Royally brilliant racing!
Royally brilliant racing!
Please see this week’s update for Kent AC members – 08/05/23–
KENT AC NEWS BULLETIN
8 May 2023
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Join us for the next one on 1st June!
(Those who made the group photo)
On Saturday, we had the Kent AC takeover at Hilly Fields parkrun. A wet morning and heavy marathon legs for some, however a lovely bunch turned out nonetheless with many volunteering and six of our own finishing in the top ten!
Yesterday, the Kent AC Coronation Games took over the Ladywell Arena. The sun was shining, the beers were flowing and we had a strong attendance with athletes from all over turning out to perform.
A huge thank you to Will Pitt for dedicating a lot of time to planning the event and running the show on the day, without whom it would not have been possible along with all of the wonderful volunteers who made the day such a success.
Read on to find out more on the results!
Whilst we’re on the subject of track, a reminder to all Kent members using the facility to make sure to purchase your pass ahead of your chosen session. Apologies for the system not working last week but it appears to be resolved now.
You can pay your fee here.
A KENT CORONATION TO REMEMBER
We had over 170 entrants for the Coronation Games, from debutants to national standard athletes with a fantastic show of both junior and senior Kent members. It really was a day of community and appreciation for all the wonderful volunteers who dedicate so much time to Kent AC and to developing the future of the club.
Harry Forman Wilshaw (U20) starred, winning a memorable 800m and Gunpowder Mile double, amongst a host of other outstanding Kent performances. You can check out all of the results here.
Congratulations to all of you who raced!
TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT
This piece is a personal thank you those who made it all happen and to point you to a few sources where you can revisit some of these wonderful experiences.
Thanking people is a tricky task, as naming names means you leave people out. So I wont name names. But the people who organized the travel, accommodation and meal for the nation cross-country; who organized the relay teams; who coached and supported the marathon runners; who managed the KYAL track team, and who did a huge amount of graft in putting on the amazing Coronation games all know who they are. Not to forget the large number of people who chipped in their bit. And of course, the competitors. Thank you.
It’s difficult to pick a highlight, for the same reason of possibly offending others. But I will: the whole club should applaud the colossal achievement of a bronze medal for the senior men at the 12 stage national road relay on 15 April. Maybe Kent AC will field a stronger and more motivated team some time in the future, but it’s hard to imagine. It’s also a measure of how far we have come in a generation. I vividly remember the first time we qualified for and competed in the event (in 1996) and being thrilled to just be there. We finished 44th. What progress.
The wonderful world of digital publishing means these experiences can be enjoyed. Settle down and listen to Ellie Brown’s slot on BBC radio on London marathon day here, read Russell Bentley’s gripping and emotional first-hand account of the 12 stage here and watch Mark Hookway’s only slightly shortened video of the event here.
Len Reilly
Co-president
AN HONOURABLE MENTION
members, but is one to whom we should all be grateful. For it was he, along with Ron Hale, who did
most to resurrect Kent AC from near collapse in the late 1970s.
Peter joined the club in 1949. In the 1950s he competed as a sprinter, running c.52 sec for 400yards,and long jumper. His work for the MOD took him to the states 1953-59 and 1963-66. On his return he competed consistently on the country and road until the 1990s, when he again turned his talents to the track supporting the club’s vets’ t&f team.
But it was his role as a club office holder where he made his greatest contribution. He was cross
country secretary 1969-72, general secretary 1973-4 and president in 1976. This coincided with a
slide in the club’s fortunes. In the 1960s and early 1970s the club had thriving and successful men’s
and women’s track teams and a junior section. But from the mid 1970s there was a decline in our
women’s section, relegations and later resignations from track leagues, defections to other clubs
and unfilled committee posts. In 1979 there were calls for the club to be wound up, but Peter, along
with Ron (and Juno Field, who is still a regular) fought for our survival. In so doing they, later
assisted by Norman and Dennis Fairbrass, and later again by Ken Pike, laid the first foundations that have seen us work our way from almost nothing to one of the top clubs in the country.
Peter carried on competing through his 50s, 60s and 70s. Versatility was his forte: he ran in the first
three London marathons and was age group county sprints champion in his 60s and 70s.
He retired to Devon in 1998 and was made an honorary member a year later.
He is somebody to whom all our members should be grateful and will be sadly missed by those who
knew him and his family.
Len Reilly
Co-president
BEING WELL, RUNNING BETTER
We all know that recovery, fuelling and generally treating our bodies as miraculous temples is as important to an athlete’s wellbeing as the actual training, but still we believe that if we run our bodies into submission, those PBs will happen. They just won’t.
Learn more about the fun stuff during an evening of lectures, food, drinks and general high jinks, cunningly inserted between our two training nights for maximum recovery. You owe it to your temple to attend.
Running & Wellbeing Event: Performance, Power, Psychology and Pints
An opportunity to learn, question, reflect and socialise.
SALutations
All are welcome and the more, the merrier!
Please contact Ian Ellwood or Liv Shortland for more details and sign up here!
We also need officials and volunteers and if you are interested please contact Len here.
SUMMER FORWARD LOOK
May is here and we have plenty of exciting events around the corner so make sure to add them to your diary!
17 May – BPP relays
20 May – SAL, Hornchurch
1 June – Assembly League TBC
21 June – Dulwich relays
18 June – SAL, Mile End
6 July – Assembly League TBC
9 July – SAL, Stevenage
3 August – Assembly League, Victoria Park
19 August – SAL, Thurrock
7 September – Assembly League, BPP
16 September – 125th Anniversary Dinner
SHOW TRACK AND FIELD YOUR LOVE
Athletics needs more officials, and volunteering in this way is a wonderful way to give back to the club.
This is a great opportunity to help get club events’ results on Power of 10. And it’s fun.
It’s a straightforward process that the club will pay for, with more detail on available courses here.
Please contact Len Reilly for more info.
It would be great to see a few more people put their names down to help out!
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY VACANCY
We would love to find someone who is:
– Diligent with an attention to detail
– Proactive in dealing with queries
– Computer literate
– Familiar with online payment systems
– Able to attend regular meetings and/or submit reports
If this is you and you want to give a little back to the club, then please reach out to Bernie Hutchison to find out more.
AND THE WINNER IS…
Due to the rollover, congrats to John Cox who has won £500.
EASYFUNDRAISING
Over 7,000 brands pay easyfundraising a commission when you start your shop through their platform, so you can raise FREE donations for us no matter what you’re buying. These donations really help us out, so please sign up if you haven’t yet. It’s easy and FREE! You can get started at https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/kentac
You can also install a helpful Chrome extension, which prompts you to donate whenever doing any online shopping – really handy
WIN A TRACK PASS
To be added to the rota simply email Jacqueline or Laurie
We only need each track attendee to volunteer a couple of times a year to spread the responsibility fairly.
T&Cs for the track pass draw:
All volunteers for the current month will be added into the hat for a draw each month.
The winner will win a free pass for the next calendar month.
Names will be automatically drawn from https://namepicker.net/ (or similar alternative)
The winner can either chose to:
use their free pass within a calendar year
allow their free pass to roll down to another volunteer
annual pass holders can nominate another club member if they cannot make use of the pass themselves
No refunds/discounts will be provided in place of the free monthly pass.
Volunteers will only be eligible to win a pass once every three months.
TRACK, TRACK, TRACK
Buy your track pass here.
The usual track times are:
Tuesday 17:30 – 20:30
Thursday 17:30 – 20:30
Sunday 09:00 – 11:30
Please note that individuals are permitted to do their own sessions during club opening times, but coached group sessions continue to take priority.
Track Pass – Juniors
Please purchase your £5 junior monthly track pass in advance here. When purchasing the track pass can parents/guardians please enter the athlete’s name when completing the transaction
Please see a helpful FAQs guide here
Ladywell Arena now has new opening hours dedicated to the public. While during these times the Kent AC track pass is not valid, members can pay for an individual session.
Session times are:
Monday: 07:00 -15:00
Tuesday – Thursday: 1300 -1700
Friday: 07:00 – 15:00
Saturday – Sunday: 09:00-15:00
Price:
Adult resident: £2.70
Adult non resident: £3.00
Junior (U16): £1.30
The Kent AC track pass continues to be required for training on Tues/Thurs evenings and Sunday mornings.
Track staff have encouraged people to double check the opening hours before their training session, as they may occasionally be closed for school sport days and football friendlies. Hours can be checked here. This will likely suit members who can’t make training sessions but would like to train in the morning/lunchtime/evening.
Pay as you go fees can either be paid via cash to the desk or using the Better app (note: staff are working to add the sessions to the app).
KEEP US UPDATED
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