Congratulations to BAC‘s Ladies’ team for excellent team and individual results in the Portland 10 on Sunday 5 July, despite the heat and the wind, and the tough, hilly course!  Heidi Tregenza finished 1st lady and 33rd overall in 1.08.04, closely followed by Nikki Sandell, 2nd lady, 36th overall in 68.38, and not far behind was Gemma Bragg, finishing 4th lady and 48th overall in a time of 1.12.22.  So, apart from individual honours, Heidi, Nikki and Gemma won both the Open and Dorset Road Race League team races, keeping the League challenge for this year on track.  Well done, ladies!!

BAC‘s men also kept the League challenge afloat, with Peter Thompson crossing the line in 2nd position, in 57.05, with Graeme Miller 5th in 1.00.47, Paul Hill 7th in 1.02.04, and Simon Way 15th in 1.04.04.  Thank goodness for Dave Parsons, who ensured BAC had a complete League team competing, finishing 79th in 1.18.23.  Poole AC had more depth in this race, and, subject to confirmation, led the League competition on the day, with BAC second.  So the race to the Championship is still BAC‘s to lose, but we cannot relax!  We shall soon be losing Paul, so we will have to field a strong team in the next League race – Sturminster Half Marathon, 2 August.

BAC athletes were also competing on 5 July in the Sway 5, a multi-terrain race in the New Forest, which is part of the Sway Carnival.  Chris O’Brien was 12th in 33.03, just clipping last year’s time, with Joe Price 21st in 35.00, and Will Price 85th in 52.01.

So to the lead picture, Manol Dimitrov and Toby Chapman competing in the Mt Blanc Marathon on 28 June.  This race starts from Chamonix, France, itself at 1035m, and “climbs steadily”, and, although it presumably comes down again, the course involves climbs +2730m/-1700m.  Of the 2005 competitors who completed the event, Manol was 83rd in 5.11.56, and Toby was 93rd in 5.16.50, so well done!  Toby was actually 2nd in his age category, ‘Espior’, which Toby thinks is U22.  It looks amazing, and great to see the BAC vests in these surroundings, and ‘Bournemouth A C‘ mentioned in the results!

Another BAC venture overseas was the Dolomiti Sky Run, in which Jacek Cieluszecki joined BAC‘s ever growing band of Ultra runners by competing.  All we know is that Jacek was 6th after 41k, but then got lost twice, and missed a sign in the night.  The event is an Ultra Trail in the Italian Dolomites of 130k, with 10.330m positive gradient (that means going up!) and 11,200m negative gradient.

Finally, the Parkruns.  The 4th July saw Bournemouth‘s 100th Parkrun, and Joe Price was delighted with his PB of 20.44, and his 28th position of a total of 417.  There were other notable BAC performances. Paul Dixon-Box finished 3rd, and Damian Boyle was 13th.  In 20th position was Seb Hearn, 1st JM15-17, and well done, too, to Joseph Henwood, 23rd and 2nd JM11-14. Also in the field was Joe‘s Dad, Will, a regular at the Bournemouth Parkrun.  The week before at Bournemouth, on 27 June, Nikki Sandell was the 1st lady, and also competing were Joe Price, Jud Kirk, Abigail Richardson and Will Price.  Of the 544 who finished the Poole Parkrun on 4 July, Ross Smith was 13th, and, on 27 June at Poole, Karl Welch was 2nd and Simon Munro was 7th.  Also ‘running’ was Billy McGreevy, 102nd, and 5 minutes over his PB – there must be some explanation?!