The Bournemouth AC team consisted of: (From left to right) Louis Suggett, Stu Nicholas, Josh Cole, Bryn Smith and James Hulbert

Bournemouth AC made a dream start to the Hampshire Road Race League season at the Totton 10k, topping every team table they contested. The challenge was to keep that momentum going at the second fixture, the Overton 5, where the yellow and blues were looking to maintain their winning start.

There was, however, a little more to contend with than simply turning up and running five miles.

Situated close to the Surrey border, Overton is a rather longer trip than some of the other league fixtures, making it a little trickier to persuade runners to make themselves available. The course itself is also deceptively challenging, with several sharp inclines that make maintaining a consistent tempo considerably more difficult than the relatively modest distance might suggest.

Initially, it looked as though Bournemouth AC might have their work cut out getting a team together. Josh Cole and Bryn Smith were the first two to put their names down, leaving the club needing a few more willing volunteers to make sure they could challenge for the team honours.

Fortunately, Stu Nicholas was once again prepared to put the team first, while James Hulbert and Louis Suggett also stepped up to the plate to give the yellow and blues a five-man squad.

Only four scorers are required for a Hampshire Road Race League A-team, but having a fifth runner is always useful. You never know when somebody might have a problem, and the last thing Bournemouth AC needed was a repeat of the sort of costly team-selection mishaps that can derail a season.

Although the team had come together somewhat at the last minute, there was no shortage of quality in the line-up. In fact, it was a pretty formidable outfit, and there was every reason to believe that another victory in the Men’s A2 division was within reach.

Cole Arrives in Form

Josh Cole had delivered a string of strong recent performances

Josh Cole was undoubtedly one of the men to watch, having started the season in outstanding form.

At the opening fixture, he had produced an excellent performance to finish second in the Totton 10k, beaten only by Christopher Newnham of Ryde Harriers. That was another impressive result in what had already been a very productive spell of racing.

Before Totton, Josh had won the Isle of Wight Half Marathon, finishing a minute ahead of Joshua Price, last season’s Hampshire Road Race League individual champion. He had also won the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon, getting the better of Poole AC pair Tommy Corbin and Lewis Clarke in the process.

Those performances suggested that Josh was operating at the very top of his game, and there was every reason to expect him to be challenging for another high finish at Overton.

Stu Nicholas was also coming into the race in good form. His fourth-place finish at Totton had been particularly impressive, putting him ahead of Southampton man Ant Gritton and a host of other talented Hampshire-based runners.

Bryn Smith’s name was one of the first on the team sheet for the Overton 5

Bryn Smith had some decent recent form to draw upon as well, having clocked 1:21:51 at the Newark Half Marathon. That was enough to secure 34th place in a field of 1,045 runners, providing a useful indication of the shape he was in ahead of the five-mile test.

James Hulbert had perhaps not been firing on all cylinders this season, but he had still been producing some respectable performances. He had run 29:13 at the May 5 and 37:11 at the Purbeck 10k, while his 2:54:44 at the London Marathon earlier in the year demonstrated that there was plenty of endurance in the tank.

Louis Suggett, meanwhile, had not raced so far this year, but his training performances suggested that he was running strongly. He might not have had a recent result to point towards, but that certainly did not mean he was going to be short of pace.

The Bournemouth AC men would need all of that strength in depth if they were to get the better of the opposition.

Price Pushes On

Josh had some tough opposition to contend with

Among those standing in Josh Cole’s way was the familiar figure of Joshua Price, who was back on his hunting ground and looking to remind everybody why he had finished last season as the league’s leading individual runner.

If Price had not already realised that Cole was going to be there, he might not have been particularly delighted to discover that the Bournemouth AC man was once again among his principal rivals.

Henry Edwards of Winchester Running Club was another runner capable of making an impression, and with several other talented athletes on the start line, there was no shortage of competition.

As expected, the early stages saw a group of four establish themselves at the front, with both Cole and Price among them.

It was a race where Josh didn’t quite feel he’d hit the heights he was hoping to

The pace was clearly strong, but at around the two-mile mark, Price began looking around, seemingly unconvinced that the group was moving quickly enough for his liking. He decided to take matters into his own hands and pushed on.

Cole had already been working hard to stay with the leading group and was unable to find another gear when Price increased the tempo. As the group began to stretch out, the Bournemouth AC runner found himself in fourth place, with the race becoming a battle to the finish.

Price ultimately took the victory in 25:45, with Matthew Port of Winchester Running Club finishing second in 25:51. Richard Lovejoy of Aldershot Farnham & District secured third place in 26:27, leaving Cole to settle for fourth in 26:32.

Josh was fourth in the end in 26:32

It was a very good result by any reasonable measure, but Josh had set his sights higher and came away feeling that he had not quite produced his best performance of the year.

That was perhaps a sign of just how well things had been going for him. After his recent successes, fourth place was not the result he had travelled to Overton hoping for.

The course had certainly given him something to think about, though. Its sharp inclines make it a race where being fully rested can make a significant difference, and Josh will undoubtedly have a little more respect for the Overton 5 the next time he lines up.

Turning up on tired legs is not a mistake he will be keen to repeat.

Nicholas Produces Another Strong Performance

Stu Nicholas was next to make his mark, producing another excellent run to finish seventh overall in 27:25.

Stu came off the back of a brilliant run at the Totton 10k

The Overton course requires a little more thought than simply trying to run every mile at the same pace, and Stu’s splits demonstrated just how much the terrain could influence proceedings.

His opening mile came in at 5:15, helped considerably by the downhill running during the first part of the course. That was followed by a long climb beginning at around 0.8 miles and continuing until approximately 1.6 miles.

A faster downhill section then provided some relief, allowing Stu to complete his second mile in 5:24.

Stu produced another strong performance at Overton

There was another incline during the third mile, and the effect of the climbing became increasingly apparent as he recorded 5:38.

The fourth mile brought further challenges, with the final major climb extending from around 3.2 miles to 3.5 miles. Once that was out of the way, however, the course became much quicker, with the remainder largely downhill or flat.

Stu recorded 5:43 for his fourth mile before getting back on the pace with a 5:16 final mile.

Stu finished seventh in 27:25

That brought him home in 27:25, giving him seventh place overall and an average pace of 5:27 per mile.

Shaun Egan of Totton RC finished fourth in 27:04, while Henry Edwards took fifth in 27:07, leaving Stu just behind two very strong performances.

Nevertheless, it was another excellent outing for the Bournemouth AC man, who continued to demonstrate that his fourth place at Totton was no fluke.

Suggett Springs a Surprise

Louis Suggett might have been forgiven for thinking that he would be the most likely member of the team to miss out on the scoring positions.

With Cole, Nicholas and Smith among his teammates, and Hulbert also bringing plenty of experience and ability, there was certainly no shortage of competition for those four scoring places.

Louis, however, had other ideas.

Louis Suggett pulled an excellent time out the bag

Despite not having raced so far this year, he produced an outstanding performance to complete the course in 28:41, finishing 15th overall in a field of 475 runners.

That represented an average pace of 5:45 per mile and, more importantly, made him Bournemouth AC’s third scorer on the day.

It was an excellent contribution from a runner who had stepped in to help the team, and it meant the yellow and blues were in a very strong position heading into the final stages of the scoring.

As the clock edged towards the 30-minute mark, there were still two Bournemouth AC men to come.

Bryn Smith sealed the win for Bournemouth AC in the Men’s A2 division

Bryn Smith was next to cross the line, recording 29:51 to finish 24th overall. That completed the four-man scoring team and gave Bournemouth AC exactly what they needed to secure another victory in the Men’s A2 division.

There was still time for James Hulbert to ensure that the club’s fifth runner also made it home inside 30 minutes. He crossed the line in 29:57, finishing 27th overall.

That meant all five Bournemouth AC men had completed the course in under half an hour, which was a pretty emphatic demonstration of the team’s strength.

Another Team Victory for the Yellow and Blues

With all four scorers safely home, Bournemouth AC had done enough to take another victory in the Men’s A2 division.

James Hulbert hadn’t been in top form this year

The team had come together at relatively short notice, but the quality of the performances ensured that there was never any real danger of the yellow and blues leaving Overton empty-handed.

It was not quite enough to secure the lowest team score across the entire men’s competition, however.

Winchester Running Club had three men inside the top ten, including Matthew Port in second place and Henry Edwards in fifth, and their impressive collective performance secured the victory in the Men’s A1 division.

James was still able to produce a sub 30 time which was pleasing

That was the second consecutive fixture in which Winchester had taken the top division honours, having also won at Totton.

Overton Harriers had to settle for second place in the A1 division despite enjoying home advantage, while Hardley Runners finished second behind Bournemouth AC in A2.

For Bournemouth AC, the important thing was that the winning run had continued. After topping the standings in every table they contested at Totton, they had returned to the podium at the second fixture and maintained their grip on the Men’s A2 division.

The club’s other teams had plenty to celebrate as well.

Winchester Dominate the Women’s Competition

James ensured that all five BAC men got round in under 30 minutes

Emma Stevens of Aldershot Farnham & District was the first female finisher, crossing the line in 30:35 to finish 31st overall.

Emma Jolley of City of Portsmouth took second place in 31:24, finishing 43rd overall, while Helen Herman-Bonaer secured third in 31:36, placing 45th.

Winchester Running Club continued their excellent start to the season by taking another victory in the Women’s competition. Having already won on the opening matchday, they were once again looking like a formidable force in the top division.

Bournemouth AC’s women, meanwhile, remained second in the table following their victory at the Totton 10k. There is still plenty of racing to come, but Winchester have made it clear that they are going to be difficult to dislodge from the top of the standings.

In the Women’s A3 division, Victory AC were the only club to field a team, so they duly took the win. Fleet & Crookham were the only other club to come particularly close to assembling a scoring team.

The men’s lower divisions also produced some interesting results.

Overton Harriers topped the Men’s B1 standings, while Lordshill were the only club in the Men’s B3 division to get anywhere close to fielding a team of four. That was enough to secure them the victory and put them top of the table, with Bournemouth AC sitting second after their win in the opening fixture.

Cole Leads the Individual Standings

There was further good news for Bournemouth AC when the individual league tables were updated.

After two races, Josh Cole leads the Men’s individual standings, with Stu Nicholas occupying second place.

It was another good win for the Bournemouth AC men as they topped the A2 division

That is particularly encouraging given the quality of the opposition and the fact that Cole’s fourth place at Overton was a slightly disappointing result by his own high standards.

It means Bournemouth AC have two runners occupying the leading positions in the men’s competition, providing another indication of the club’s strength at the top end of the field.

Emma Jolley of City of Portsmouth leads the women’s individual standings after her second-place finish at Overton.

With the league still in its early stages, there is plenty of time for the tables to change, but the yellow and blues have certainly given themselves a strong platform from which to build.

New Forest 10 Next

The next Hampshire Road Race League fixture is the New Forest 10 on 25th October, and that is one Bournemouth AC will be particularly keen to get right.

Last season, the club made a costly mistake by getting only three men out for the race. With four scorers required to register a team result, that left them unable to complete the scoring and proved to be a significant setback.

It was the sort of error that can have consequences well beyond a single fixture, and the men’s team will be determined not to allow history to repeat itself.

The lesson from Overton is that getting a team to the start line is every bit as important as having the right runners in it. Cole and Nicholas have made an excellent start to their individual campaigns, while Suggett’s contribution demonstrated the value of having willing teammates ready to step up when required.

Two races into the season, Bournemouth AC have already shown that they have the quality to challenge for honours. The next task is to ensure that they have the numbers to keep doing it.

The yellow and blues have made a very promising start. Now they need to keep the momentum going.

Going all out for a sub 80-minute time, it appeared a big PB was on the cards for Barry Dolman at the Big Half

Barry Dolman produced another outstanding performance on the streets of London at The Big Half, clocking a superb personal best of 1:20:07 and claiming second place in the M55–59 category. A sub-80-minute half marathon was tantalisingly close, but his performance provided plenty of encouragement ahead of his next major target: the Chicago Marathon.

There are some performances where the finishing time tells only part of the story. Barry’s run at The Big Half was one of them.

A time of 1:20:07 was a tremendous achievement in its own right, representing a significant personal best. Yet, with the clock stopping just eight seconds short of the coveted 80-minute barrier, it was perhaps inevitable that his immediate thoughts would turn to what might have been.

However, look beyond those eight seconds and there was plenty to celebrate. Barry finished second in the M55–59 category, placed an impressive 279th overall among 17,877 finishers and, perhaps most significantly, delivered exactly the kind of disciplined, progressive performance that bodes so well for the marathon challenge ahead.

Elite Racing at Its Finest

The Big Half once again attracted a high-quality field, with some of Britain’s leading distance runners battling it out over the streets of London.

Kadar Omar Abdullahi took an impressive victory in the men’s race, crossing the line in 1:01:51. Last year’s winner, Jack Rowe, had to settle for second place in 1:02:10, with Zak Mahamed completing the podium in 1:02:43.

Andy Butchart finished fourth in 1:03:08, while Phil Sesemann rounded out the top five with a time of 1:04:50.

The women’s race saw Eilish McColgan claim victory in 1:10:54, an outstanding performance that placed her 41st overall. Jessica Warner-Judd finished second in 1:12:13, taking 53rd place overall.

With elite athletes producing performances of that calibre at the sharp end, the mass-participation field had plenty of inspiration as it made its way towards Greenwich. Among those enjoying an excellent day was Bournemouth AC’s own Barry Dolman, who was busy putting together a race of his own.

Building Towards Chicago

Barry had been producing impressive results all year

The Big Half was another important step in Barry’s preparations for the Chicago Marathon, and the signs heading into London were already encouraging.

His previous outing at the Stur Half had seen him finish in just under 1:23. That was a respectable performance, particularly given the combination of a very hot day and a decidedly hilly course. Nevertheless, Barry knew there was considerably more in the tank and arrived in London with his sights firmly set on breaking the 1:20 barrier.

There was good reason for that confidence.

Earlier in the year, Barry had claimed a bronze medal at the British Masters 10K Championships in Chichester, recording a personal best of 35:49 in the process. That was followed by a superb 2:48:32 at the Barcelona Marathon, another PB that placed him 134th in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group rankings.

Not content with that, he then backed it up with a 2:50 clocking at the Cape Town Marathon, a performance of real quality on a more undulating route.

His most recent London appearance had provided further evidence of his remarkable consistency. At the Saucony 10K, Barry had stormed to 36:54, finishing 180th out of 13,868 runners and topping the M55–59 rankings by almost four minutes.

With that sort of form behind him, a serious assault on the sub-80-minute half marathon was entirely justified.

A Course Built for a Spectacle

The Big Half offers a memorable journey through the capital, combining some challenging early sections with iconic landmarks and an atmosphere that builds as the race progresses.

The opening mile takes runners towards Limehouse Tunnel, with a slight downhill gradient providing an early temptation to get carried away. By the fourth mile, the route brings runners into Canary Wharf, where the surroundings and crowds provide a welcome boost.

Further along, Tower Bridge offers one of those unforgettable London running experiences. It is a landmark that never seems to lose its impact, even for runners who have raced through the capital on numerous occasions.

The final destination is Greenwich, where the crowds become particularly raucous. The appearance of the Cutty Sark as runners turn onto the finishing straight provides a spectacular backdrop for the final push towards the line.

It is a course that rewards runners who can balance ambition with restraint, and Barry would need to get that balance just right if he was to give himself the best possible chance of achieving his target.

Fortunately, pacing has long been one of his strengths.

Patience Pays in the Opening Miles

One of Barry’s defining characteristics as a runner is his discipline. He rarely charges off at an unsustainable pace, preferring to settle into his rhythm before gradually increasing the pressure as the race unfolds.

The Big Half’s slightly downhill opening mile might have encouraged a more aggressive start, but Barry resisted the temptation to go chasing an early advantage.

His opening mile came in at 6:10, followed by a measured 6:26 and 6:24 for the next two miles.

That put him through 5K in approximately 19 minutes.

It was a sensible beginning to a race that still had plenty of twists and turns ahead. There was no unnecessary expenditure of energy, no attempt to force the pace before the race had properly developed. Instead, Barry was allowing himself the opportunity to build momentum and make his move when the time was right.

The fourth mile saw him return to 6:10 before he stepped up the pace considerably, clocking an impressive 5:44 for mile five.

That was a clear statement of intent.

He followed it with a 6:01 sixth mile, reaching 10K in 37:50. His second 5K split of 18:47 represented a substantial improvement on the opening section and demonstrated exactly the sort of progressive running that has become his trademark.

The sub-80 target was very much alive.

Finding His Rhythm

Barry is renowned for pacing his runs really well

With the race entering its middle stages, Barry settled into a strong, sustainable tempo, keeping his next three miles just over the six-minute-per-mile mark.

It was another example of his ability to maintain control while continuing to make progress. Rather than allowing the excitement of the race or the growing fatigue to dictate his pace, he kept things measured and consistent.

Then came mile ten, which he covered in 5:57.

As the race moved towards its decisive stages, Barry was still running strongly and showing no sign of a significant loss of momentum. His early restraint was paying dividends, leaving him in a position to maintain a fast tempo through the closing miles.

For his final three miles, he continued to run at around six-minute-mile pace, or marginally quicker, holding his form and refusing to let the pace slip when the effort inevitably began to bite.

This was not a case of hanging on for dear life. Barry was still racing, still working his way through the field and still giving himself every opportunity to produce something special.

Eight Seconds Short, But a Performance to Savour

The closing stages brought the promise of a memorable finish, and Barry delivered.

He crossed the line in 1:20:07, recording a tremendous personal best and finishing second in the M55–59 category.

The only slight disappointment was the proximity of the sub-80-minute barrier. Eight seconds. That was all that separated Barry from the milestone he had targeted before the race.

It was, inevitably, a bittersweet outcome.

Barry’s Big Half medal

When a runner gets so close to a goal, those final few seconds can be difficult to ignore. There will always be the temptation to look back at an individual mile or wonder whether a slightly quicker section might have made the difference.

But the wider picture tells a far more compelling story.

Barry had produced a superb PB, finished second in his age category and placed 279th overall in a field of 17,877. His average pace was an impressive 6:04 per mile, and his performance had been built on patience, consistency and a strong finish.

There was certainly no cause for disappointment in the quality of the run itself. Eight seconds might have separated him from a sub-80 clocking, but they did nothing to diminish what was an outstanding performance.

And the race statistics provided further evidence of just how well he had judged his effort.

A Masterclass in Moving Through the Field

Barry’s progress through the field was particularly impressive.

After the opening 5K, he was positioned 456th among the male runners. Rather than slipping backwards as the race progressed, he steadily worked his way through the competition, ultimately climbing to 259th male.

That is precisely how you want to run a half marathon.

Barry with his mates Stacey Dickinson and Graham Pavett

While others may have paid the price for an overly ambitious start, Barry’s controlled opening and sustained pace allowed him to pick off runners throughout the race. His position improved as the miles passed, reflecting both his excellent preparation and his ability to manage his effort.

It was a textbook example of the benefits of disciplined pacing. The opening miles were controlled, the middle section was strong, and the closing stages were fast enough to ensure that he continued to make progress all the way to Greenwich.

For a runner building towards a marathon, that ability to maintain a consistent effort and finish strongly is particularly encouraging.

Chicago Calling

The Big Half was always intended to be part of Barry’s build-up for Chicago, rather than an end in itself. Yet it has provided a very useful indication of where he stands.

The personal best was excellent. The second-place finish in the M55–59 category was another fine achievement. And the way he executed the race, gradually increasing his pace and working through the field, was perhaps the most encouraging aspect of all.

His recent record speaks for itself: a British Masters 10K bronze medal and 35:49 PB, a 36:54 performance that topped the M55–59 charts at the Saucony 10K, a 2:48:32 marathon PB in Barcelona and a strong 2:50 in Cape Town.

Now he has added another half-marathon PB to that impressive collection.

The sub-80-minute target will surely remain within reach, and it would be no surprise to see Barry return to the challenge with renewed determination. But with Chicago on the horizon, the immediate takeaway is that he is in excellent shape and appears to be building towards his marathon target in exactly the right way.

There is always a temptation to focus on the eight seconds that got away. However, Barry’s performance deserves to be remembered for everything he achieved rather than the tiny margin by which he missed one particular milestone.

A tremendous personal best, second place in his age category and a perfectly judged race from start to finish. Chicago cannot come soon enough.

Taking on some of the island’s finest runners, Josh Cole was battling it out in the Isle of Wight Half Marathon

Josh Cole continued his impressive progress over the longer distances with a superb victory at the Isle of Wight Half Marathon, producing a dominant performance to take the win in 1:14:32.

Josh had already shown that he was coming into his own over the longer distances when he won the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon in July. His latest success provided further evidence of just how well he is adapting to the half marathon, as he took on a challenging multi-terrain course and came away with an impressive victory.

The Isle of Wight Half Marathon is a fairly undulating multi-terrain route, with 183 metres of elevation to contend with, so it is certainly not a course on which to expect an easy ride. Nevertheless, the winning times in previous years had been remarkably quick. James Kingston of Tonbridge AC stormed round in 1:07:58 last year, underlining the quality of the competition the race can attract. Kingston is one of the country’s leading distance runners, however, so Josh was not expecting to match that sorts of time.

Joshua Price was crowned Hampshire Road Race League individual champion last season

Christopher Newnham had finished second in each of the previous two editions, clocking 1:11:28 last year, while Joshua Price, the leading the Hampshire Road Race League individual champion, took third in 1:12:37.

Josh knew he would have his work cut out if he wanted to challenge the established frontrunners, but when he saw that Price was on the start line once again, he decided that he would try to stay with him for as long as he could.

It was a real clash of the titans between the two Josh’s

Price wasted little time in making his intentions clear, breaking away from the field in the early stages in a bid to establish a lead. It is a tactic he regularly employs, and one that often pays dividends, but this time Josh was determined not to let him get away.

As the runners tackled the trails and hills, Josh repeatedly worked his way back towards Price, refusing to let the gap grow. By around the five-mile mark, it appeared that Price had perhaps pushed a little too hard in the opening stages, and Josh was able to make his move.

Josh Cole was able to show his supremacy in the end

Having caught and passed his rival, Josh pulled clear and headed out on his own at the front of the race. From that point onwards, there was no looking back. He maintained his advantage over the remaining miles and continued to build his lead, eventually crossing the finish line in 1:14:32 to claim a commanding victory.

Josh managed to open up a minute’s advantage over Joshua Price

Price had to settle for second place in 1:15:33, finishing 61 seconds behind the Bournemouth AC man. For Josh, it was a particularly satisfying result, and one that he had not necessarily anticipated before the start.

Although his winning time was not quite as quick as some of the leading performances from previous years, that mattered little. This was a tough, undulating course, and Josh had beaten a strong field to take the honours. More importantly, he had done so in convincing fashion, showing both the strength to stay in contention during the early stages and the confidence to take control when the opportunity arose.

Josh crosses the line to take the win

Behind the leading pair, Ryde Harriers enjoyed an excellent team performance, with their runners filling the next four places. Joe Wade took third in 1:16:51, followed by clubmate Ross Holme in fourth in 1:17:49. Dave Hunt finished fifth in 1:20:35, with Daniel Furmridge completing the Ryde Harriers quartet in sixth in 1:20:49.

Joshua Price had to settle for second place on this occasion

In the women’s race, Natasha White of Northbrook AC was first female and 12th overall, recording a time of 1:25:43. Carly Scoble of Ryde Harriers followed in second place, finishing 14th overall in 1:26:29. Scoble had a comfortable margin over the next woman home, Emma Huband, who finished more than 13 minutes behind her.

Joe Wade went on to take third place

There were 257 finishers in total, but the headline belonged to Josh, whose latest half marathon triumph marks another significant step forward in his development as a distance runner.

Dave Hunt came fifth in the end

Ryde Harriers had four men in the top six

His victory at the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon in July suggested that he was beginning to find his stride over 13.1 miles. His performance on the Isle of Wight has reinforced that impression. By taking on one of the leading runners in the Hampshire Road Race League, matching him through the early stages and then pulling away to win by more than a minute, Josh showed that he is becoming a formidable half marathon runner.

The group with the first two women in it

Joshua paid the price for trying to get away too soon

It was an excellent result for Bournemouth AC and another fine achievement for Josh Cole, who will surely take plenty of confidence from a victory that was every bit as impressive as the finishing time suggests.

It was a strong and steadfast display from Josh

A talented bunch of intrepid Bournemouth AC crusaders arrived at the Totton 10k to start a new Hampshire Road Race League campaign

There was a rather different feel about the start of the 2026/27 Hampshire Road Race League season for Bournemouth AC.

Twelve months ago, the yellow and blues arrived at the opening race with plenty of good intentions, but the season rapidly turned into something of a logistical disaster. The club only managed to field a team for three of the 12 races, which inevitably resulted in relegation from the top flight.

So, with the new campaign getting underway at the Totton 10k, the objective was quite simple… Get promoted straight back to Division One.

Joshua Price goes on the attack early doors

Fortunately, there was considerably less danger of a no-show this time around.

Josh Cole was hoping to contend for a top placing

The Totton 10k was added to the Hampshire Road Race League calendar last season and proved to be a memorable occasion for Bournemouth AC, with the men taking victory. Unfortunately, it was also the only league race they managed to win all season.

Stu Nicholas (front) and Jack Davis (behind) set off on their way

This time, however, there was a much stronger squad assembled, and there was plenty of reason for optimism.

Mike Akers (front), Chester Clarke (behind) and Jack Barwick (left)

The Totton Running Club 10k is a two-lap course around Copythorne, with some mild undulations but also plenty of opportunities to run quickly. Totton themselves describe it as a course that “can be fast” despite the hills, and it certainly produced some rapid times.

Lara Hudson and Aston Simpkins

Emma Biggs

Cole charges to second

Jack Hemmatpour (front) and Josh Cole (behind)

Leading the Bournemouth charge was Josh Cole, fresh from winning the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon and only two weeks removed from another quite spectacular performance in the Isle of Wight Half Marathon.

Josh Cole in second place

Josh had conquered the multi-terrain course in 1:14:32, finishing a minute clear of Hampshire Road Race League individual champion Joshua Price of Vectis Academy.

So he was very much a man in form.

Josh initially tucked in with the leaders at Totton, but after around 200 metres, Ryde Harriers’ Chris Newnham decided that discretion was the better part of valour and went on the attack.

Josh opens a gap over Jack Hemmatpour

Josh settled into a group with Southampton’s Jack Hemmatpour and worked hard through the opening mile and a half. Once he sensed the pace was beginning to drop slightly, he decided at around two miles that it was time to go.

Josh heads toward a second place finish

There was a feeling that runners would come through strongly later in the race and Josh didn’t want to be caught up in a tactical affair.

He went through the 4.7km checkpoint in 15:30, averaging 3:18 per kilometre.

From the three-mile point onwards, he consciously started emptying the tank. By the time he reached the climb towards the end of the lap, before the final descent towards the finish, he was definitely beginning to feel the effects.

Josh finished in 33:30

Newnham, who had won the Lordshill 10k, was having another excellent day and duly took a comprehensive victory in 32:01.

Josh came home second, covering the remaining 5.3km in 18:03 at 3:24/km pace.

Stu Nicholas was fourth man out on the road

That gave him a finishing time of 33:30.

It was a cracking run, even if Josh felt afterwards that the clock should probably have been showing something a little lower. The course’s undulations may have had something to do with that.

Stu Nicholas

Either way, he was absolutely shattered when he crossed the line.

Hemmatpour completed the individual podium in 34:12, although his lack of a Southampton vest meant that he wasn’t included in the HRRL scoring. That was rather handy for BAC, as it meant the yellow and blues had two of the first three league scorers.

Stu left pleasantly surprised by his result

Stu got over the line in 34:17

Another Bournemouth man in excellent form was Stu Nicholas.

Stu blasted through the first mile in 5:17 before following that with 5:26 and 5:37 for the second and third miles. The third contained part of the course’s awkward incline, so there was inevitably a bit of a slowdown.

Jack Davis was much stronger than he was this time last year

He reached 4.7km in 15:46 before recording 5:30 for mile four, 5:40 for mile five and 5:38 for mile six.

Then came a very quick final fifth of a mile.

Stu crossed the line in 34:17, earning fourth place overall and averaging 5:31 per mile.

Jack Barwick was fourth man for BAC

It was a particularly pleasing result because finishing that high up in a Hampshire Road Race League 10k isn’t normally something Stu would expect.

Jack Barwick

It was made even more useful by the fact that Ant Gritton of Southampton, who finished fifth in 34:45, was also not wearing a club vest and therefore wasn’t included in the league scoring.

That meant Andover’s Alex Rudge, despite finishing sixth in 34:44, became the fourth league scorer.

And, importantly, Bournemouth AC had two of the top three scorers.

Davis shows just how far he’s come

Jack Barwick

A year ago, Jack Davis had a rather different experience at Totton.

He started very quickly, looked excellent through the first lap and then spectacularly ran out of steam on the second. To add insult to injury, the results subsequently awarded him a time considerably slower than the one he’d actually run.

Jack Barwick

Fast forward 12 months and Jack is a much stronger runner.

He started with a 5:29 mile, followed by 5:35 and another 5:35.

Jack got round in 36:57

There was a slowdown on the second lap, but nothing remotely approaching last year’s implosion. Jack recorded 5:37, 6:07 and 5:56 to finish in 35:52.

That put him 18th overall out of 607 finishers and 14th league scorer.

It wasn’t quite the vintage performance of his 35:23 at Lordshill, but it was still a solid sub-36-minute 10k and another indication of how much progress Jack has made over the last year.

Jack ensured the BAC men got a lower score than any other club

The next Bournemouth man home was Jack Barwick, who finished 28th in 36:57.

Jack had actually been 20th at the 4.7km checkpoint but lost eight places over the second half as the pace dropped.

Mike Akers was next in line for the yellow and blues

Nevertheless, he was 21st league scorer, and that was enough to seal the victory for Bournemouth AC.

They’d even managed to get a slightly lower score than Winchester Running Club, who topped the Men’s A1 standings in the opening round.

Not bad for a team that was supposed to be rebuilding in Division Two.

Akers and Kingston add valuable depth

Mike would go on the be first scorer for the B-team

Mike Akers paced his race particularly well.

He went through the opening three miles in 5:51, 6:00 and 6:05 before recording 5:57, 6:08 and 6:09 on the second lap.

Mike Akers with Chester just behind

Interestingly, Mike actually gained eight places during the second half of the race.

He finished in 37:42, averaging 6:01 per mile and taking 35th place.

Just behind him came Patrick Kingston, who perhaps had the most unusual preparation of anyone on the Bournemouth start line.

Patrick had only recently completed the Crazy Mountain 100-mile race in Montana.

Mike raises his arm as he heads down the road

That particular race involved around 23,000 feet of climbing, but Patrick somehow conquered the whole thing in 1 day, 8 hours and 48 minutes.

Patrick Kingston was second scorer for the B-team

Compared with that, a relatively flat 10k in Hampshire should have been a doddle.

Except, of course, that it isn’t.

The shorter the distance, the higher the intensity, and there is nowhere to hide for 10 kilometres when you’re trying to run quickly.

Patrick produced an impressively consistent race, recording 6:04, 6:14 and 6:17 for his first three miles before following those with 6:14, 6:21 and 6:18.

Paddy McCalister and Patrick Kingston

He finished in 38:53, just 11 seconds outside his PB and considerably quicker than he’d managed at the Purbeck and Lordshill 10ks earlier in the year.

Paddy McCalister

That gave him 55th place overall and 12th out of 83 in the MV40 category.

Paddy McCalister was next, finishing 60th in 39:07.

Paddy’s first four miles were 6:03, 6:12, 6:21 and 6:12 before he dropped back slightly over the final two miles, recording 6:28 and 6:22.

It wasn’t the time he’d have wanted, but he still played his part in a very successful team performance.

Paddy was third scorer for the B-team

Bentley begins married life with a race

It was a first race as Katie Bentley

The women’s race had an altogether different feel from previous years.

It was the first time ever that the Bournemouth AC’s women had fielded a scoring team of four.

This time there were enough runners to produce a genuine scoring team, with even a spare scorer available.

Katie Bentley

It was also Katie Bentley’s first race since getting married.

Katie with Chester Clarke

Her teammates would therefore have to get used to not calling her Katie Gunn anymore.

Katie had spent the previous three weeks doing very little running while wedding celebrations took priority, so perhaps unsurprisingly she wasn’t quite at her best.

Katie was 12th female in 41:25

She nevertheless completed the course in 41:25, finishing 12th female and 103rd overall.

That wasn’t a performance up to her usual standards, but given the circumstances it was perfectly understandable.

James Hatton came 21st in 36:08

Meanwhile, Helen Beddoe was continuing her excellent recent form.

Less than two months after setting a new 10k PB of 43:21 at Lordshill, Helen managed to improve it again.

She crossed the line in 43:18, knocking another three seconds off her PB.

Helen Beddoe

She was 21st female out of 253 and sixth out of 65 in the FV40 category, finishing 152nd overall.

Her pacing was particularly impressive. She averaged 4:18/km for the first 4.7km and 4:24/km for the final 5.3km, meaning there was remarkably little deterioration over the second half.

Helen on her way to a second consecutive 10k PB

Hudson makes her HRRL debut

Lara Hudson and Aston Simpkins

It was a Hampshire Road Race League debut for Lara Hudson, following her first Dorset League appearance at the Stur Half.

Lara with Patrick Kingston just behind

Lara had knocked three minutes off her half marathon PB at the Stur Half despite having to contend with intensely hot conditions, so she arrived at Totton with plenty of confidence.

She spent much of the race running alongside Aston Simpkins, with the pair ticking along at roughly 7:15 pace for the first four miles.

Aston Simpkins finished strongly to dip under 45 minutes

Aston then ran 7:20 for mile five while Lara recorded 7:24.

Aston managed to find another gear in the final mile, clocking his fastest split of exactly seven minutes before covering the final quarter-mile at around 6:30 pace.

Lara was making her Hampshire Road Race League debut

That rapid finish got him under 45 minutes on chip time, with a 44:59 finish which put him in 183rd place

Lara went on to clock a PB of 45:46

Lara’s pace dropped slightly over the final mile to 7:30 but she still secured a PB of 45:46.

That made her 35th female and 198th overall, as well as the third scorer for the Bournemouth women’s team.

Pattison gets agonisingly close to 50

Janine Pattison came tantalisingly close to breaking the 50-minute barrier.

Janine Pattison ran much faster than she did last year

She crossed the line in 50:04, so there was inevitably a little disappointment at missing out on the milestone.

But there was also plenty to celebrate.

Janine ended up very close to a sub 50

Janine had been 1:21 slower at Totton the previous year, meaning she had taken a huge chunk of time off her previous performance.

She finished 76th female and third out of 37 in the FV60 category.

Most importantly, she completed the four-woman scoring team for the first time ever.

Chester Clarke was back in the yellow and blue vest

And what a scoring team it was.

The BAC women comfortably secured top spot in Women’s A3, with only Portsmouth Joggers recording a lower score among the teams in A2.

Chester secured the win for BAC men’s B-team

That’s quite some way to open the campaign.

Plenty more yellow and blue

There were several other Bournemouth AC runners out on the course.

Chester Clarke was racing for the club for the first time in years and, after starting well, found it difficult to maintain the pace on the second lap. He finished in 41:33, taking 105th place.

Tom Sclanders

That was enough to seal victory for the BAC men’s B team in B3.

Indeed, their score was lower than every other club’s B-team score, including the winning Hedge End score in B1.

Tom paced his run pretty well

Tom finished in 41:43

Tom Sclanders paced his race very nicely, particularly on the second lap, recording 6:44, 6:46 and 6:46 for the final three miles.

Emma Biggs

He finished in 41:43, placing 109th overall and 31st in the MV40 category.

Emma Biggs completed the course in 1:01:22, finishing 162nd female and 481st overall.

Emma is always well colour coordinated

And Ian Graham produced remarkably even pacing across the two laps before crossing the line in 1:11:16.

That placed him 15th in the MV70 category and 574th overall.

A winning start

Emma Biggs

There was a lot to like about the first Bournemouth AC Hampshire Road Race League outing of the new season.

The men’s A team won their opening A2 race, the men’s B team won B3, and the women won A3.

Emma went on to finish in 1:01:22

The official HRRL results confirm Bournemouth’s opening-round victories in both Men’s A2 and Women’s A3, with Bournemouth also taking the first-round B3 win.

Last year’s champions, Winchester Running Club, made a typically strong start by topping Men’s A1 and Women’s A1, while Lordshill, City of Salisbury and Liss were closely bunched behind Winchester in the women’s top division.

Ian Graham

But Bournemouth AC’s immediate concern is rather closer to home.

After last season’s relegation, the mission for 2026/27 is to get straight back into the top flight.

Ian was the final Bournemouth AC member over the line

One race down, and the yellow and blues couldn’t really have asked for a better beginning.

The challenge now is the bit that proved so difficult last season and that’s turning up with a full scoring team.

Josh Cole, Paddy McCalister and Patrick Kingston on their cool down

With wins for the men’s A and B teams and the women’s team it was a good day for BAC

Josh collects his prize for second place

It was the series finale at Upton Country Park and the class of 2026 gathered for one last blast

It all came down to this.

After five races of the Upton Summer Series, there was very little left to settle. The Bournemouth AC women had already wrapped up the team competition with four wins from the first five races, Helen Beddoe had secured the Female 40-44 title and a number of the individual battles had been decided.

But there were still some rather important questions to answer.

Most notably, the overall women’s title was effectively a case of winner takes all between Bournemouth AC’s Kitty Cook and Helen O’Neile of Poole Runners.

Kitty Cook was contending for top female of the series

Kitty had given herself a real chance of taking the series with a huge victory over Helen in the previous race. Helen, though, had other ideas and produced her fastest performance of the series in the finale.

Helen O’Neile took the series win in the end

Her time of 22:01 was enough to secure the overall women’s Summer Series title.

There was a slight twist to the result, however. Helen wasn’t actually the first female home in Race Six.

That honour went to Isla Tweed, who finished 11th overall in 21:33.

Carys Gallagher of Westbourne was third female overall, followed by Lauren Baker-Little of Poole Runners and Vicky Rutter of Littledown Harriers. Sophie Beisley of Poole AC was sixth female, with Helen Beddoe and Michelle Dorrington seventh and eighth overall.

And while Kitty wasn’t quite able to reproduce the performance that had put her right into contention for the overall title, she did at least come away with some silverware.

Kitty was third female in Race Six in 23:14

Indeed, it was the Female 18-39 category title.

At first glance, that might seem a little difficult to reconcile with Helen winning the overall series after beating Kitty in the final race. But the category scoring produced a slightly different outcome.

Kitty claimed victory in the Female 18-39 category

Kitty finished first in the category three times – twice when Helen wasn’t running and then again in Race Five when she beat Helen head-to-head.

So, while Helen took the overall honours, Kitty had done enough across the series to take the category title.

Given the season she’d put together, it would have seemed a little harsh for Kitty to come away empty-handed and it was good to see her rewarded with the category victory.

It was a well earned outcome for Kitty after an impressive series

Smith seals the men’s title

There was an interesting turn of events in the men’s overall competition, although this one was rather less dramatic on the night.

Ben Shawyer and Andrew Smith were the top two men in the Summer Series

Riley Austin was the only man who could deny Andrew Smith of Poole Runners the Summer Series title, but he needed to win the final race to do it.

Riley didn’t turn up.

That left Andrew with the title and he marked the occasion in the best possible fashion, winning Race Six in 19:34.

Ben Shawyer was second in 19:46, exactly where he finished in the overall series. He did at least add the Male 14-17 category title to his collection.

Joe Wilson finished fourth overall

Joe Wilson was third in 20:15, a result that lifted him to fourth overall in the series, behind Ed Davies of Twemlow Track Club, who didn’t compete in the final race.

Ben Shawyer (green top) and Andrew Smith (purple top) collect their prizes for finishing top two in the Upton Summer Series

Iain Ferguson of Poole Runners was fourth in 20:41, finishing ninth overall for the series.

David Penwarden, also of Poole Runners, was fifth in 20:49 and crossed the line just three seconds ahead of 50-54 rival Clin Byrne of Poole AC.

The start of Race Six of the Senior Summer Series

Callum Pearson sets off on his way in that final race

Callum was an ever present in this year’s series

Tom Casson produced another solid run, finishing ninth in 21:12.

His splits of 5:38, 6:12 and 6:22 tell the story, with Tom getting through the final half mile at around six-minute-mile pace. He was still averaging a respectable 6:23 per mile by the finish.

Tom Casson finished ninth in Race Six

The result did, however, have a sting in the tail as far as the overall standings were concerned.

David had drawn level with Tom on points, and because he finished ahead of him in the final race, David took fifth place overall and Tom slipped to sixth.

Tom finished sixth overall in the end

Callum Pearson completed all six races and finished 19th in Race Six in 22:20, averaging 6:23 pace. That left him 26th in the overall series standings and fifth in the Male 14-17 category.

Callum Pearson was 19th in final race

Callum came 26th overall and was third in the 14-17 category

Helen Beddoe was sixth female in 24:12, finishing 38th overall. It was another first in the Female 40-44 category for the newly crowned series champion.

Helen Beddoe came sixth female in the final race

It was another first in the 40-44 category for Helen

Helen picks up her trophy for winning the Female 40-44 category

Tim Hughes took the handbrake off a little more in the final race after approaching the previous one more conservatively.

Tim Hughes let the handbrake off in the first mile

That produced a rather quick first mile, meaning there was a little more work to do in the closing stages, but Tim crossed the line in just over 27 minutes – remarkably similar to his previous effort. He finished 73rd overall and seventh in the Male 55-59 category.

Tim went on to finish in just over 27 minutes

Emma Biggs rounded off her Summer Series with a 32:23

Emma Biggs completed the course in 32:23, finishing 114th overall and 40th female. That gave her 44th place in the series as a whole.

Emma finished 44th female in the series

Matilde Blagden was 24th female and third in the Female 14-17 category.

Cara Hobson of Poole Runners won the Female 14-17 category

Junior series goes right down to the wire

The start of the Race Six of the Junior Summer Series

There was plenty at stake in the Junior Summer Series too.

Adam Ewen Matthews of Poole AC arrived at Race Six knowing that a win or second place would be enough to seal the overall title.

The youngsters go at it for one last time

He didn’t leave it to chance.

Adam won the mile-long final race in 4:55, finishing eight seconds clear of Seth Holleyman of Poole Runners.

Adam Ewen Matthews won the Junior Summer Series

It was a fitting conclusion to what had been an excellent series for Seth. He had won the two races that Adam Ewen Matthews didn’t contest and finished second in each of the other four races.

Seth Hollyman took second in the Junior Summer Series

But Adam’s fourth victory was enough to settle the championship.

Zacary Armitage of New Forest Juniors was third in 5:14, which left him fourth overall in the series, just behind Stelios Pavlou of Poole Runners in third.

Aiden Blagden didn’t run in the final race but finished second in the Boy 13 category and fifth overall in the series.

The Junior racers had every reason to be proud of their efforts

Jacob Warren of Poole Runners finished sixth overall.

For Bournemouth AC, Edward Davies was sixth in Race Six in 5:34. That put him seventh overall in the final series standings.

Marlon Moxey produced his best finish of the series, coming home 11th in 5:58. Having competed in four of the races, he finished 18th overall.

Girls’ series also settled

The Girl competition provided another close battle.

Florence Robbins (left) and Poppy Fulling (right) pick up their trophies for top two in the Girl 13 category

Louise Fuoco of Poole Runners was first girl home in Race Six, finishing ninth overall in 5:49. She finished third overall in the series.

Florence Robbins was second girl and 12th overall in exactly six minutes, securing second place in the series overall.

Imogen Davies (left) won the Girl 9 category and Hannah House (right) was runner up

The overall title, though, went to Imogen Beisley of Poole AC, who won all five of the races she contested.

Eliza Blakeway of Wimborne AC was third girl in Race Six in 6:17, finishing 17th overall. That put her fifth in the series, behind Kamila Olateju of Poole Runners in fourth.

Poppy Fulling was fourth girl and 19th overall in 6:18, finishing sixth in the series.

Scarlett Janes crossed the line just a second later in 6:19, taking sixth girl and 21st overall. She finished seventh girl in the series and took the Girl 11 category title.

Isla Tweed’s win worked in Kitty’s favour

There was another Bournemouth AC category success for Imogen Davies.

The Bournemouth AC ladies picked up the women’s team prize

Imogen was ninth girl in Race Six, recording 6:45 and finishing 32nd overall. That put her eighth girl in the series overall, but she had done more than enough to top the Girl 9 category.

In fact, Imogen had won the category in all four of the races she entered.

And so, after six races, the Upton Summer Series finally has its winners.

For some, the final race was merely confirmation of what had already been decided. For others, it was the race that changed everything – deciding who came out on top after six summer evening showings.

Kitty was runner up in the end but fought valiantly throughout

That’s exactly the kind of drama you want from a series finale.

The Bournemouth AC members did themselves and their club proud

The BAC ladies thoroughly deserved their victory

The famous five: Helen Beddoe (172), Tom Casson (300), Clint Taylor, David Crowther (144) and Kitty Cook (front) at the Sunflower Stride

There are some races where the result is almost secondary to the experience, and the Sunflower Stride proved to be just such an occasion for a newly formed band of Bournemouth AC chums.

With the race taking place in the evening, Clint Taylor, Tom Casson, Kitty Cook, David Crowther and Helen Beddoe were at least spared the hottest part of the day as they headed just outside Dorchester for an event organised by Tri-Counties Trail Running.

And what an evening it turned out to be.

Tom Casson takes a selfie with his BAC chums in the background

The 7.3-mile course was anything but flat, with around 800 feet of elevation packed into the route. The runners first had to weave their way through the mighty sunflower plants before heading towards Maiden Castle, Europe’s largest Iron Age hillfort. From the higher sections there were breathtaking views stretching south towards Weymouth, while Hardy’s Monument could be seen away to the west.

It was certainly a scenic course, but the hills made sure that nobody was going to be getting an easy ride.

The Bournemouth AC runners were ready to hit the trails

The Bournemouth contingent had already developed some impressive camaraderie during the summer. They had been travelling to races together and training together, including a 20-mile run which had been arranged to help Kitty Cook with her preparations for the New Forest Marathon.

The Sunflower Stride was the latest chapter in their increasingly busy racing schedule.

The Bournemouth AC members strike a pose

The newly formed faction had all lined up at the Lordshill 10K, where Tom, Kitty and Helen all recorded 10K personal bests. They also all took part in the Purbeck 10K, with David the only one of the five to miss that particular outing.

Clint, David and Helen had gone one better by also competing in the SOBO 5 on the same weekend as Purbeck, while Tom, Kitty, Helen and Clint had all tackled the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon.

There had been plenty more racing since then, with Tom, Kitty and Helen also competing in the Upton Summer Series. Kitty had put herself firmly into contention for the overall women’s title, battling it out with Helen O’Neile of Poole Runners, while Helen Beddoe was looking set for victory in the women’s 40–44 category. Tom, meanwhile, had climbed quite high in the overall standings.

It wasn’t clear who would win but the BAC bunch were hoping they would be in the frame

And if one hot and hilly half marathon wasn’t enough, Tom and Kitty subsequently headed to the Stur Half Marathon, where both improved on their Blackmore Vale times.

Earlier in the same week as the Stur Half, Tom and Kitty had also recorded their fastest ever 5K times at the Bournemouth AC Tuesday evening track event.

Tom Casson was likely to be near the front

With the fifth Upton Summer Series race on that week as well, there was certainly no shortage of miles in the legs by the time they arrived among the sunflowers.

Tom produced another impressive performance, despite the course seemingly doing everything possible to slow him down.

The opening mile was virtually all uphill, yet he still managed an excellent 6:29. The second mile contained both descent and ascent and came out at 7:13, before another sustained climb on the third mile saw him record 8:35.

Tom works his way along the trail

That might have suggested the hills were beginning to take their toll, but Tom wasn’t finished yet. He cranked the pace back up for a 6:52 fourth mile, followed by 7:05 for the fifth.

Then came another testing incline during mile six, which he negotiated in 8:46, before finding enough in reserve to finish with a 7:31 final mile.

Tom finished 4th in 53 minutes

All of that was enough to bring Tom home in an excellent fourth place overall in exactly 53 minutes.

Kitty Cook was 2nd fastest female

Kitty came 11th overall in 57:54

Kitty was not far behind, producing another strong run to finish 11th overall in 57:54. That was good enough for second female, with Sally Hall taking the women’s victory after finishing sixth overall in 54:44.

It was David Crowther’s last race before moving to Brighton

David went on the finish 14th

David Crowther crossed the line in 14th place in 58:54, while Clint was the next Bournemouth AC runner home, completing the challenging course in 1:01:41 for 18th place.

David’s time was 58:54

It was a great way for David to end his time in Dorset

Helen Beddoe and Clint Taylor

Helen Beddoe was next, recording 1:07:12 to finish 33rd overall and sixth female.

Helen and Clint were running together for some of the race

Clint’s regular running partner Zoe Meaton was also taking on the hills and she completed the course in 1:12:12, placing 53rd overall and 14th female.

Clint works his way up the hill

Helen Beddoe enjoying the race

At the sharp end, Leuan Baker took the victory in 49:47, with Adam Woollard second in 51:25 and Jamie Ings third in 51:56.

Helen and Clint heading along the trail

Helen and Clint helped each other through the tough sections

For the Bournemouth AC crew, though, the real success was the shared experience.

Clint finished in 1:01:41

The five had packed an awful lot of racing and training into a relatively short period, and the Sunflower Stride provided another opportunity to race together, support one another and enjoy the sort of camaraderie that makes running clubs so much more than a collection of people chasing times.

Helen crossed the line in 1:07:12

Kitty with her trophy for 2nd female

It was also a particularly memorable occasion for David, as this was his final race before moving to Brighton to take up physiotherapy.

Tom, Clint and David after completing the race

Helen, Zoe and Kitty after the race

After all those races, training runs and shared miles, there could hardly have been a better send-off.

The trophy and medal were nice sunflower themed mementos for Kitty

The sunflowers, the hills, the views, the racing and, most importantly, the company combined to make the Sunflower Stride a memorable evening for the Bournemouth AC crew – and one that David will hopefully remember fondly when he starts his new chapter in Brighton.

Zoe Meaton had fun with her BAC chums

The RNLI Swanage Lighthouse Loop Run gets underway

The Purbeck Trail Series moved on to its second fixture of the season in the shape of the RNLI Lighthouse Loop and that race saw one of the Bournemouth AC‘s top women, Isabel Cherrett, take to the start line.

There are some races where the scenery is so spectacular that you could almost forget you’re supposed to be concentrating on running.

The RNLI Lighthouse Loop around Swanage and Durlston Country Park is certainly one of them.

With the Jurassic Coast providing the backdrop, the 5k trail race heads from Swanage through Durlston Country Park towards Anvil Point Lighthouse before bringing the runners back towards the finish. It might look idyllic, but with 450 feet of elevation packed into a relatively short distance, it’s certainly not a course that gives away fast times for free.

And if there’s one man who knows how to deal with a few hills, it’s Jacek Cieluszecki.

The Lighthouse Loop was the second round of this year’s Purbeck Trail Series, following the Coombe Keynes 10k where the legendary former Bournemouth AC star was victorious. Stu Nicholas had won that race last year on his way to successfully defending his Purbeck Trail Series title, and he had also taken the Lighthouse Loop crown twelve months ago.

Stu wasn’t on the start line this time, but JC was.

And given his extraordinary record on this sort of terrain, it was difficult to look beyond him as the man to beat.

Jacek had previously won the Lighthouse Loop in an astonishing 18:05. That remains a ridiculous time for a course of this nature and demonstrated just how well the veteran can handle the climbs, descents and twisting trails.

Stu’s winning time last year had been 18:53, almost identical to his previous winning time, so another close battle at the sharp end looked to be on the cards.

Isabel Cherrett has established herself as one of the club’s most exciting young athletes, and she came into the race with an impressive collection of results behind her.

She is the Dorset County Champion over 1500m and finished second in the 3000m at the Dorset County Schools Championships. She also enjoyed an excellent cross country season, finishing second at the South West Championships, 21st at the English Schools Championships and 25th at the National Inter Counties.

Then there’s the small matter of a 17:48 5k at the Yeovilton Summer Series.

So while the Lighthouse Loop might not be the sort of course on which you would expect a track specialist to be at her most comfortable, Izzy certainly had the credentials to make an impression.

She had already shown exactly what she could do in the Purbeck Trail Series too.

At last year’s Coombe Keynes 10k she finished first female and, in the process, set a new course record.

This time, she would have to settle for second.

But there was certainly no disgrace in that.

The Lighthouse Loop was the second race of the Purbeck Trail Series

Izzy tackled the tough coastal course with her usual determination and completed the 5k in 21:32, which put her 19th overall and second female.

The runner who beat her was none other than the reigning Purbeck Trail Series champion, Isabel Zanconato of Purbeck Runners.

She produced an impressive 20:51 to finish 15th overall and take the women’s victory.

It was a strong performance from Izzy though on a course which asks very different questions to the fast, flat circuits where she has been producing those eye-catching track and road times.

At the very front of the race, meanwhile, there was an unexpected twist.

Jacek Cieluszecki set off at roughly six-minute-mile pace despite the climbing, which was perhaps a sign that he wasn’t exactly treating the opening section as a sightseeing expedition.

The 117 feet of elevation was never going to bother him too much and JC demonstrated once again that when the road points upwards, he tends to regard it as an opportunity rather than an inconvenience.

His second mile came in at 6:12 before the course began to turn to a downhill trajectory.

With the descents arriving, Jacek accelerated to a 5:38 third mile before really opening the taps.

The remainder of the race was covered at around 4:49-mile pace as he hurtled towards the finish.

That produced an excellent overall time of 18:48.

Normally, on this course, that would probably be enough.

This time, remarkably, it wasn’t.

Jacek was beaten by Jesse Bryant, who produced an outstanding 18:39 to take the victory.

Jacek Cieluszecki had to settle for second place in this year’s showdown

For someone who has made the Lighthouse Loop and similar Purbeck terrain something of a speciality, JC being beaten here was a genuine surprise.

Matthew Clark of Purbeck Runners was only another 13 seconds behind, taking third in 18:52, while Poole Runners’ Jack Matthews completed the top four in 19:15.

Jenny Marshall of Purbeck Runners was third female and 26th overall in 22:14. Louise Fox of Dorchester RIOT was fourth lady in 22:43 which put her 28th overall.

So the Lighthouse Loop produced another fascinating chapter in the Purbeck Trail Series.

There was a familiar name near the front in Jacek Cieluszecki, but even he couldn’t quite conquer the competition this time, with Jesse Bryant producing a superb run to deny him.

And for Bournemouth AC, there was another strong showing from Isabel Cherrett.

Second female, 19th overall and 21:32 on a demanding coastal trail represents another excellent result for an athlete who continues to demonstrate that she is just as capable away from the track as she is on it.

With four races still to come in the Purbeck Trail Series, there should be plenty more opportunities for the yellow and blues to make their presence felt.

Patrick Kingston was focused on the task at hand when he set out to tackle on the Crazy Mountain 100

There are some races where you look at the distance and think, that’s a long way. Then there are races where you look at the distance, the elevation profile and the location, and start wondering whether the organisers have perhaps taken leave of their senses.

The Crazy Mountain 100 in Montana, USA, falls firmly into the latter category.

A 100-mile race through the Crazy Mountains, with around 23,000ft of vertical gain, is not exactly a gentle stroll through the countryside. And for Bournemouth AC’s Patrick Kingston, it was the latest – and arguably toughest – addition to an already rather impressive off-road CV.

Patrick arrived in Montana having already completed nine 100-mile races, successfully getting through six of them. So, while there was naturally plenty of respect for what lay ahead, he knew from experience that 100 miles was a distance he could handle.

The mountains, however, clearly hadn’t read his CV.

Adding to the slightly unnerving nature of the trip was the small matter of being told, on arrival in Montana, that he really ought to acquire some bear spray to carry with him.

Nothing quite says welcome to the race like being advised what to do if you bump into a grizzly.

Patrick’s running resumé was already colourful and extravagant

Patrick duly accepted that this was probably sensible advice and set about preparing for his journey through the Crazy Mountains.

His recent form suggested he was well equipped for the challenge. He had only just come off the back of completing the Verbier Marathon in Switzerland, an alpine trail race featuring around 3,000m of elevation. That followed a string of seriously demanding mountain races.

There was the 90km TOR130 Tot Dret in the Italian mountains, with around 25,000ft of climbing; the 70km La Moins’Hard in Chamonix, which involved a formidable 5,600m of ascent; and the Ultra Trail Vipava Valley in Slovenia – a mere 110km with 4,800m of climbing.

As if that wasn’t enough, Patrick has also twice taken on the Sierra Blanca “Destroyer” in Marbella, covering 43.2km and 2,800m of ascent, while the Nivolet-Rivard 55k in the French Alps added another 2,860m to the climbing tally.

So Patrick wasn’t exactly arriving in Montana without mountain-running experience.

But knowing you can run 100 miles and actually running 100 miles through the Crazy Mountains are two rather different things.

Over the course of the next day and a bit, Patrick steadily worked his way through the course, dealing with the distance, the climbing and whatever else the Montana wilderness decided to throw at him.

And this time there was no DNF.

Patrick showed his ‘never say die’ attitude by getting through the entire 102 miles

After 1 day, 8 hours and 48 minutes, Patrick finally reached the finish line, completing the Crazy Mountain 100 and adding another hundred-miler to the completed column.

More importantly, he finished in a very respectable 71st place overall.

With a substantial number of runners failing to make it all the way to the finish, simply completing the course was an achievement in itself. To come home inside the top 100 makes the result even more impressive.

At the sharp end, Pete Behrends was the only runner to break the 24-hour barrier, winning the race in 22:51. Adam Campbell finished second in 1:01:37, with Nick Kuneman taking third in 1:02:07, just four minutes ahead of fourth-placed Chase Dupont.

The women’s race was led by Blair Speed, who clearly wasn’t planning on hanging around. She finished 12th overall and first woman in 1:04:25. Annie Hughes and Kirstin Moehi crossed the line together in 1:04:55 to take second and third female places, with Sylvia Greer following in 1:05:12.

But for Bournemouth AC, the result that mattered was further down the finishing order.

Patrick Kingston had gone to Montana with nine previous 100-mile attempts behind him and six successful finishes.

He left with number seven.

Another 100 miles ticked off, another set of mountains conquered and, presumably, another good story to tell about why carrying bear spray while running 100 miles is perfectly normal.

Although after 23,000ft of climbing, the bears may have been the least of his worries.

The Bournemouth AC team were geared up for a hot, hilly and huge test

It was another sweltering day for the eighth round of the Dorset Road Race League at the Stur Half Marathon, with a hilly course and temperatures making this one of the toughest tests of the season.

After finally getting their first league win of the campaign at the Purbeck 10k, the Bournemouth AC men had been unable to repeat the feat at the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon, finishing fourth despite Josh Cole taking an impressive individual victory. The result did at least keep the men in third place in the Men’s First Division, with plenty still to play for.

Ben Collins, Jack Davis and Stu Nicholas waiting to start the race

The women were enjoying considerably more success. Katie Gunn finished second female at Blackmore Vale, Kitty Cook was fourth and Helen Beddoe 18th as Bournemouth AC claimed another team victory. It was their fourth win of the season and put them in an excellent position in the Ladies Second Division.

The yellow and blues were ready to roll

The main event gets underway

There was plenty of strength in the Bournemouth AC line-up for Stur Half, with Stu Nicholas, Ben Collins, Jack Davis, Barry Dolman and Jack Barwick making up a strong men’s team.

A strong Bournemouth outfit set off on their way

For the ladies, Katie Gunn and Kitty Cook were back again, this time joined by Lara Hudson, who was making her Dorset Road Race League debut.

Stu Nicholas leads the men home

Stu Nicholas arrived at Stur in excellent form after taking second place in the Beat the Boat 10k at Windsor and Eton.

Tom Casson attacks from the outset

That came after a particularly busy spell earlier in the season when Stu had raced twice over one weekend — or three times if parkrun is included — finishing ninth at the Purbeck 10k on the Friday evening before taking fourth place at the Coombe Keynes 10k.

The BAC ladies team consisted of Lara Hudson, Kitty Cook and Katie Gunn (as she was then)

Jack Barwick and Katie Gunn head off on their way

It has already been quite a year for Stu, with a parkrun PB, a 10k PB, victory in the Norfolk Marathon and a second-place finish in the North Dorset Marathon all added to his collection of results.

He made a suitably aggressive start at Stur Half, going through the first mile in 5:35. The next four miles came in 5:48, 5:42, 5:45 and 5:48 respectively, putting him in an excellent position as the race began to settle down.

Stu Nicholas was the first Bournemouth AC man to arrive at the finish

He continued to run strongly through the middle section of the race, recording 5:57 for mile six, 6:02 for seven and 5:56 for eight before posting 6:10 for mile nine and 5:55 for mile ten.

The final three miles were always going to be a different proposition. With the Stur Half’s notoriously tough closing section including a long, steep climb in the final couple of miles, the heat and accumulated fatigue began to take their toll.

Stu finishing 9th in 1:18:08

Stu posted 6:17 for mile 11, 6:26 for mile 12 and 6:16 for mile 13 before crossing the line in 1:18:08.

That was enough for an excellent ninth place overall.

Ben Collins was next home for Bournemouth AC, putting in a very strong performance despite the conditions.

Currently training for the Abingdon Marathon, Ben had entered Stur as a kind of warm-up and fitness check to see where he was at. He had already run well to finish seventh at the Purbeck 10k and had also set PBs in both the 2000m and 3000m steeplechase during the summer.

Ben Collins finished 10th in 1:18:41

He maintained a remarkably consistent pace for the first ten miles, staying between 5:50 and six minutes per mile before showing plenty of resilience over the difficult closing stages.

His final three miles came in 6:13, 6:21 and 6:19, giving him a finishing time of 1:18:41.

That was exactly six minutes per mile on average and saw him finish tenth overall.

Jack Davis was another Bournemouth athlete enjoying a superb season and he produced one of the most consistent performances of the day.

Jack Davis somehow managed to clock a fantastic PB despite the heat and the hills

With more than 500 feet of elevation on the course, maintaining a steady pace was always going to be difficult, but Jack churned out splits around the six-minute-mile mark for almost the entire race.

Better still, he appeared to be getting stronger relative to the opposition as the race went on. His final three miles were 6:07, 6:11 and 6:01, an excellent way to finish such a demanding half marathon.

He crossed the line in 1:19:09 for 12th place and a brilliant PB that he wasn’t really expecting.

Jack’s season has already included 10k and half marathon PBs, as well as his quickest-ever 5k at the Bournemouth AC Tuesday night track event. His standout performance may well have been his superb sub-2:50 at the Cork City Marathon, but this was another impressive addition to an outstanding year.

Dolman delivers again

Barry Dolman ran well to finish in just under 1:23

Barry Dolman continued his excellent season by recording 1:22:58 and finishing 21st overall.

That made him Bournemouth AC’s fourth scorer and gave him an average pace of 6:21 per mile, a tremendous effort given the heat and the Stur Half course’s relentless elevation.

Barry has already enjoyed a remarkable year. He ran a superb sub-36-minute 10k at the British Masters 10k Championships in Chichester to take an M55 bronze medal, before producing an incredible 2:48:26 PB at the Barcelona Marathon.

Jack Barwick arrives on the finishing straight

The Bournemouth AC scoring team was completed by Jack Barwick, who crossed the line in 1:25:17 for 28th place.

Jack had already demonstrated at Blackmore Vale that he is well equipped to deal with a hot, hilly half marathon, running a superb 1:26 when many athletes were floundering in the conditions.

Jack completed the scoring team for the BAC men

His regular exposure to the hills around the Lytchett loop probably helps, with plenty of climbing on his doorstep providing a rather effective form of strength training.

The Bournemouth AC men therefore finished second in the league race.

They were level on points with Twemlow Track Club, whose Sam and Luke Jackson finished fourth and fifth scorers respectively. Jack’s 28th-place finish put him ahead of Luke, which was enough to give Bournemouth AC second place and Twemlow third.

Poole AC took a fifth victory of the season, with Lester James of Team Bath winning the individual race for the second consecutive year in a superb 1:11:23. That result gave Poole AC an unassailable lead in the Men’s First Division, with Twemlow Track Club the only team still mathematically capable of matching their points total — and they would need to win all four remaining races to do so.

Katie battles to third

Katie went on to finish third female

Katie Gunn hadn’t quite been at her best this season, but there had still been plenty of highlights. She finished second female at the inaugural SOBO 5, second at both the Lytchett 10 and Blackmore Vale Half Marathon, and third female at the Purbeck 10k.

Stur was always going to be a particularly demanding test.

Katie battled her way through the heat to finish third female and 60th overall in 1:33:16.

This was just before Katie got married and became Katie Bentley.

That put her just behind Victoria Pye of Egdon Heath Harriers, who also ran 1:33:16, while Abigail Jones of Poole Runners took a clear victory in 1:29:20, finishing 42nd overall.

Despite not quite having the season she would have hoped for, Katie’s consistency has kept her right at the sharp end of the league individual standings.

Another big step forward for Kitty

Kitty Cook finished 10th female

Kitty Cook was next home for Bournemouth AC in 1:37:35, taking tenth female and 77th overall.

Kitty has arguably been the fastest-improving Bournemouth AC athlete this season. A parkrun PB, five-mile PB and 10k PB have all come her way, while she also recorded her fastest-ever 5k at the club’s Tuesday night track event.

Her improvement has extended beyond individual times too. Kitty has been battling it out with Helen O’Neile for the women’s overall prize in the Upton Summer Series, with the six-race competition providing another opportunity to test her rapidly developing fitness.

It has been an impressive upturn in form, particularly considering how much less experienced Kitty was when she first joined Bournemouth AC.

There has been plenty of improvement in her household too, with partner Tom Casson also enjoying an excellent season. Tom has recorded parkrun, five-mile and 10k PBs and ran exactly 17:00 for his fastest-ever 5k at the Bournemouth AC track event.

Sanjai Sharma found it tough going in the heat

Tom also lined up at Stur Half and, as is often the case, he wasn’t hanging around at the start.

He opened with 6:25, followed by 6:35 and 6:53, but the combination of the heat and the increasingly difficult course meant that such an aggressive opening came at a cost.

The second half was considerably slower, although the second half of the Stur Half is also considerably harder. Tom ended up crossing the line in 1:35:07.

Sanjai came in to complete the course in 1:42:30

While he couldn’t maintain his early pace, it was still a positive result, coming three-and-a-half minutes quicker than his Blackmore Vale time.

Sanjai Sharma was also out for Bournemouth AC and, with the heat making conditions particularly difficult for him, it was never going to be an ideal day.

Nevertheless, he battled through to record a respectable 1:42:30, finishing 97th overall and fifth in the MV60 category.

It was another solid performance from Sanjai, who continues to turn out some very respectable times despite now competing in the V65 age group. His 3:28 at the London Marathon back in April is testament to the level he is still capable of producing.

Lara makes league debut

Lara Hudson made an excellent league debut

For Lara Hudson, Stur was her first appearance in the Dorset Road Race League.

Lara had made her Bournemouth AC debut at the SOBO 5, finishing ninth female in 35:57. She had actually entered the Stur Half before joining Bournemouth AC, so the timing worked out rather nicely for her first league outing in club colours.

Lara competed the scoring team and helped them win the ladies team prize

This was a very different proposition from the SOBO 5, though.

The heat was intense, the course was hilly and the final few miles were particularly demanding. Lara dug deep to get to the finish in 1:45:42, placing her 21st female.

That was a superb effort in the conditions — and even better, it represented a three-minute PB.

Her result also proved crucial for the team.

With Katie, Kitty and Lara all safely home, Bournemouth AC took first place in the Ladies Second Division for another valuable haul of league points.

Bournemouth AC take control

The Stur result was particularly significant for the Bournemouth AC women.

The Bournemouth AC ladies collect the team prize

It was another first-place finish in the Ladies Second Division and lifted the team to the top of the standings.

With four races still remaining, Bournemouth AC now need just two solid results from the final four rounds to secure promotion back to the top flight.

Behind them at Stur, Dorchester RIOT finished second and Verwood Runners third.

In the Ladies First Division, Littledown Harriers claimed their first victory of the season, ahead of Egdon Heath Harriers and Poole Runners. Egdon remain at the top of the table, with Poole Runners just ahead of Littledown in second.

Lytchett Manor Striders continued their march towards promotion from the Ladies Third Division, winning despite none of the clubs managing to field a full scoring team. Bournemouth Joggers were second.

Captain Rich multitasks in the 5k

Captain Rich Nelson got a piece of the action in the 5k

While the main Bournemouth AC teams were battling their way around the half marathon course, club captain Rich Nelson was keeping himself busy in the accompanying 5k race.

Rich managed to multitask impressively, taking on the roles of team manager, photographer and chief supporter, while also finding time to run the race himself.

He completed the 5k in 26:39, finishing 28th out of 67 runners and taking third place in the MV50 category. Not a bad effort considering he had doing several other jobs at the same time!

Rich completed the 5k in 26:39

The 5k was won by Brandon King in 19:54, with Joseph Page just seven seconds behind in 20:01 and Theo Hough taking third in 20:43.

Olivia Chapman was fourth overall and first female in 21:01, while Harriet Scott of Wells City Harriers was second female in 21:49.

So, while Rich may not have been wearing the Bournemouth AC vest for the main event, he certainly wasn’t short of involvement — keeping tabs on the team, capturing the action from behind the camera and cheering everyone home as well as squeezing in his own race.

Round the Lakes next

It was a good day for the Bournemouth AC squad

The next Dorset Road Race League fixture is the Round the Lakes 10k.

That race is traditionally a favourite among the Bournemouth AC runners, and with the men’s team still fighting near the top of the Men’s First Division and the women now in pole position for promotion, there should be plenty of blue and white on the start line.

With four races remaining, the Bournemouth AC league campaigns are very much alive — and there is now plenty to look forward to.

Clint Taylor was out for another go at the Maiden New Ten

There aren’t that many annual races that take place on a Wednesday evening but the Maiden New Ten is one of those slightly unusual events – a midweek, multi-terrain 10k organised by Maiden Newton Runners and, for Clint Taylor, one of the races that he looks forward to most.

Having enjoyed the event last year, Clint was back again, accompanied by his regular racing partner Zoe Meaton, who sometimes joins in with the Bournemouth AC training sessions. The pair have built up quite a race CV together, although their approach to competition is to have fun, first and foremost.

Clint and his running partner Zoe Meaton were ready for a fun 10k

They’ve tackled plenty of events together, including last December’s Slow and Dirty, a 19km trail race along the old railway line at Sturminster Newton, and the Run to the Sea 50k in October. Clint has also been keeping himself busy lately, taking on the SOBO 5 and Lordshill 10k on the same weekend before going on to score for the team at the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon, where he ran 1:55 on a particularly hot day.

With only 10k to worry about at the Maiden New Ten, Clint and Zoe decided to go their own separate ways on this occasion.

Clint got things underway with a sensible 7:51 opening mile before the course served up its main challenge. Mile two brought the big climb of the race and the combination of gradient and multi-terrain footing saw the pace drop to 9:35. That split came with 211 feet of elevation, though, so there was plenty of hard work packed into those nine-and-a-half minutes.

Clint was hitting a good pace as he progressed round the course

The reward for getting over the top was a welcome descent, and Clint made the most of it. Mile three flew by at 7:11 before he settled into another solid 7:37 for mile four.

From there, it was really a case of keeping things controlled through the closing stages. Clint managed that nicely, recording 8:03 for mile five and 7:49 for mile six.

There was still a slight incline to negotiate on the way to the finish, but he came through it well to stop the clock at 49:40.

Clint finished 29th in 49:40

That was good enough for 29th place from 169 finishers, with an average pace of 7:59 per mile. The course had delivered a total elevation gain of 482 feet, making that sub-50-minute performance all the more impressive.

Zoe went along at her own pace for this one

Zoe was having a strong race of her own and crossed the line in 58:11, finishing 78th overall. Of the 73 women taking part, she was 20th female, while her 7th place in the FV45 category came from a field of 18.

It was clear to see Zoe was enjoying the run

Clint also made it onto the category podium, taking 3rd place in MV45, with 20 runners in the age group.

Michael Legg of Crewkerne Running Club led the way

Rob Parker of Bridport Runners was in pursuit

Adrian Kettle of Yeovil Town RRC

Phillippa Loakes of Poole Runners was the leading lady

Emma Watson-Jones of Bridport was close behind

Michael Legg was way out in front

At the sharp end, Michael Legg of Crewkerne Running Club took a convincing overall victory in 36:38, with Rob Parker of Bridport Runners second in 39:03. Yeovil Town RRC’s Adrian Kettle and Joseph Keen completed the top four in 40:58 and 41:16 respectively.

Rob Parker finished runner up in 39:03

Adrian Kettle took third in 40:58

The women’s race was considerably closer. Phillippa Loakes of Poole Runners edged Emma Watson-Jones to the line in a remarkable battle for first female – although remarkably, both runners were awarded exactly the same chip time of 47:00.

Phillippa Loakes just made it to the line as first female

Emma Watson-Jones recorded the same chip time of 47 minutes

Sally Bugler of Bridport Runners took third female in 47:36, with Donna Pearce of Lytchett Manor Striders fourth in 47:44.

Zoe was 20th female

Zoe was 7th FV45 in a time of 58:11

It was a very nice setting for a race

For Clint and Zoe, though, the finishing positions were arguably secondary to the reason they turn up to races in the first place. They enjoy racing, they enjoy the challenge and, most importantly, they have fun whilst doing it.

Zoe and Clint show off their medals after completing the race

Another Maiden New Ten done – and another excellent evening out on the trails.

Maiden Newton made for a somewhat splendid location