46th VICTORIA PARK '5' by Alastair Aitken....

TEWODROS SHIFERAW of Ethiopia, followed up his win of 2006 (23.42) in the annual prestigious race promoted by Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets AC when he ran an even faster time of 23.28 this year. The race on the 7th of April was in fairly cool conditions and run on the concrete and stone pathways in the park. The interesting thing was it was an identical time done to last years' winner Cimon Kasmil of Kenya.
A group of eight were together for the first mile till Shiferaw, Bernard Chemugo (Kenya) who was 2nd in the Reading Half-marathon (63.37) the previous Saturday, Mehretab Solomon, on the comeback trail and Paskar Owor

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Women's National 6 Stage Road Relay (April 2012)

Aldershot & Farnham & District AC continued their successful relay dominance in the UK, at Sutton Park, Birmingham on the 14th of April writes Alastair Aitken
It was on the second leg Charlotte Purdue ran the fastest time of the day, dashing up the long hill after the start. By the  time she got to the top she had moved her team Aldershot from 3 to 1 for a winning lead. That was something Aldershot maintained to the finish in the sunshine, that sometimes broke through to make things a little warmer for the athletes in the park..
The Aldershot 'A' team were Montana Jones 16:37; Charlotte Purdue 15:29; Emily Wicks, back running well again 16:41; Emelia Gorecka 16:02; Stephanie Twell 15:35; Emma Pallant 16:06.Total Time:- 1:36:30; 2 Swansea 1:41:27; 3 Leeds City 1:42:42; 4 Bristol & West 1:43:15; 5 Aldershot & Farnham 'B' 1:45:15; 6 Birchfield Harriers 1:46:28.( 51 Teams started)
Some of the winning team at Sutton Coldfield-
                          
MONTANA JONES on Leg One (3rd)
 
"I really enjoyed the relay. I was hoping to come in the top 5'
She continued:- ' When I was 14 I was a swimmer at club and National level then I did the modern pentathlon before I concentrated on running. I swam then I did a couple of sessions down at Woking'
'I have been training with Mick Woods for coming up to 2 years now. I did not have much confidence before but he gives you confidence in yourself. He develops it."
 
EMELIA GORECKA
   
"I said to my Dad, last time I was here nothing had happened now, I am back here and I have got all those titles!'
'Every year I try and get better. The year before was good as I was 3rd in the Europeans and 15th in the World's I was happy and I thought ' How can I make the season better? To win the Europeans and that would make it better and I did'
    'I do like to concentrate on my studies quite a lot. I am aiming for quite high 'A' levels so I can go to Royal Holloway and make sure it fits in with my running as well.'
    ' I think if you have got the ability to work hard at running you have the same ability to work hard at anything else.'
Emelia's  Wins The 'National' " I love Parliament Hill. My favourite course. I think it brings out the best in you.'
The Inter-Counties at Crofton Park, Birmingham: " I was over the moon with that one. I ran it differently and I was  really happy the way the race went as well"
 
STEPH TWELL
 
At Easter time she won a cross-country and half marathon in Guernsey and that was one of the things that made me say she would make a very good  5000m runner " I have run 14:54 already. I have not specified the event as, I do a lot of cross-country. I would like to move up to 5000 for the long term for sure. I enjoy running. Although I have not got natural speed I have got a bit of power so, I am still trying to run as fast as possible over 1500. I want to exhaust that event by competing on the world circuit.'
To run 1500 first of all seems a good thing for the future 5000's
"Covering all bases"
I remember Dave Moorcroft being a good 1500m runner. He ran in the Olympic Final in Montréal and won the Commonwealth over 1500 then, later changed very successfully to the 5000?
"Absolutely--I am following that sort of philosophy. My coach comes from a speed endurance background..The speed comes off the back of it. "
About the six stage at Sutton Park " I love this National road relay event and it is probably the last one before the trials really. The great runners, like Moorcroft, have run here so that is why it is such a fantastic event"

NATIONAL SIX STAGE RELAYS (OCTOBER 2011)

The first six completed teams out of 76 clubs:- 1 Aldershot Farnham & District 1:44:51; 2 Birchfield 1:45:22; 3 Newham & Essex Beagles 1:45:30; 4 Leeds City 1:45:33; 5 Swansea Harriers 1:46:15; 6 Bristol & West AC 1:46:48.

Here is my account and interviews which concerned the runners at the sharp end with also the words of the Southern Six stage road relay Champions Newham & Essex Beagles. In the race itself Birchfield tested Aldershot in the latter stages but, mainly due to Aldershot's Andy Vernon running the second fastest time of the day on leg 4, the other big rivals Newham & Essex Beagles found it an impossible task to take the title.A huge gap had developed after the first two runners had completeed stage five well ahead. Newham had the sixth fastest runner of the day Keith Gerrrard on the last leg. However Birchfields' runner on the final leg was no match for International marathon runner Ben Moreau, who brought Aldershot home clear.

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VICTORIA PARK '5' A WORLD RENOWN ROAD RACE (March 2011)

After this year's 5 mile road race in Victoria Park, on the 26th of March, the President of Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets Athletic club, Peter McHugh de Clare said "That must have been about the most exciting race in the 45 years history that the event has been held." reports Alastair Aitken.

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Florence marathon 2010

Ben Whitby bashes out a 2.15.12 in crap conditions............ We wish it was like this!! A solo run by ben in the florence marathon 2010 brought a pb by 3 minutes in his 4th marathon!!!! The conditions were poor with rain, a delayed start (as usual!), and a feisty course. Ben went through half way in 67.10 with little company and pulled though to catch a couple of dudes in the latter stages that did the blowers.......