Sutcliffe Summer SAL
Sutcliffe Summer SAL
Please see this week’s update for Kent AC members – 31/08/25–
KENT AC NEWS BULLETIN
31 August 2025
The end of summer is approaching, which signals the end of the track season – yesterday we had the final SAL of the season, in a fixture helpfully rearranged from distant Basildon to local Eltham – Sutcliffe Park, where we’d already attended a SAL fixture this season, and which is so convenient we hoped for a strong turnout of our best athletes. Unfortunately holdays (and weddings) deprived us of some talent, but we were still there in numbers against strong opposition, and performed well enough to finish the season in the top half of the table, we believe. Full report below.
There is at least one more track fixture remaining – the 5000m championships at Ladywell on Thursday September 11th. We encourage everybody to enter, races are seeded, and we’d like to put on as many as we can. There are also 800m (juniors) and 200m races. Enter here.
We have a couple of results from midweek – several Kent runners did the Tracksmith 5000 at Highgate, the highlights being Matt Speed (15:41) and Neil Phillips (15:49 PB), and Cam Dockerill won the Herts County 5k Road Champs in a course record 15:06.
Next week is the Big Half and it looks like we may have a record turnout from Kent, over 100 runners. Good luck if you’re running, if not then do try to make it down to the course to cheer on the Kent shirts (and get some pics for our socials!), and there will be drinks and chat afterwards in SALT Deptford from 12pm.
We have a curious feature down below – we received, anonymously, a photograph of a victorious Kent AC team from 1907. Len Reilly, our records secretary, has done some research to find out the history and context of the photo.
Don’t forget the Assembly League at Beckenham Place Park this Thursday – Richard will send round the details later this week, but do note the earlier start of 1910, due to the time of year, so please get to the clubhouse sufficiently early to pick up your number then get to the start, which is 10 minutes away. It’s the last race of the season, and our local one, so let’s have a big turnout!
Finally, our last track social of the year will be after the session on Tuesday. Do turn up to meet and chat with other club members.
The final Southern Athletics League match of the season took place in Eltham on Saturday. Over the past few seasons it has been a challenge for Kent to pull together a team for the August match and, whilst this was once again the case, those that turned out dug deep to produce a very creditable team performance. Kent were fourth out of six on the day but were not competing against Cambridge Harriers so this gets rounded up to third out of five when it comes to league points. This should be sufficient to secure our highest ever league position (probably 6th or 7th out of 18). There were many notable performances on the day, a few are highlighted below.
Firstly, English Schools high jumper, Phoebe Folarin pulled off a SAL grand slam with her 4th straight A String win, clearing 1.53m. This was our only A string win on the day. There were also B String wins for Calum Fraser in the 3000m, James Bowler in the pole vault and Lin Skinner in the 1500m.
In terms of other notable individual performances, Jim Allchin showed his recovery from illness is now well and truly on track with an impressive sub-9 minute 3000m to finish 3rd against high quality competition. Joe Appiah leapt 6.15m in the long jump which, incredibly, was only enough to finish 4th. Alice Hales again looked a natural over the steeplechase barriers, running 5:48 to finish 3rd in the 1500m SC. Olly Buck ran an impressive double with 3rd place in the 1500m in 4:13 followed by 3rd place in the 2000m steeplechase in 6:45. It was also great to see how well Theo Gaymes has improved at Loughborough University with him running a smart race to finish 2nd in the 800m in 2:02.
There were also vital contributions from our multi-eventers with Alex Harris competing in 9 events, James Bowler in 6, Stan FW in 5, Calum Fraser in 5, Vic Buck in 5 and Jo Mott in 5.
In addition, a shout out must go to our loyal team of officials: Pete Boxshall, Jacqueline Francis, Len Reilly, Phil Marsden, Kehinde Dauda and Laura Seabright.
At the AGM all committe posts are open to election. If you’re interested in a role then please contact the President or Secretary to find out more information. Email addresses can be found here here or email for further information.
In particular, we have vacancies for the Club Secretary and Coaching Secretary. If you have the interest and time available for either of these roles, please do conact us for a job description and to discuss it with the current incumbents.
Our fourth open meet of the summer will be on Thursday 11th September.
The events taking place are:
200m (11+)
800m (Juniors only, U11 to U17)
5000m (U17+)
There will be prizes in the form of SOAR vouchers for the first 3 finishers in the 5000m, for men and women. All races will be seeded, there will be photo finish and results will be on Power of 10.
If you’re available on the day, we will need volunteers to help out – please contact Rich Giles.
This was the club’s first victory and stayed as such for another 108 years. The 1907 victory was a close one, our 97 points to Cambridge’s 98. We also had the individual winner, J Keywood and third placer, J Satch. It was 97 years until we had another individual winner, Jermaine Mays in 2004. The 1907 event had been held somewhere in Bromley over seven miles, with a winning time of 42 minutes.
The photo doesn’t give names, but other photos we have from 1913 and 1920 do, and so it’s possible to identify A Elliot in civvies (and oven gloves) back left, Keywood front left and Satch front right. Keywood had been an active member for a few years before and continued into the 1920s. Satch had previously placed second in the SoT and won our club championships leading up to the war, but isn’t heard of thereafter. The club kit is of interest: utterly uniform (shorts too); pristine, perhaps ceremonial rather than for use in competition; however white isn’t such a surprise as other images from around then show the same.
The trophy is the one still in use: the Sir Thomas Dewar challenge shield – Dewar of whisky renown. It was donated to the association in 1905 so was virtually box fresh.
The SoT as an association was established in 1888. It was originally south London only and its affiliates were minor clubs, such as ours, made up of aspiring athletes of lower social status, excluded by the socially superior and longer-established outfits such as Thames Hare and Hounds and Blackheath. It ran one championship until 1910 when the so called junior, (by standard) event was introduced. Women’s championships didn’t start until 2001. The association expanded geographically and socially and today ranges as far east as Ashford and west as Bournemouth.
The photo came by post sent to the track, but with no clue as to the sender, so if they are reading this on our website, many thanks indeed.
September
2 – Track Social
4 – Assembly League – Beckenham Place Park
7 – Big Half – London
11 – Late Summer Meet
20 – SEAA 6/4/3 Stage Road Relays – Aldershot
October
4 – ERRA 6/4 Stage Relays at Sutton Park
11 – Surrey League CC – Hurst Green
November
15 – Surrey League CC – Beckenham Place Park
22 – South of Thames 5 Mile xc
22 – Kent County Vets CC – TBC
22 – Kent County Vets CC – Central Park, Dartford
29 – SEAA Masters CC – Horseden Hill, Greenford
December
20 – South of Thames Senior Champs 7.5 mile xc (including Club CC Champs) – Wimledon Common
January
10 – Kent County CC – Brands Hatch
10 – Surrey League CC – Mitcham Common
24 – Southern CC – Beckenham Place Park
February
7 – Surrey League CC – Wimbledon Common
21 – National CC – Sedgefield, County Durham
March
29 – Southern 12 Stage Road Relay – Milton Keynes
April
29 – National 12 Stage Road Relay – Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
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Buy your track pass here.
The usual track times are:
Tuesday 17:30 – 20:45
Thursday 18:00 – 20:30
Sunday 09:00 – 11:30
Please note that individuals are permitted to do their own sessions during club opening times, but coached group sessions continue to take priority.
Track Pass – Juniors
Please purchase your £6.50 junior monthly track pass in advance here. When purchasing the track pass can parents/guardians please enter the athlete’s name when completing the transaction.
Please see a helpful FAQs guide here
The Alex Yee Arena has opening hours dedicated to the public. While during these times the Kent AC track pass is not valid, members can pay for an individual session.
Session times are:
Monday: 07:00 -15:00
Tuesday – Thursday: 1300 -1700
Friday: 07:00 – 15:00
Saturday – Sunday: 09:00-15:00
Price:
Adult resident: £2.70
Adult non resident: £3.00
Junior (U16): £1.30
The Kent AC track pass continues to be required for training on Tues/Thurs evenings and Sunday mornings.
Track staff have encouraged people to double check the opening hours before their training session, as they may occasionally be closed for school sport days and football friendlies. Hours can be checked here. This will likely suit members who can’t make training sessions but would like to train in the morning/lunchtime/evening.
Pay as you go fees can either be paid via cash to the desk or using the Better app (note: staff are working to add the sessions to the app).
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