English Schools Championships

Report -Paul Bearman

Due to the Covid restrictions under which we are all living this year, and the fact that the Championship wouldn’t be able to be held the over the normal two days with the usual 2000 athletes taking part in 300 events, it was decided that this year’s Championship will take place over three days at the Regional Athletics Centre in Manchester this coming weekend, with one age group competing each day.

This meant that normally athletes would be selected and travel and stay near the venue but this year obviously has to be different and entries have been limited in each event to a maximum of 16 athletes to ensure the competition can be completed within the afternoon session and safely within the Covid guidelines

This year, after meeting national entry standards, Stratford have had 5 athletes selected to compete for Warwickshire, Seniors Ollie Wear (Javelin), Georgie Campbell (1500m) and Millie Leighton (Triple Jump) and Inters Zach McKenzie (Triple Jump) and Josh Roberts (Javelin). Unfortunately Josh has had to withdraw because of isolation and he is “gutted”, I suspect like many other young athletes across the country.

With all the restrictions surrounding the ESAA this year, this will be only the second ESAA champs I’ve missed in nearly 20 years since we started sending our athletes to the championships. However, they are in good hands with the team managers and I have no doubt they will perform to their optimum level but I am hugely disappointed for Josh.

We wish them a good and safe championships.

Heart of England Central Area

Report – Paul Bearman

With all the mayhem Covid has caused (and is still causing) and having the Track & Field league competition more or less wiped out in 2020, as the Chair of the Heart of England League, I had a choice to not bother trying to organise a 2021 competition or do something. I chose the latter option and after many onerous hours trying to get 28 clubs to back a revised programme we finally got agreement, with only 4 clubs for various reasons declining to get involved.

The prime motivation was to just get our young athletes and clubs back onto the track and competing. Fundamentally we scrapped the divisions for this year and split the clubs into East, West and Central area groups primarily to minimise travel with no promotion or relegation.

In normal times Under 11s aren’t included in the scores and the U17s are but for this year the U11s were included in the overall club’s scores although the U17s were left out completely to have a more “relaxed” timetable to ensure we could maintain the strict Covid competition guidelines.

It got the league ticking over after the 2020 washout and judging by the strong feedback from the other matches as well as ours, it has done its job. The organising clubs, Banbury, Kidderminster & Stourport and Corby did a brilliant job staging the matches and apart from the very lively competition amongst the thunderstorms they ensured we were Covid safe as best they could.

Despite the withdrawals due to athletes having to isolate, 40 junior Stratford athletes headed to Banbury and after all the havoc caused to team selection we only failed to have an athlete in 6 events considering the late withdrawals. This is a compliment to the Age Group Leaders with Friday late into the evening becoming a frenzy of changes to the team sheets.

Carolyne Johnston, the under 11 team manager commented “it was disappointing that that there were athletes unavailable but the upside is that it opens up opportunities for others and we saw some excellent individual performances with loads of PB’s set. Particularly pleasing was seeing new faces in the first year of their age groups performing so strongly on their debut for the club and combining with established performers all doing their bit towards the teams overall 2^nd place behind a very strong Rugby & Northampton team”.

She added “it was great to be back on the track as a club competing against some big and very well organised clubs. We picked up good points across the team although the positions aren’t particularly relevant, it’s the competitive opportunity and experience that was the most important part of the competition. It also shows the terrific team spirit we have in the club and we are grateful for our Officials also doing their bit to support the athletes”.

For all the Under 11 athletes this was a step up into club competition, but none of them were phased by the occasion. Benji Fernandez’ best Howler throw of 35.95m was particularly eye catching and he looks like another of our good javelin throwers of the future.
Under 11 Male

Team : Benji Fernandez, William Hamlyn, Ben Harrison

Under 11 Female

Team : Luiza Talowska, Lydia Davies, Sophie Horne, Rachel Sparrow

After a lot of last minute chopping and changing in the Under 13s a spirited team performance by them, with the majority in their first year of the age group, produced some encouraging performances.

One of the stand out performances came from Josh Davies who continues to improve in several events. His previous PB of 3.00.9 for the 800m was obliterated as won the 800m in a time of 2.33.3.

Hurdling is becoming something of a feature in the U13s training programme and all 4 of the athletes produced personal bests; in the boys Ethan Winning 14.2s and Alex Wood 14.4s and in the girls Tessa Parkin 12.7s (lowered again the day after to 12.6s) Annie Silvers 13.6s.

U13 Male

Team : Alex Wood, Elfric McKenzie, Ethan Winning, Josh Davies, Josh Harrison, Louie Newton

U13 Girls

Team : Annie Silvers, Ella Smith, Laura Talowska, Lois Ford, Marijke Tear-Verweij, Martha Silvers, Olivia Corbin, Scarlett Dawson, Tessa Parkin

The U15 team were again a good mixture of established athletes and debutants in this age group and Maddie Linfoot epitomised the team’s solid performances winning the 800m in 2.33.1, just outside her PB. There was also a “double win” in both the A & B Long jump for Ruby Edwards 4.28m and Niamh Hillard 4.05m.

Under 15 Male

Team : Alex McMillan, Henry Wheeler, Hugh Markham, Jake Richardson, James Day, Joseph Valiaparambil, Linden Williams, Luca De Freitas Pires, Seb Hillard, William Mayes

Under 15 Female

Team : Anna Blokhuizen, Caitlin Boyle, Ella Peeke, Maddie Linfoot, Martha Peters, Niamh Hillard, Ruby Edwards, Tilly Campbell

A mid-week marathon & half marathon isn’t what you would normally expect to come across in the events calendar but then former SAC club member, Chris Seeney isn’t your usual event organizer!

Having set up Broadmeadow Runs a few years ago, Chris has put on several ‘low key’ events over the years, that attract people from all over the country.

Having run hundreds of marathons himself in the past, Chris knows lots of 100 Marathon Club members, who especially seek out his ‘quirky’ events.

And so it was, after a few postponements, including bad weather and then Covid, Chris finally managed to stage his latest event, not on a weekend, or along his original planned route but on a Wednesday, in a more condensed form along The Greenway.

The route started and finished at the Stratford Bike Hire carriages, taking in a mile of the Greenway, before turning off, through fields along the river towards Weston on Avon, then back towards the Greenway, turning right and running all the way to Long Marston.

Once there, after a brief pit stop at a drinks station, it was just a matter of following the route in reverse, again via Weston and on to the finish.

One loop completed the Half and for those lucky enough to have entered the full marathon, it was a quick turnaround at the finish point, to go and do it all again!

Graham Black & Lesley Kirk chose to run the full marathon, which wasn’t the most sensible idea on Lesley’s part, given her longest run up until that point had been fifteen miles. However, she knew she could rely on Graham’s cheerful banter to help keep her going when the going got tough – and it certainly did!

After what seemed an eternity along the Greenway the second time round, the finish eventually came into view, and they happily crossed the line together in a respectable time of 4.20.

Unfortunately, they then discovered that, as both their Garmins were set to ‘pause’ mode, their watch times hadn’t taken into account their various portaloo & drinks stops, so were disappointed to find their official time was in fact 4.51.30!

It was still good enough however, for them to finish in 7^th and 8^th place out of the 25 completing the marathon, and Lesley was 2^nd lady finisher.

There were 15 runners taking part in the Half marathon, two of whom were SAC long-standing members, Allan Coldicott and John Butler. Allan finished in a time of 2.42.08, while John, who was suffering with exhaustion towards the end, crossed the line in 4.30.

Coincidentally, the first lady finisher in the half, and 2^nd overall, Justine Lynch (1.36.13), was a former SAC junior, coached under Paul Bearman, and now aged 31!

Alex Wood’s Busy Weekend.

Report – Roger Wood

Alex Wood (first year U13) had a busy weekend of athletics – part of the Stratford Heart of England League Team in Banbury on Saturday, followed by a trip to Nuneaton on Sunday for the Summer Special Open.

Saturday started with Alex’s second ever 75m hurdles race and a time of 14.4, nearly a second quicker than his first attempt a few weeks ago and taking him into the top 20 on Power of 10 (3rd for a first year U13). This was soon to be followed by a new 100m PB of 14.1m.

After a frustrating long jump plagued by run up issues, he anchored the U13 boys to 3rd in the 4×100 relay, a great effort by the whole team who had never even passed a baton to each other until 20m before the race, especially from Josh Harrison leading the team out, stepping in at the last minute having just run his 1,500m.

Then on to Sunday, having decided to have a bit of a sleep in and skip the early morning 100m, we arrived at Nuneaton with the specific aim of a 200m PB. Alex did his bit finishing in 28.88 moving him up slightly in the Power of 10, and from 7th to 4th fastest for a first year U13.

Rushing straight from the finish, with just enough time for one practice before the start of the Long Jump, and still rather puffing (which may have helped control the run up), he jumped a new PB of 3.94 with his first attempt, a really unexpected bonus.

A very worthwhile weekend for the taxi service of Dad!

COVID MEASURES AND PROCEDURES

GENERAL

1. Do not attend the meeting if you have experienced any Covid related symptoms in the last 14 days https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/

2. Do not attend the meeting if anyone in your household has experienced any Covid related symptoms in the last 14 days

3. Please ensure that you are fully aware of the Covid related guidance published by the Government in regards to the transmission of Covid

   www.gov.uk/coronavirus

   in particular the requirement to remain 2m from the next person where possible and the importance of proper hand washing and sanitation

4. Avoid social contact with other families/athletes – it is not a social event but we are as usual extremely keen for the athletes to enjoy being involved and taking part.

1. Please ask your AGL or a coach for an entry form. Entries from Match 1 will be carried forward but can be changed.

2. Covid guidelines specify that there are to be no spectators at the event. However, one parent/guardian per child or two if more than one child is taking part is allowed.

3. You are not to enter the track area more than 45 minutes before the start of the event i.e. 5.15pm for a prompt 6pm start.

4. Athletes must wear a club vest/crop top. These can be ordered via the club website shop http://archive.stratfordac.co.uk/shop/

5. On arrival athletes only (no parents) go to the tables under the canopy to collect their numbers that will be laid out on age group tables in surname order. Otherwise wear a SUAAC T shirt or a plain white T shirt….no football tops or similar.

6. Bring your own pins (8) although there will be some available.

7. PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE EVENT

   As a part of our safeguarding photographers must sign in under the canopy.

8. The warm up area is on the field adjacent to the track.

9. No times or results will be announced or posted on paper on the day – they will be posted via email as soon as possible and on the SUAAC website

10. Abide by social distancing guidelines at all times

11. There are no covered areas and the Pavilion is not available.

12. There are no changing facilities – please come changed and prepared for the prevailing weather.

13. Toilets are available in the school buildings but please try to use toilets at home before coming to the event.

14. The timetable is simple.

    6.00 Males do field while Females do track

    7.00 Females do field while Males do track
    On the track the 100m will be run first and the 800m immediately afterwards.

15. All events are manually timed hence THE AREA AROUND THE TIMEKEEPING STAND MUST BE KEPT CLEAR at all times. Please do not stand around the finish line to take your own times or pictures.

16. All athletes and parents must stay behind the rope fence around the track. Under no circumstances should anyone other than the athletes when they are competing or officials encroach onto the track or the infield.

17. The track is on school property – HENCE NO DOGS ON THE FACILITY

18. All equipment will be regularly sanitised during the evening

19. Starting blocks will be available and will be sanitised regularly, however, athletes can use their own blocks.

20. Athletes may bring their own throwing implements and should not be shared with others.

21. Sprint races are a maximum of 6 in each race and may be mixed ages. Longer races will have larger fields

22. Refreshments will not be available so bring your own supplies.

23. Use specified entry and exit gates and use hand sanitiser each time you enter/exit the facility or use the toilet.

    See illustration above.

24. On completion of the event, can we please ask you to leave the facility as quickly as possible and remove all litter