Katie Gunn and Jack Barwick battled the hellacious hills and intense heat at the Alresford 10k

The Alresford 10k has long been one of the Hampshire Road Race League‘s toughest assignments. With over 400 feet of climbing packed into its undulating 6.2 mile route and temperatures often soaring into the summer sun, it has a habit of exposing even the strongest runners.

The picturesque Hampshire market town may be famous for its watercress beds rather than its hills, but every finisher is rewarded for their efforts with a freshly picked bag of the local delicacy – a fitting prize after one of the league’s most demanding outings.

Katie was back for third helpings at the Alresford 10k

It was at Alresford last year that Bournemouth AC celebrated being crowned Hampshire Road Race League champions. Twelve months on, the mood was rather different.

After only managing to field men’s teams in the opening two fixtures of the campaign, the club’s title defence had unravelled long before the penultimate race of the season. With no team once again making the trip to Alresford, Bournemouth AC’s relegation from the Men’s A1 Division was all but confirmed.

Nevertheless, there was still plenty of individual interest as Katie Gunn returned to one of her favourite races while Jack Barwick continued his encouraging comeback from injury.

Katie has built up quite an affinity with the event over recent years. This was her third consecutive appearance, having claimed the women’s title in 2024 with a superb 39:38 to take home the coveted winner’s hamper before returning last year to improve her time by ten seconds, only to find herself finishing third against even stronger competition.

Jack was back from injury and ready to roll

Remarkably, both of those performances had come just two days after racing the Purbeck 10k on the Friday evening.

Jack, meanwhile, was making his Alresford debut. His 2026 campaign has been one of frustration, with injury severely limiting his training for much of the year. Despite that, he still managed to complete his first marathon at London in an impressive 3:09:46 off the back of very restricted preparation.

More recently, however, the signs have been increasingly positive. Regular training had resumed, interval sessions had become part of the weekly routine once more and, perhaps most encouragingly, the speed that had characterised his running before injury had quickly returned.

Fred Slemeck had won the last two Alresford 10k races

At the sharp end of the field, Hercules Wimbledon’s Fred Slemeck was bidding for a third successive Alresford crown. Having won the previous two editions, his only blemish in recent years had come in 2023 when former Bournemouth AC athlete Harry Smith denied him victory by just a handful of seconds.

Joshua Price was top of the Men’s Individual table

Joshua Price arrived fresh from victory at the Alton 10 and a runner-up finish at the Netley 10k, performances that had already secured him the Hampshire Road Race League individual title thanks to his remarkable consistency throughout the season. Winchester Running Club’s Henry Edwards, winner at Netley after finishing second at Alton, also looked certain to feature prominently, while Andrew Greenleaf had developed something of a habit of reaching the podium, finishing third in 2023, second in 2024 and third again last year.

Katie and Jack get the race underway

Jack judged his race well from the outset. Covering the opening mile in 5:45, he followed it with a 5:56 despite tackling one of the course’s toughest climbs before settling into the relentless rhythm demanded by Alresford’s rolling roads.

It was set to be a fiercely competitive race

Splits of 6:23 and 6:25 through the middle miles demonstrated just how well he was coping with the continual elevation changes, while a closing mile of 6:38 ensured he reached the finish in an excellent 38:24.

The runners head down the road

On a course renowned for taking minutes rather than seconds from runners’ finishing times, Jack‘s performance earned him 20th place from a field of 425 finishers, averaging an impressive 6:12 per mile over one of the league’s most unforgiving 10k routes.

Jack put in a strong display, handling the hills well

Jack in the background completing the race

For Katie, the combination of the heat and relentless hills proved more difficult to overcome than in previous years.

Katie had been first female at the Alresford 10k before

Unable to quite reproduce the form that had seen her standing on the podium in each of the last two editions, she still battled her way home in a respectable 43:40 to finish eighth woman overall from 156 starters and 64th overall, averaging 7:03 per mile around the demanding circuit.

Katie didn’t have one of her best days but gave it her all

At the front, Fred Slemeck completed his Alresford hat-trick in commanding fashion, stopping the clock at 32:52 to finish almost a minute clear of Joshua Price, who crossed in 33:48. Andrew Greenleaf continued his remarkable consistency with third place in 34:06, taking the first veteran prize, while Henry Edwards claimed fourth in 34:54 ahead of Winchester Running Club teammate Sebastian Olingschlaeger in fifth.

Andrew Greenleaf finished third in 34:06

The women’s race was won by City of Portsmouth’s Emma Jolley, whose 39:41 placed her 28th overall. Winchester Running Club duo Sarah Shedden (41:03) and Sarah Gurney (41:42) completed the podium, with all three occupying different age categories – Jolley in the F40-44 division, Shedden in F50-54 and Gurney in F55-59. Hampshire Road Race League women’s individual leader Rachel Walsh finished fourth in 42:02, with Catherine Seager rounding out the top five in 42:23.

Emma Jolley was first female

The league standings also continued to take shape.

Winchester Running Club sealed a fourth consecutive victory in the Men’s A1 Division, underlining a season of complete dominance that has seen them cruise to the title. Denmead Striders again finished second ahead of Alton Runners, positions that look increasingly likely to be reflected in the final standings.

Tim Rolfe came sixth in 36:03

For Bournemouth AC, a season plagued by an inability to consistently field teams means relegation to the A2 Division now appears inevitable alongside Liss.

Winchester’s women were equally dominant, recording a third successive victory and a remarkable ninth win of the campaign to comfortably secure the Women’s A1 title, with Liss set to finish runners-up.

Sarah Shedden was second female

Elsewhere, the battle for promotion from the Men’s A2 Division remains one of the closest in the league, with Vectis Academy and Overton Harriers finishing level on score and Portsmouth Joggers just two placings behind. Vectis look assured of promotion, while Overton, Eastleigh and Portsmouth Joggers remain locked in a fascinating fight for the second promotion place.

Totton continued their stranglehold of the Women’s A2 Division with a seventh consecutive victory, while Fleet & Crookham topped the Men’s A3 standings on the day despite Isle of Wight Road Runners already having done more than enough across the season to secure promotion. Hamwic Harriers remain favourites to claim the second promotion place.

Winchester Running Club’s exceptional depth was again evident as they also recorded the best scores in both the Men’s B2 and B3 divisions, while their women remain locked in a close battle with Hedge End at the top of Women’s B1. Alton Runners completed another dominant campaign in Women’s B2, where they have comfortably finished clear of the opposition.

The team and officials who didn’t do a runner at the end!

As exams were over, a growing number of U18s joined the senior athletes for the trip to Oxford. The weather was good for athletics, albeit hot at times making it challenging for our officials who were out in the sun all day. We came away with 4^th place only 1 point behind 3^rd place Ashford (note to self: do triple jump next time!). A team and officials photo almost happened, but the herding of cats failed.

With apologies for any omissions, the team consisted of:

Women

Chloe Burrows

Holly Collier

Janet Dickinson

Chloe Johnson (U18)

Jasmine Munden (U18)

Gabriella Pitman (U18)

Nikki Sandell

Harriet Slade

Tonaya Welsh (U18)

Joy Wright

Men

Christian Baptist

Stewart Cotterill

Steve Cox

James Lelliott

Adam Nicholass

Noel Slade (U18)

Manuel Stone

Vince Taylor

Dante Thompson

Notable performances included:

The u18 women for doing their maximum number of events, with the 4×100 relay being all u18s and some running over their distance to fill spaces in the mixed 4×400. For Jasmine Munden this was also her second day of competition having competed at SW Schools on Saturday.

Almost everyone else for filling multiple events, especially James, Adam, Dante and Nikki.

Joy and Chloe for demonstrating their throwing skills.

Full results can be found on the Power of 10

Our officials were:

• Dave Clarke (timekeeper)
• Juliet Dobson (field)
• Jemma Bates (field)
• Hazel Bates (track)
• Janet Dickinson (field)
• Joy Wright, Craig Munden and several other parents (field helpers)

Team managers: Jemma Bates and Adam Nicholass

The next SAL match will be at Bournemouth on Sunday 19^th July. A good turn out needed at this match!

The Poole Festival of Running Relays was about teammates, friends and families coming together

There are few better ways to spend a summer evening than watching relay racing in full flow, and Poole Park once again provided the perfect backdrop as the annual Poole Festival of Running Relays brought together clubmates, rivals and friends for one of Dorset’s most enjoyable fixtures.

The format is refreshingly simple but fiercely competitive. Teams of four each tackle a leg of just over 5km, with every second counting as runners race back to the changeover before sending their next teammate on their way. The quickest cumulative time claims the honours.

The team of Bournemouth AC ladies included Kate Bowers, Vic Chapman and Helen Beddoe

Although based in Poole Park, the course offers a different challenge to the familiar Saturday morning parkrun. After setting off from the fountain, runners initially follow the usual route towards the cricket pavilion before heading around the lake in a clockwise direction rather than the customary anti-clockwise circuit. After passing the changeover area they head straight into a second lap before finally handing over to their waiting teammate.

Corbin’s Cruisers were out in force with Adam Corbin, Paddy McCalister, Jacl Barwick and Mike Akers

Kitty Cook, Amelia Lawrence, Clint Taylor and Tom Casson formed Catch Us If You Can

Bournemouth AC was well represented throughout the evening, with several teams featuring club members.

Corbin’s Cruisers, consisting of Adam Corbin, Mike Akers, Jack Barwick and Paddy McCalister, were looking to make their mark, while the BAC Ladies – Run Now Wine Later quartet of Emma Caplan, Kate Bowers, Helen Beddoe and Vic Chapman were aiming to challenge for the women’s honours.

Josh Wells finished 4th in the age 10/11 Minithon race

There was also mixed team Catch Us If You Can, featuring Kitty Cook, Amelia Lawrence, Clint Taylor and Tom Casson, while Hugo Richardson doubled up with two impressive legs for the MVPs alongside Stacey Dickinson and Lawrence Wickham.

Elsewhere, Jack Davis and Stu Bowers lined up for the aptly named Precisely Fuelled and Hydrated team with Jonathan Clemas and Ant Gritton, while Sanjai Sharma represented The Even Wilder Wildwood Wanderers.

The start of the Poole Festival of Running Relays

And they’re off!

Flying start from Corbin

Adam Corbin ran the first leg for Corbin’s Cruisers

Adam Corbin wasted little time stamping his authority on proceedings, producing a superb opening leg of 17:03 to record the third quickest first-leg time of the evening and immediately put Corbin’s Cruisers into contention.

Adam Corbin

Adam Corbin

Only two athletes were quicker, with another runner boasting Bournemouth AC connections, James Phillips, setting the early benchmark in 16:15, while one of Dorset’s brightest young prospects, Buddy Mitchell, clocked an excellent 16:54.

Adam got round in 17:03

James Phillips was running for Precisely Fuelled and Hydrated

Another talented youngster, Finn O’Mahoney, followed with 17:10, while Hugo Richardson expertly paced young Josh Allutt around in 18:17 on the first of his two outings.

James Phillips

James Phillips

For the BAC Ladies, Emma Caplan got proceedings underway with a strong and composed 19:33.

James romped round in 16:15

Hugo Richardson pacing Josh Allnutt

Hugo ran both the first and fourth legs for his team

Hugo completed the first leg in 18:18

Emma Caplan ran the first leg for the BAC Ladies

Emma Caplan

Emma Caplan

Emma got round in 19:33

Kitty Cook and Emma Caplan on the first leg

Kitty Cook also continued her excellent recent form. Having broken 20 minutes at parkrun with a 19:39 personal best only a fortnight earlier, she produced another quality run of 19:46. Given the relay course is slightly longer than parkrun, it represented an even stronger performance with a faster average pace.

Kitty starting the race

Kitty was in great form after a recent PB

Kitty ran well to finish in 19:45

Amelia lays down the gauntlet

Amelia Lawrence ran the second leg for the mixed BAC team

The second legs saw plenty of momentum shifts.

Mike Akers was on the second leg for Corbin’s Cruisers

Mike Akers maintained Corbin’s Cruisers‘ challenge with a solid 18:43, while Jack Davis impressed with a speedy 17:39 for Precisely Fuelled and Hydrated.

Mike Akers

Mike found it tough going running into the wind

Jack Davis ran the second leg for Precisely Fuelled and Hydrated

Kate Bowers ran well for the BAC Ladies, stopping the clock at 20:33.

Kate Bowers went second for the BAC Ladies

Kate Bowers

Jack got round in 17:39

Kate Bowers

The standout women’s performance, however, came from Amelia Lawrence. Taking over from Kitty Cook, she produced a tremendous 18:30 – the fastest women’s leg of the entire morning – setting a target none of the other female competitors would ultimately match.

Amelia ran faster than any other woman

Kate got round in 20:33

Among the men, Poole AC’s Max Collins was quickest on the second leg with 17:30, propelling Running Free 2 into the overall lead before handing over to fellow Poole athlete Joseph Usher.

Race for the podium

Jack Barwick ran the third leg for Corbin’s Cruisers

Jack Barwick kept Corbin’s Cruisers firmly in the mix with an 18:59 third leg before handing over to Paddy McCalister.

Jack Barwick

Clint Taylor ran the third leg for the mixed BAC team

Clint Taylor faced the unenviable task of following Amelia Lawrence’s blistering run for Catch Us If You Can but responded well with a determined 21:32 before sending Tom Casson out on the anchor.

Jack got round in 18:59

Clint completed his leg in 21:32

Helen Beddoe completed a solid 21:12 for the BAC Ladies before Vic Chapman prepared for the final leg.

Helen Beddoe was on the third leg for the BAC Ladies

Helen Beddoe

Vicki Ingham of Poole Runners produced an impressive 19:03, although even that wasn’t enough to better Amelia Lawrence’s outstanding split.

Helen got round in 21:12

Up front, Joseph Usher showed exactly why he is regarded as one of Dorset’s premier middle-distance athletes. Fresh from becoming Dorset County champion over both 400m and 800m, running 1:52.08 for 800m only the previous week, and after posting 4:20.75 for the mile earlier this season, he maintained Running Free 2’s advantage with an excellent 17:14.

Collins seals emphatic victory

Hugo Richardson on the fourth leg for The MVPs

Any lingering doubt about the outcome disappeared on the anchor leg.

Stu Bowers was on the anchor leg for Precisely Fuelled and Hydrated

Charlie Collins, who enjoyed a remarkable winter by winning all four senior men’s Wessex League cross country races, including the Dorset County Championship fixture, before claiming the Dorset 3,000m title on the track and recording victories at the Bournemouth Bay Half Marathon and a runner-up finish at the Broadstone Quarter Marathon, demonstrated his class once again.

Paddy McCalister ran the anchor leg for Corbin’s Cruisers

Blasting around the course in a sensational 15:42 – comfortably the fastest leg of the evening – he sealed victory for Running Free 2 in 1:07:01.

Tom Casson ran the last leg for the mixed BAC team

Ben Shawyer’s excellent 17:06 helped BSB Boiz secure second in 1:09:50, while Tony Revell’s rapid 16:49 carried the Redline Rev Squad into third in 1:10:35.

Strong BAC performances across the field

One of the performances of the evening came from Hugo Richardson. Having already completed an 18:18 opening leg, he returned to run an outstanding 16:52 anchor leg, helping The MVPs finish fourth overall in 1:12:01.

Hugo didn’t seem to be tired on his second leg of the day

Precisely Fuelled and Hydrated also enjoyed an excellent morning. Following Jack Davis’ 17:39 and Ant Gritton’s swift 17:19, Stu Bowers brought the team home in 19:11 as they claimed fifth place overall.

Stu Bowers completed his leg in 19:11

Paddy McCalister

Corbin’s Cruisers completed an excellent team display when Paddy McCalister ran 19:18 on the final leg, securing sixth place in a combined time of 1:14:03.

Hugo ran his second leg in 16:52

Catch Us If You Can finished 11th overall after Tom Casson produced a strong closing leg of 18:20. More importantly, the quartet claimed the Mixed Team title, with Amelia Lawrence’s outstanding women’s fastest leg proving a decisive contribution.

Another Richardson was also among the action, as Wilf Richardson clocked an impressive 18:18 to help Jorj’s Team finish 13th in 1:20:04.

Tom Casson

The BAC Ladies – Run Now Wine Later capped an excellent evening when Vic Chapman completed the anchor leg in 19:01, securing not only 14th place overall in 1:20:20 but also victory in the all-female competition.

Vic Chapman was on the fourth leg for the BAC Ladies

Laura Rothwell guided Rev Rockets home as second female team and winners of the women’s 18-39 category, while Poole Runners’ Iain Ferguson finished strongly with 18:33 for PRJ Quadkids Quartet 2.

Laura Rothwell was on the fourth leg for Rev Rockets

Tom Casson

Sanjai Sharma completed the final leg for The Even Wilder Wildwood Wanderers in an officially recorded 19:04, although he admitted afterwards he wasn’t entirely convinced the timing reflected reality as that it would have been his quickest run for several years.

Sanjai Sharma ran the fourth leg for The Even Wilder WildWood Wanderers

The event concluded with another fine run from Poole AC’s Brian Underwood, whose 17:12 anchor leg brought Worst Pace Scenario safely home.

Vic Chapman

Paddy McCalister

Laura Rothwell

Sanjai Sharma

Tom rounded it off for the mixed BAC team in 18:32

Vic completed her leg in 19:01

As ever, the Poole Festival of Running Relays delivered exactly what club relays should – fast racing, friendly rivalry, outstanding teamwork and plenty of encouragement ringing around the park. With Bournemouth AC represented across the field, there was plenty to celebrate, from podium-worthy individual splits to team trophies and another reminder that relay racing remains one of the highlights of the local road running calendar.

Paddy closed it out for Corbin’s Cruisers with a 19:18

Laura completed her leg in 20:43

Sanjai was convinced the time they gave him wasn’t correct

It was a category win for the mixed BAC team

The BAC Ladies team pick up their trophy for first All Female team

James Phillips gets his trophy with the Redline Rev Squad for first Male 18-39 team

Laura Rothwell’s team were first in the All Female 18-39 category

The mixed BAC team pick up their trophy

Jack Davis arrived at the Cork City Marathon hoping that he might be able to record a time that would qualify him for the Boston Marathon

Ever since finishing just 55 seconds outside a sub-three-hour marathon at London last year, Jack Davis has had the bit firmly between his teeth.

Many runners would have been content to reflect on what had been a tremendous performance. Not Jack. He was so determined to prove to himself that he belonged under that magical barrier that, just a few weeks later, he went out and ran a sub-three marathon… in training.

That determination has been the hallmark of everything Jack has done since.

Later in the year he represented himself at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Marbella, before turning his attention back to running as 2026 began.

It quickly became clear that he meant business.

A personal best of 35:16 at the Stubbington 10k was followed by a superb sub-80-minute run at the Bath Half Marathon in March. Coupled with a string of excellent long runs in training, Jack knew he was in the shape of his life.

There was just one problem.

He hadn’t actually entered a marathon.

By the time he decided he wanted to race one, the popular spring marathons at Brighton and Manchester were already full. Rather than waiting until the autumn, he searched for another opportunity.

That search led him across the Irish Sea to the Cork City Marathon.

Jack had been in fine form and his build up went well

It wasn’t simply another marathon either. Cork is a Boston Marathon qualifying race, and to secure that coveted qualification Jack needed to run under 2:50.

That meant averaging around 6:25 per mile over 26.2 miles.

A daunting challenge for most.

Exactly the sort of challenge Jack was looking for.

From the gun he committed fully to the task.

The opening mile disappeared in 6:18 before he followed it with miles of 6:22 and 6:18. Settling beautifully into rhythm, he covered the next four miles at around 6:23 pace and reached 10 kilometres in 40:05, lying 76th.

The course then began to ask a few more questions.

Miles eight and nine climbed steadily, slowing him to around 6:30 pace, but once over the hills he immediately returned to target pace, refusing to let the course dictate the outcome.

Crossing halfway in just under 1:24:16, Jack had worked his way into 63rd position and remained firmly on schedule for his Boston qualifying target.

Jack paced his run well, leaving enough energy to tackle the later inclines

Of course, every marathon truly begins after halfway.

If there were going to be any doubts, now was the time they would appear.

Instead, Jack produced one of his quickest miles of the day.

A superb 6:15 fourteenth mile was followed by a sequence of remarkably controlled splits between 6:20 and 6:24 as he moved through to mile 19, continuing to reel runners in.

The toughest section of the course still lay ahead.

The climbs around miles 19 to 22 have broken many ambitious marathon attempts, but Jack handled them impressively. A 6:35 nineteenth mile was followed by back-to-back 6:27s before another long incline pushed mile 22 to 6:42.

Even then, the dream remained alive.

Passing 30 kilometres in 1:59:59, he had climbed to 53rd place and was still inside the schedule required for a sub-2:50 finish.

Now it simply came down to hanging on.

That’s exactly what he did.

Back on flatter roads, Jack settled once more into around 6:30 pace and remarkably maintained that all the way through the closing miles before producing one final flourish, covering the last third of a mile at an equivalent pace of 6:03.

It was a solid sub 2:50 from Jack and definitely one he can look back on with pride

The finish clock stopped at a magnificent 2:49:33.

Mission accomplished.

Not only had Jack comfortably broken the three-hour barrier that had eluded him in London twelve months earlier, but he had smashed through the Boston qualifying standard as well.

His average pace of 6:26 per mile earned him 48th place from a field of 2,103 finishers on what proved to be a testing course, particularly with its demanding climbs during the closing stages.

It was a marathon built on patience, belief and meticulous preparation.

The race itself was won by Stephen McAuley in 2:22:42. Chris Jeuken finished second in 2:24:20, while Wayne Waldron claimed third in 2:26:22 and was the first M40 finisher. Gary O’Hanlon was fourth in 2:26:59 and first M50.

Melissah Gibson led the women’s race with an outstanding 2:40:41, placing 26th overall. Andrea Aza Villamor finished second female in 2:48:05 (39th overall), with April Quinn taking third in 2:56:01, placing 81st overall.

Jack has become a hugely valued member of Bournemouth AC, not only through his performances but also through the support he has provided away from racing. Through his role with Precision Fuel & Hydration, he has helped establish valuable sponsorship for club events while also keeping club members fuelled and hydrated during many warm summer training sessions.

Those contributions have made him a popular figure around the club, so there was genuine delight among everyone at Bournemouth AC to see him achieve the marathon performance his training deserved.

After coming agonisingly close in London, Jack refused to let the story end there.

He went away, worked harder than ever, trusted the process and, on the streets of Cork, turned a dream into reality.

Exeter Arena host of SW Schools

There was a big turn-out of BAC athletes at the Dorset Schools event at King’s Park, with many podium places.

Notable achievements:

County Best Performances by Junior Buron (100m), Oliver Canavan (1500m) and Alegra Ramirez (800m).

English Schools national standard by Junior Buron (100m) and entry standard achieved by Imogen Pope (high jump).

Note other BAC athletes have achieved these standards elsewhere.

Full results can be found on the Power of 10 and the Dorset Schools site.

BAC officials were:

• Dave Clarke (timekeeper)
• Janet Dickinson (track)
• Richard Hunt (track)
• Robin James (field)
• Adie Saunders (field)
• Suzi Shepherd (track)

A number of athletes were chosen to represent Dorset at the South West Schools in Exeter on the 20^thJune.  Details of the squad can found on the Dorset Schools site.

Notable performances include Junior Buron winning junior boys 100m in a PB time of 11.22 and Imogen Pope winning junior girls high jump.

Officials: Tim Hughes (starter)

BAC athletes selected to represent Dorset at the English Schools championships are:

Seniors

• Theo Knott (high jump)
• Isabel Cherrett (3000m)
• William Launder (Long Jump)

Inters

• Sienna Pope (80m hurdles)
• Logan Potter (hammer)
• Seni Purnell (Long Jump)

Juniors

• Junior Buron (100m)
• Imogen Pope (High Jump)

Congratulations to these athletes and their coaches: James Hind, Dave Clarke, Dave Pain, Bernard Buron and Brian Camp. 

Apologies for any omissions.

It was another step along Barry Dolman’s epic Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championships adventure as he took on Cape Town Marathon

Just nine weeks after producing the performance of his life at the Barcelona Marathon, Barry Dolman demonstrated that his remarkable improvement is no flash in the pan with another outstanding display on the international stage at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.

Barry’s superb personal best of 2:48:32 in Barcelona not only smashed his previous best but also propelled him to 134th in the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Rankings, leaving him firmly in contention for qualification to next spring’s Age Group World Championships showdown in Tokyo.

That Barcelona breakthrough capped a superb spell of form which had already seen Barry claim the bronze medal in the M55 category at the 2026 British Masters 10k Championships in Chichester. His time of 35:49 highlighted just how dramatically he has progressed across every distance over the past couple of years.

Cape Town did not disappoint in any way for Barry

Cape Town represented another exciting milestone. The South African race joins the Abbott World Marathon Majors programme from next year, making it an increasingly prestigious addition to the marathon calendar, while this year’s event also hosted the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championships.

Barry travelled to South Africa with wife Sally for what proved to be an unforgettable experience.

“It was really good,” said Barry. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Africa and it was the first time for Sally. It is an amazing place and leaves a huge impression on you. The people and the country are amazing.”

The Age Group World Championship competitors were treated to a concert on the Friday night

Being part of the World Age Group Championships brought an extra dimension to the weekend.

“We had a group photo, concert and dinner on the Friday night in the stadium with a South African choir. Eliud Kipchoge spoke to us all before the concert, which was surreal.”

Although delighted with his preparation, Barry admitted he didn’t quite feel as sharp as he had before Barcelona.

Cape Town was celebrating being confirmed as one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors

“I had about nine weeks between marathons, which was okay, but I certainly didn’t feel as good as I did entering Barcelona. I knew matching Barcelona was going to be super tough as that course is so flat and Cape Town is a little like New York with a lot of undulation.”

Having run a huge negative split in Barcelona, Barry opted for a different approach.

The breath-taking setting for the Cape Town Marathon

“At Barcelona I went through halfway in 1:26:30, so I was aiming for about a minute quicker than that. I felt good and didn’t think I was pushing too hard but was surprised when I went through halfway in 1:24:20.”

A view of Table Mountain in Cape Town

The statistics underline just how confidently Barry approached the race. He opened with a controlled 20:42 for the opening 5km before reaching 10km in 40:48. From there he gradually increased the pace, running consistently between 6:10 and 6:20 per mile through the middle section as he positioned himself for another fast finish.

The Cape Town Marathon festivities were in full flow

However, Cape Town’s reputation as a testing course soon became apparent.

“I knew there was a pretty big hill at 31 kilometres that was approximately one kilometre long and sure enough that was nasty and cooked my legs after all the other ups and downs.”

The Age Group World Championship competitors had a talk from Eliud Kipchoge

Barry’s pace briefly slipped to 6:44 for the climb before he immediately responded with a rapid 6:18 downhill mile. Even with tired legs, he maintained impressive consistency over the closing stages, averaging around 6:33 per mile to bring himself home in an excellent 2:50:09.

The performance saw Barry finish an outstanding 353rd overall from a field of 18,525 runners while placing 47th from 2,444 competitors in the 50-59 age category.

Barry decided to go for a more evenly paced approach as opposed to a negative split

Even more impressively, Barry finished 11th in the highly competitive M55-59 division for the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championships. American Robert Ashby claimed victory in 2:38:57, but Barry was the leading British athlete in the category, finishing ahead of Christo Oosthuizen (2:51:42) and Michael Morris (2:52:17).

Barry kept a close eye on his watch as he made his way through

Despite narrowly missing another sub-2:50 performance, Barry was delighted with what he achieved.

“It was my fastest Major by over three minutes and I think if it had been flat, I wouldn’t have been too far off the Barcelona time, so I’m very happy overall.”

Attention now turns towards another major target later this year.

“I want to get a really good block in for Chicago and go for it again.”

There was also one eye firmly fixed on Japan.

Barry was well pleased with the performance he put in

“I haven’t got a confirmed entry yet for Tokyo World Age next year, but I’ve booked my flights,” Barry laughed. “I stand a pretty good chance of qualifying with my time from Barcelona, so I have everything crossed. That would complete the original six Majors if I can get an entry. Otherwise we’ll have a nice holiday in Japan!”

Barry also returned with one particularly memorable observation from the South African aid stations.

Barry shows off his new bits of well earned bling

“Instead of having Gatorade or Lucozade, in South Africa they used full-fat Coke! I don’t drink any of that during the marathon anyway, but it made me smile.”

And, true to form, there was one final highlight.

Barry’s Age Group World Championships medal

“The merch was really good. It was Adidas, who always do a cracking job. Wasn’t much left for others after I’d finished!”

Barry wasn’t the only Dorset athlete to produce a headline-making performance in Cape Town. Poole Runners’ Penny Jarvis delivered an astonishing run to set a new British V75 marathon record of 3:57:13, winning the F75-79 title at the Age Group World Championships. Barry admitted afterwards that he was more than a little envious of Penny’s gold medal.

Barry’s Cape Town Marathon medal

Having followed up his Barcelona breakthrough with another marathon of genuine quality on one of the world’s tougher major-calibre courses, Barry’s remarkable rise shows every sign of continuing.

The souvenirs will stay with Barry, as will the memories

Since returning from South Africa, Barry has received the good news he was hoping for. His place at next spring’s Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championships in Tokyo has now been officially confirmed, while he currently sits 162nd in the Abbott World Marathon Majors World Rankings for the M55-59 age group. With Chicago still to come later this year, the Bournemouth AC veteran has every opportunity to continue climbing the rankings as his remarkable marathon journey goes from strength to strength.

Tom Ralph was hooked in when he heard about the prospect of taking on the Netley 10k

With Bournemouth AC’s Hampshire Road Race League campaign effectively over long before the season reaches its conclusion, there was little at stake for the club as the series headed to the Netley 10k for the tenth fixture out of twelve.

Having only managed to field complete teams at the opening two races of the campaign, any hopes of challenging in Division One had long since disappeared, with avoiding relegation proving an increasingly unlikely prospect. The fact that the Netley 10k clashed with the ever-popular May 5 race in Poole meant the majority of Bournemouth AC’s available runners opted for the much shorter journey west.

The runners line up for the start of the Netley 10k

That left just one yellow and blue vest on the start line, with Tom Ralph making his first appearance since returning to competitive running.

The Netley 10k itself had undergone something of a makeover in recent years. Gone is the familiar three-lap circuit around the picturesque Royal Victoria Country Park. Instead, runners are treated to a one-lap route that ventures out through the village of Netley before returning to finish in the stunning surroundings of the country park.

It’s go for the 2026 Netley 10k

Tom has only recently resumed the sport after taking some time away from running to pursue other interests. His last race was the Seville Marathon back in February last year, where he clocked 3:23.

His last league race was the Stubbington 10k, where his time of 39:35 left him agonisingly close to a personal best that has stood since 2013, missing out by just six seconds.

This time around the aim was simply to continue rebuilding race fitness, and he produced another solid performance to stop the clock in 44:53. That earned him 145th place from a field of 699 finishers and saw him place 24th in the competitive M40 category.

It had been quite a long time since Tom laced up his racing trainers

At the sharp end of the race, there was another intriguing battle between two of the league’s standout performers. After his victory at the Alton 10, Vectis Academy’s Joshua Price returned looking to demonstrate his supremacy once again, having already wrapped up the men’s individual title thanks to an exceptionally consistent campaign that has included three victories and only one finish outside the top three.

This time, however, it was Winchester Running Club’s Henry Edwards who gained revenge after finishing runner-up at Alton. Edwards took victory in 33:55, with Price second in 34:24.

Seb Olingschlaeger completed the podium in 34:34, while former Bournemouth AC runner Matt du Cros produced a personal best of 35:23 for fourth place. Sam Brooks of Fareham followed in fifth with Edward Pottrill of Hedge End taking sixth.

Tom finished in 44:53 which put him in 145th place

The women’s race provided one of the closest finishes of the day. Winchester Running Club’s Becky Hutton edged out Totton’s Bexy Dew by just two seconds, recording 39:04 to 39:06 as the pair finished 43rd and 44th overall. Winchester’s Leanne Smith was third female in 41:13, ahead of Portsmouth Joggers’ Kirsty Whitton, Totton’s Helen Herman-Bonaer and Jess Chamberlain.

Winchester Running Club continued their dominant season in the men’s A1 division by securing a third successive overall team victory and have already wrapped up the Hampshire Road Race League title. Denmead Striders finished second on the day, with Lordshill third and Alton Runners fourth.

Matt du Cros with his trophy after finishing fourth

Elsewhere, Hedge End headed the Men’s A2 standings ahead of Vectis Academy and Southampton, although Vectis remain in pole position overall with promotion still far from settled. Isle of Wight Road Runners were again the dominant force in Men’s A3 and appear destined for promotion alongside Hamwic Harriers.

Winchester also maintained complete control of the women’s competition, comfortably taking top honours once again to extend a season that has seen them finish first in eight of the ten fixtures and already secure the league title.

Totton claimed a sixth consecutive victory in the Women’s A2 and have wrapped up that division, while Hamwic Harriers topped the Women’s A3 standings ahead of Isle of Wight Road Runners, with both clubs looking set for promotion.

In the B Leagues, Winchester headed the Men’s B1 standings and have already done enough to be crowned champions, while they also lead the B2 table. Hedge End were the leading Women’s B1 team at Netley and continue to top that division ahead of Denmead Striders.

Jason Christian was part of the Bournemouth AC contingent competing at the Lymington Lifeboat 10k

The picturesque Lymington Lifeboat 10k once again attracted a strong field, with Bournemouth AC‘s Jason Christian, Helen Beddoe and Julia Austin all producing encouraging performances.

Making his long-awaited return after an injury-plagued first half of the year, Jason Christian had every reason to feel pleased with his performance despite finishing a couple of minutes outside the time he recorded at the same race last year.

Jason had recently come back from injury

Jason was one of the Corbin’s Cruisers preparing for the Manchester Marathon before injury brought those plans to a premature end. In truth, he never made anywhere near the start line, with the lack of training leaving him facing a lengthy road back to fitness.

Jason started quite far back so had to work his way through the field

Having started one of his recent parkruns far too quickly following his comeback, Jason almost went to the opposite extreme at Lymington by lining up much too far back on the start line.

That left him with plenty of work to do as the race unfolded, but he responded impressively, carving his way through the field by overtaking an estimated 75 runners over the 10-kilometre course.

Jason went over the finish line in 41:59

His reward was a finishing time of 41:59, good enough for 42nd overall and fourth place from 100 runners in the M50 category.

Jason was pleased with the time he produced

While it was around two minutes slower than the 39:51 that earned him the M50 victory at Lymington last year, the performance represented another encouraging step in his comeback after spending so much time on the sidelines.

Helen Beddoe was also competing for the yellow and blues

Helen Beddoe continued her busy spell of racing by producing another strong performance just four days after tackling the opening round of the Upton Summer Series.

Fresh from achieving an excellent sub-four-hour clocking in her first officially measured marathon at the ABP Southampton Marathon, Helen negotiated the Lymington course in 44:52.

Helen did well to finish 10th female and 4th in her age category

That earned her 93rd place overall from the 789 finishers, while she was also the tenth female home from a field of 410 women and fourth in the F40 category from 101 competitors.

Although the time wasn’t quite up with some of the excellent 10k performances she produced last year, it was another step in the right direction and an improvement on the mark she recorded at the Bournemouth Bay 10k back in March.

Julia Austin got round in 52:03 which made her 59th female

Julia Austin .completed the course in 52:03 to finish 254th overall. Julia was 59th female and placed fifth from 75 runners in the F60 category.

Also deserving plenty of credit was Bournemouth AC youngster Lillie Press.

Julia was 5th out of 75 in the F60 category

Best known for her sprinting exploits, with the talented 15-year-old capable of running under 30 seconds for 200 metres, a 10k road race sits well outside her usual comfort zone.

Undaunted by the challenge, Lillie dug in superbly to complete the course in 1:07:21, finishing 647th overall and 29th female.

It may not have been her specialist event, but stepping up from the track to tackle 10 kilometres on the roads took plenty of courage and determination.

Trev Elkins collecting his trophy for first vet

At the sharp end of the race, another man with Bournemouth AC connections, Rob Spencer, went one better than last year when he was narrowly edged out by teammate Adam Corbin. Securing the overall victory in 35:13, Rob covered the opening miles at around 5:30 pace before maintaining his advantage over the testing second half of the course to cross the line 32 seconds clear of Henry Lloyd Williams of Lymington Triathlon Club.

Rob Spencer was looking to improve on his runner up spot last year

Luke O’Brien was third in 36:03, John Caddick of Aldridge Running Club finished fourth in 36:41, while former Bournemouth AC athlete Trev Elkins rounded out the top five in 37:01 and claimed the M40 honours.

A coach load of u12 through to u18 athletes set out for Abingdon, where I’m told it didn’t rain! It was good to see some athletes competing for the club for the first time and others returning after our absence from the track.

With apologies for any omissions, the team consisted of:

U12s

Layla Cheater

Dylan Everett

Cathall McCarthy

Marlon Moxey

Alicia Mysliwska

Anderson Peaty

Warner Peaty

Jayton Welsh

U14s

Lonnee Archibong

Isabella Baptist

Liberty Batt

Sophie Dixon

Sofia Roscoe

U16s

Riley Austin

Mikey Bean

Isabella Crawford

Sofia Efstathiou

Connor Grocott

Finley Hurst-Atkins

Oliver Jennings

Jessica Long

Isla May

Sienna Munden

Callum Pearson

Imogen Pope

Barney Smith

Andrew Szewczyk

Ellie Taylor

Thomas Taylor

Lola Thomasson

Tayana Welsh

U18s

William Moss

Noel Slade

Notable performances included:

• Several athletes trying new events.
• A number of podium performances, including A string wins for Andrew Szewczyk (100m), Barney Smith (800m), Riley Austin (1500m), Connor Grocott (high jump), Alicia Mysliwska (long jump), Sofia Roscoe (shot & discus), Sophie Dixon (javelin)

Full results can be found on the Power of 10

Our officials were:

• Dave Clarke (timekeeper)
• Adie Saunders (field)
• Rena Pearson (assisting with field)
• Richard Hunt (making his debut as a track judge)
• Robin James (field)

Thanks also to team managers Caleb Buys (u12s), Bernard Buron (u14s) Caroline Pope (u16s)

Well done all!

The next Wessex match will be at Bournemouth on Sunday 5^th July.

Geoff Newton was competing Great Britain in the M80 category at the European Masters Non-Stadia Championships

“The European Masters Championships run on a two-year cycle. The main stadia championships happened in the summer of 2025 over two weeks in the summer. The Indoors and the Non -Stadia happened in the spring of 2026. The Indoors happened over 8 days in Torun, Poland and the Non -Stadia a month later over a long weekend in Catania, Sicily.
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I think the format of the Non-Stadia stinks, but in the past, I have turned it to my advantage. Basically, there is a 10K road race on the Friday, a cross-country relay on the Saturday and a Half Marathon on the Sunday. Now I am an old man I need at least two clear days to recover from the 10K and as the half marathon has always in the past been the better event for me, I gave the 10K a miss. This gives me a relative advantage over the runners who have done the 10K. That’s the theory. Unfortunately, I have done very little training recently due to foot problems (more of that later) so perhaps this was the wrong choice of race. There were also  programmes of Race Walking and Nordic Race Walking but that sort of thing has no appeal for me.
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Catania, situated in the shadow of Mount Etna, is the second city of Sicily and a city of contrasts. Etna erupted in 1693 and razed the city to the ground, so the entire city was rebuilt in the same baroque style, which has mostly survived to the present day as in recent times the city has not prospered. So away from the posh shops in the centre there is much graffiti, litter and dereliction. There is however a lot for the tourist to see in the daytime and in the evening the city centre is thronged with people enjoying the performance of the street entertainers and eating and drinking.
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The city centre is unsuitable for running, as the streets are all surfaced with black, uneven lava blocks, polished shiny by the scariest drivers in all Italy (which really says something). A few Km away from the centre there are quiet tarmac roads by the coast, lined with a scattering of posh hotels and private beaches. These have been bypassed by a new fast road, so it was possible to close these roads for the duration of the races.
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The half marathon was two laps of an almost flat out and back course. No shade. The start and finish were located a few hundred metres from a turning point.
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Not inspiring but at least the four turning points provided opportunities to view the rest of the field. Runners over 80 are always thin on the ground, particularly over the longer distances. There were only six M80 entries for the half marathon. Two Swiss including Hans Weidermeier who won the 10K, another Brit Martin Ford (4^th in the 10K), Ake Jonson a Swede who was 2^nd in the 10K , and Letterio de Lorenzo an Italian. The Italian like me had given the 10K a miss.
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On the day Martin and the other Swiss did not run. Thinking the Italian to be the main threat I tracked him until the just before the turn at nearly 5km and as I felt good by then I pushed on a bit and caught up Mike Mann, an M75 I know well and ran with him for the rest of the 1^st lap. At the 2^nd turning-point I was well clear of the Italian and the Swede with the Swiss a long way back. However, at halfway my lack of training began to make its presence felt. Mike speeded up and I gradually slowed. I was still clear of Ake and Letterio  (Hans had dropped out) but perhaps they were slightly closer by the third turn.  By this time my feet were becoming quite painful.
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With less than 1km to go and the last turn in sight, I heard the sounds of pursuit. My old foe Ake Jonson. At the last turn I accelerated as best I could and drew away for a short while. However, this did not last, and Ake came past like I was standing still and the gold turned to silver in sight of the finish. Can’t blame it on my tactics, just the lack of training. The Italian had slowed even more than me, but at least he was assured of the bronze as the Swiss had dropped out. Times were very slow with Ake 2:03:02, me 2:03:38. L de L 2:07:16. Ake and me had come up against each other seven times previously with the results Five to Two in my favour. It’s now Five to Three.
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Afterwards even walking was painful. I had planned to visit Mount Etna 2 or 3 days later and look at some of the craters but gave up on that idea as too much walking might be involved.
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Geoff came close to gold but had to settle for silver in the end

Basically, I need to sort out my feet so I can enjoy running again. My provisional diagnosis is that its either arthritis or just a combination of old age and too many miles on the clock from 60+ years of running. So, no easy answers. I don’t get on too well with current trainers with their stacked heels which cause me more pain than my old lightweight racing flats.
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My current plan is to give up on road racing and concentrate on more forgiving surfaces like cross country, trail racing and track and to repurpose my 15 years old road racing flats for training and to wear the trainers down the pub instead. Hopefully this may give me another year or so before I retire from the sport for good. Will my body give out first or will these already much-mended old flats fall apart first? Time will tell.
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Brits were well represented in Torun but surprisingly less so in Catania. The first 6 male finishers overall in the half marathon were Italian and the first Brit finished in 50^th position. In an ideal world I should have been drafted into the GB M75 team in the HM and come away with a “silver” team medal. Alas the GB Team Manager declared Martin Ford instead of me, but Martin decided not to run. The other members of the M75 team Mike Mann and Trevor Edgeley were spitting feathers when they found out. This sort of thing was never a problem in the past when we indicated our availability on a notice board at the registration venue. Now everything is done on WhatsApp, but a procedure for sorting this out seems yet to have been developed. Mobile phones are supposed to make communication easier!”

By Geoff Newton