Tuesday 27 January 2015

The South of England SEAA XC Champs 2015, and Canterbury 10 Mile

Both the Canterbury 10 mile race and the SEAA XC champs are now online.

Saturdays South of England Cross Country Championships this year took place at Stanmer Park in Brighton. Conditions under foot were firm, if hilly, and 9mm spikes seemed to be the consensus. Heavy overnight rain had served well to break any ice and frost hardness to the course, but had also drained well on the chalk soil. The sun shone the entire time, and once out of the wind I even noticed a few picnic blankets and food being eaten on the slopes. In January. So in summary the conditions were there for the fast ones who could do a bit of uphill and downhill, but not ideal for the mud skaters who technically always do better at the Parliament hill course.

Sundays Canterbury 10 took place in far more conducive weather this year - with light and dry conditions - with the U20 mens SEAA XC champ from Saturday cruising around for a massive win at the 10miles on the Sunday !

Event Gallery link Results link
SEAA Cross Country XC Championships 2015

http://bit.ly/SEAA-XC-Gallery-2015 http://seaa.org.uk/results/cross-country.html
http://bit.ly/Canterbury-10-Gallery-2015 http://www.invictaeastkentac.org.uk/events/view/1283/Canterbury+10/

Races - Heads up - don't get caught out !
Half Marathon Events selling out fast:
26th of April - http://bit.ly/Southampton-Half
8th March - http://bit.ly/Surrey-Half-Marathon-entry
15th March - http://bit.ly/riverthameshalf


There is a great report (albeit with a local angle) from the Sussex Athletics Association here: http://www.sussexathletics.org.uk/news.php?id=1689 describing amongst others Ben Tickner's win and the margins involved, as well as the excellent work in the U20 and Senior Womens races by Grace and Emma respectively.


Close racing at the top of the hill

confident descent off the top

The world of pain train in the senior womens race

The view back to the team camp and the amex stadium

Confident climbing

Chichester points back up to the top of the hill he's just left

and back down again

Tonbridge driving along the slopes

For the U20 womens win

Sunlight dazzles of the watches on the bright day's racing

Can you kick it ? Ben Tickner wins from 800m Ugandan Olympic 1:52 Paskar Owor, and Jon Pepper taking third in the background for the finish of the day.
Well done to the local marshals on making sure everyone went the right way around the different courses - it's not an easy job over a 5 hour period especially with some races overlapping starts and finishes !


Canterbury 10
Training run warm down from Saturday - for the win #859 in 52:03 Abel Tsegay

Tina Oldershaw hit 1:02:48 to win the women's race


Sarah, The Grubernator - for 1:06:02

Lee Simpson sprinted in for a tight 1:07:04


Well done to Invicta for a great race organisation and making sure of the good weather !

Next weekend we are at the Watford Half Marathon (entries closed), on their new course (to avoid the shallow flooding) and the Events to Live Bookham 10k - a fantastic run into the north downs north of Dorking - which will still go ahead if the tracks are a bit puddly and muddy (entries still open for that one).

Until next time, hope you don't get caught in the snow !
Anthony





Monday 26 January 2015

Brutal Women 2015 now online

If you had woken up Firday night from the sound of heavy and persistent rain, it probably put a smile on your face as you contemplated not having to break the ice at the Brutal, or swimming through the mud at Stanmer Park in Brighton, beacuse it's not parliament hill and you know the chalk drains quickly.
We packed everything ready for heavy rain and it was with a big relief that the rain had passed through before the dawn finally rose over the two courses.


Race and Logo
Gallery link

The Brutal 10 Women Only 2015
http://bit.ly/Brutal-Women-Only-Gallery-2015

We're now working through The SEAA XC Championships from Stanmer Park Brighton (Gallery will be here http://bit.ly/SEAA-XC-Gallery-2015) and then next up is the Canterbury 10 from Sunday (that gallery will be here http://bit.ly/Canterbury-10-Gallery-2015 ).
I'll post a blog as soon as things are online. Remember we post to facebook and twitter as soon as we make galleries live - which is faster than the blog news email.

The Women Only Brutal 10 on Saturday was held at Long Valley (north) near Aldershot, on the side of the road nearer to the airfield at Farnborough. Conditions the day before had inch thick ice and hard ground under foot, but consistent rain and a warm front coming through overnight meant by Saturday morning all the ice had gone, and the ground had softened with a temperature up to the 5degC !! The cars thankfully didn't need scraping at 6:30 in the morning !

The temperature on the day was pretty warm for the time of year, with low bright sun actually making things quite tricky for photography, but we're always more grateful for that than rain, so no complaints really.

As I wasn't there I can't really type much more (I wasn't there) except it certainly looks like another great event by the Brutal team - almost 800 competitors on the day running about in the mud - which I bet will become a permanent fixture on the Brutal calendar - so - here's some photos we've picked out to give you a feel for it...

Dave gives the briefing

ready and raging

Tony gets the close up for the warmup

can we surrender ?

The calm before the storm

Here we go !

Some nice dry track

some nice wet track

Nothing that a pair of cowgirls can't cope with


Look - Ice !!

"look what I found"

Brutal Babes out in force

All smiles

uh oh - who did that ?

Mucky Becky clearly can't keep on her feet...

The Dutch contingent...?
Very well done to everyone and I hope the injured person getswell soon... cold conditions but nothing too mental on the day has probably helped a little bit to lift everyones spirits.

We're getting through cataloguing the South of England XC championships all day Monday with the whole team here in the office, and hopefully with a bit of luck we will also get to the Canterbury 10 too.
I'll blog again when they're all done, about 80,000 images to get through, so please bear with...

Until next time - make sure you book your place at the Southampton Half (because who wanted to go to London anyway ?), and the Surrey Half (because you need to do two halves to make a marathon)

all the best and well done at the weekend !
Anthony






Monday 19 January 2015

Surrey Schools XC and Fred Hughes 10 2015


Welcome back from the weekend !

Start of the Surrey Schools XC champs - Yr 4 and 5 at Reigate 
It's the Cross Country (XC) season in full flow over the next few months with county league races, schools competitions, Regional championships (It's the South of England XC Championships at Stanmer on Saturday) , and then the National Champs at Parliament Hill in February.
If you're not into XC then there's the Brutal Womens Only race next Saturday, or the Canterbury 10 instead...

This weekend we had the Surrey School XC champs at Reigate Park, and the Fred Hughes 10mile race over in St Albans - we had snow on the saturday, and fortunately even though the course was altered due to flooding - good weather all day Sunday.
As you can see from the photo - it was an excellent turnout at Reigate from the schools across all the age groups - with some strong school teams - with excellent numbers across all ages and both boys and girls. Sometimes at club races I worry about the filed size of the junior races - but this showed there is excellent enthusiasm for the sport - if only we could get them running regularly !

Southampton Half 2015
In other news we are very pleased to announce that we are working with the new Southampton Half Marathon - taking place on that special London Marathon Weekend April the 26th - so for all of you not going up to the city, go to this city by the sea instead !
Click here to find out more and enter

Race SSP Gallery link results link

Surrey Schools XC Champs
http://bit.ly/SSAA-XC-Champs-2015-Gallery http://www.clarioncall.co.uk/ssaa1/cross-country/information

Fred Hughes 10 Miles
http://www.resultsbase.net/Results/IndividualResults.aspx?Id=2598

Future Races for your diary to get sorted before they sell out are (sorry for the list format) - I'll try to put a list up at least once a month

Date Master Event name Race website
Sat-24/01/2015 Brutal Women Only http://www.brutalrun.co.uk/
Sun-25/01/2015 Canterbury 10 http://www.invictaeastkentac.org.uk/
Sun-01/02/2015 Watford Half http://www.watfordharriers.org.uk/
Sun-01/02/2015 ETL Bookham 10k http://www.eventstolive.co.uk/
Sun-08/02/2015 Deal Half http://www.dealtri.co.uk/events/deal-half-marathon
Sat-14/02/2015 Brutal Bagshot http://www.brutalrun.co.uk/
Sat-21/02/2015 National XC Champs
Sun-22/02/2015 Hampton Court Half Marathon http://hamptoncourthalf.com/
Sun-01/03/2015 Berkhamsted Half Marathon https://sites.google.com/site/berkhamstedhalfmarathon1/home
Sun-01/03/2015 Steyning Stinger http://www.steyningac.co.uk/
Sat-07/03/2015 The Nuts Challenge http://www.thenutschallenge.co.uk/
Sun-08/03/2015 AAT- The Surrey Half Marathon http://allabouttriathlons.co.uk/
Sun-08/03/2015 Roding Valley http://www.rvhm.org.uk/
Sun-08/03/2015 The Nuts Challenge http://www.thenutschallenge.co.uk/
Sat-14/03/2015 Brutal Windmill Hill http://www.brutalrun.co.uk/
Sun-15/03/2015 River Thames Spring Half http://www.riverthamesrunning.co.uk/index.html
Sat-21/03/2015 F3 Half Marathon http://www.f3events.co.uk/
Sun-22/03/2015 B2TT www.back2thetrenches.co.uk
Sun-22/03/2015 Brentwood Half http://www.brentwoodhalf.org/
Sun-22/03/2015 Richmond 13.1 Half http://www.perseverance-events.com/
Sun-22/03/2015 Fleet Half Marathon http://www.fleethalfmarathon.com/
Sun-22/03/2015 Hastings Half Marathon http://www.hastings-half.co.uk/
Sat-28/03/2015 AAT Bolt http://allabouttriathlons.co.uk/
Sun-29/03/2015 Paddock Wood http://www.paddockwoodac.co.uk/
Sun-29/03/2015 Colchester Half http://www.colchesterhalfmarathon.co.uk/
Sun-29/03/2015 Cranleigh 15-21 http://www.mabac.org.uk
Sun-29/03/2015 ETL Spitfire http://www.eventstolive.co.uk/


So - that's a small list you should be using to get your entries sorted out before they are fully sold out - most of the races we cover are sold out before the day or close entries - so don't be disappointed.

Here's some of the action from the weekend:

Surrey Schools XC champs - takes place across all ages from Yr4 (under 8) 
Tight packs running through the muddy woods

Determination and pure effort at the finish

Good work through the paths

Ollie was a bit distracted by his supporters !

The fast way down the slope

The Fun way down a slope

The painful way down a slope (yes - he was ok)

The competitive spirit lives on

Meanwhile on Sunday at the Fred Hughes 10 (on the modified course due to flooding)
"oh no you didn't get that did you" - yes! (number hidden to protect the innocent)

The Local showbiz running team skipped past

uncertain what you're doing or what we are doing ?

New Kate Bush impersonation goes well

It was a very strong performance at the front


Pete pushed hard for the place - but did he get it ?

Man haz goodies bag!

concentratey downhill face

Top Run from fleet

ta da !!
Very well done everyone on getting around the course, in what were perfect running conditions for this time of year !

So, we have the south of Englands at Stanmer Park in Brighton on Saturday - a good days spectating if you can make it for that - 11am to 2:30pm last race start to see the men flog 15k out of the hills.
Public transport, bikes or run there ! but no parking - unless you can park at the Amex stadium...

So go to the galleries and get yours now !

Surrey Schools:
Fred Hughes:

Until next time,
Anthony