We had joy, we had fun, we had sessions in the sun!
We had joy, we had fun, we had sessions in the sun!
Kent AC Newsletter 13 July 2026–
͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ –[if (gte mso 9)|(IE)]> [endif]–>View this email in your browser
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[endif]–>–[if (gte mso 9)|(IE)]> [endif]–>KENT AC NEWSLETTER
13 JULY 2026
We have a bumper newsletter for you today, with more detailed results from the Assembly League, full results from the Ron Hale Open, plus a number of other races.
Highlights of the week were two runs by Harry Forman Wilshaw in the 800m. Last week at the England Athletic Championships in Bedford he came 4th in the final, running 1:56.59. Then on Saturday at Watford he ran 1:48.51 to win his heat and set a new club record, beating a time set by Jermaine Mays, also at Watford, in 2012! Harry continues to show great improvement, and aged only 21, there’s still more to come!
On Thursday night at the Tracksmith 5000m Open event in Stratford, a number of Kent athletes ran well – of those, the highlights were Kurt WIlkinson running a PB of 14:35, Dave Morgan in 16:00, and Che Compton ran 16:21, winning his race and his age category (VM50)
On Wednesday we participated in the first ever Dino Dash – a fun relay held in Crystal Palace Park, which was sadly not competed for in dinosaur outfits. Jake Simmonds reports below.
On Friday, Alex Yee ran the 5000m in the Diamond League in Monaco. While the conditions were tough and the pace exceeded his current level, he regarded it as another experience worth trying as he builds towards defending his Olympic title in 2028.
The Event Calendar down below has been updated with 26/27 cross country fixtures as we currently have them – there’s a few TBCs in the listing, but make a note of the dates and we’ll update you as we get into autumn.
Please note that the social run planmned for this Wednesday has been cancelled due to a clash with the England match meaning the designated bar is fully booked.
Next Sunday we have the 3rd SAL fixture of the season, in Cambridge. A signup sheet is being circulated on Whatsapp for those who wish to join the team here, plus travel instructions – all are welcome.
Finally, we’re introducing a new regular feature – in the cause of transparency, we have a brief summary of decisions taken at the most recent Committee meeting.
RON HALE OPEN
Last Sunday under blazing sun at the Alex Yee Arena, KAC held its second open event of the year. There were events for all ages and several distances, plus two in the field, many PBs were gained, and one age category world record.
Photos of the event by Laurie Oliver here.
Winners below, with all results by KAC athletes:
75m hurdles – U12 Girls
1st Peggy Murphy Tormey (S Factor) 16.49 PB
2nd Clara Delogu (KAC) 17.27 PB
75m hurdles – U12 Boys
1st Jack Lee-Roberts (KAC) 18.08 PB
2nd Matthew Mackintosh (KAC) 18.27 PB
75m hurdles – U14 Girls
1st Faye Yeomans (B&B) 12.54 PB
2nd Evie Atanda (KAC) 12.64 PB
80m hurdles – U14 Boys
1st Freddie Mooney (B&B) 12.47
3rd Otis Atlee (KAC) 13.89 PB
80m hurdles – U16 Girls
1st Isabella Stephenson (S Factor) 12.84
100m hurdles – U16 Boys
1st Mack Atanda (KAC) 15.64
2nd Elyjah Abdoulaye (KAC) 16.49 PB
100m hurdles – Women
1st Isabelle Walton (Southwark) 15.15
100m – Women
1st Folakemi Osundairo (BornReady) 12.32 PB
6th Phoebe Hall (1st U14) (KAC) 13.
8th Evie Atanda (U14) (KAC) 14.14
13th Lealaurel Goode (U14) (KAC) 14.92
100m – Men
1st David Obiezi (U18) (Southwark) 11.03 PB
3rd Derek Olewunne (U18) (KAC) 11.38
8th Olaoluwa Oladipo (U16) (KAC) 11.69
10th Zy’shae Brown Thomas (U16) (KAC) 11.72
14th Vwegba Fyodoro-Okiti (U16) (KAC) 11.87
16th Premal Vadgama (KAC) 12.06 PB
18th Oghenekevwe Makelemi (U16) (KAC) 12.13
20th Leslie Lartey (KAC) 12.22
21st Lyros Olewunne (U18) (KAC) 12.23
24th Otis Atlee (U14) (KAC) 12.89
26th Malik Miller (U16) (KAC) 13.06
27th Vwede Fyodoro-Okiti (U14) (KAC) 13.19
28th Matthew Egling (U14) (KAC) 13.48
32nd Samuel Sharp (U12) (KAC) 18.51 PB
300m – Boys
1st Olaoluwa Oladipo (KAC) 38.67 PB
2nd Reuben Smith (KAC) 39.45
4th Otis Atlee (KAC) 41.75 PB
5th Oghenekevwe Makelemi (KAC) 41.97 PB
7th Jeremy Sharp (KAC) 44.75 PB
300m – Girls
1st Gabriela Adejumo (KAC) 43.65 PB
3rd Zoe Folarin (KAC) 44.50 PB
5th Lily O’Gorman (KAC) 46.58 PB
6th Shekinah Acheampong (KAC) 46.80
400m – Men
1st Theo Gaymes (KAC) 50.52 PB
5th Louis Holley (KAC) 54.43
8th Robin Clarke (KAC) 58.62
400m – Women
1st Temi Okuwobi (Herne Hill) 1:00.81
4th Abigail Bepat (KAC) 1:08.78 PB
3000m – Men
1st Andrew Barrington (KAC) 8:52.31
2nd Joe Hartley (KAC) 8:53.63 PB
3rd Jim Allchin (KAC) 8:55.69
4th Dame Dibaba (KAC) 9:01.00 PB
5th Dan Pettitt (KAC) 9:19.60
6th Calum Fraser (KAC) 9:20.99
7th Matteo Gala (KAC) 9:24.02
8th Bert Royle (KAC) 9:25.36
9th Che Compton (KAC) 9:30.90 PB
10th Samuel Dames (KAC) 9:47.43
13th Ian Ellwood (KAC) 9:58.59
15th Michael Gibson (KAC) 10:23.62 PB
17th Richard Giles (KAC) 10:27.79 PB
19th James Dowell (KAC) 10:55.48 PB
20th Samuel Wilcock (KAC) 10:56.35 PB
21st Rupert Bedford (KAC) 11:05.16
22nd Edward Pearce (KAC) 11:09.31
25th Paul McCrone (KAC) 12:12.92 PB
3000m – Women
1st Amelia Pettitt (KAC) 10:20.26
2nd Clare Elms (KAC) 10:28.76 (VW60 WR)
5th Teresa Murphy (KAC) 11:22.10
6th Daria Gilmore 12:03.78 PB
Long Jump – Women
1st Charlotte Campion (Swansea) 5.44m
2nd Gabriella Adejumo (U18) (KAC) 5.28m
Long Jump – Girls
1st Shekinah Acheampong (U16) (KAC) 4.83m
2nd Amalya Hunte (U16) (KAC) 4.52m
3rd Zoe Folarin (U16) (KAC) 4.45m
4th Evie Atanda (U14) (KAC) 4.12m
5th Claudia Rigby (U16) (KAC) 4.07m
Long Jump – Men
1st Jack Jones (Cambridge H) 6.61m
Long Jump – Boys
1st Otis Atlee (U14) (KAC) 4.42m
2nd Matthew Egling (U14) (KAC) 4.14m
5th Jeremy Sharp (U14) (KAC) 3.75m
6th Harvey-Maleek Francis-Deriggs (U16) (KAC) 3.73m
7th Samuel Sharp (U12) (KAC) 2.70m
High Jump – Men
1st Alfie Hughes (U18) (Swale) 1.82m PB
5th Elyjah Abdoulaye (KAC) 1.55m PB
7th James Bowler (KAC) 1.45m
–SUTCLIFFE ASSEMBLE!
As is usual with the Assembly League, it takes a few days for the full results to be compiled and corrected, so as an update we have them here, with some action pics.
We had over 40 runners out, and managed to win both A and B categories for men and women. Calum Fraser, Joe Vis and Matt Speed were clustered together in 5th, 6th and 7th as our lead runners home, with Amelia Pettitt winning the women’s category, Alexa Parker and Aisling Ahern backing her up.
We also had age category wins for Dave Morgan (VM40), Che Compton (VM50), Lin Skinner (VW50), Jules Gevers (VM55), Roger Beardsworth (VM65) and Miki Jablkowska (VW70)
Full results available here.
Well done to everybody who competed, and we look forward to seeing you at the next race, in Victoria Park on Thursday 30 July.
DINO DASH
Wednesday 8th July saw Kent AC compete in the first ever Dino Dashers Relays in the club’s history. Teams of three started and finished at the famous Crystal Palace Athletics Track, with each runner completing a 3.5km leg.
Kent AC’s Leg 1 trio consisted of Joe Vis, Sam Wilcock and Sally Urquhart. Joe came home in 2nd place, opening up a gap to 3rd. Sam and Sally also ran excellent first legs in the heat.
Leg 2 saw Jake Simmonds set off in 2nd place with a comfortable gap to 3rd. Jake held onto 2nd, handing over to John Gilchrist. Club President Jules Gevers ran a brilliant second leg for the Men’s B team, giving Adrian Lobb something to chase. Suze Spalding showed true Kent AC spirit, powering through the demanding 3.5km hilly course in the heat.
John Gilchrist battled hard on Leg 3 to hold onto a medal position, bringing the Men’s A team home to a fantastic bronze medal in their first Dino Dash outing. Adrian Lobb also ran a brilliant final leg, helping the Men’s B team finish 6th overall.
With only around six minutes to complete a quick bib change and get back to the start line, team captain and club legend Jake Simmonds stepped in to run Leg 3 for the Mixed team. Taking over from Suze, Jake battled hard, passing as many runners as possible to bring the team closer to the podium.
Our very own Claire Oxlade also raced on Wednesday at the Dino Dash, running Leg 1 for the Oxlade Family team.
Team Results
Men’s A Team – 3rd Place 🥉
Men’s B Team – 6th Place (4th All-Male Team)
Mixed A Team – 18th Place (7th in the Mixed Team category)
COMMITTEE MEETING
A brief summary of topics discussed and decided upon in the last committee meeting (6 July)
1) The Committee agreed to buy a new more lightweight branded gazebo for use at events. Budget up to £700.
2) It was noted that there have been some javelin coaching sessions without a proper marked off area. The Committee noted that poles and tape have been purchased for marking off throws areas, and that there should be a firm commitment to throws safety at KAC.
3) Lewisham Council & GLL plan to relay the track in 2027, which will require a closing of the arena for several weeks. We do not as yet have the dates or duration of the relay, but will monitor the situation and may investigate other facilities for track training if necessary.
4) The AGM date was set for 17 November.
5) The next Committee meeting will be on 7 September.
EVENT CALENDAR
July
19 – SAL – Cambridge
25 – Beckenham parkrun takeover
28 – Post track social
30 – Assembly League – Victoria Park
August
8 – SAL – Dartford
12 – Social run
23 – KYAL – U12 – Tonbridge
25 – Post track social
September
3 – Assembly League – Beckenham Place Park
10 – Late Summer Meet – Alex Yee Arena
29 – Post-track Social
October
10 – Surrey League xc – Wimbledon
November
14 – Surrey League xc – BPP
17 – AGM – Blythe Hill Tavern
TBC – South of the Thames Junior xc – TBC
28 – SEAA Masters xc – TBC
December
TBC – Kent Vets xc – Dartford
TBC – South of the Thames Senior xc – TBC
January 2027
TBC – Kent County xc – TBC
16 – Surrey League – Guildford
30 – Southern xc Champiosnhips – BPP
February
13 – Surrey League – TBC
TRACK! TRACK! TRACK!
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).
KEEP US INFORMED
You can have your say about what goes in the newsletter and keep us appraised of your results or running adventures by emailing the comms team directly here.
The password for the club contacts page hereis .
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