The promoted Men’s British League squad got their season off to a solid start with a fifth place finish at Hendon on Saturday.

Evergreen Mat Bland ran his fastest time for many years to break the 25 year old club veterans 1500m record, as his 4m 05.15s clocking shaded the long-standing best by just 0.05 to earn the 43 year old fifth place points. His B string partner was 17 year old Jamie Buckley-Stanton who was fractionally outside his best in fourth.

Richard Morrissey was just outside an even older record, as his 48.78s winning 400m run left him a mere 0.06 secs short of the 30 year old club U20 record which will surely go at either this weekend’s Southern Champs or the national U20 champs the following week.  Morrissey also ran in both relays clocking an impressive 47.1 secs anchor leg in the 4x400m relay.

Rob Warner and Jason Lendon scored maximum points taking both strings of the steeplechase and Rob showed great team spirit by warming up with a run in the 3000m flat race! Chris Smith improved his career best in the B 3000m.

Skipper Mark Bishop produced another vintage performance with victory in the B sprint hurdles and adding points in the pole vault, high jump and shot.  His hurdles partner Anthony Williams was fourth in a close finish in the A race but excelled in the jumps with a huge improvement in his triple jump best to 13.51m for second place, and was not far short of his long jump best with 6.64m for another runners up spot. Joe Ramie provided fine support with B string triple jump victory and long jump runners up points.  Stuart Tufton, still producing the goods in his 60^th year, was third in the B vault.

There was a youthful feel in the throws as a trio of Under 20s tackled the A string events. Brad Reece moved up to fourth on the club all time hammer list with his 45.58m PB in sixth, while Brad Burr was fifth in the javelin, as was Emmanuel Quarshie in the shot. Sam Harrison scored well with third in the B javelin and fourth B hammer.

The sprints pairing of Luke Stott and Ammad Masood scored solidly and they combined with Morrissey and Ramie for a fine relay third.  In the 800m although the pairing of Simon Richards and Joe Waked, both making league debuts, brought up the rear both were rewarded by good new PBs. 

In the 400m hurdles there was a useful pair of fourth places from Isaac Ogunlade and Adam McCarthy. Richards, Ogunlade and McCarthy wee joined by Richard Morrissey in the sixth place 4x400m relay.

 Full results

1

48.78

8

1

1

Anthony Williams

16.29

1

16.59

4

56.35

Adam McCarthy (U20)

4

57.40

6.64

Joseph Ramie

2

6.51

Brad Burr (U20)

6

1.70

6

1.70

2

13.51

Joseph Ramie

2

13.06

6

3=

6

7

3

3

4

6