Gloucester Athletic Club members were in action over the festive period
At the Christmas Day Estcourt Road handicap races, Matt Powell clocked 19mins 36 seconds for 3rd place in the 3-miles race before running the 180m uphill sprint in 28.4 seconds. New signing Nikki Wong recorded a time of 24:01 to finish 11th in the 3-miles race.
Six club members took part in the Severn AC-organised St Stephens Day 4-mile road race from the Pilot Inn, Hardwicke. Jeremy Mower finished 10th overall and first in the M45 category, in 23:46 whilst Peter Lloyd finished three places behind in 24:22 to take the M50 first prize. Nathan Smith finished 27th in 26:14. First Gloucester lady and 2nd in the W40 category was Michelle Stark, whose 28:31 was a new club best. Ryan Harris was next home, clocking 29:10 for 41st overall and 2nd in the U20 category, whilst Christine Campbell finished 3rd W40 and 46th overall with 29:56.
The Pilot Inn was also the venue for the annual Severn AC-organised New Year’s Day 5-mile road race. Here, Peter Lloyd led the Gloucester club home, taking his second M50 prize of the week by finishing 14th overall in 30:31. Dave Spackman was next Gloucester runner to finish (34th in 34:46) taking the M65 prize in the process. Phil Du Plessis ran his first race for several month following illness, clocking 39:39, whilst new member James Ferguson placed 57th with 45:19. Mike Anderton was the final Gloucester runner to finish, 58th in 45:48.
Matt Powell competed in the Hereford 10km road race on New Year’s Day. On an undulating course and in windy conditions, he placed 22nd of the 218 runners in 39:40.
Nathan Smith competed in the arduous Liverbird Marathon double – two marathons run on two days in Liverpool – over the New Year. His first run, on New Year’s Eve, saw him record a time of 3hrs 51mins. His second run, just 24 hours later, was 4 minutes faster at 3hrs 47mins.
Alex and Tom George of Gloucester Athletic Club ran in the Winston’s Wish Boxing Day challenge at Cheltenham racecourse. The fund raising event offered the runners a 2 or 4 mile option with the staggered starts anticipating a combined finish. Alex and Tom took the shorter race option and crossed the line first and second respectively, shortly before the 4 mile competitors raced for the line.
07/01/12 Gloucestershire Cross-Country Championships (Plock Court)
There was success for Gloucester Athletic Club juniors at the Gloucestershire Cross-Country Championships at Plock Court on Saturday.
Leading the way was Ryan Hearn who took the gold medal in the U15 boys’ event, coming home the victor by five seconds. A product of the Kerry Newell training group, this was his first county medal.
More medals came the Club’s way in the U17 men’s’ race where another member of the Newell stable, Alex George, and Adam Thrall took the silver and bronze medals behind pre-race favourite Kyran Hale of Severn AC. Thrall’s performance was all the more noteworthy given that he has endured an injury-ravaged 18 months, so he will be encouraged by his third place in his first race back for the Club. Thomas George finished sixth to secure the team gold. In the U17 ladies event, multi-event athlete Kate Davies showed her versatility taking the silver medal.
In the younger age groups, William Staddon, in his first race for the Club, took an encouraging fourth place in the U13 boys race, with Harry Wells placing 13th, whilst Abigail Pearce also took 13th place in the U13 girls race. Charlotte Sprason was the Club’s youngest representative, taking 14th place in the U11 girls’ event.
After the races, coach Kerry Newell was quick to praise her group, saying “There were some really good performances by the youngsters today and they were delighted to come away with the medals. The next target will be the Inter-Counties in a few weeks’ time.”
There was some real quality at the head of the senior men’s race as Josh Lilly (Tipton H) took the title ahead of Bristol & West’s Tom Russell and Cheltenham’s Dave Roper. Dave Gresswell led the Gloucester team home, taking 28th. Behind him, the team packed well as Paul Nash (41st), Mark Thrall (43rd) and Nathan Smith (44th) were able to work together and spur each other on. Simon Barnes (51st) and Jason Gresswell (56th) completed the Gloucester scoring team with Dave Spackman taking the M65 prize in 59th place and Mike Anderton finishing in 75th place.
13/01/12 Blackbridge track update – a time to celebrate
I am delighted to announce that the refurbishment and upgrade work to the Blackbridge track and field facility is due to start in May. By the end of August we will have a secure, floodlit, and effectively brand new, competition standard facility.
Due to shortfalls in the provision of equipment, it probably will not be fully equipped at day 1, but efforts are ongoing to bridge this gap.
We have for many years put up with an ever-deteriorating and sub-standard facility. There have been a number of false dawns and dashed hopes for a new one – notably Plock Court and Gloucester Academy, both ultimately proving to be unviable. In the end the only option left was upgrading the present site – even that was not a straightforward solution as the current Blackbridge site had been earmarked for residential redevelopment that would have left us with nowhere to train at all.
This is the best news the club could have and I am sure you will all agree that it is 100% what the club desperately needs in order to attract and retain new members and provide the current members with far superior training conditions than we have at present. The whole club can now look forward with genuine excitement to training, and competing, at a facility to be proud of. Long term there is also the possibility of a new clubhouse.
All this would not have come about without the sterling and tireless efforts of Bob Purcell who has spearheaded the effort to make this dream a reality. We all owe him a big debt of gratitude.
Unfortunately, and inevitably, access to the track and infield will be severely restricted while the works are done with the consequence that much summer training this year may have to take place elsewhere. We are currently looking at temporary alternative provisions to cater for all the athletes, hopefully without having to move away from the Blackbridge / Crypt location.
Here’s looking forward to seeing the new Blackbridge take shape,
Andy McKenzie,
Chairman, Gloucester AC
14/01/12 Birmingham Cross-Country League Div2 (Coventry)
Gloucester Athletic Club’s senior men finished sixth team in the Birmingham Cross-Country League Division Two race at Coventry on Saturday to consolidate their league standing. With one race remaining, the city team lie in fifth place overall.
A heavy overnight frost meant that the course was firm under foot, conditions which suited Steve Millward as he took 4th place on the day with what he later described as his best-ever run on the twisting Wyken Fields course. Richard De Camps showed that he was over the virus that forced him to drop out of the previous week’s county championship race by taking a fighting 8th place. Both runners have now achieved top ten places in all three league matches this season.
De Camps elder brother, Andrew, was the next city runner to finish in 26th place. The Midlands senior 800 metres champion, he will now turn his attentions to the indoor season beginning next weekend.
Luke Herbert had targeted a top 40 finish and he achieved exactly that, finishing in 40th position, and the scoring six was completed by Steve Haines (88th) and team captain Dave Gresswell, who produced another improved performance when taking 95th for a points total of 261.
Behind them, Paul Nash and Mark Thrall were locked together throughout the race with Nash just holding off Thrall as they crossed the line in 125th and 126th positions, while Nathan Smith was just three places down in 129th.
The Gloucester squad was completed by Paul Loveridge (196th) and Humphrey Phillips (208th).
Results:
1 Paul Ward (Telford AC) 30.19; 2 Richard Harper (Leamington) 30.22; 3 Chris Wilson (Worcester AC) 30.32; 4 Steve Millward (Gloucester AC) 31.07; 5 Lewis Roberts (Worcester AC) 31.32; 6 Stuart Nelson (Rugby & Northants) 31.47; 7 Dan Brazier (Wolves & Bilston AC) 32.06; 8 Richard de Camps (Gloucester AC) 32.14; 9 Chris Bull (Leamington) 32.16; 10 Ashley Miles (Sphinx AC) 32.18.
Teams:
Worcester 119 pts; Wolves & Bilston 175; Dudley & Stourbridge 227; Telford 232; Rugby & Northants 248; Gloucester 261; Amazing Feet 287; Severn 374; Leamington 379; Sphinx 379.
15/01/12 McCain UK Cross-Country Challenge (Cardiff)
Four of Gloucester Athletic Club’s stars of tomorrow were in action at the McCain UK Cross-country Challenge fixture at Cardiff on Sunday and found themselves up against the cream of the young running talent across south Wales and the south-west of England.
The fixture also incorporated a match between the Welsh Schools and Gloucestershire schools for added spice.
In the U17M race, Alex George achieved his aim of a top 10 finish by placing
8th out of the field of 130 starters, whilst his brother Thomas placed 13th.
They were 2nd and 3rd Gloucestershire runners to finish and helped their
team to a victory over their Welsh counterparts.
In the U15B race in which there were 135 starters, Dominic Tutton finished in
35th position with club-mate Ryan Hearn in 38th.
After the race the coach to all four runners, Kerry Newell, said: “The McCain
Series is a top quality event which attracts some very good runners. It’s
important that the boys pit themselves against the best to see how they
compare and make sure they learn from their mistakes.”
14/01/12 Midland Counties Open Meeting (NIA)
Gloucester sprint starlet, Catherine Hardy, made her indoors debut at the Midland Counties Open Meeting at the National Indoor arena on Saturday. She placed 5th in her heat of the U15 girls 60 metres in a time of 8.80 seconds.
Gloucester Athletic Club’s Gareth Winter was the recipient of the Athletic Achievement Award at the Gloucestershire AAA Awards night for his outstanding 2011 season. During the summer season, the 18 year-old from Linden and a member of Lorraine Shaw’s Gloucester-based throwing squad, won his first GB Junior international vest, and was the top ranked U20 shot putter and second-ranked U20 discus thrower in the UK. He also set Gloucester AC senior records at both events.
It was as an 11 year old that Winter took up athletics, joining the Severn Athletic Club in Gloucester where Terry Haines took him under his wing and carefully nurtured his talent for the first five years of his career. Realising that Haines had taken him as far as he possibly could, Winter joined Shaw’s group in 2009 where that talent has blossomed spectacularly.
This was the second year in succession that a Gloucester member has taken this prestigious award, Steve Millward having won in 2010.
Gloucester Athletic Club road runners were recognised at the county AAA awards evening for their performances during the 2011 County Road Race Series.
Age group titles went to Dave Gresswell (M45), Michelle Stark (L35, for the third consecutive year) and Dave Spackman, who took the M65 category for the second year in a row.
Jeremy Mower finished second in the M45 group, a placing shared by Christine Campbell in the L40 category.
Thomas George
Alex George
21-22/01/12 Welsh Indoor Championships (Cardiff)
Two Gloucester Athletic Club members were in action over 800 metres at the Welsh Indoors Championships in Cardiff at the weekend.
In the U17M event, Dominic Tutton placed 3rd in his heat, his first ever race indoors, in a time of 2mins 07.66 which earned him a place in the final where he finished a highly creditable 5th in 2:10.73. A heat and final on the same day probably took its toll on the youngster who will have benefitted and learnt much from the experience.
For the second year running, Andrew De Camps won the silver medal in the Senior Men’s event. De Camps found himself in probably the toughest of the qualifying heats where current UK Champion Joe Thomas of Cardiff set a new Welsh All-comers record and a World Championship qualifying time of 1 min 48.18. De Camps placed 3rd in 1:56.44 to qualify for Sunday’s final which was a much more tactical affair with the Gloucester runner using his strong finish to take second place with a 1:56.05 clocking. Thomas took the gold medal in 1:53.08.
22/01/12 Gloucester Marathon and 50km
There were some encouraging performances from Gloucester Athletic Club runners in the Gloucester Marathon and 50km road race on Sunday.
In his 4th marathon in less than four months, Nathan Smith set a new personal best time of 3hrs 18:51 for 43rd place overall.
In the 50km event, ultra-distance specialist Jeremy Mower set a new Gloucester V45 age group record of 3hrs 42:14 in 12th place. He went through the marathon distance in just under 3hrs 04 but a hip injury that has plagued him since September caused him to slow over the final five miles of the course.
29/01/12 Celtic Games (NIAC, Cardiff)
Gloucester’s top 800 metres runner, Andrew De Camps, was in action again at the weekend when competing in the invitation 800m event at the Celtic Games at the NIAC Cardiff.
De Camps placed 3rd in 1min 53.55 seconds, his fastest ever time on the tight Cardiff track and over two seconds faster than he ran when winning silver medal in the Welsh Championships the previous weekend at the same venue.
De Camps will now turn his attentions to the Birmingham Games this weekend before tackling the UK Championships incorporating the World Trials at Sheffield the following week.