It was a long road back from Wales for the senior men's team as they brought up the rear in their opening British League National 3 fixture at a windswept Cardiff International Stadium on Saturday. Isaac Ogunlade continued his winning streak, with his fifth successive BAL victory in the 400m hurdles event, with his last league defeat dating back to August 2011. He also added 200m points and anchored the 4x400m relay squad to third.  Josh Olawore had two runners up placings to show for his efforts, leaping to second in the long jump and improving his season's best in coming home second in the 200m B event and also added 100m & relay points. added  12/5/13   More... see & pics

There was a good turn out from club athletes competing for their universities at this weekend’s BUCS Championships at Bedford. Louise Lockwood (Anglia Ruskin) was 6th in the javelin with 40.89m after qualifying with  41.32m, just 3 cms short of her best.  Emmanuel Quarshie (Coventry) was 7th in the shot with a putt of 13.19m having made the final with a PB of 13.63 in qualifying – the sixth best ever by a club senior.  In the women’s discus Sophie Baggs (Nottingham) added almost two metres to her best to qualify for Monday’s final with 36.86m, finishing 10th, moving up to ninth on the club all time list. Samantha Hill (Loughborough) continued her come back with season’s best of 26.04m in the same competition. Isaac Ogunlade (Middlesex) was second in his 400m hurdles heat (55.94s) but fifth in his semi final and Massi Dendani (Bedford) progressed through the 800m heats with 1:58.98 but despite improving to 1:58.60 in the semis didn’t make the final. Ellie Watson (St Mary's long jumped 4.10m. added  7/5/13 

Lydia Hallam added her name to the club’s roll of honour when she won the Under 17 Girls’ race in the London Boroughs’ Mini Marathon, ahead of Croydon’s Sophie Foreman.  It was the Upminster 16-year-old’s first win after six years of competing and she will get the chance to defend her title next year. Another impressive performance came in the U13 Girls' race where 11-year-old Molly Bath, whose story of her childhood battle for life was featured on ITV London  last Friday, finished in ninth position, with Becca Brown 17th and Jessica Mitchell 27th as the squad finished third overall.  added  22/4/13 

Pic: Jane Hallam

Despite some promising individual results the men's & women's Southern League squads were pushed into last place in their opening Division 1 fixture at Lee Valley on Saturday. The men had seven individual wins with A string victories for George Hadler (400mH), Josh Olawore (long jump), Ed Thompson (Pole vault), and four B string wins for Ian Anthony (5k), Jake Nelson (triple jump), Phil Groombridge (pole vault) and Sam Harrison (javelin). The ladies match saw win doubles for the javelin pairing of Louise Lockwood (PB) & Debbie Knight, and discus throwers Georgie Taylor & Rachel Forder while Chenice Constable marked her league debut with a high jump B victory. added  21/4/13

The Eastern Young Athletes squad opened their season with a narrow four-points defeat at the hands of Ipswich at a sunny, but very windy Blackshots Stadium, Thurrock on Sunday. The blustery headwind not only caused track athletes to miss out on personal bests but also caused the cancellation of the pole vault and may have contributed to the club’s defeat as the club expected good points. Both the Under 13 teams won their sections.  The powerful Under 13 Girls almost swept the board – only dropping points in four events. The Under 13 boys could not quite match the girls’ near whitewash but notched up seven wins. Although not at full-strength the Under 17 women were runners up, as were the Under 15 girls while The Under 15 boys and the Under 17 men were both third. added  15/4/13   Pic: Jo Law

Simon Hart shrugged off the bitterly cold, windy & sleet affected conditions to finish tenth in the Brentwood Half Marathon, winning the M45 age category on Sunday. His time of 1hr 18:09, although three minutes down on time from last year, was still good in the wintry conditions. One place further back in an equally good 1:18.50 was clubmate Steve Rand who repeated his 11^th position from last year and was again third in the V40 category. Also competing were Eighteen year old Josh Conners who made his half marathon debut with a 1:33.32 clocking in 164^th , Tracey O’Neill who took five minutes of her previous best with 1:49.44 and Colin Wiggins who finished in 2:08.03. There was also a strong showing in the associated Brentwood Fun Run. Ross Moncrieff was fourth (18:19) and Kate O’Neill 14^th (19:17) while Ed Laughlin (19:55) & Sophie Rand (20:40) both made the top 30 in 22^nd & 29^th. Also taking part were Catherine Barker (71^st 22:14), Abbie O’Neill (149^th – 24:52) and Hannah Paton 32:52). added  25/3/13

A long-standing club record was broken last week when vaulter Ed Thompson erased the club U17 pole vault record which had stood since 1990.  Ed’s 3.72m indoor clearance at Carshalton added two centimetres to the previous best and 19 cms to Ed’s own PB.  It marked an impressive rise for the 15-year-old former 800m runner who only competed at the event in June 2011 to pick up points for the club, clearing 2.30m on that occasion. He finished last summer with a 3.20m PB and improved this to 3.53m in winning the Essex indoor championships last month before his club best, which ranks Ed 13^th in his age group nationally.  added  25/3/13

The club took the opportunity of their Annual General Meeting, held at Havering Bowls Club on Friday, to honour three long-standing members. Former sprinter and later coach and starter George Dalby, who had chalked up 50 years’ club membership, was presented with watch by club President Kevin White to mark the occasion.  George & his wife Pam have recently retired to Devon & are now active on the south-west and Midlands athletics circuit. Also honoured was veteran all-rounder Aaron Bonning who received life membership following 25 years continuous service. Bonning, 37, is still a regular competitor in the Southern League team where he racks up points in numerous field events. Long-standing Men’s British League team manager Peter Estcourt also received Life Membership.

At the AGM itself, Doug Tierney returned to the Chairman’s position after a two-year break, with senior athlete Claire Brennan filling the vacancy for Vice Chairman as previous Chairman Chris Smith stepped down onto the Committee. For 2013 Committee see here added  21/3/13

On a cold and wet Chelmsford course Havering’s senior men’s A team achieved a creditable fourth place in the Essex Road Relays on Saturday.  Jamie Buckley-Stanton coming back to full fitness led the team off with a good 19.55 to bring the team home in 7^th place. Steve Rand continued the fine start and clawed back two places to take the team up to fifth with a fast 20.14. Ian Anthony ran well to take another place with a 20.41 time handing over to anchor-an Rob Warner who took up the challenge. Although running the team's fastest leg of the day with 19.30 Rob couldn’t get the squad into a medal place. The B team of Paul Grange 21.23, Massi Dendani 21.44, Jason Lendon 20.54, and Matt Bland 21.14 had the distinction of being the first B team home in 11^th place. The incomplete C team of Paul Berrett 23.23, Russ Middleton 25.23, and Tony Collins 24.26 were 20^th when they ran out of runners.  added  17/3/13

Debbie Appleton finished 30th overall and third women with a clocking of 81:52 - the second fastest by a W40 veteran woman in 2013.

Lydia Hallam helped Essex Schools' Intermediate Girls' squad to team gold at the English Schools Cross Country Championships at Catton Hall, Derbyshire on Saturday. Her 22nd placed finish in 14:05 saw her fourth home for Essex, with Thurrock's Gemma Holloway 8th, Jessica Burgess 15th and Chelmsford's Katie Solis 20th ahead of her & Victoria Hiscock (Benfleet) & Amelia Barrett 36th the county team finished on 130 points, 154 ahead of Surrey. Gemma Archer-Haley also helped the Essex Junior Girls' to get their hands on the silverware. Her 154th place finish (12:37) -  above half-way in a field of 333 - ensured that Essex won the Stedman Trophy for the team with the highest eight placed finisher, after the scoring six were fourth. Another trophy to go Essex's way was the Lancashire Trophy for the best Girls' Aggregate Team Scores across all age groups.. Hoseah Gikungu was the third club member in English Schools action coming home a disappointing 53rd in the Senior Boys' event as the county team finished fourth by just eight points.  added  17/3/13  Photo: Jane Hallam

Five club athletes competed well for Essex at Saturday's televised Inter Counties Championships at Birmingham. Highest placed was Lydia Hallam who finished 32nd in the U17 Women's race in 20:59 and was one of the six-strong Essex team who featured prominently in the early action.  Hoseah Gikungu also started strongly in the U20 men's competition running in the early leading group but was unable to translate his county form onto the national stage placing 44th with 26:47 but had the consolation of helping Essex to team silver. Veteran Debbie Appleton was a fine 67th clocking 30:05 in the senior women's race in a field of almost 300 - her first appearance in these championships for several years - while Rob Warner had his highest ever placing of 111th in the senior men's event - where he was second Essex finisher with a time of 37:57. Gemma Archer-Haley was a respectable 179th in the U15 girls race with 20:02. Lauren Deadman was forced to withdrew last week from the senior women's event with a foot injury sustained from her run in the recent English National Championships.. added  10/3/13

A small group of club young athletes produced some impressive performances at Saturday’s Chelmsford Indoor Open.  Isabella Purdie trimmed her club U13 60m hurdles record to 10.3s in winning the event and made it a double success by taking the long jump with 3.92m.  Isobel McDonach won the U13 shot in a new best of 7.23m and was second in the 60m sprint in another PB of 8.9s. Matthew Owers improved his 60m hurdles PB to 9.6s in claiming runners up spot & was also second in the 60m sprint with 8.4s.  Also in action were Josie Waddams who competed in the U15 60m (9.1s), high jump (1.20m) and shot (6.41m) – the latter producing her best placing of third.  Hollie King did well in both 60m (9.7s), 60m hurdles (11.4s) & long jump (3.53m) in the U13 age group.  

Rachel Forder took an early opportunity to impress when adding almost a metre to her discus best in winning the Loughborough Winter Throws U17 discus competition on Saturday with a throw of 41.58m, comfortably beating last year's UK U17 Number 1 ranked Adele Nichol in the process. added  5/3/13

Also in indoor action were four club athletes in their universities’ colours at this weekend’s BUCS Championships. Isaac Ogunlade (Middlesex) was very close to reaching the 400m final. After comfortably winning his heat – one of 15 – in 50.26s he was second in his semi-final in a new indoor best of 49.34s but with only the winner of each the five semis and one fastest loser to progress he was one place short of qualification. Massi Dendani (Bedford Uni) won his 800m heat with 1m 59.46s but was unable to gain a final place after a 2:01.46 clocking. Coventry University’s Emmanuel Quarshie was eight in the shot. His qualifying round throw of 13.55m was a fraction outside his best, and ranked him sixth overall and his 12.92m final effort placed him eighth. Also in action was Ellie Watson (St Mary’s) who was 14^th in the long jump and competed in the 4x200m squad. added  25/2/13

Lauren Deadman was the only Havering Mayesbrook athlete to make the journey to the frozen north-east of England for the National Cross Country Championships and was rewarded with a top 15 finish. Waking up to a blanket of snow did not improve the surface of the course, which was already covered in a layer of slush, mud and icy water. Suffering with the symptoms of frostbite on her feet which hurt from the freezing water Lauren battled her way around the difficult, undulating course at Sunderland’s Herrington Country Park with enough determination that allowed her to pass two other athletes in the finishing straight to come 14th. added  25/2/13

[pic: Roger/Fay Deadman]

There were two medals, one gold one bronze and a top four finish from the small contingent of five club athletes taking part at the National Indoor Age-Group Championships at Birmingham’s NIA. Alex Law confirmed his UK top ranking with a gold-medal winning performance in the Under 17 long jump. Alex his lifetime best to 6.81m in the fifth round to clinch the title by 8cms - only Josh Olawore has jumped further among club U17s. Alex strained a hamstring however which forced him to withdraw from 60m hurdles. Josh Olawore repeated his bronze medal winning performance from last year in the Under 20 long jump. His 6.98m fourth round effort was a season’s best and a longer no jump might have won silver. Josh later returned to improve his 60m hurdles PB to 8.40s  Modupe Shokunbi performed brilliantly in her first national competition. After winning her Under 15 60m heat she improved her club record to 7.94s in finishing second in her semi-final and was judged edged out of the medals in the final, finishing fourth in 7.98s, ahead of several girls with faster times. Also in action were Robbie Clarricoats who was just outside his U20 club 60m hurdles record with 8.36s heat clocking and Michelle Hughes who ran close to her U17 hurdles PB with 9.28s.  added  25/2/13

Lauren Deadman's eight place led the senior ladies into fifth position at the rearranged Southern XC Champs at Parliament Hill last Saturday. Debbie Appleton (27th), Jo Sullivan (84th) and Jade Edwards (93rd) were the scorers with Mo Lear, Bobbie Westwood and Tracey O'Neill also in action.  The U15 girls were 12th thanks to Sarah Wilson (47th), Amy Baggs (83rd), Lois Wyatt (105th) and Louise Lear (156th0 with Robbie Nunn & Abbie O'Neill also taking part. The U13G were 16th with Becca Brown 73rd, Katie O'Neill 82nd and Jessica Mitchell 127th and Sophie Rand 132nd.  The U13B also had a complete team with Bailey Hearne 79th, Oliver Bath 98th, Ollie Morter 138th and Aaron Westwood 150th and Michael Vanderhook 196th. Jamie Buckley-Stanton (U20 - 33rd), Ed Thompson (U17 - 128th) and U15s boys Bradley West (151st) & Sam Dell (156th) all flew the flag in their age groups..    added  20/2/13

A golden weekend at Lee Valley saw club athletes notch up no fewer than 13 titles, 13 other medals and four club records at the Essex & Eastern Counties Championships. Pride of place went to Modupe Shokunbi who improved the club U15 girls’ 60m record stopping the clock at an impressive 7.96s. She returned on Sunday to comfortably add the 200m title. Alex Law also won double gold taking the Under 17 long jump and came from behind to edge the 60m hurdles. There was a pole vault U17 double as Mercy Gutteridge and Ed Thompson both won. Massi Dendani won the U20 800m from gun to tape while Becca Brown won the U13 girls' equivalent. Other county track wins came from Tom Pitkin in the U17M 400m and Bella Woods in the U20W 1500m. Isabella Purdie improved her club U13 hurdles record on her way to silver before winning the long jump and in the senior category Bethan Siddons made it a hat-trick of high jump titles with a 1.65m clearance and was close to a PB of 1.70m. In the U17 shot Georgie Taylor edged out Rachel Forder by three centimetres. added  10/2/13

At Monday evening's 2012 Havering Sports Council Awards ceremony held at Upminster Golf Club club coach, team manager & webmaster (etc etc) Tony Benton won the Sports Volunteer of the Year Award. Three other club members were runners up their their categories. Georgie Taylor was runner-up in the Senior Sports Competitor category, having also been runner up in the junior category for the previous three years. Michelle Hughes was runner up in the Junior Female Competitor of the Year category as was Brian Kiernan in the Lifetime Achievement category.  Thanks to Havering Sports Council for their support for sport in the borough and for supporting these achievement awards. The Club had won the Club of the Year award for the previous five years but decided not to submit a nomination this time round!   added  5/2/13

Ten club athletes represented Essex in the regional Sportshall final at the University of East Anglia Norwich on Saturday bringing back eight individual medals with two girls part of the victorious U13 relay team. Four girls were part of the Under 13 Girls’ squad who pushed champions Norfolk all the way to finish second. Isobel McDonach & Josie Waddams joined with Thurrock (& Coopers’) Grace Okunola and Chelmsford’s Jess Down in the gold medal winning 4x2 lap relay team. In the individual events Josie added silver with her standing long jump effort of 2.16m while Isobel bagged two fourth places in the shot & two lap race. Isabella Purdie added bronze in the standing long jump and was sixth in the four lap race, while Mayi Hughes completed the quartet with fourth in the standing triple jump with 6.30m. The club provided five of the six U15 girls team which finished third, bringing back six medals, four silver and two bronze. Michelle Hughes & Modupe Shokunbi both bagged a pair of silvers, with Michelle placing second in both the shot (9.00m) and four lap race and Modupe was second in both the two lap race & Vertical jump. Chenice Constable returned with two bronze medals from the speed bounce & vertical jump.  Katie Dawson and Louise Lear completed the club contingent with their best positions being eighth Katie (speed bounce) and seventh (Louise shot). Matt Owers competed the club contingent and his best result being sixth in the standing triple jump.   added  3/2/13

Hoseah Gikungu continued his dominance of the local U20 cross country scene when winning the senior boys title at Saturday's Essex Schools Cross Country Championships at Basildon. Hoseah came home 14 seconds clear of Basildon AC's Tom Richardson in 24:04 to earn selection for the Essex team to compete in the National Schools event in Derbyshire on 16^th March. Club mates James Kidd (Mid-Essex), Andrew Holland & Nick Shade were 11^th, 12^th & 16^th respectively with Nick Duffey 24^th . Lydia Hallam also joined Hoseah in the Essex Schools team for Derbyshire with her fine sixth place in the Inter Girls' event with 18:12 with Sarah Wilson (Mid Essex) 19th & Becky Ward 27th. Bella Woods just missed out on Essex selection in the Senior Girls’ race placing ninth, with Lindsay McLachlan 19^th and Lindsey Wiggins in 28^th.  Amy Baggs was first junior girl home in 13th, with Lois Wyatt 18th, Emily Marshall 31st, Jess Ward 33^rd, Grace McLeod 39^th & Elysha Thatcher-Grey 64th. In the junior boys race Abdul Mohamed was 25th in Barking & Dagenham colours with Elliott Nunn 35^th and Ollie Morter 61^st. added 2/02/13 & updated 3/2/13

Alex Law won his third consecutive South of England Indoor Pentathlon title with a club record performance at Lea Valley today. He won the opening 60m hurdles and was never headed in the Under 17 men's, finishing with a new club best of 3258 points to beat Guernsey's Sam Wallbridge by 147 points, improving on his 3217 total set in winning last year. 60mH; 8.64s; long jump: 6.52m; shot: 10.91m; high jump: 1.77m; 1000m: 3:08.08. Michelle Hughes posted a useful series of marks in the U17 women's equivalent. She smashed her best with a 60m hurdles 9.32s (PB), and added 1.48m high jump, 7.85m shot (PB), long jump 4.75m and 800m 2:51.1s to score 2772 points.  George Hadler improved his 400m best to 52.23s to reach the U20 final, finishing sixth. Isaac Ogunlade just missed out on a senior 400m place, after clocking 50.62s heat & 50.59s semi, while Tom Pitkin set a new PB of 55.97s in the U17 equivalent. added 13/01/13

Josh Olawore set a new club U20 indoor heptathlon record and won South of England silver, when finishing fourth in the England Athletics combined events championships at Sheffield this weekend. Fourth place in the opening 60m sprint with 7.36s set up Josh's medal challenge, and second places in both the long jump (6.90m) and shot (12.69m) gave Josh a narrow lead but a modest pole vault clearance of 2.67m saw him slip to fifth at the end of the first day. A sluggish hurdles clocking of 8.66m, although third fastest, was short of his target, as was a high jump clearance of 1.77m which left Josh in fifth. A final 1000m effort of 2m 59.96s lifted Josh into fourth and saw him add 112 points to Brett Heath's club best dating from 1994. added 6/01/1

There was a team gold for the senior ladies an individual gold for Hoseah Gikungu and team bronze for the U13 Girls as the Essex Cross Country Championships took place at a muddy Hadleigh Country Park on Saturday. Faye Fullerton (5th), Debbie Appleton (6th), Vicky Smith (12th) and Gemma Phillips (20th) took a comfortable senior team victory while Hoseah beat last years champion to clinch U20 gold. The U13 girls quartet of Katie Mitchell (10th), Kate O'Neill (11th), Sophie Rand (20th) and 26th placed Emily Marshall also made the podium. There were good individual runs from Lydia Halam (U17W) - 4th, Gemma Archer-Haley (U15G - 5th) and Rob Warner (5th senior men); added 6/01/13    Pic: Vicky Smith

Lauren Deadman represented Great Britain with distinction as she placed 28th in the Edinburgh International Cross Country on Saturday.

On a sunny and fortunately dry morning the 2012 Boxing Day Handicap took place at Rise Park. With an Improved  turn out from  last year, a very good hearted group of athletes from Havering Mayesbrook, Havering 90 , East Essex Triathlon and Thrift Green Trotters took part in the Annual Boxing Day handicap. A good race was won with an excellent run from Jodie Timbrell from Thrift Green and was followed  in a close finish for second and Third places with Roger Hagan of Havering 90 just pipping his clubmate Tony Galea.  We saw the return from long term illness of Tony Collins to run his fastest time for some years and win the Havering Mayesbrook club event and saw the ever consistent Jo Sullivan win the women's section of the Havering Mayesbrook  event.  The event raosed £155 in aid of St Francis Hospice. added 27/12/12