But there wasn’t much race action this weekend for most of us, just the intrepid few running over mountains in North Wales and round city streets in Germany.

In the Eryri Marathon around Snowdon, Joe Derrett remarkably completed his 11th race around the mountains in 4:06 hours. Ben McGeown ran an excellent 3:21, and our resident ultrarunner Zuzana Nemeckova ran 4:21 in what is for her a short course race. Previous winner and Snowdonia resident Russell Bentley could be seen haring around Dulwich parkrun yesterday in a PB of 15:16.

Over in Germany, we had two runners in the Frankfurt Marathon – Chris Greenwood ran a remarkable 2:26:33, which places him 2nd on the all-time V50 list, and means we have 2nd place in both the V45 (Nick Torry) and V50 marathon lists, both set this year. Gian Valentini ran it in 2:51:28.

Up in Milton Keynes, Dame Dibaba ran a very fast 25:09 in the Wolverton 5 mile race, while Clare Elms broke yet another British VW60 record with 30:44.

And we forgot to mention last week that Alex Yee won the World Triathlon Title to add to his Olympic Gold. We may have some exciting news to come about Alex in the near future!

A reminder that Christmas Party tickets are on sale, see below. And the London Marathon ballot draw will be at the Christmas Party, so if you want to run and have a rejection from the ballot, have run and volunteered for the club, then you can enter the draw. There aren’t many on the list as yet, so a great chance of getting a place!

Don’t forget the AGM next month – 26th November – submit any motions or requests to stand for a committee post by 30th October.

If you are looking for a race to sign up to in November, then look no further than Southwark Athletics Club, who are hosting 1200m and 1 mile races on Thursday 7th November.

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

November
2 – National XC Relays – Mansfield 
9 – Surrey League XC – Beckenham Place Park
23 – South of Thames Junior XC – West Horsley Place, Guildford
26 – AGM – Blythe Hill Tavern
 30 – Kent Vets XC Championships – Central Park, Dartford 

December
7 – SEAA Masters XC Championships – Horspath, Oxford (tbc)
14 – Christmas Party – St Dunstan’s Jubilee Ground, Catford
21 – South of Thames Senior XC – Somerhill 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

If you are looking for a race to sign up to in November, then look no further than Southwark Athletics Club, who are hosting 1200m and 1 mile races on Thursday 7th November.

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

November
2 – National XC Relays – Mansfield 
9 – Surrey League XC – Beckenham Place Park
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 – St Dunstan’s 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

Eight volunteers are needed to help at the next Surrey League fixture, which we’re hosting at Beckenham Place Park on Saturday 9th November. If you’re free for a few of hours from
13:15pm – 16:00pm and can volunteer at the finish line to note down runners/times, please contact or message Phil Marsden on WhatsApp.

Long sleeved tops and gloves are back in the running pile but did you know we have Kent AC bobble hats available on our online shop? Each hat is £19.20 and there are currently 13 remaining, so grab yours now!

Our models

Read on to catch up on all the results and for a full race report from our cross country captains.
 

If you are looking for a race to sign up to in November, then look no further than Southwark Athletics Club, who are hosting 1200m and 1 mile races on Thursday 7th November.

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

November
2 – National XC Relays – Mansfield 
9 – Surrey League XC – Beckenham Place Park
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 – St Dunstan’s 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

THE NATIONAL ROAD RELAYS
RACE REPORT

First up, pictured above, the under-15 girls, Tallulah Jones, Alice Hales and Claudia Rigby, who finished 48th in the relays. This is the first time Kent AC have been able to field a team of talented junior females at this competition. Thank you to Claudia, who is a sprint hurdler but bravely took on this challenge to make up the strong team. 

Next up, the senior females, and the team comprising (from left) Victoria Buck, Alexa Parker, Clare Elms and Amy Clements, which finished in 30th place.
This was an incredible achievement, not least because Victoria Buck didn’t even know she was going to race until 8 o’clock that morning: the following report from our woman on the course explains all:
“As ever for the National Road Relays, it was a glorious day of sunshine and top-tier racing in Birmingham. For the women, the day started with some uncertainty after a last-minute drop out on the morning. However, our selfless and esteemed president Vic Buck stepped in to save the day, helping the team make the top 30 against some very strong competition this year.
Vic took on the notoriously speedy first leg and held her own against the fastest of the fast, coming home nearly 1m30s quicker than her performance last year (when once again she stepped in to save the B team from incompleteness despite having a broken arm). Alexa took on the second leg, and despite being rather disappointed with her time this year, managed to take 23 places to bring the team up into the 40s. The famous Clare Elms took some time off from breaking world records on the track to run a solid 3rd leg before passing onto powerhouse Amy Clements to bring it home for the team in the 35th fastest time of the day (out of 275). Amy, Vic and Clare also recorded the fastest V40, V50 and V55 times of the day demonstrating the true prowess of the Kent AC ladies squad. A great day had by all and looking forward to the next road racing season in Spring 2025. 
Well done those women!

As for the men, our crack team of Rob Sesemann, Owen Hind, Dame Dibaba, Joes English, Joe Hartley and Isaac partner earned their best team result ever, finishing in 20th place.
Here’s a full report from Chris Busaileh:
“Kent AC’s senior men came an impressive 20th at the National 6 stage relays at Sutton Coldfield on Saturday.
Rob Sesemann kicked off things off on the ultra competitive leg 1, bringing us back in 25th in a very quick time of 17.51. That’s a big improvement on his time from last year. 
A resurgent Owen Hind then set about bringing us up through the field. He did so brilliantly, taking back 8 places with a scorching 17.30, his quickest time on this course reminding everyone what he can do when fit. 
Dame, who had performed so well at Aldershot, then took over on 3rd leg. Badly hampered with a back injury, he was disappointed not to have run faster although his 18.29 was still very creditable and kept the team in 17th.
On leg 4, young Joe English showed no ill effects from freshers week at Bristol Uni and stormed round in 18.14, hinting at his great potential. That time was one of the quickest of anyone under 20 and bodes well for the upcoming Euro XC trials in Liverpool.
The experienced Joe Hartley then took over on the 5th leg. Joe ran a well judged leg to bring us up a further position to 15th with an 18.49.
That left Isaac Parker, a late call up to the team, at the sharp end of the race facing some really quick athletes. Isaac held his nerve and stepped up impressively, passing through 5k close to his lifetime pb (anyone who’s run round that course will understand how difficult that is) to bring home in 20th with a 19.05. 

That represented a big improvement on our 27th and 28th in the previous 2 years and, with the quality of the athletes still to come into the team, demonstrates our strength in depth. It certainly bodes well for the 12 stage in the spring.” 

James Leech from Peckham Street-O has contacted the club to promote the next event being organised by South London Orienteers, taking place this Tuesday 8 October. This event kicks off their 2024/25 Street-O series, which this week starts at the Montpelier pub in Peckham. The aim is to get to as many checkpoints as possible within one hour (you can start any time between 18;15 and 19.30). Participants have a drink and compare routes in the pub afterwards. Solos, pairs and groups all welcome. You can sign up, and find out more, here

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
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