The BAC results from Bryanston (Wessex) on 29 October were as follows: Senior Men: 1. Rob McTaggart 31.21, 3. Rich Brawn 33.39, 11. Seb Crowe 35.27 (Seb was 2^nd U20 Man), 17. Chris O’Brien 37.26, 26. Leon Atkins 40.43, 31. Jud Kirk 42.18, 44. Ian Graham 56.09; Senior Women: 11. Nikki McTaggart 35.02, 13. Daisy Musk 36.31; U17 Men: 2. Hugo Richardson 14.28, 7. Sam Brewer 16.02, 8. Oliver Hill 16.09, 9. Nathan Mearns 16.23; U17 Women: 6. Matilde Blagden 19.22, 7. Emily Coltman, 12. Mariah Marshall; U15 Boys: 1. Oliver Canavan 13.26, 5. Jack Webb 14.11, 6. William Moss 14.14, 9. William Hayward 14.48, 10. Steven Kiff 15.05; U15 Girls: 3. Constance King 14.40, 4. Albha O’Brien 14.42, 5. Clodagh O’Brien 14.50, 9. Esmee Hurst Atkins 16.31, 13. Amy Betts 17.56, 14. Elizabeth Davie 18.45; U13 Boys: 2. Finley Hurst Atkins 11.35, 7. Aiden Blagden 12.20, 11. Edward Ryan 12.30, 15. Edward King 12.49, 17. Sebastian Wallis 12.52, 18. Solly Abu-Ghaba 13.02, 21. Callum Pearson 14.03; U13 Girls: 1. Ellie Taylor 12.11, 3. Jessica Long 12.31, 9. Ava Richmond 13.27, 15. Isabella Crawford 14.19; U11 Boys: 3. Edward Davies 7.15, 7. Jake Ryan 7.18; U11 Girls: 2. Mabel Jundi 7.25, 12. Erin Ryan 8.12.

Cross Country season under way at Canford

Ian Graham — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 15:51:06 +0000

Simon Saunders with the BAC lads from the Under 17 Men’s race

Bournemouth AC‘s 2023 cross-country season got underway with the first Wessex League held at Learoyd Road, Poole this on Sunday 1 October. Every start line was chock-a-block with yellow and blue vests with BAC fielding athletes in every race and teams in almost every age group both male and female. Well done to those athletes who turned up and represented the club in this first outing of a season that lasts into March of 2024! Team results on the Team Dorset webpage are awaiting update (team placings are on my calculations with *first 4 to score). We had nine podium finishers, over thirty finishers in the top ten, six teams in the top three and four first place teams (TBC). The real success was the turn-out of forty-two BAC athletes, including several new members to the club, representing their club for the first time, in the first of this three race series.

Oscar Newbery

Hugo Richardson

Sam Brewer

Oliver Hill

Nathan Mearns

Well done to Ian Graham and coaches for pushing the entries. To achieve individual and team placings you need to be there to score for you and your club. Please turn up and participate in the next two races prior to the new year and help us perpetuate this success. The second race will be at Bryanston School on the 29th October and the finale is the combined Dorset Championships* and Wessex League race on 17th December. Team selection for Dorset in the UKA Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships held next March in Loughborough is based on Wessex League, Hampshire League and county champs performance. Race numbers for a significant number of athletes who did not attend but who have been registered by the club are available at the next two league meetings. Come and see us in the BAC team tent when you arrive. The address for the entry to the DCAA XC Champs: https://poolerunningevents.co.uk/events/dorset-county-athletics-association-cross-country-championships-2023/ Congratulations from – Simon Saunders / Simon Hearn / Ian Graham

Chris O’Brien

Jud Kirk

Geoff Newton

Ian Graham

Nikki Whittaker

Jola Dewerenda

Results: U11 Boys – 3rd Team 41 points. (5 competitors) Excellent placings from Ben & Ed and great packing from Jake, Ted & Timo. 5th Ben Trimby* 7th Ed Davies* 14th Jake Ryan* 15th Ted Fewings* 16th Timo Green U11 Girls (2 competitors) After a fast start Mabel only just lost out on 1st place and Erin had a solid run for 14th place. 2nd Mabel Jundi, 14th Erin Ryan U13 Boys – 2nd Team 36 points. (5 competitors) Great individual and team result led home by Austin and Finley with good team packing from Aiden & Seb. Congrats to Callum Pearson in his first race in a BAC vest. 1st Austin Riley* 3rd Finley Hurst-Atkins* 15th Aiden Blagden* 17th Sebastian Wallis* 18th Callum Pearson U13 Girls – 1st Team 19 points. (5 competitors) Wow! 19 points for 1st place team is excellent running. Four scoring team members plus Jess in the top ten, great running ladies! 3rd Isla May* 4th Imogen Pope* 5th Ellie Taylor* 7th Ava Richmond* 10th Jessica Long U15 Boys – 1st Team 13 points. (7 competitors) Another Wow! Only one athlete was able to disrupt an almost perfect team performance. Well done Oliver, starting the season as he means to go on, Isaac and Harry both having a great first outing of the series and amazing battle between fourth placer Jack Webb and William Moss. We are happy to have seven BAC athletes pushing each other on to greater things in this age group. 1st Oliver Canavan* 3rd Isaac May* 4th Harry Butcher* 5th Jack Webb* 6th William Moss, 10th William Hayward, 13th Steven Kiff U15 Girls – 1st Team 18 points. (7 competitors) Isabel is looking strong at the start of the season and is obviously in great form coming in 4th overall in the U15 combined race closely followed by scorers Constance King, Albha and Clodagh O’Brien plus Esmee – all in the tope ten finishers. Amy Betts back on form, and well done to Elizabeth Davie, who although she is training with a sprint group right now, turned out to compete and got in a good training run. 1st Isabel Cherrett* 4th Constance King* 6th Albha O’Brien* 7th Clodagh O’Brien* 8th Esmee Hurst-Atkins, 14th Amy Betts, 15th Elizabeth Davie U17 Men – 1st Team 25 points. (5 competitors) Another 1st team! Happy to see Oscar, 3rd and Hugo, 5th facing some strong competition in this race which came as a surprise but they ran hard. Great placings too from Sam Brewer, Oliver Hill and the ever present Nathan Mearns. 3rd Oscar Newbery* 5th Hugo Richardson* 8th Samuel Brewer* 9th Oliver Hill* and 13th Nathan Mearns U17 Women (2 competitors) Congratulations Laras and Freya! Great running from both ladies, and first turn out in a BAC vest for Freya. 3rd Laras McKenna, 6th Freya Sclater Senior Men – 124 points (4 competitors) The old boys made it around in one piece 😉 12th Chris O’Brien* 26th Jud Kirk* 40th Geoff Newton* 46th Ian Graham* Senior Women (2 competitors) Not so old ladies, hopefully they will be joined in by a few more team members in the next two races. 7th Jolanta Dewerenda, 12th Nicola Whittaker

Ian Graham

Geoff Newton

Ian Graham

Geoff Newton

Division 1 status in Hampshire XC League retained plus BAC involvement in National XC Championships

Ian Graham — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 14:39:48 +0000

BAC’s U11 Boys prepare for their race at Kings Park

The strongest performance of the season by BAC‘s senior men at the final fixture of the Hampshire Cross Country League season, at Kings Park on Saturday 4 March, rescued the team from what had seemed inevitable relegation to Division 2. There was also a very strong performance from BAC‘s senior ladies and good team efforts from the U17 men and U15 girls. There are a number of BAC athletes who finished in the top 10 in their categories, an excellent achievement in a very strong cross country league. Hugo Richardson is to be congratulated on his 5th overall position amongst the U17 men, as is Connor Grocott, 5th U13 boy, and Constance King, 7th U13 girl. At one point Szymon Chojnacki was heading towards the leading veteran man of the league, but unfortunately child care duties prevented him from competing in enough races.

Szymon Chojnacki was one of the top vets in the league

There were three relatively new (to BAC‘s cross country team) athletes forming part of the senior mens’ team, which, on the day, was 5th of 8 complete teams, with the result that, on aggregate, the team is 8th of 10, and, as one team is relegated, is safe in Division 1 for next season. Henry Bramwell-Reeks had yet another amazing run to finish 17th, closely followed by Matt Dicks, 20th. Szymon Chojnacki was BAC‘s 3rd over the line, with Jeremy Shott and Matt du Cros completing the team. Henry, Matt and Jeremy have only recently being competing for BAC in cross country, so what a valuable contribution! BAC‘s veteran men have had quite a strong season, with Szymon, Adrian James and Alex Goulding making up the team at Kings Park and finishing an excellent 5th of 18 teams – aggregate for the season 6th of 18 – well done!

Henry Bramwell-Reeks and Matt Dicks

Szymon Chojnacki

Matt du Cros

Jeremy Shott

Adrian James

Alex Goulding

No fewer than 10 BAC senior/veteran women competed at Kings Park, including a very strong team of Poppaea Bramwell-Reeks, Caitlin Peers and Harriet Slade finishing an amazing 3rd of 18 teams. A final aggregate position of 8th of 15 teams is very respectable. BAC‘s veteran womens’ team of Julia Austin, Kirsty Drewett and Lea Lohk (with Jayne Wade as the ever present and vital back up) were the 9th team of 11 on the day.

A very strong Bournemouth AC senior women’s team

Poppaea Bramwell-Reeks

Caitlin Peers

Harriet Slade

Julia Austin

Lea Lohk

Jayne Wade

Although team positions for the day for the U17 men have not been published, it appears that the team of Hugo Richardson (5th finisher in the race), Harry Dolman and Sam Brewer (with Nathan Mearns as back up) were 3rd, only one point behind a very strong Winchester in 2nd place. The U15 girls, led by Isabel Cherrett, who flew round the course to finish 4th, supported by Esmee Hurst Atkins, Lara McKenna and Matilde Blagden were 5th of 7 teams on the day. One pleasing aspect of the fixture at Kings Park were the 68 competitors in the U11 boys’ race (the third biggest field of the day, although not part of the league), with Finley Hurst Atkins, Reuben Holleran and Seb Wallis all in the top 20. In a smaller U11 girls’ race Imogen Pope, Mabel Jundi and Ava Richmond were all in the top 10.

Harry Dolman was competing in the U17 men’s race

Some of BAC’s U11 Girls ready to race at Kings Park

Imogen Pope on her way to 5th U11 Girl at Kings Park

This was the second fixture of the season hosted by BAC, the club having stepped in to rescue the final fixture for which no venue had been found. Many thanks are due to the organisers, officials, marshals and volunteers without whom it would not have been possible to put on either fixture.

Henry Bramwell-Reeks and Matt Dicks

Szymon Chojnacki

Adrian James and Matt du Cros

Patrick Kingston

Jud Kirk

Szymon Chojnacki

Matt du Cros

Adrian James

Results (BAC): S/V/U20 Men: 17. Henry Bramwell-Reeks 31.20, 20. Matt Dicks 31.44, 40. Simon Chojnacki (7th V) 33.29, 57. Jeremy Shott 34.14, 60. Matt du Cros 34.29, 73. Adrian James (20th V) 35.37, 100. Alex Goulding 37th V) 37.06, 105. Patrick Kingston (41st V) 37.29, 176. Jud Kirk (98th V) 42.55: S/V/U20 Women: 5. Poppaea Bramwell-Reeks 20.53, 10. Caitlin Peers 21.45, 19. Harriet Slade 22.31, 22. Becky Knapton 22.41, 58. Jola Denerenda 25.50, 62. Sian Mcilwaine 25.59, 76. Julia Austin (33rd V) 27.13, 86. Kirsty Drewett (39th V) 27.55, 103. Lea Lohk (53rd V) 30.59, 116. Jayne Wade (65th V) 33.49: U17 Men: 5. Hugo Richardson 19.20, 19. Harry Dolman 21.08, 20. Sam Brewer 21.15, 26. Nathan Mearns 22.09: U15 Boys: 19. Oliver Canavan 14.28, 27. Oliver Thomson 15.16: U15 Girls: 4. Isabel Cherrett 14.59, 21. Esmee Hurst Atkins 17.09, 22. Lara McKenna 17.20, 25. Matilde Blagden 18.17: U13 Boys: 5. Connor Grocott 11.14, 10. Riley Austin 11.37: U13 Girls: 8. Constance King 12.22: U11 Boys: 17. Finley Hurst Atkins 8.15, 18. Reuben Holleran 8.16, 19. Seb Wallis 8.20, 34. Toby Sims 8.48, 39. Petya Mott 8.59, 40. Aiden Blagden 9.00, 59. Rory Dixon 10.34, 66. Jude Wallis 11.14, 68. Leo Pink 11.35: U11 Girls: 5. Imogen Pope 8.29, 8. Mabel Jundi 9.04, 9. Ava Richmond 9.12, 14. Anya Mott 9.55, 18. Skye Grocott 10.19, 19. Bella Crawford 10.24, 21. Phoebe Clark 10.57.

Start of the senior women’s race

Caitlin Peers led the women’s race on the first lap

Sian Mcilwaine and Jola Dewerenda

Harriet Slade

Becky Knapton

Julia Austin

Lea Lohk

Caitlin Peers

Jola Dewerenda

Sian Mcilwaine

If anyone was in any doubt as to whether Bournemouth AC members give their all – this photo proves that they do!!

One week earlier, on Saturday 25 February the National Cross Country Championships took place at Bolesworth Castle, Chester. Unusually there were no BAC senior or veteran men or women taking part, so it was left to Mariah Marshall and Connor Grocott to fly the BAC flag. Connor was 73rd (in a field of 287) U13 Boy in a time of 11.28, and Mariah was 198th of the U17 Women in 28.14. Well done and congratulations to Connor and Mariah, and their families, for making the long journey and ensuring there was BAC representation at this prestigious event.

Connor Grocott and Mariah Marshall at the National XC Championship

Mariah Marshall at Bolesworth Castle

Connor Grocott races in front of the castle

An impressive venue!

The U17 Women line up at Bolesworth Castle