This week we will be going around the World in 7 days, well technically it’s only about 4 but it was a good way to start this week’s round up of club action.
We’ll trek first to Portugal where Greg Asbury pulled on the Great Britain vest in the European Masters Track & Field Championships, taking part in the M50 decathlon Greg won his heat of the 100 in 12.83, was 6th in his heat of the long jump with a leap of 4.84, was 13th in his heat of the shot throwing 5.44 metres, cleared 1.47 in the high jump, and completed day one with a win in the 400 clocking 56.49. Day two started as it finished with another 1st place finish in his heat, this time in the 100 hurdles in a time of 20.19, Greg was 21st in the discus with a distance of 23.63, was 12th in the pole vault going over the bar set at 1.60, he placed 19th in the javelin with a 25.40 metre throw and finished off the competition with another win as all athletes covered the near 4 laps of the track of a 1500. Greg crossed the line in 4.54.89, well clear of the runner up after a gruelling two days. With 8 PBs from the event Greg placed 11th overall, a great effort on his decathlon debut.
Lee Wright saw an opportunity to visit the new Hill Dickinson football stadium in Merseyside and took part in the Everton 10k, coming home in 194th place in 43.24. Paul Marson took in the Dunwich 10k whilst away in Suffolk coming home in 3rd place and clocking 40.37 on a tough course which involved trails, steps and sand. Dan Maskew went one place better at the Oswestry 10k taking the runners up spot in 33.49. And it was a family affair in Bournemouth with Ben Pilsbury placing 143rd over the half marathon distance clocking 1.27.51, Sophie clocking 9.46 over 2k, and James finishing the 1.5k in a new PB of 7.26.
A trio of club mates travelled north to take part in the Manchester Half Marathon with Steve Newman leading them home in 1.21.27 to take 542nd place, Tony Cheema was 788th in 1.24.24 and Darren Owen-Jones crossed the line in 1.30.13.
It was the first fixture of the West Midlands Young Athletes Cross Country League at Walsall on Saturday, and a massive turn out from the club brought admiration and comment, and a little bit of envy from other clubs. In the U15M 3.2k Rocco Hawley was first back for the club in 6th place in 10.10, Theo Ulfig placed 8th in 10.18, Harry Monkton was 9th in 10.25, Jonathan Yang placed 15th in 10.41, Nahum Worrall was 34th in 11.14, and Aaron Guest was 72nd in 13.03. There was a win for Seb Palmer in the U13M 2.4K, coming home in 8.07 after a good tussle with the runner up, Gabriel Quintyne-Morris was 65th in 9.55 and Tate-Blue Quintyne-Smith was 79th in 10.39, great efforts from our sprint group. In the U11M 1.6k Joseph Blunt placed 29th in 6.16, Isaac Heinke was 30th in 6.16, Edison Bowden 32nd in 6.19, Kurtis Clayton 42nd in 6.28, and Samuel Worrall was 53rd in 6.34. In the U15W 3.2k there was a 24th place for Kiki Guest in 12.50, Phoebe Bridgen was 42nd in 13.19, Erin-Mia Nash was 65th in 13.58, Maya Rosa Jelic Ramesh placed 68th in 14.09, Amiyah Pal was 70th in 14.13, Clara Butler-Montero was 85th in 15.10, Amara Gill was a place behind in 15.19 and Charlotte Rogers was 90th in 15.39. Chole Cashmore-Jones was first home for the club in 16thin 9.26 in the U13W race over 2.4k, just holding off Biba Guest who was 2 seconds adrift and a place behind. Adelaide Southall was 27th in 9.41, Martha Harris was 75th in 10.50, Anaiya Pal 86th in 11.04, Isla Burch 88th in the same time, and Siobhan Hepburn was 111th in 13.08. The U11W raced over 1.6k where there was a comprehensive win for Aba Jones in 5.34, Abigail Evans was 6th in 6.13, Pixie Palmer was 8th in 6.18, Clara Edwards placed 14th in 6.33, Holly Doody was 19th in 6.37, Evie Warren was 42nd in 7.04 and Isla Gaunt 43rd in 7.04, Isabelle Bowden was 56th in 7.16, Harper Williams 57th in 7.17, Elise Tarnawaskyj 80th in 7.50, Amber Hay 92d in 8.31, and Adeline Aston 99th in 9.15. Jack Stockton placed 4th in 14.50 in the U17M 3k in 14.50, Sam Thursfield placed 9th in 15.13, Jayden Burdish was 31st in 16.47, Lucas Fullwood 60th in 18.28 and Ayran Kumar Pal was 63rd in 18.40. Zoleka Mzuku placed 3rd in the U17W over 4k in 14.39 and Eleanor Simpson was 27th in 16.57.
And to finish off our world tour we’ll head to the USA where a group finished the Chicago Marathon with Dave Newport bringing the club home in 3.13.01, Phil Evans clocked 3.19.25, Jo Lane crossed the line and 3.35.59 and Anthony Pinson, who has been plagued by injury and was doubtful of even getting to the start never mind the finish, completed the course in 5.52.20.
Dave Norman
