
Bournemouth AC brought a squad rich in numbers and quality to Poole Park for the Round the Lakes 10k Dorset League race
Bournemouth AC have been lucky to have had some truly outstanding runners over the years. The obvious one to mention would be Steve Way as he was known, not just in the Dorset area but by the running fraternity all over the country and beyond. There have been so many other top class athletes who have donned the fabled yellow vest with a blue stripe in the past.
John Boyes was one of the all-time greats and the likes of Mark Hargreaves, Billy Nixon, Jon Sharkey and Ian Habgood were others who cultivated a club legend status. The club’s latest recruit though could perhaps be the best ever to grace the Kings Park Athletics Centre. His name is AbdiNasir Mohamoud Elmi and he arrived in the UK after travelling all the way from Somalia.
Whilst he was in Somalia, AbdiNasir spent some time training with some of the world’s top athletes including Mo Farah and Bashir Abdi. He’s ran half marathons in 63 minutes and 64 minutes before would put him up there with the very best in the UK.
It’s been clear ever since he arrived that he is a level above most the other athletes at the club. His speed in training has been nothing short of breath-taking and it has been a great challenge for some of the faster runners in the squad to try and keep up with him.
It was going to be intriguing to see how Abdi would fare up against some of the Dorset area’s finest athletes as well as some of Bournemouth’s AC’s top boys at the Round the Lakes 10k. The race was literally brimming with talent. Jamie Grose had been winning everything in sight recently including the Upton Summer Series, the May 5 and the Marnhull 12k.
He was joined by Stur Half winner and highest scorer for Dorset in the Inter-Counties Half Marathon race at Chippenham, Thomas Corbin, along with another man with outstanding pedigree in the shape of Dom Willmore.
Leading the way in the individual standings of the Dorset Road Race League, Christopher Peck was reigning champion and going for back-to-back titles in that competition.
Rob Arkell of Poole Runners has been tremendous since he arrived on the scene and he finished 2nd in the Upton Summer Series and was runner up to Rob McTaggart in the Purbeck 10k. His teammate Lewis Clarke was 2nd scorer for Dorset in the Inter Counties Half Marathon and although he isn’t quite in his best form, he’s still pretty quick.
City of Salisbury man Jaymee Domoney is based in Poole now so he’s going to be a real threat in local races as well, although he won’t be a point scorer for the Dorset League ones.
Managing to run three seconds faster than Abdi in the Southern Road Relays the previous weekend, Joe Arundel was also competing and he usually does just enough to win, like did at the Overton 5 a few weeks earlier when he edged out Winchester RC runner Will Atkins.
The last time Bournemouth AC dominated a Round the Lakes fixture was in the summer of 2022 and Rob McTaggart played a big part in that, finishing runner up to Harry Smith, with Rob Spencer making it a BAC one, two, three. If Tag could help them emulate something similar to that this time round, it would be another glorious day for the yellow and blues.
Disappointed by his time of 35:02 in the April edition of Round the Lakes, Adam Corbin was hoping for a better result this time round on a day where conditions were still far from perfect but the wind wasn’t quite as forceful as it was in April.
Hoping to put some disastrous recent race performances behind him, Rich Brawn was back on the start line again and looking for the kind of form he showed when he ran it in just under 36 minutes in 2022.
It’s probably still a distance that is slightly outside of Adrian James‘s comfort zone but he’s always willing to give a 10k a go, as he did at the Purbeck, Alresford and Lordshill earlier in the summer. Adrian has been primarily training for the 400 metres of late and managed to clock a very fast of 57 seconds for it in July which would put him right up there amongst the best for his age group.
Having been on fire recently, James Hulbert had got his Poole parkrun time down to 17:22 and seemed to improving on a weekly basis. It would certainly be interesting to see what sort of time he could produce on a fast 10k route.
Competing in her first ever 10k race, Isabel Cherrett was Bournemouth AC’s most talented young female runner and she’d managed a 17:24 at Poole parkrun so it was certainly within her to produce a decent 10k time. She won both the Dorset Schools and South West Schools Cross Country Championships earlier in the year and also won the South West Schools 3000 metres and the Dorset Schools 1500 metres.
Making her Bournemouth AC debut, Sophie Read had been progressing nicely since joining the club and had shown remarkable dedication in training, always turning out and giving her all. Her main target race was the Run Bournemouth Half Marathon and he had been out putting in the mileage and preparing for that as best she could.
The Round the Lakes 10k would be a good fitness test for her to find out where she was at ahead of the big event. Also in the mix for the ladies faction, Debbie Lennon was back to see if she could beat her 46:41 time from April. She was pleased to win her age group prize that day but found it really tough grappling with the ferocious headwind. She was praying it wouldn’t be quite as bad this time round.
It was AbdiNasir who was the early pace setter, going out hard from the outset. Joe Arundel was trying to give chase but it was a big ask to keep up with the speedy Somalian. Abdi soon built up a sizeable advantage and from that point on there was only really going to be one winner.
Crossing the line in a scintillating time of 31:02, it was a great indicator of just what Abdi might be capable of and he will be a huge asset to the club going forward. In fact, having him will be a real game changer.
That was an exhilarating 4:57 average pace from Abdi and considering there was quite a notable headwind down the side of the lake, it was an extremely strong run.
Although he usually expects to win most races and demands that of himself, on this occasion, Joe just had to accept there was nothing he could do and had to settle for second place. He finished 40 seconds after Abdi which was still a fantastic run and would have won him the race in the vast majority of previous editions.
Arriving with high hopes of a win, it was a 3rd place finish for Jaymee Domoney in the end but he’d clocked a very good time of 31:50. That would set him up nicely for the Run Bournemouth Half Marathon a couple of weeks after, which he was hoping to win.
Clocking a superb new PB of 32:19, Jamie Grose took 4th place with a run that averaged out at 5:09 per mile. Chris Peck was 5th in a time of 32:48 and that made him 1st vet. Dom Willmore came in in 6th place in a time of 33:11.
Starting off at 5:10 pace for the first mile, Rob McTaggart went through the next three miles at around 5:20 pace. Then he clocked a 5:31 for his fifth mile before cranking the pace back up to 5:17 for his sixth mile and finishing with a 4:38 pace for the last quarter of a mile.
That led to a finishing time of 33:15 which put him in 7th place. He felt it was a mediocre performance by his standards but it was still marginally quicker than his 2022 time so was his fastest Round the Lakes time to date. He’d been training really hard of late though so felt that he was probably in need of a few weeks off to recharge his batteries before he goes again.
Tommy Corbin arrived three seconds later to take 8th place and unattached runner Adam Conroy claimed 9th place in 32:24. Rob Arkell took 10th place in 33:35 and Lewis Clarke made it round in 34:12 to take 11th place.
One of the best young runners around, Jack Burrows of Wimborne AC finished 12th in 34:42 and was 1st Under 20 runner. Dave Hicks of Poole AC was 1st over 50 and 13th overall in 34:48. He was 2nd behind Chris Peck in the individual standings for the season so far.
Luke Terry was Poole AC’s fifth scorer in a time of 34:57 and that meant they’d easily won the fixture out of the First Division clubs for the Dorset Road Race League.
Although he ran 13 seconds faster than on his previous attempt, Adam Corbin still wasn’t very pleased with his performance. He’d come in in 20th place in 35:49 but considering he’s done a couple of sub 34 minute 10ks it was understandable that he wasn’t overjoyed with his time. In windy conditions though, an average pace of 5:43 wasn’t bad going.
As the fourth runner in for Bournemouth AC, Adam had confirmed victory for the yellow and blues in the Second Division for the fixture so that was another step closer to achieving the top position they needed to gain promotion. Wimborne AC were still hot on the heels though and the BAC men still needed to win two of the last three fixtures to secure top spot.
Finishing in 27th place in 36:12, Tom Andrews was Poole Runners fifth scorer which saw them take 2nd place in the First Division.
Weighing in with a very good, solid performance, Will Newbery was next man over the line for Bournemouth AC, clocking a time of 36:18 and that put him in 29th place. With an average pace of 5:49, he was 5th in the Male 40 category and he even surprised himself with how well he ran.
His son Oscar was meant to be running as well but wasn’t feeling well on the day so had to pull out. That was a shame as the way he’s been running in training of late, he would have been right at the sharp end.
Going through the first 5k in 17:36, James Hulbert was running really well at that stage with each mile split being well under 5:45. He wasn’t quite able sustain that pace over the second half of the race but it was still a very strong run from him to cross the line in 36:32 which put him 33rd overall.
Running magnificently in her first ever 10k, Isabel Cherrett finished as 2nd female in 36:44 and that put her 38th overall. She did win a prize for being 1st under 20 woman though so that was a cracking result for her.
Only Vicki Ingham of Poole Runners could beat that and it was very close between the two of them with Vicki registering a time of 36:37 which put her 36th overall.
Recording a time of 37:17, Adrian James was the next Bournemouth AC man over the line. He was 45th and 11th in the Male 40 category which was a fairly decent result for him. He often tends to start too fast in 10k races and then fade over the second half but he held it together well despite the challenging headwind in places.
Just behind Adrian for a lot of the race, Rich Brawn faded badly over the second half of the race and found that he just had nothing left in the tank. Going over the line in 37:38, it was a disappointing attempt from Rich as he had hoped to at least be able to stay under six minutes per mile. Sadly for him it was not be though and he was left scratching his head and wondering where his running ability had gone. He came 51st and was 13th in the Male 40 category.
Isabel Davis of Purbeck Runners was 3rd female in a time of 38:36 that put he in 62nd place overall. Former Bournemouth AC girl Erin Wells who still trains with the club on a regular basis was 5th female in a time of 38:50. Louise Fox of Dorchester RIOT finished just in front of her in 38:43.
Registering a time of 39:14, Patrick Kingston was the next man over the line for Bournemouth AC. He was 69th overall and 17th in the Male 40 bracket with an average pace of 6:17.
Going over the line in 39:42, Jason Christian was next in in a yellow and blue vest. He’d managed an average pace of 6:20 and came 79th overall and 10th in the Male 50 category. His splits were amongst the most even of the BAC runners which suggested that he’d paced the run pretty well.
Starting off very quickly with a 6:04 for his first mile, Leon Louis then settled into a pace of around 6:20 for the next few miles. He did find it progressively harder to maintain the pace as the race went on though and he did slow a touch over the last third of the run.
Coming away with a finishing time of 40:27, it was a decent display from Leon. He was on course for a sub 40 but his slowdown over the last couple of miles cost him. He knows he needs to just put in a little more training though to build up his speed endurance. That put Leon in 89th place and he was 25th in the Male 40 category.
Completing the Totton 10k in 40:42 two weeks prior, Chris O’Brien was hoping to be able to go at a faster pace at Round the Lakes but it didn’t quite happen. He was reasonably consistent with his splits but couldn’t quite find that top gear he used to possess. Registering a time of 41:01, Chris had gone over the line in 96th place and was 13th in the Male 50 category. His average pace for the run was 6:35.
Running the first 5k in 20:48, it was a good start from Kate Bowers. Over the second half of the race her splits were a touch slower though and that culminated in a finishing time of 42:21 which put her 115th overall. She was also 9th female and 4th in the Female 35 category.
It was a quicker time than she did at the Purbeck 10k but not quite as fast as the 41:44 she managed at Eastleigh in March. It was difficult with the wind though as it seemed to become more of a grind every time you had to go past that section of the lake. Given the conditions, that was a pretty decent effort from Kate and her average pace was 6:47.
Sophie Read was quite nervous going into the race. It would be the first time she’d put into practice all the training she’d done so she desperately wanted it to go well. She started with an exuberant 6:35 split and that was always going to be difficult to maintain for the duration of the run.
After that she settled down though and found her rhythm, going through the next couple of miles in around 6:50 pace, she got to 5k in 21:05. That would have been a big PB for her for the distance but she still had another 5k to go.
She was still under 7 minutes for her fourth mile but like most people, registered her slowest mile of the race on her fifth. To her credit, she picked it back up again after that though and finished strongly with a 6:41 for her sixth mile and a 6:14 pace for the final quarter of a mile.
Her finishing time of 42:45 put her in 119th place overall and she was 10th female and 2nd in the Senior Female category. It was a terrific result for Sophie and gave her every reason to be optimistic about her impeding half marathon. Her average pace for the run was an impressive 6:49 and really showed that the work she’s been putting in has paid off.
Sophie was third scorer for the Bournemouth AC ladies which ensured they were the best out of the Second Division teams for the Round the Lakes fixture. The only team that came away with a better scorer were Poole Runners who topped the standings in the First Division. Along with Vicki Ingham’s 1st place, they had Caroline Wilkins finishing, Gemma Bragg sealing 7th and Elena Lichonczak rounding it off for their team and she was 13th placed female.
The next Bournemouth AC member to reach the finish line was Tom Ralph. He started off quite quickly with a 6:30 for his first mile split but wasn’t able to replicate that thereafter. He was still under 7 minutes per mile though for the next three miles. Then he was just over 7 for the last two and a quarter miles. That put his time at 43:13 which saw him take 128th place in the overall standings and his average pace for the run was 6:53.
The signs of progression were evident for Jason Coltman as he completed the course in 44:36 which put him in 159th place. He was 24th in the Male 50 category and it was a good result for Jason given that it was almost two minutes quicker than the Bournemouth Bay Run time he did in March.
Jason has been coming along to the Tuesday night interval sessions and some of the Thursday ones too and it’s beginning to pay off as his fitness level is clearly increasing, as is his speed.
Clocking a time of 44:51, David Crowther finished in 161st place and came 50th in the Male 40 category. It wasn’t quite as quick as the 44:07 that he managed at Lordshill in July but still a reasonably pleasing performance for David.
Managing a very evenly paced run despite the blustery conditions, Debbie Lennon completed the course in 46:17 which was 24 seconds quicker than her time in the April edition. It was also 51 seconds faster than her Round the Lakes time from September the previous year so that represented a good result for Debbie.
After all the trials and tribulations she’s had getting back to fitness it was nice to see her come away with a performance that pleased her. She was 20th lady and 171st overall and one major plus point was that she was only 14 seconds behind her arch nemesis Heather Khoshnevis.
They always battle it out for the top over 60 female spot, or in this case it was the Female 55 category. For a while Debbie had slipped well behind Heather but the fact she’s managed to close the gap again was good news.
Getting round in a time of 48:27, Jud Kirk finished 193rd overall and 15th in the Male 60 category. That was a couple of minutes slower than the time he produced at Round the Lakes last year and two and a half minutes off the time he managed at the Guernsey Easter Running Festival earlier this year. Jud is currently 5th in the 65 to 69 category in the Dorset Road Race League for the season so far.
Still try to get her fitness back after quite a while out through injury, Emily Coltman was some way off her best for a 10k. Clocking a time of 50:12 though, she still came 3rd in the Female Under 20 category and was 203rd overall. It was also 17 seconds quicker than she managed at the Bournemouth Bay Run in March.
Every race and every training session is a step in the direction for Emily at the moment and she knows she just needs to keep working at it. No doubt she’ll be flying again soon enough.
The final Bournemouth AC man to reach the finish that day was Ben Moss. He registered a time of 54:52 which put him 241st overall and 37th in the Male 50 category. There were 303 runners competing in the race in total.
The prospects of getting a team out for the Weymouth 10 looked slim for Bournemouth AC so it was likely that the men would be relying on winning both the Wimborne 10 and the Boscombe 10k to seal their promotion to the top flight in the Men’s League. The Ladies team look virtually home and dry for their promotion back to the First Division but a couple of good results at Wimborne and Boscombe should make certain of that.