Terra cognita
Terra cognita
Please see this week’s update for Kent AC members – 25/01/26–
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KENT AC NEWS BULLETIN
25 JANUARY 2026
If you’re one of the doughty athletes who stayed close to home this weekend to take part in the Southern Cross Country Championships in Beckenham Place Park, good choice. It was a great day. If your participation took the form of volunteering to course-recce, marshal and support the 80 or so members that ran the eight- or 15-km race: thank you, thank you. Read on for more details.
There were other races this weekend. The always-enjoyable Canterbury 10 attracted a lucky seven Kent AC runners, and three real tough nuts (tough nutters?) skidded on treacherous Cornish clifftop mud for 50 and 100 terrifying miles.
Clare Elms stayed indoors. Not in her PJs with a takeaway, of course, but indoors as in the National Indoor Athletics Centre, Cardiff, where she smashed the indoor world record for 3000m in 10.37.53. She’d been outdoors earlier this week, though, setting a course record at Veterans AC cross-country championships, despite having suffered concussion while weight lifting a few days earlier. There is no stopping this woman.
Looking ahead, as we anticipate bidding farewell to dear old January, who always outstays her welcome, there are some new and exciting dates for the race diary in May and June. They’ll be upon us before we know it.
Please note that membership renewals are available now, and annual or monthly track passes can be purchased as usual from the sumup store.
Also please note that the club has agreed to take on more track time on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1700. The purpose is to expand our junior training capacity owing to high demand, but the track is open to all members at this time.
More on that great day in Beckenham. It was perfect cross country weather on Saturday 24 January. The park had plenty of mud and spike-friendly soft going after a week of rain, but the sun was shining, the team flags fluttered, parakeets swooped and shrieked against the blue sky and Kent AC members turned out in force to volunteer, cheer and run (wonderful work, all).
The day belonged to the Senior Men’s team, and most notably Noah Armitage Hookes, first Kent AC man home and tenth overall after running 15 hilly, gruelling kilometres in 47:10. He was chased by John Gilbert (12th in 47:18, Nick Acfield (47:51) and Nick Torry (48:38). Those efforts, aided and abetted by the rest of the team, earned the men a bronze medal. Fantastic. 
In the women’s race, Amy Clements led Kent AC home and was 17th overall in 29:15; Iona Cousland ran an outstanding race and was 38th in 30:43; Katie Good was 51st in 31:24. The Kent AC Women’s were fifth. 
Kent AC’s younger athletes performed brilliantly, too. Once again Olly Buck ran a blinder and came in 20th in the U20 category. The U13 boys were represented by Jeremy Sharp, Samuel Mashford Thomasson and Otis Atlee. The U13 girls were Bonnie Gale- Sanders and Georgia Fox, the U15 boys were Ed Pearce and Joel Spencer, Daria Gale ran for the U15 girls. In the U17 category the boys were Bert Royle and George Searle and the girls were Tallulah Jones and Alice Hales.
77 Kent AC finishers in all. What a team.
Canterbury 10-mile runners had a successful Sunday morning:
John Gilchrist: 63:12
Tim Church: 63:41
Teresa Murphy: 67.23
Victoria Buck 68:48
Stephen Scobie:71:59
Wayne Flanagan 79:06
Karen Samuel 91:31
Then there was that adventure in Cornwall. Alex Morales and Gian Valentini ran the 50 miles of the South-West Coast Path from the Minack Theatre to Porthtowan that mostly consisted of slippery mud. They were grateful not to do the 100 miler. Adam did the 100 miler and lived to tell this tale:
‘Absolutely shocking…beyond dangerous along the cliff edges between the wind and poor footing (mud and wet rocks)..other organisers would have paused the event.’
We assume a big disclaimer is involved.
No pictures of the resilient Adam, but here are Gian and Alex:
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
May
20 – Beckenham Relays
June
17 – Dulwich Relays
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Buy your track pass here.
The usual track times are:
Tuesday 17:00 – 20:45
Thursday 17:00 – 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.
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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