Last updated
10 February 2024
Kent League 2023/24
10 February 2024 - Kent League - Norman Park
Full results
here...
Photo from Simon Harris
25 November 2023- Kent League -Swanley Park
Full results
here...
11 November 2023 - Kent League - Danson Park, Bexleyheath
Full results
here...
Photo from Micah Evans
The third Kent League XC fixture was held at Danson
Park on Saturday 11th November, on a sunny but crisp Autumn’s day.
This course is usually run by the junior age groups
and senior women, but this year was swapped for Swanley Park.
Despite traffic and parking challenges the whole team
managed to make it in time for the start, though was touch and go for a few!
On a relatively flat and fast course, the following
results were achieved:
Leading the team home in 13th place overall and 2nd
M40 was Micah Evans in 26:31, with Dominic Smith not far behind in 23rd
place in a time of 27:14 - really good to have Dom racing for us again in
his second Kent League of the season - be great to see what he does when he
gets back to full training! Hot on his heels and our third man home was
Graeme Lugar in 26th place in 27:27, another strong run from Graeme and
completing our 4 to score in 45th place in 28:45 was Tim Browne, making his
XC debut for us. Tim ran 2:37 in his first ever Marathon at London in April,
and until joining us a few months ago, has never run or trained with a club,
so we’re looking forward to seeing him do some great things for the team in
races and years to come!
Greg Bull was next up with another good run from one
of our (Graeme’s!) new recruits in 50th place in 29:04, Leon DeBruyn another
excellent showing from a new member Dad M40 in 56th place in 29:20 and Seb
Jones another strong M40 Dad on his way back from injury in 58th and 29:22.
Luca Ercolani came 63rd overall and 3rd M50 in 29:32
as he also continues his recovery from injury (common theme here amongst us
over 40s!), then Josh Dowling 78th in 30:02 with Paul Sharpe sneaking into
the top 100 in 99th place in 30:52.
Then came new member this season Ryan Ali 102nd in
30:57 and Ted Marston (U20) but running up with the senior men 124th in
31:57 completed our 12 to score.
Next was Ian Scott in 127th and 32:07, Steve Evenden
racing xc for the first time this season in 130th in 32:12, Phil Bunn
(another Dad of one of our juniors!) making his club xc debut in 142nd in
32:43, Greg Firth 143rd in 32:47 as he continues to nurse his hamstring back
to health post-London Marathon and Matt Bullen sneaking into the top 150 in
149th in 32:58.
Paul Kerekgyarto was 155th in 33:18, Jason Meers 160th
in 33:29, Matt Maddocks also in his first xc race of the season for us 173rd
in 33:59, George Kleanthous in 34:18, Barry Slattery 188th in 34:50, Steve
Pairman 214th in 36:11, Chris Martin 216th in 36:22, Andrew Lawes 225th in
36:59, Luigi Arcuri 230th in 37:25, Harry Schmidt not being able to resist a
Bromley Parkrun in the morning and Kent League XC in the afternoon double
234th in 37:43, Will Brindley marathon man 235th in 37:48, Andrew Tutt
(finally able to race as himself rather than his son!) 238th in 38:13 and
James Unwin 267th in 41:32.
Thanks to everyone who made the effort to come out to
compete for the club - we finally hit 30 of us for the first time this
season! Others in the know will have to let us know when the last time we
had 30 runners out for a Kent League fixture, but it must be a few years at
least - well done guys!
We now have a long break to the final KL race at
Norman Park on February 10th (put it in your diaries!) but there are plenty
of Championship races, Masters races, mob matches, club champs etc in the
meantime to keep us racing sharp - see you at the next one!
Up the Heath!!!
Micah Evans
28 October 2023 - Kent League - Somerhill School, Tonbridge
Full results
here...
Photo from Micah Evans
Kent League # 2 @ Somerhill School Tonbridge -
Saturday 28th November 2023
On a day quite in contrast to the 20 degrees heat of the
same fixture in 2022, we had all types of weather conditions - sunshine as
well as both heavy and light rain, leading to a course particularly muddy in
places, adding to its traditional toughness. This led to a number of runners
slipping, tripping and even falling over completely during the course of the
day.
As at Foot’s Cray, we had a good turnout, this time a
team of around 27/28, including at least two making their club debuts -
special mentions to Sam Aldridge and Will Senbanjo - apologies if I’ve
forgotten anyone else debuting. Again, we still had quite a few missing, so
looking forward to getting well over 30 senior men out at one of these Kent
League races!
Co-team manager Micah Evans led the team home in 16th
place overall and first M40 in a time of 29:10 with an improved showing from
Foot’s Cray in conditions which apparently suited him. Kevin Fini was our
second finisher, again showing his strong form in 29:43 for 25th place, with
Dominic Smith (who Kev introduced to the club a year ago) in his second xc
race for us right behind him in 3rd place BBHAC and 26th overall in 29:50.
Completing our four to score was Graeme Lugar in 4th for us and 31st overall
in 30:05, showing that training with Mike Reeves’s young-stars is paying
off.
This time round we came 3rd in the four to score behind
Tonbridge and Medway & Maidstone, comfortably beating Cambridge Harriers who
pipped us two weeks prior.
Next up was Christian Clement with another improved
performance from Foot’s Cray, 53rd in 31:26, closely followed by coach
Fintan Parkinson, 56th in 31:37. Then came Will Senbanjo making his club
debut, 62nd in 31:59, Luca Ercolani continuing to work his way back after
injuries, 66th in 32:12 and Greg Bull in his second race for us 68th in
32:14.
In 104th was U20 Ted Marston running up with the senior
men in 33:54, then Sharpey / Paul Sharpe 110th in 34:10 and completing our
12 to score was Richard Webb, coming down from Scotland after his recent
move North of the border and turning up to race for us, 124th in 34:38.
We also finished 3rd in the 12 to score, again behind
Tonbridge and M&M.
Next finisher for us was Josh Dowling after a week of big
mileage still having something in his legs for 129th in 34:53, Greg Firth
fresh from celebrating South Africa’s epic Rugby World Cup win 132nd in
34:58, Ian Scott in his first Kent League of the season 146th in 35:53,
Martin Parkinson 147th in 35:55, Jason Meers 168th in 36:57, Matt Bullen
172nd in 37:10 and George Kleanthous 192nd in 38:20.
Completing our turnout was Barry Slattery 204th in 39:23,
Rod Harrington (who collected a number of our runners who didn’t have
transport from Norman Park and also gave me a lift back to the club - much
appreciated Rod!) 226th in 40:20, Chris Martin 236th in 41:09, Will Brindley
242nd in 41:48, Luigi Arcuri 249th in 42:13, Andrew Tutt (masquerading as
his son Alessio in the results) 257th in 43 minutes flat, Mark Ellison 259th
in 43:12, James Unwin (who also very kindly offered lifts to and from Norman
Park to a number of our runners - thanks James!) 270th in 44:48 rounding off
our contingent out of the 287 finishers. Sam Aldridge on his debut was
unfortunately a DNF after feeling his hamstring after a strong first 5k or
so - looking forward to seeing him race going forwards - a strong new M40
addition in our team.
So another successful Kent League fixture, gaining a
place in both the 4 and 12 to score from two weeks ago and still with a
number of strong runners to come back into the team. Thanks to everyone who
turned up and raced - see you at the next one!
Up the Heath!!!
Micah Evans
14 October 2023 - Kent League -
Foots Cray Meadows
Full results
here...
A great turn out.
Photo from George Kleanthous
Kent League XC @ Foot’s Cray - Saturday, 14th
October 2023
Our XC season kicked off at Foot’s Cray Meadows on a
crisp and sunny afternoon, following on from the successes of the junior age
groups and senior women earlier. We had a great turnout of close to 30
runners with a number of club debuts, including parents of junior athletes
racing for us for the first time (special mention to Leon DeBruyn, George
Kleanthous and Barry Slattery). Despite the best turnout in recent seasons,
we were still missing a number of strong runners, with a couple just missing
the deadline to be signed in time for the start of the Kent League, so it
bodes well for the rest of the season!
Kevin Fini (recently signed first claim from Harrow
AC) led us home with a strong run continuing his recent excellent form in
23rd place overall in a time of 30:03.
Joint team manager Micah Evans was second scorer one
position and 7 seconds behind Kevin in 30:10.
Graeme Lugar was our third man home in 29th and 30:25, though mysteriously
disappeared for a while straight after finishing!
Next home for us was a strong debut run from Greg Bull
in 41st and 31:28, introduced to the club by Graeme and signed Wednesday
just in time to beat the deadline!
Seb Jones on his xc debut for us limped home in 57th
place and 32:31 after injuring his calf/achilles on the final hill -
hopefully Seb recovers soon as he ran strongly and keen to see what he does
for both senior men and masters teams this season.
Completing our 6 to score was Christian Clement in
61st and 32:50, another new masters athlete we’re looking forward to seeing
good results from.
We finished 4th in the 6 to score after strong teams
from Tonbridge, Medway & Maidstone and Cambridge Harriers.
Included in the 12 to score were co-team manager
Fintan Parkinson managing his hamstring round in (7th) in 65th / 33:02, Leon
DeBruyn a recent new signing and Dad of one of our excellent junior girls
(8th) in 68th / 33:10, Luca Ercolani continuing his return from injury (9th)
in 79th / 33:35, Dave Adams ‘fresh’ from a massive Marathon PB six days
prior in Chicago (10th) in 81st / 33:38, stalwart Paul ‘Sharpey’ Sharpe
(11th) in 89th / 34:03 and new member Scott Middlewood in his xc debut for
us (12th) in 111th / 34:51 rounding off our 12 to score.
We also finished 4th in the 12 to score, with the same
order as above.
Next came Ryan Ali (115th) in his club xc debut, Josh
Dowling (120th) with a strong finish, then Greg Firth 128th), Martin
Parkinson (129th) and Ian Scott (130th) finishing one after the other.
Darren Corneille (135th), Paul Kerekgyarto (143rd), Matthew Bullen (165th),
Jason Meers (173rd), George Kleanthous (193rd), Will Brindley (197th),
Sheridan Morris (205th), Barry Slattery (211th), Chris Martin (225th),
Andrew Lawes (234th), Steve Pairman (238th), Mark Ellison (244th) and Luigi
Arcuri (245th) rounded off our runners and riders out of a deep field of
299.
So a successful start to the XC season for the senior
and masters men and hopefully more strength and depth to be added in coming
weeks - looking forward to a season of continued building and progression!
Up the Heath!!!
Micah Evans
