We’re just coming into the autumn racing season, with relays and cross countries over the next few weeks, but this is a quiet week so a brief message today.

We had 3 runners in Berlin for the marathon – Matt Speed ran 2:27:31, Jake Herrera 2:46:21 and Amy White 3:05:35.

Closer to home, Nicol Scott ran the Ealing half in 89:41, Sally Urquhart in 95:10 and Beki Hilton Hanns in 1:42:10. Gian Valentini meanwhile ran the Lugano half in 83:20.

It wouldn’t be a Kent newsletter without more records by the indefatigable Clare Elms. Yesterday in Canterbury she broke the British 5000m VW60 record in 18:35, and last Saturday she ran the Vitality Mile in London in 5:21, a British VW60 record and a World Best time for the category. Clare’s achievements have been noticed elsewhere – The Distance Project, a youtube channel run by Callum Elson, interviewed her for their latest episode, here.

The cross country captains urge everybody to sign up to run this season – the first xc of the year is in Wimbledon on 12th October, a mail will be sent out soon with full details of times and travel.

The National relays are next Saturday at Sutton Coldfield – an email will be sent out soon regarding the team, travel and leg orders.

Also, remember that you have a second chance of getting to run in the London Marathon if you failed in the ballot – we have a club ballot, which will be drawn at the Christmas Party. Details of how to enter below.

Finally, please note that the track will be unavailable for training on Thursday night (3rd October) due to a filming event at the venue at that time.

This is notice of our Annual General Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday 26th November at 20:30, upstairs at the Blythe Hill Tavern, 319 Stanstead Rd, SE23 1JB.
 
Please come along after the track.
Food will be provided!
 
The AGM is a yearly gathering of the club members, primarily to hear reports from committee members, about the club’s activities and finances; to appoint the committee and vote on any contested positions; to ask questions to the committee, and express your ideas and concerns. 

If you wish to propose any change to our rules/constitution or a major change to club policy, this must be submitted in writing before 30th October. This will enable it to be included in the calling notice to all members and the agenda and all accompanying papers, which will be sent out in early November. 
 
The committee is made up of volunteers and each year every post is up for election. 

This year we have the following vacancies:

President: Our co-presidents Victoria Buck and Len Reilly stand down after their three year stint: a three year fixed appointment ensuring good governance, good decision making and that all the club’s members and activities get a fair allocation of resources; chairing committee
Membership co-secretary: a job-share role to assist the current incumbent in processing applications and maintaining the membership database
Track manager: ensuring smooth running of track pass system
Health & safety: ensuring risk assessments both ongoing and for events are appropriate as well as current and risks mitigated

 

 

If you are interested in any of these, or wish to contest any other role, please write to and your email will go to the incumbent who will happily tell you what their job involves. If you wish to stand, please let know before 30th October so it can go in the agenda.

 
A big thanks too to those putting their name forward for roles this year.
 
A full list of committee, juniors – sub committee and non – committee posts can be found on our website.
 
Thanks
 Vic and Len

If you failed to get a London Marathon place, you have a second chance!

The club will have two places and we’ll run a ballot as in previous years. There is one extra criterion, to encourage volunteering at the club – you have to have helped the club out in some way this year.

The criteria are:

1. Be a fully paid up club member.
2. Been rejected in the London Marathon 2025 ballot (need to provide evidence)
3. Have run for the club in 2024 (state which race)
4. Have volunteered for the club in some way in 2024.
This can include manning the gate at the track, marshalling or otherwise helping at an open meet or a race, being a coach or holding a committee post. You still have a chance to do so before the draw!

The draw will take place later this year at the Christmas Party on 14 December.

If you wish to enter the draw, send an email to Phil at , with evidence of your LM rejection, what races you have run, and what volunteering you’ve done.

Deadline: 13th December

October
5 – 6/4/3 National Road Relays – Sutton Coldfield
12 – Surrey League XC – Wimbledon

November
2 – National XC Relays – Mansfield (tbc)
9 – Surrey League XC – tbc
23 – South of Thames Junior XC – West Horsley Place, Guildford
26 – AGM – BHT
 30 – Kent Vets XC Championships – Central Park, Dartford 

December
7 – SEAA Masters XC Championships – Horspath, Oxford (tbc)
14 – Christmas Party – Jubilee Ground, Catford
14 or 21 – South of Thames Senior XC – Sommerhill School, Tonbridge 

2025

January 
4 – Kent County XC Championships – Brands Hatch 
11 – Surrey League XC – tbc
25 – Southern XC Champs – Beckenham Place Park

February
8 – Surrey League XC – Epsom
22 – National XC – Parliament Hill

March
30 – 12/6 Stage Road Relay Championships – Milton Keynes

April
12 – 12/6 National Road Relays – Sutton Coldfield
25 – London Marathon

Another fantastic week of Kent competitiveness. First up we are taken to sunny, rainy then back to sunny Aldershot for the SEAA 6-stage Road Relays. Read on to hear about the fierce course and who brought back the medals. 

Next we see some international masters action in Switzerland followed by the Vitality 10,000m.

As ever, there’s plenty of information regarding 5k coaching programmes, parkrun takeovers, ballots for the Lonndon Marathon and more towards the end of this week’s newsletter.

And, as always, if you have anything to add to the weekly newsletter,
send us an email so that it can be featured. We love hearing from you and it’s your newsletter!

Another successful South England meeting hosted in Aldershot saw Kent AC put out several teams with some golden success in the vets! The event was held around an amazing 3km lap course involving ups, downs, turns, bends, puddles, and even some mud. No it wasn’t the Surrey League! With some morning rain to boost the oxygen in the air clearing up for a warm late summer hoorah and minimal wind, it was a strong day for being outside with your fellow running aficionados. 

First up, we have the Under 15 Boys with George Searle leading out with the fastest run in the team, followed by Barnaby Hayer and Matteo Watson finishing in 41st. Well done!

Next up we have Tailulah, Alice and Claudia in the Under 15 Girls who rounded out in 45th position.

Moving up the age categories we come to the Under 17 Men with Dylan running the fastest time of the team, Louis coming up next and completed with Jasper to come in 60th.

With a jump up the categories, we look at the Women’s 40+ with Vic Buck leading out strongly, followed by Teresa Murphy and Caoimhe Nic Fhogartaigh ending with the fastest run of the team. The women came through with the Bronze medal! I wonder if SEAA put pieces of the Eiffel Tower in their medals too. 

Over to the Men’s 40+ who eavenged last year’s silver medals and took home gold. Jonathan Tipper took on the always competitive 1st leg, coming home in 6th with the fastest time of the team. Rob Laing then set about the task of moving up through, picking off 2 places to bring the team to 4th. Dave Morgan was next to move the team to 3rd which set things up nicely for Chris Busaileh who moved past Brighton and then long time leaders Woking in the last km to make for an exciting win. 

Women’s Seniors saw them score a top 10 performance with 9th position from 55 overall. Bryony Proctor lead the team out with a 9th place performance to foreshadow later results. Then came Ellie Freedon, Catherine Kandie and finally Amy Clements with the fastest run of the team. Amy ran the 3rd fastest time of her leg and earned the women’s team a few places in her brilliant run.

Men’s Seniors pushed out two teams for the event with the A team coming through in 12th and B team scoring 49th. Some last minute changes on the day saw George Russell receiving the call up and Nick Acfield running a brilliant 5th leg in the A team. Dame Dibaba extended his tremendous form with the first leg, followed by Rob Sesemann, Jake Simmonds, newcomer John Collier with the fastest leg of the team, Nick Acfield and Ben Clarke. Running the Kent’s B were Phil Sanders, George Russell, Matt Speed, Calum Fraser, Isaac Parker and Sam Dames.

Julian Gevers represented the Masters Men 50+ with a top 10 performance in the first leg but without a complete team.

Finally we have the Masters Men 60+ who came through in 6th position. Leonard Reilly lead the men out, followed by Chris Lydon with the fastest run of the team, Roger Beardsworth and Luke Armitage.
 

There have been races a plenty this week with London’s Vitality 10,000 and even some more Masters medals in Switzerland at the Swiss Masters Athletics.

First up is hurdles coach Miguel Stucchi who competed in several VM45 events:
Gold in High Jump with 1.50m
Gold in 110m Hurdles with hurdles of  1m High 21.74
Gold in triple jump with 9.94m
Silver in Javelin with 24.40m
Silver in Long Jump with 4.26m

Along with his silverware, he won 3 bottles of wine and 2 jars of honey! That sounds delicious.

Closer to home were many runners competing in the Vitality 10,000 with some strong ones even competing for the 2nd day in a ray. With 38 runners competing there’s too many to mention but do always send in photos to the Kent AC Group Competition Chat if you want to be shared on the newsletter.

Get ready to don the pink hi-vis vests as we will be doing a takeover ay Peckham parkrun on Saturday 28th September.

We are looking to fill the roster so please sign up here, and remember you can always run first too!

This is notice of our Annual General Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday 26th November at 20:30, upstairs at the Blythe Hill Tavern, 319 Stanstead Rd, SE23 1JB.
 
Please come along after the track.
Food will be provided!
 
The AGM is a yearly gathering of the club members, primarily to hear reports from committee members, about the club’s activities and finances; to appoint the committee and vote on any contested positions; to ask questions to the committee, and express your ideas and concerns. 

If you wish to propose any change to our rules/constitution or a major change to club policy, this must be submitted in writing before 30th October. This will enable it to be included in the calling notice to all members and the agenda and all accompanying papers, which will be sent out in early November. 
 
The committee is made up of volunteers and each year every post is up for election. 

This year we have the following vacancies:

President: Our co-presidents Victoria Buck and Len Reilly stand down after their three year stint: a three year fixed appointment ensuring good governance, good decision making and that all the club’s members and activities get a fair allocation of resources; chairing committee
Membership co-secretary: a job-share role to assist the current incumbent in processing applications and maintaining the membership database
Track manager: ensuring smooth running of track pass system
Health & safety: ensuring risk assessments both ongoing and for events are appropriate as well as current and risks mitigated
Juniors co-secretary: to assist Anne Hepple in managing the juniors set-up
Kit manager: to coordinate the ordering and distribution of Kent AC vests and other kit
 
A big thanks to all for their hard work over this and previous years.

 

If you are interested in any of these, or wish to contest any other role, please write to and your email will go to the incumbent who will happily tell you what their job involves. If you wish to stand, please let know before 30th October so it can go in the agenda.

 
A big thanks too to those putting their name forward for roles this year.
 
A full list of committee, juniors – sub committee and non – committee posts can be found on our website.
 
Thanks
 Vic and Len

If you failed to get a London Marathon place, you have a second chance!

The club hopes to have a couple of places available (we haven’t been informed of how many yet) and we’ll run a ballot as in previous years. There is one extra criterion, to encourage volunteering at the club – you have to have helped the club out in some way this year.

The criteria are:

1. Be a fully paid up club member.
2. Been rejected in the London Marathon 2025 ballot (need to provide evidence)
3. Have run for the club in 2024 (state which race)
4. Have volunteered for the club in some way in 2024.
This can include manning the gate at the track, marshalling or otherwise helping at an open meet or a race, being a coach or holding a committee post.

The draw will take place later this year at the Christmas Party on 14 December.

If you wish to enter the draw, send an email to Phil at , with evidence of your LM rejection, what races you have run, and what volunteering you’ve done.

Deadline: 13th December

Autumn relay season is about to kick off in two weeks time with the Southern Road Relays at Rushmoor Arena at Aldershot on Saturday 21st September. 

Entries for the Southerns have been filed and teams will be finalised shortly.
Look out on WhatsApp groups for final teams, order and travel details or speak to your team captain! (Chris B for men, Alexa P for women). 

If you missed out on signing up for the Southerns, or if you want two bites at the apple, it’s not too late to state your availability for the Nationals, which will be, as usual, at Sutton Park on Saturday 5th October – sign up sheet here. Teams are of 6 for the men, with each leg running around 6km and 4 for the women with each leg running 4.3km.

This weekend is the FINAL CALL for members to register with 3 places remaining.

We’re excited to offer a *free 10-week 5k training program for 10-15 of our adult members, regardless of your current running level. Whether you’re aiming to break 20 minutes, set a new personal best, or simply regain some speed, this program is designed to help you reach your goals whist complementing your existing training.

You’ll be part of a supportive group, with fellow members cheering you on every step of the way, both in training and on race day. It’s a great chance to push yourself and achieve something special with the encouragement of others.

*In return for the coaching, we kindly ask that you consider giving back to the club in the future whether that’s by volunteering at a club event helping with gate duty, or making a small donation.

Your support helps keep our community thriving.

Key Details
• Target Race: The programme will culminate in a specific target race(s), which could be a parkrun, cross-country race, or open meet.
• Focus Areas: Running technique, drills, speed work and one-on-one coaching.
• Coaches: Led by Rowan Crichton and an additional coach (TBD).
• Inclusivity: Open to runners of all genders, ages and speeds.

Schedule
• Duration: 10 weeks
• Start Date: Saturday 28th September – Saturday 14th December
• Weekly Group Sessions: Saturdays, 10:00 – 12:00 (Suspended on Saturday 12th October and 9th November for Surrey League XC)
• Locations: Various local spots, including the track

Programme Structure
1. Initial Assessment: Conducted in Week 1 to tailor individual programmes.
2. Weekly Group Sessions: Focused on various aspects of running, with expert guidance.
3. Individual Programmes: Personalised plans issued to guide your daily and weekly training.

Registration
Participation is on a first-come basis. Register your interest here.

Contact Information
For any questions, please reach out to Rowan Crichton at .

September
21 – 6/4/3 Southern Stage Road Relays, including Vets (V40/V50/V60) Relay Championships –  Aldershot
28 – Volunteer takeover Peckham parkrun 

October
5 – 6/4/3 National Road Relays – Sutton Coldfield
12 – Surrey League XC – Wimbledon

November
2 – National XC Relays – Mansfield (tbc)
9 – Surrey League XC – tbc
23 – South of Thames Junior XC – West Horsley Place, Guildford
26 – AGM – BHT
 30 – Kent Vets XC Championships – Central Park, Dartford 

December
7 – SEAA Masters XC Championships – Horspath, Oxford (tbc)
14 – Christmas Party – Jubilee Ground, Catford
14 or 21 – South of Thames Senior XC – Sommerhill School, Tonbridge 
 

2025
January 
4 – Kent County XC Championships – Brands Hatch 
11 – Surrey League XC – tbc
25 – Southern XC Champs – Beckenham Place Park

February
8 – Surrey League XC – Epsom
22 – National XC – Parliament Hill

March
30 – 12/6 Stage Road Relay Championships – Milton Keynes

April
12 – 12/6 National Road Relays – Sutton Coldfield
25 – London Marathon

What a week! Thursday saw our Club Champs for the 200m and 5000m, and junior 800m. First up, a massive thanks and congrats to the organising team who pulled off the event so successfully. Ever impressing all of us with their streak of PBs and performances this season, a huge congrats to Ellie and Dame, our 5000m champions in 18:33 and 15:05 respectively. 

Read on for more triumphs across the Channel, Down Under and up at the re-scheduled National XC. Not a bad way to end the summer, eh?

Never fear, there are plenty more opportunities for fun coming up. We have the next parkrun take-over, and the club ballot for London Marathon places too – read on for details about how you can take part and get involved.

And, as always, if you have anything to add to the weekly newsletter,
send us an email so that it can be featured. We love hearing from you and it’s your newsletter!

Pictures speak a thousand words but don’t quite show the level of organisation that went into a seamless and successful night. Well done to all involved, for the behind the scenes  work, those who volunteered on the night and of course those who turned up with pins and passion ready to run.

Our organisers demonstrating that work and play really do mix.

Well done Dame and Ellie, our 5000m club champions of 2024!

Many numbers, more athletes. What a night! 

In all disciplines and in multiple countries, there have been some inspiring performances from all sections of Kent AC this week. So give it up for:

The Kent AC Juniors, who were represented at the National Champs this year by Harry Clough (207th), Lucas Stickland (188th), George Searle (132nd) in the U15 boys, and Tallulah Jones (83rd) in U15 girls. It was good running conditions on the day – breezy, fresh and sunny – but a tough course with long grass and gradual undulating hills which sapped runners’ energy throughout. It was harsh to watch some of the leading pack of elite athletes collapsing close to the finishing line after pushing it to the max. The whole team performed brilliantly and we saw strong performances all round. Huge congrats to Vic Buck for representing the seniors too!

Mack Atanda, winner of the Kent Champs U13B 75m hurdles with 13.24s. Close behind was Zac Murray with a PB of 13.94. Well done!

Mark Crabtree, who completed the Richmond marathon in 3:01:19.

Dan Hallas, who swam the English Channel, supported by David Devlin and Ian Mizen. Incredible and true teamwork too. 

Ivona Gongolova, who in her quest to complete the SuperHalf series, ran the Copenhagen Half in 99:18mins. Will Brown completed in 89:14. Skol!

Che Compton, for coming 95th at the Sydney Marathon in 2:39:07, making it a very g’day indeed.

Chris Greenwood, who posted an epic 15:09 and Phil Sanders just a touch behind in 16:10 at Friday Night Under The Lights.

Emily Murray, who not only won the triple jump at last week’s English Masters in Corby with 8.95m and won the W35-50 category, but has also broken 5 Kent AC club records this year with a long jump of 4.07m and high jump of 1.35m. Keep ’em coming, we are in awe!

Get ready to don the pink hi-vis vests as we will be doing a takeover ay Peckham parkrun on Saturday 28th September.

We are looking to fill the roster so please sign up here, and remember you can always run first too!

This is notice of our Annual General Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday 26th November at 20:30, upstairs at the Blythe Hill Tavern, 319 Stanstead Rd, SE23 1JB.
 
Please come along after the track.
Food will be provided!
 
The AGM is a yearly gathering of the club members, primarily to hear reports from committee members, about the club’s activities and finances; to appoint the committee and vote on any contested positions; to ask questions to the committee, and express your ideas and concerns. 

If you wish to propose any change to our rules/constitution or a major change to club policy, this must be submitted in writing before 30th October. This will enable it to be included in the calling notice to all members and the agenda and all accompanying papers, which will be sent out in early November. 
 
The committee is made up of volunteers and each year every post is up for election. 

This year we have the following vacancies:

President: Our co-presidents Victoria Buck and Len Reilly stand down after their three year stint: a three year fixed appointment ensuring good governance, good decision making and that all the club’s members and activities get a fair allocation of resources; chairing committee
Membership co-secretary: a job-share role to assist the current incumbent in processing applications and maintaining the membership database
Track manager: ensuring smooth running of track pass system
Health & safety: ensuring risk assessments both ongoing and for events are appropriate as well as current and risks mitigated
Juniors co-secretary: to assist Anne Hepple in managing the juniors set-up
Kit manager: to coordinate the ordering and distribution of Kent AC vests and other kit
 
A big thanks to all for their hard work over this and previous years.

 

If you are interested in any of these, or wish to contest any other role, please write to and your email will go to the incumbent who will happily tell you what their job involves. If you wish to stand, please let know before 30th October so it can go in the agenda.

 
A big thanks too to those putting their name forward for roles this year.
 
A full list of committee, juniors – sub committee and non – committee posts can be found on our website.
 
Thanks
 Vic and Len

If you failed to get a London Marathon place, you have a second chance!

The club hopes to have a couple of places available (we haven’t been informed of how many yet) and we’ll run a ballot as in previous years. There is one extra criterion, to encourage volunteering at the club – you have to have helped the club out in some way this year.

The criteria are:

1. Be a fully paid up club member.
2. Been rejected in the London Marathon 2025 ballot (need to provide evidence)
3. Have run for the club in 2024 (state which race)
4. Have volunteered for the club in some way in 2024.
This can include manning the gate at the track, marshalling or otherwise helping at an open meet or a race, being a coach or holding a committee post.

The draw will take place later this year at the Christmas Party on 14 December.

If you wish to enter the draw, send an email to Phil at , with evidence of your LM rejection, what races you have run, and what volunteering you’ve done.

Deadline: 13th December

Autumn relay season is about to kick off in two weeks time with the Southern Road Relays at Rushmoor Arena at Aldershot on Saturday 21st September. 

Entries for the Southerns have been filed and teams will be finalised shortly.
Look out on WhatsApp groups for final teams, order and travel details or speak to your team captain! (Chris B for men, Alexa P for women). 

If you missed out on signing up for the Southerns, or if you want two bites at the apple, it’s not too late to state your availability for the Nationals, which will be, as usual, at Sutton Park on Saturday 5th October – sign up sheet here. Teams are of 6 for the men, with each leg running around 6km and 4 for the women with each leg running 4.3km.

We’re excited to offer a *free 10-week 5k training program for 10-15 of our adult members, regardless of your current running level. Whether you’re aiming to break 20 minutes, set a new personal best, or simply regain some speed, this program is designed to help you reach your goals whist complementing your existing training.

You’ll be part of a supportive group, with fellow members cheering you on every step of the way, both in training and on race day. It’s a great chance to push yourself and achieve something special with the encouragement of others.

*In return for the coaching, we kindly ask that you consider giving back to the club in the future whether that’s by volunteering at a club event helping with gate duty, or making a small donation.

Your support helps keep our community thriving.

Key Details
• Target Race: The programme will culminate in a specific target race(s), which could be a parkrun, cross-country race, or open meet.
• Focus Areas: Running technique, drills, speed work and one-on-one coaching.
• Coaches: Led by Rowan Crichton and an additional coach (TBD).
• Inclusivity: Open to runners of all genders, ages and speeds.

Schedule
• Duration: 10 weeks
• Start Date: Saturday 28th September – Saturday 14th December
• Weekly Group Sessions: Saturdays, 10:00 – 12:00 (Suspended on Saturday 12th October and 9th November for Surrey League XC)
• Locations: Various local spots, including the track

Programme Structure
1. Initial Assessment: Conducted in Week 1 to tailor individual programmes.
2. Weekly Group Sessions: Focused on various aspects of running, with expert guidance.
3. Individual Programmes: Personalised plans issued to guide your daily and weekly training.

Registration
Participation is on a first-come basis. Register your interest here.

Contact Information
For any questions, please reach out to Rowan Crichton at .

September
21 – 6/4/3 Southern Stage Road Relays, including Vets (V40/V50/V60) Relay Championships –  Aldershot
28 – Volunteer takeover Peckham parkrun 

October
5 – 6/4/3 National Road Relays – Sutton Coldfield
12 – Surrey League XC – Wimbledon

November
2 – National XC Relays – Mansfield (tbc)
9 – Surrey League XC – tbc
23 – South of Thames Junior XC – West Horsley Place, Guildford
26 – AGM – BHT
 30 – Kent Vets XC Championships – Central Park, Dartford 

December
7 – SEAA Masters XC Championships – Horspath, Oxford (tbc)
14 – Christmas Party – Jubilee Ground, Catford
14 or 21 – South of Thames Senior XC – Sommerhill School, Tonbridge 
 

2025
January 
4 – Kent County XC Championships – Brands Hatch 
11 – Surrey League XC – tbc
25 – Southern XC Champs – Beckenham Place Park

February
8 – Surrey League XC – Epsom
22 – National XC – Parliament Hill

March
30 – 12/6 Stage Road Relay Championships – Milton Keynes

April
12 – 12/6 National Road Relays – Sutton Coldfield
25 – London Marathon

Alex Morales and Ralph Weir took on the Andover Trail Marathon on Saturday, finishing in 4th and 12th place respectively. Huge well done to you both!

Post-race grins

Leading us onto today, a misty and wet morning at the Great North Run yielded some fantastic times nonetheless, with Amy Clements starting the race in the elite field and finishing 18th.

Shout-out to our GNR finishers:
 
Ben Clarke – 67:58
Chris Greenwood – 70:12 (1st M50)
Barny Day – 74:44
Amy Clements – 76:29 (2nd W40)
Adrian Lobb – 87:10
Elyse Jenkins – 93:24
James Bates – 1:40:26
Adrian Young – 1:44:26
Katie Lang – 1:47:10

Full results here.

You only have a few days left to enter the 5000m Club Championships at Ladywell Arena on Thursday 12th September. Online entries close on Tuesday.

Also taking place on this day are the non-championship races over 800m (juniors only) and a 200m race (open to all). To enter, you must complete the Google Form, then pay the fee on SumUp (link in form).

This is a UKA licensed race, meaning the results will feature on Power of 10 but we will need volunteers to meet officiating standards. There are still some roles to fill so if you can support the club by helping out on race day, please add your name to the sign-up sheet. 

Races will be seeded and all abilities are welcome and encouraged.
Enter now!  

We’re excited to offer a *free 10-week 5k training program for 10-15 of our adult members, regardless of your current running level. Whether you’re aiming to break 20 minutes, set a new personal best, or simply regain some speed, this program is designed to help you reach your goals whist complementing your existing training.

You’ll be part of a supportive group, with fellow members cheering you on every step of the way, both in training and on race day. It’s a great chance to push yourself and achieve something special with the encouragement of others.

*In return for the coaching, we kindly ask that you consider giving back to the club in the future whether that’s by volunteering at a club event helping with gate duty, or making a small donation.

Your support helps keep our community thriving.

Key Details
• Target Race: The programme will culminate in a specific target race(s), which could be a parkrun, cross-country race, or open meet.
• Focus Areas: Running technique, drills, speed work and one-on-one coaching.
• Coaches: Led by Rowan Crichton and an additional coach (TBD).
• Inclusivity: Open to runners of all genders, ages and speeds.

Schedule
• Duration: 10 weeks
• Start Date: Saturday 28th September – Saturday 14th December
• Weekly Group Sessions: Saturdays, 10:00 – 12:00 (Suspended on Saturday 12th October and 9th November for Surrey League XC)
• Locations: Various local spots, including the track

Programme Structure
1. Initial Assessment: Conducted in Week 1 to tailor individual programmes.
2. Weekly Group Sessions: Focused on various aspects of running, with expert guidance.
3. Individual Programmes: Personalised plans issued to guide your daily and weekly training.

Registration
Participation is on a first-come basis. Register your interest here.

Contact Information
For any questions, please reach out to Rowan Crichton at .

This is notice of our Annual General Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday 26th November at 20:30, upstairs at the Blythe Hill Tavern, 319 Stanstead Rd, SE23 1JB.
 
Please come along after the track.
Food will be provided!
 
The AGM is a yearly gathering of the club members, primarily to hear reports from committee members, about the club’s activities and finances; to appoint the committee and vote on any contested positions; to ask questions to the committee, and express your ideas and concerns. 

If you wish to propose any change to our rules/constitution or a major change to club policy, this must be submitted in writing before 30th October. This will enable it to be included in the calling notice to all members and the agenda and all accompanying papers, which will be sent out in early November. 
 
The committee is made up of volunteers and each year every post is up for election. 

This year we have the following vacancies:

President: Our co-presidents Victoria Buck and Len Reilly stand down after their three year stint: a three year fixed appointment ensuring good governance, good decision making and that all the club’s members and activities get a fair allocation of resources; chairing committee
Membership co-secretary: a job-share role to assist the current incumbent in processing applications and maintaining the membership database
Track manager: ensuring smooth running of track pass system
Health & safety: ensuring risk assessments both ongoing and for events are appropriate as well as current and risks mitigated
Juniors co-secretary: to assist Anne Hepple in managing the juniors set-up
Kit manager: to coordinate the ordering and distribution of Kent AC vests and other kit
 
A big thanks to all for their hard work over this and previous years.

 

If you are interested in any of these, or wish to contest any other role, please write to and your email will go to the incumbent who will happily tell you what their job involves. If you wish to stand, please let know before 30th October so it can go in the agenda.

 
A big thanks too to those putting their name forward for roles this year.
 
A full list of committee, juniors – sub committee and non – committee posts can be found on our website.
 
Thanks
 Vic and Len

If you failed to get a London Marathon place, you have a second chance!

The club hopes to have a couple of places available (we haven’t been informed of how many yet) and we’ll run a ballot as in previous years. There is one extra criterion, to encourage volunteering at the club – you have to have helped the club out in some way this year.

The criteria are:

1. Be a fully paid up club member.
2. Been rejected in the London Marathon 2025 ballot (need to provide evidence)
3. Have run for the club in 2024 (state which race)
4. Have volunteered for the club in some way in 2024.
This can include manning the gate at the track, marshalling or otherwise helping at an open meet or a race, being a coach or holding a committee post.

The draw will take place later this year at the Christmas Party on 14 December.

If you wish to enter the draw, send an email to Phil at , with evidence of your LM rejection, what races you have run, and what volunteering you’ve done.

Deadline: 13th December

Autumn relay season is about to kick off in two weeks time with the Southern Road Relays at Rushmoor Arena at Aldershot on Saturday 21st September. 

Entries for the Southerns have been filed and teams will be finalised shortly.
Look out on WhatsApp groups for final teams, order and travel details or speak to your team captain! (Chris B for men, Alexa P for women). 

If you missed out on signing up for the Southerns, or if you want two bites at the apple, it’s not too late to state your availability for the Nationals, which will be, as usual, at Sutton Park on Saturday 5th October – sign up sheet here. Teams are of 6 for the men, with each leg running around 6km and 4 for the women with each leg running 4.3km.

September
12 – Late Summer Club Meet – Ladywell 
14 – National Cross Country Championships – Weston Park
21 – 6/4/3 Southern Stage Road Relays, including Vets (V40/V50/V60) Relay Championships –  Aldershot
28 – Volunteer takeover Peckham parkrun 

October
5 – 6/4/3 National Road Relays – Sutton Coldfield
12 – Surrey League XC – Wimbledon

November
2 – National XC Relays – Mansfield (tbc)
9 – Surrey League XC – tbc
23 – South of Thames Junior XC – West Horsley Place, Guildford
26 – AGM – BHT
 30 – Kent Vets XC Championships – Central Park, Dartford 

December
7 – SEAA Masters XC Championships – Horspath, Oxford (tbc)
14 – Christmas Party – Jubilee Ground, Catford
14 or 21 – South of Thames Senior XC – Sommerhill School, Tonbridge 
 

2025
January 
4 – Kent County XC Championships – Brands Hatch 
11 – Surrey League XC – tbc
25 – Southern XC Champs – Beckenham Place Park

February
8 – Surrey League XC – Epsom
22 – National XC – Parliament Hill

March
30 – 12/6 Stage Road Relay Championships – Milton Keynes

April
12 – 12/6 National Road Relays – Sutton Coldfield
25 – London Marathon

On an unexpectedly warm day that put PBs out of reach for most, over 50 Kent runners took to our local streets for the Big Half. Dame Dibaba, arguably our most improved athlete, was our first runner home, coming 12th of the mass start, 28th overall, in a PB of 70:19. Evergreen Che Compton was 2nd in the V50 category in 75:08, and Andrea and KErsha were top 10 in their age categories. Full report below.

Now to our regular feature – Clare Elms breaks a record. In fact it was 2 this week – on Monday she broke the British VW60 3000m record at Tonbridge with 10:33.34. Then on Saturday at the Vets AC meeting at Tooting she broke the world VW60 1500m record with 4:57.14, taking over 2s off the old mark! We think that’s 3 British records and a world record in August!

Even the timekeepers are happy with Clare’s achievement

On Wednesday a dozen Kent runners ran the Tracksmith 5000m up at Highgate. There were a few PBs, notably Harry Tivnen in 15:28, but also Jeremy Kempke (16:24), Kieran Page (16:32) and Gian Valentini (17:09) Well run all!

Noah Armitage-Hookes ran 15:41 at the Last Friday of the Month event in Battersea Park, and Kent stalwart John Gilbert ran a PB with a stonking 14:30 at the Mid Cheshire 5k.

Don’t forget the Assembly League fixture this week at Beckenham Place Park on Thursday, you should all have received notification of it. It’s an earlier start than usual of 1915, and a little trot from the clubhouse to the start, so don’t be late!

As a matter of essential admin, the AGM will be on Tuesday 26 November at 2030, notification is below, the full agenda will be distributed in a few weeks.

The Christmas Party will be on 14 December at the St Dunstan’s venue in the Jubliee Grounds in Catford. Full details of how to book to come. Save the date!

And Sarah Young wants to remind everybody that we have bobble hats for sale, very handy for the xc season. There are 14 left in stock, £19.20 from the Kent AC shop.

The last vestiges of summer arrived today to play havoc with half marathoners on the streets of SE London. Those who started later had the worst of it as temperatures soared to 25C, with added humidity, but Dame Dibaba started early and finished early, with a storming 70:10 PB run to come 28th man overall, our best Kent result since Owen Hind also came 28th in 2020. Nick Acfield, our 2nd runner home, also ran a PB in 72:21.

Tim looking comfortable

Other notable runs include Che Compton – 2nd V50 in 75:08, Huw Evans 81:06 PB, Luis Huesca Molina 83:13 PB, Harry Massingham 83:38 PB, Lee Davies 83:39 PB, Kersha Scibor 93:04 7th VW45, Andrea Barber 1:40:50 8th VW55 and Miki Jablkowska 2:27:05 2nd VW70

Sarah says Hi

Anybody running a PB in those conditions deserves special credit, but well done to all who ran today!

This is notice of our Annual General Meeting which will be held on Tuesday 26 November at 2030, upstairs at the Blythe Hill Tavern, 319 Stanstead Rd, SE23 1JB
 
Please come along after the track.
Food will be provided!
 
The AGM is a yearly gathering of the club members, primarily to hear reports from committee members about the club’s activities and finances; to appoint the committee and vote on any contested positions; to ask questions to the committee, and express your ideas and concerns. 

If you wish to propose any change to our rules/constitution or a major change to club policy this must be submitted in writing before 30 October. This will enable it to be included in the calling notice to all members and the agenda and all accompanying papers, which will be sent out in early November. 
 
The committee is made up of volunteers and each year every post is up for election.  This year we have the following vacancies

President.  our co-presidents Victoria Buck and Len Reilly stand down after their three year stint: a three year fixed appointment ensuring good governance, good decision making, and that all the club’s members and activities get a fair allocation of resources;  chairing committee.
Membership co-secretary: a job-share role to assist the current incumbent in processing applications and maintaining the membership database.
Track manager: ensuring smooth running of track pass system
Health & safety: ensuring risk assessments both ongoing and for events are appropriate and current and risks mitigated
Juniors co-secretary: to assist Anne Hepple in managing the juniors set-up
Kit manager: to coordinate the ordering and distribution of Kent AC vests and other kit

 
A big thanks to all for their hard work over this and previous years.
 
If you are interested in any of these, or wish to contest any other role, please write to and your mail will go to the incumbent who will happily tell you what their job involves.  If you wish to stand, please let know before 30 October so it can go in the agenda.
 
A big thanks too to those putting their name forward for roles this year.
 
A full list of committee, juniors-sub committee and non-committee posts can be found on our website.
 
Thanks
 Vic and Len

Hard to believe but it’s time to start thinking about the autumn relay season. (The best time of the year). 
This year the Southerns are at Rushmoor Arena at Aldershot on Saturday 21st September and the Nationals are, as usual, at Sutton Park on Saturday 5th October. 

The Southerns has V40, V50 and V60 categories (the Nationals is seniors only). It would be great to have strong representation across all teams if possible. 

Alexa P will be organising the women’s seniors, Chris B will be sorting out the men’s seniors and Jules G will be sorting the vets teams. Sign up sheet. 

Entries close on the 5th September so we’ll be looking to have teams sorted in the next few weeks. If there are any questions, just let one of the captains know.

CLUB CHAMPS 🏆

Entries are now open for our 5000m Club Championships at Ladywell Arena.
Also taking place on this day are the non-championship races for juniors (800m). and a 200m race that is open to all. To enter, you must complete the Google Form, then pay the fee on SumUp (link in form)

This is a UKA licensed race, meaning the results will feature on Power of 10 but we will need volunteers to meet officiating standards. If you can support the club by helping out on race day, please add your name to the sheet. Races will be seeded and all abilities are welcome and encouraged. Enter now!  

September
12 – Club champs 5km 
14 – National Cross Country Championships, Weston Park
21- 6/4/3 Southern Stage Road Relays, Aldershot including Vets (V40/V50/V60) relay champs
28 – Parkrun takeover Peckham 

October
5 – 6/4/3 National Road Relays, Sutton Coldfield
12 – Surrey League xc – Wimbledon

November
9 – Surrey League xc – tbc
23 – South of the Thames Junior xc – Guildford
26 – AGM – BHT
 30 – Kent Vets XC Champs – Central Park Dartford 

December
14 – Christmas party – Jubilee Ground Catford
14 or 21 – South of the Thames Senior xc – Tonbridge

January 2025
4 – Kent County xc championships – Brands Hatch (tbc)
11 – Surrey League xc – tbc
25 – Southern xc – tbc

February
8 – Surrey League xc – tbc
tbc – National xc – tbc

March

April
25 – London Marathon