Kent in a hurry at the Abbey

Please see this week’s update for Kent AC members – 30/11/25–

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KENT AC NEWS BULLETIN
 30 November 2025

There was no big club fixture this weekend, but Kent runners found many races to compete in, mostly on the roads, but also with some xc success.

Kent men (and one woman) sent a strong crew up to Leeds for the Abbey Dash 10k, and came back with a couple of top 10 finishes and several PBs. Noah Armitage-Hookes knocked 2 minutes off his PB to come 8th in 30:16, while Cam Dockerill sliced 16s off his for 9th in 30:23. Nick Acfield was 12th, 4 minutes under his previous time in 30:29. Other finishers included Owen Hind (30:49), Kurt Wilkinson (31.01 PB), Isaac Parker (31:16 PB), Matt Speed (32:12 PB), Kieran Fitzpatrick (37:57) and Molly O’Connor (39:10 PB)

Also on the roads, but closer to home, several runners completed the BMAF 5k championships, with the women doing particularly well – Clare Elms was 1st VW60, Lin Skinner was 3rd VW50 and Karen Samuel was 2nd VW65 in the Southern Counties region. The three of them combined to get a silver in the VW45 category, despite the fact that two of them are over 60!

Over at Horsenden in West London there were the SEAA Masters Cross Country championships – Nicky Hayes and Ronnie Haydon were 2nd and 3rd in the VW60 category while Vic Cartwright was 4th in the VW40 event.

And furthest afield was Pete Lighting, running the Elche/Alicante marathon in 2:46.

Closest of all was the newest addition to the SE London parkrun list – Greenwich Peninsula, on the Thames Path that most of us know very well. 925 runners turned up to the inaugural run yesterday, a dozen of them from Kent (including the first finisher Alex Hamlet) We would suggest waiting a few weeks before trying this one out, until the numbers settle down a bit.

A final reminder that tickets for the Christmas Party next Saturday are still for sale – there will be food, drink, music and fun and games, including the draw for the club’s London Marathon places.

XMAS PARTY TICKETS!

🎄*Kent AC’s Christmas Party*🎄 

We’re only a few weeks away from one of the highlights of the Kent AC calendar.
Get your tickets now for the season’s finest soiree!

Tickets are £15 including an arrival drink and buffet. Plus-ones very welcome.🥂

Purchase your tickets below ⬇️
https://kentac.sumupstore.com

RUNNING WITH HAT-TITUDE

Tis the (XC) season for BIG bobble hats, the essential piece of kit for all that chilly pre-and post-cross country hanging about when the next cup of tea seems very far away.

The hat, and other essential Kent AC merch, is available via the online shop. Message Sarah Young on the WhatsApp group for collection.

EVENT CALENDAR

December
6 – Kent AC Christmas Party – The Honor Oak
20 – South of Thames Senior Champs 7.5 mile XC (including Club XC Champs) – Wimbledon Common

January
10 – Kent County XC – Brands Hatch
10 – Surrey League XC – Mitcham Common
24 – Southern XC – Beckenham Place Park

February
7 – Surrey League XC – Wimbledon Common
21 – National XC – Sedgefield, County Durham

March
29 – Southern 12 Stage Road Relay – Milton Keynes

April
11 – National 12 Stage Road Relay – Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
26 – London Marathon

EASYFUNDRAISING

Please remember to use easyfundraising every time you shop online.
Over 7,000 brands pay easyfundraising a commission when you start your shop through their platform, so you can raise FREE donations for us no matter what you’re buying. These donations really help us out, so please sign up if you haven’t yet. It’s easy and FREE! You can get started at https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/kentac

You can also install a helpful Chrome extension, which prompts you to donate whenever doing any online shopping – really handy

TRACK, TRACK, TRACK

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).

KEEP US UPDATED

You can have your say about what goes in the newsletter and keep us apprised of your results or running adventures by emailing the comms team directly here.

The password for the club contacts page here is .

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