The Easy Runner Blog

TEAM manager Cy Knibb admitted that Bristol & West AC’s success in their opening British Men’s League Division Three match was one of the most satisfying of his career.
Despite his ‘ideal’ team being severely disrupted by injuries and illness in the weeks leading up to the match in Cardiff the club’s senior men showed their strength in depth with a thumping victory by almost fifty points from Kingston & Polytechnic Harriers and Nene Valley Harriers.
“It was great to keep hearing the announcer confirm another Bristol & West AC win and in more than thirty of years of being a team manager that is one of the best days I have ever had,” said Knibb.
Several winners of the Easy Runner/Bristol Post athlete of the month competition were prominent in the team’s success with the likes of Luke Bailey, Leon Reid, Steve Mitchell and Dan Studley claiming maximum points and Adam Wall finishing runner-up.
In total on the track Bristol & West were dominant winning maximum points in ten of the 20 events available plus two seconds and four thirds with the sprinters and middle distance in particular outstanding.

British Men’s League Division Three, Cardiff – overall teams: 1 Bristol & West AC 355.5; 2 Kingston & Polytechnic Harriers 309; 3 Nene Valley Harriers 291; 4 Reading 277; 5 Swansea Harriers 260; 6 Exeter Harriers 254.5; 7 Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets 231.5; 8 Havering Mayesbrook 214.5.
Bristol & West performances – 100: 1 Scott Bajere 10.79; B: 1 Leon Reid 10.93; 200: 1 Omar Simpson 22.37; B: 1 Chris Stone 22.50; 400: 3 Caspar Eliot 50.18; B: 3 Alex Fields 51.47; 800: 1 Dan Studley 1:54.96 (PB); B: 2 Matt Harris 1:58.48 (PB); 1500: 1 Steve Mitchell 3:57.77; B: 1 Studley 4:06.52; 5000: 1 Mitchell 15:04.93; B: 1 Oli Mott 15:10.16; 110H: 3 Will Hartley 16.12; B: 5 John Brierly 19.10; 400H: 2 Hartley 55.71; B: 4 Brierly 57.54; 3000 steeplechase: 4 Matt Bradley 10:12.36; B: 3 Adam Kula-Przezwanski 10:39.62; 4×100m relay: 3 Bristol & West AC 42.64 (Stone, Romaine Hyman, Reid, Alex Fields); 4×400m relay: 1 Bristol & West AC 3:20.61 (Eliot, Joe Thornton Stone, Simpson).
Hammer: 4 Matt Spicer 49.35; B: 2 Jack Cullinan 39.82; Discus: 7 James Taylor 30.86; B: 5 Rhys Llewellyn-Eaton 28.46; Javelin: 7 Llewellyn-Eaton 44.93; B: 5 Jakob Filer 40.45; Shot: 8 Taylor 9.09; B: 7 Llewellyn-Eaton 8.77; LJ: 7 James Diamond 6.06; B: 6 James Taylor 5.37; PV: 1 Connell Macquisten 4.40; B: 1 Luke Bailey 4.00; TJ: 3 Will Hartley 13.02; B: 4 Paul Weston 11.89; HJ: 2 Adam Wall 1.95; B: 5=Bailey 1.60.

APOLOGIES to Westbury Harriers’ Sophie Voller for over-looking her superb performance in the recent Bristol 10k road race.
Voller smashed her personal best by 51 seconds with a time of 36:51. It is her second PB of 2013 having only broken 38 minutes for the first time with 37:42 in the Yeovil Easter Bunny race last month.
“Not quite sure what happened and still can’t quite believe that I did sub 37mins (36.51) when I only broke 38mins for the first time four weeks ago!” said a delighted Voller.
But Voller wasn’t the only Westbury athlete to impress in Bristol.
Katie Hughes definitely deserves a mention. Hughes ran 41:45 last year and has only been training with Westbury since the start of the year and improved to a PB of 39:06.
There were plenty of other PBs, including Mark Tooski (38:25), Ewan Kilgour (38:40), Tim Whitaker (38:55), Keith Hill (39:27), Peter Barnes (40:09), Richard Lukes (40:16), William Harrison (41:59), Daniel Hawkes (42:25), Daniel Langdon (43:07), Jane Goodwin (45:04), Sandra Williams (45:28), Judy Knights (45:33), Darien Jay (45:54), Lucy Balmer (52:08), Eithne Noonan (53:56) and Carol Fee (59:39).
Tooski also ran the London Marathon two weeks previously so that represents an impressive performance in Bristol.

THE Bitton Road Runners’ 5k summer series in Bristol, sponsored by Easy Runner, kicks off tomorrow night (Wednesday ) (wwww.bittonroadrunners.co.uk) while on Thursday is the next race in the Weston Prom 5 miles series (www.westonac.co.uk).
* Also a reminder that Hogweed Trotters are staging their Hogweed Trot 10k road race from Yate Town Football Club on Monday May 20th (www.hogweedtrotters.co.uk).

THE new 2013 GWR Towpath 10k multi terrain series kicks off tomorrow evening (Friday May 10th) from the Greville Smyth Park with entries taken on the night at the race HQ at Bar BS3.
The series, which again is sponsored by Bristol’s Easy Runner, comprises four 10 races – also June 14th, July 5th and August 2nd plus a 5k on August 30th – and for further information see the website at: www.greatwesternrunners.org.uk

* The Bitton Road Runners’ 5k summer series is also looming with the opening race scheduled for Wednesday May 14th (wwww.bittonroadrunners.co.uk) while on Thursday is the next race in the Weston Prom 5 miles series (www.westonac.co.uk).

GOOD to see that a former employee of Easy Runner delivered the star performance from local runners in the sixth Bristol 10k on Sunday.
Amidst a world over 60s record from Welshman Martin Rees and a first double British victory since 2009 Debbie Niccol smashed her personal best by almost a minute to finish ninth woman.
The 25-year-old Bristol & West AC athlete, who started her career with Westbury Harriers, clocked a time of 34mins 56secs which not only made her earned her the honour of finishing first local runner, just ahead of Westbury Harriers’ Emma D’Alton, but also lifted her to second in the 2013 South West Rankings behind Cornwall AC’s British marathon international Emma Stepto.
D’Alton should feel pleased with shaving four seconds off her PB of 35:13 that she set in the same race last year .
Team results have yet to be confirmed but it seemed likely that Niccol – who believe it or not never won the Easy Runner/Bristol Post athlete of the month competition! - with the support of Jessie Sanzo, who also set a new PB of 36:16 and Annabel Granger won the women’s team prize.
“It was a really good run by Debbie and also Jessie, who is a 34-year-old mother of three and has only been training properly since last December,” said Bristol & West team manager Keith Brackstone.
“It was only two years ago that Jessie was running 39 minutes for 10k and is now down to 36 minutes which is brilliant. There were numerous other good performances and lots of personal bests.”
Early indications are that Bristol & West AC’s men were denied a double team triumph by Leeds City but lead runner Charlie Maclean couldn’t have done more as he raced to a personal best of 30:52 to finish 12th and first local runner.
MacLean was chased to the finish line by Tom Merson and Owain Jones, who all finished within two seconds of each other, with Robbie Bugden completing the team.
In the veterans’ age groups Steve Goss was third M40 and the ever-consistent Phil Parry won the over 50s prize. Granger was third vet W35, Penny Gardner won the over ov45s award with Sarah Everitt third and Clare Jolliffe fifth while Tracy Allen lifted the over 50s award.
In addition to 60-year-old Rees’ astonishing time of 32mins 56secs Charnwood international Gemma Steel set a new women’s record of 32:15 to defeat Ethiopian Selem Abere with Katrina Wootton completing a classy look to the women’s field.
The sharp end of the men’s race wasn’t as good as in previous years and Dave Webb’s winning time of 30:05 was the first time that thirty minutes hasn’t been broken but overall Bristol confirmed its position as the top 10k in the west country.

ENTRIES are no open for the 25th silver anniversary Bristol half marathon Sunday September 15th .
“Bristol’s half marathon is one of the UK’s leading road races, attracting 15,000 entries, from complete novices to top international elites,” said Georgette Van Hoof, race director.
“It’s a fast, flat course, which makes it so attractive to runners. We are naturally proud of our year-on-year success - and thanks must go to the many local running clubs who have worked with us over the years - particularly the Great Western Runners who, 25 years ago started the first half marathon race in the city.”
For entry details runners should visit www.runbristol.co.uk

THE west country has proved to be a happy hunting ground for Welshman Martin Rees. In March Rees turned up at the Bath half marathon and set a new world record time of 71mins 31secs for the veterans’ over 60s age group.
Last weekend he returned across the Severn Bridge for the sixth Bristol 10k and duly added another world record with a sizzling tine of 32mins 56secs.
And it seems it won’t be his last. Rees is planning another trip to the west to attack the five miles best of 27:00 in Gloucester at the end of the month.

IN a thrilling start to the new UK Youth Development League Lower Age Group North Somerset AC claimed a tremendous victory from hosts Team Bath in the Midland West Division One.

Final match scores: 1 North Somerset AC 595 points; 2 Team Bath AC 576; 3 Yate & District 439; 4 Yeovil Olympiads 368; 5 Telford 366; 6 Cwmbran 301; 7 Camarthen 214.

IN the opening British Milers’ Club regional meeting in Exeter North Somerset’s Harriett Emery smashed her personal best in the800m with a time of 2mins 26.90secs to go second on the UK Under 13 Rankings.
At the same meeting clubmate Ellie Wallace won the race in 2:21.47, also a PB and there were further PBs for Cecilie Andersen (2:25) and Alice Davies (2:29), In the A race Katie Grinyer clocked 2:19.

APRIL marks the start of the new track and field season – though the weather was far from spring like – with Yate & District AC staging their annual Sprints & Hurdles Festival plus the start of the Avon and UK Youth development Leagues.
That gave our local athletes the chance to show how well their winter training had been going and several took the opportunity to demonstrate that they have been working very hard.
The Sports Hall competition also reached its climax with the UK Finals and Avon’s athletes again impressed and when you also add in the road relays it adds up to a varied and intriguing short-list that reflects the diversity of the sport.
That means our judges plenty to think about before deciding who should get the top prize of a pair of adidas shoes from Easy Runner, the city’s leading athletics retailer.

EASY RUNNER/ADIDAS ATHETE OF THE MONTH COMPETITION - APRIL

GEORGIA TAYLOR: The 13-year-old Yate & District AC athlete – who celebrates her 14th on Saturday - has had an exceptional month running personal bests in the 100m, 200m, 300m, 800m and 1500m. The most impressive of those was the 16 seconds she knocked off her 1500m time to bring it down to 5 min 12.6secs in the Bristol & West Open meeting and her 800m where she knocked off nine seconds to run 2 min 30.67secs at the opening BMC regional race in Exeter.

SOPHIE THOMAS: The teenager – she shares a birthday with Taylor and turns 15 on Saturday - has been a loyal servant of the Avon sportshall teams and she achieve her finest hour in the recent UK Finals when she won the speed bounce event for the fourth consecutive time, the first occasion a female has ever done that since the competition was launched. The North Somerset AC runner also took part in the YDL for Team Avon finishing third in the 200m (27.7) having opened with 27.5 the week before in the Avon League.

JOSH BAGNALL-REED: The Brimsham Green School student played a key part in Avon finishing runners-up in the UK Sportshall Championships in Birmingham. He won a gold and silver in the relays and then finished third in the vertical jump.

ANNA BURTON: The recent signing and Bristol University student was one of the youngest members of the Bristol & West AC squad that finished third in the National 6-Stage Road Relays in Birmingham. The 19-year-old kept her cool after being promoted into the A team at the last minute and ran a solid leg on stage two. Burton then finished runner-up in opening Pomphrey 5k race in a PB of 18:17.

CHRIS STONE: Competing for Team Avon in the launch of the UK Youth Development League in the Upper Age Group Midland Premier One 18-year-old Stone finished first equal in the 200m. He also set a new record in the opening Avon Track & Field League meeting in Yate clocking 21.30ses for the senior men’s 200m which was a big personal best and eclipsed the 21.39secs from the Sprints & Hurdles Challenge, though that was wind-assisted at 3.9mps.

SOPHIE PARKER: The 11-year-old North Somerset athlete set one of five new league records in the opening fixture of the Avon League clocking 11.59secs to break the under 13 girls’ record in the 70m hurdles. Parker also ran a windy PB of 8.77secs for 60m in Yate’s Sprints & Hurdles Challenge and won the 100m in a PB of 14.0secs in the Mendip Open meeting.

FREDDIE OWSLEY: Representing Team Avon the 16-year-old Bristol & West AC sprinter won the under 17 men’s 400 metres in the launch of the UK Youth Development League and he also clocked a PB of 50.4secs to win Avon League, his first time under 51secs.

KANE LEE: The 17-year-old, who is a member of Yate & District AC, clocked a PB of 1:57.0 for third in the 800m at the opening UK Youth Development League Upper Age Group Midland Premier One match in Birmingham. His previous best was 1:58.35 set last year in July’s BMC meeting in Exeter.

ANGHARAD FLOWER: The 15-year-old was picked out by the team managers of Team Avon for her willingness to help out the squad and cover the gaps in the opening UK Youth Development League Upper Age Group Midland Premier One match in Birmingham. Flower, who is a member of North Somerset AC, ran not just the 800m (2:48.8) and 1500m steeplechase (6:33.8) for the first time but then managed the first leg of the 4×300m relay.

HARRIETT EMERY: The North Somerset AC youngster raced to a superb personal best in the BMC regional meeting in Exeter as she carved four seconds off her 800 time with 2:26.90, which was also a club record and the second quickest of the season so far in the UK Rankings for under 13 girls.