Was that really Helen? Yes, it really was Helen Ambrosen before our very eyes on BBC’s build-up to the London Marathon! Helen was running as part of the Children In Need team and one of 13 BAC athletes who completed the marathon on Sunday 24 April. Of those, six ran PBs, some very substantial, and although not counting amongst those, hopefully Helen is satisfied with her run, the first of a number she is running this year.  The BAC squad (early indications are of a 3rd mens’ team place – to be confirmed) was led home by Steve Way, who put up his marker from the start, finishing in 2.20.50, after some very consistent running, taking him to half-way in 1.09.02.  Well done to Steve after a difficult couple of years.  Steve was 5th in the ‘club’ category, and 1st V40, and was 2nd V40 overall, the only V40 in front of him being Serhiy Lebid, Ukraine.  Jacek Cieluszecki, Toby Chapman and Anthony Clark all ran closely throughout the race, all passing half-way within 50 seconds of each other, with Jacek finishing in 2.28.17, Toby in 2.31.38, knocking all but 9 minutes off his PB, and Anthony in 2.32.25, a remarkable result considering how recently Anthony was running 100k in the Anglo-Celtic Plate.  Next to finish was Paul Dixon-Box in 2.40.54, almost 8 minutes inside his previous PB.  Yet more PBs from the next two BAC finishers!  Sanjai Sharma‘s time of 2.44.42 was an astonishing 11 minutes, almost, inside his PB, and Tom Paskins sliced almost 2 minutes off his PB with his time of 2.53.28.  Next to finish were four of our ladies, led by Nikki Sandell in 3.01.06, a new PB by some 36 seconds, then Emma Dews, running only her second marathon (the first some years ago), in 3.02.38, followed by Gemma Bragg, whose time of 3.23.10 was a PB by almost 4 minutes, and then Caroline Rowley for whom, like Helen, this isn’t the last marathon of the year, in 3.26.39.  We’ve seen Duncan Wells only from time to time recently, but there he is in the results, with a time of 3.33.40, well over his PB, perhaps reflecting a lack of training.  Helen‘s motivation this year is the money being raised for charity, rather than breaking records or winning her age category, which she has done in the past, so her time of 3.45.31, well outside her PB, is surely satisfactory, particularly as Helen must keep something in reserve for more marathon running later in the year!  Well done to everyone – another great London Marathon for BAC!

(See below for some marathon photos – more photos on Twitter)

Meanwhile, over the same weekend, Ross Smith was competing in the European Cross Duathlon Championships in Rumania.  Our expectations of Ross in Duathlon competitions are very high, and he certainly didn’t disappoint, winning a silver medal in his age category, 35-39, and finishing 5th overall – don’t forget, this is a European Championship!  The event took place on the ‘Plateau Cornesti’ (which probably means at high altitude), and involved a 8.25k run, three laps of a course involving 81m elevation, a 28k bike ride, one lap with a 198m elevation, and a final one lap 2.75k run.  Ross‘s times were 40.39, 1.16.25 and 16.31, giving a total time (including transition) of 2.15.04, against a winning time in the age category of 2.10.31, and way ahead of the third time of 2.23.45.  Well done Ross – an amazing achievement.

The first fixture of the YDL (Lower) took place at Portsmouth on Saturday 23 April.  BAC are in the Division West 2 of the Southern Region of the League as part of a composite team made up of BAC and New Forest Juniors, and the League provides competition for U13 and U15 boys and girls.  The team competed against five other teams at Portsmouth, and the final points were: Horsham 536, Chichester 485, Woking 480, BAC/NF 454, Havant 270 and Reigate 131.  The League table following the various League fixtures the same day has not yet been published.  There is the opportunity to do well in this League – the biggest step forward would be for more of our young athletes to compete, so that all the empty slots could be filled; if every slot were filled we’d probably win! These are the individual results (including NF athletes): Boys U15 100m A String 2. George Galpin 13.4; 200m A 4. George Galpin 28.1; 200m B 1. Samuel Caplen 26.1; 300m A 3. Tom Farwell 47.8; 300m B 1. Mario Youssef 42.3; 1500m A 3. Tom Farwell 5.08.3; Discus A 3. Fraser Spall 20.99; Hammer A 2. Fraser Spall 22.43; Javelin A 1. Mathew Forster 36.47; Javelin B 1. Fraser Spall 26.71; Shot A 5. Mathew Forster 7.76; Long Jump A 1. Samuel Caplen 4.76; High Jump A 4. Samuel Caplen 1.45: Boys U13 100m A 2. Tom Hockley 14.0; 100m B 2. Jay Turner 15.2; 200m A 2. Tom Hockley 28.6; 200m B 2. Robert Jones 29.4; 800m A 1. Robert Jones 2.31.1; 800m B 1. Thomas Forster 2.35.3; 75mH A 2. Oliver Hassan 15.6; 75mH B 2. Daniel Williams 16.5; Javelin A 1. Rhys Allen 34.64; Javelin B 2. Thomas Forster 14.22; Shot A 1. Rhys Allen 8.46; Shot B 4. Daniel Williams 4.42; Long Jump A 3. Robert Jones 4.11; Long Jump B Jay Turner 3.72; High Jump A 2. Jay Turner 1.25; High Jump B 2. Daniel Williams: Girls U15 100m A 1. Yasmin Bridet 14.0; 100m B 2. Elle Ward 13.8; 200m A 4. Rebecca Hannibal 28.8; 200m B 2. Elle Ward 28.0; 300m A 4. Lauren Sheerin 49.6; 300m B 1. Lily Roberts 46.7; 800m A 5. Martha Pestridge 2.45.8; 75mH A 3. Yasmin Bridet 13.1; 75mH B 2. Juliet Smallbridge 14.0; Discus A 5. Jessica Gordon 13.81; Discus B 3. Lily Roberts 13.66; Javelin A 4. Elle Ward 13.96; Javelin B 4. Rebecca Hannibal 13.83; Shot A 3. Yasmin Bridet 7.71; Shot B 3. Juliet Smallbridge 5.78; Long Jump A 2. Millie Lynk 4.50; Long Jump B 4. Katie Buller 3.78; High Jump A 3. Jessica Gordon 1.40; High Jump B 4. Juliet Smallbridge 1.25: U13 Girls 75m A 3. Tamika Douch 11.2; 75m B 2. Elsa Smith 11.3; 150m A 4. Tamika Douch 22.5; 150m B 5. Jasmine Gordon 25.1; 800m A 2. Rebecca Mitchell 2.47.9; 800m B 4. Amelia Gordon 3.13.7; 1200m A 4. Natalya Smith 15.8; 1200m B 3. Emily Wheeler 5.08.5; 70mH A 3. Natalya Smith 15.8; 70mH B 2. Elsa Smith 14.9; Javelin A 2. Natalya Smith 12.84; Javelin B 2. Jasmine Gordon 9.68; Shot A 4. Amelia Gordon 3.65; Long Jump A 2. Tamika Douch 4.23; Long Jump B 2. Elsa Smith; High Jump A 3. Rebecca Mitchell 1.15: Relays U15 Boys 4x300m 3. BAC/NF (Tom Farwell, Mathew Forster, Mario Youssef, George Galpin); U15 Boys 4x100m 4. BAC/NF (Samuel Caplen, Fraser Spall, Mario Youssef, George Galpin); U13 Boys 4x100m 2. BAC/NF (Tom Hockley, Jay Turner, Owen Williams, Oliver Hassan); U15 Girls 4x300m 2. BAC/NF (Juliet Smallbridge, Lily Roberts, Jessica Gordon, Lauren Sheerin); U15 Girls 4x100m 3. BAC/NF (Elle Ward, Lauren Sheerin, Rebecca Hannibal, Yasmin Bridet); U13 Boys 4x100m 4. BAC/NF (Elsa Smith, Jasmine Gordon, Natalya Smith, Tamika Douch).  For full results, including non-scoring races, see www.ukydl.org.uk.

Back to the London Marathon…………………………….