South London Harriers

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Clubhouse Improvement Project

Many members will know that our Clubhouse HQ in Coulsdon has been suffering from a number of leaks in the roof, which is now over 100 years old and in desperate need of replacement. We have received various quotes, which are too much for the club's finances to handle alone. Therefore we have launched a Crowd Funding bid to try and raise the money towards this project. At the same time we will install insulation and lighting and heating switches to save on our energy use.

We have also been receiving complaints from our users and members about the kitchen, and this something else we would love to replace not only for our events and users, but also our upcoming 150th Anniversary Celebrations. This work can’t be done until the roof has been replaced.

The Crowd funding process works by getting between 100 and 150 pledges from members or local people in the area. Once we reach this target, it feeds into the larger funders such as the Mayor’s Fund or GLL who look at projects on the Spacehive platform to check out projects that are wanted by the local community. If they see lots of pledges, they may pledge themselves. They have funding that can go towards Community projects.

We are therefore now asking members to publicise this project as much as possible and make a pledge to the project. This doesn’t have to be a large amount (as little as £2), as numbers are the most important thing. We need to hit a target of 100 to 150 pledges to attract the larger backers.

Please click on the image below to look at the project in more detail, and make a pledge.

It works like PayPal or Just Giving, through a process called Go Cardless, however nothing is taken from your account unless the full target amount is reached.

The decision as to whether we will be considered for funding will be made after 17th June 2019.

News

WEEKEND NEWS

It has been a busy few days for the club members. At the Surrey County Athletics Combined Events championship at David Weir Leisure Centre, Carshalton on Sunday Gabriella Thoburn won the U15 girls event taking the gold medal. Her long jump was 4.60m, 75m hurdles 13.35, shot 7.33m, high jump 1.59m and 800m 2.40 giving her a total points score of 2647. On Saturday at the same venue Simon Manning won the Surrey County steeplechase championship taking gold running 10.51.50.

At the SEAA U15 and U20 championships at Oxford on Saturday Gabriella was 4th in the U15 girls high jump with 1.55m. In the combined events the following day Gabriella managed 1.59m this is certainly a busy young athlete! Deji Bello ran very well to make the final of the U15 boys 100m where he finished 8th in 11.88. Joanna Barnaby was 5th in the U20 ladies shot with 9.30m and 6th in the discus with 34.13m.

We held a very successful night of 1500m and 5000m races at Track Coulsdon on Wednesday evening. The event started with a 1500m and Tom Harmer U13 won the race in 4.43.20 a very good personal best. Amy Billups was 5th in 5.00.12. In a very competitive second 1500m with the field comprising some very good athletes the race was won by Arlo Ludewick U20m from Herne Hill Harriers in 4.03.81, followed home by Felix Vaughan who ran 4.05.51 just outside his seasons best, and then Pat Canavan who ran 4.14.65. The first 5000m race was very competitive and the race at the front very close with George Tovey challenging for a win. He eventually finished 4th running 18.43.11. It was good to see Paul Ramsier who finished 6th and Laura Taylor who finished 7th breaking the 20 minute barrier. The second 5000m race was equally competitive and Rob Knight did his best to win but in the end finished 2nd in 16.52.35 a very good performance. Mary James ran very well to finish 15th in 17.50.78 and was the fastest lady on the night. The last race was really exciting. Edward Chuck took the lead and led going into the last lap. However, in a really fast finish Paul Prothero caught him and went on to win in 15.16.76, what a finish! Alix Ramsier ran very well for 4th in 15.37.96 Ollie Garod 5th in 15.39.45 and James Lyne was delighted to finish 6th in 15.51.12 to break the 16minute barrier.

Well done to all who ran on the evening it was great to see some good competition at Track Coulsdon.

Lily B Plate Final

There were some excellent performaces and great team work at Kingsmeadow Athletic Track on Saturday 31st August when our girls team won the Plate final of the Lily B league. It was tight for a while with the lead fluctuating between us and Sutton and District, but because of our great team work we eventually pulled away and won by over 20 points from Sutton, Holland Sport, Hercules Wimbledon, Dorking and Mole Valley and Reigate. Well done the girls

SAL Meeting 5 Basingstoke

On a blustery day (17th August) we put in another good performance beating old rivals Croydon and ending up 2nd and finishing 10th in the division overall. Richard Morris and Simon Manning gave us a great start, again winning both the A & B 400 hurdles with Richard unbeaten in the league this season and with his new PB of 55.53 rated the best track performance of the day. The flat 400 saw a good race with Richard 2nd and Simon 4th.                                        Peter Shodipe and Simon, once again helping out due to late withdrawals, then both came 3rd in the 100m races. Peter and Emmanuel Crouch repeating that in the 200. Gary Laybourn and Joe Lyne then both came 4th in the 800 races. James Lyne and Bill Casserley were both 3rd in the respective 1500 races with Billy achieving a new PB of 4.27.08. A strong 5000m showing saw us win both races with Ollie Garrod and Paul Prothero in excellent times of 15.30.21 & 15.41.66 respectively and a non-scoring Gary Laybourne set a new PB of 15.56.22. Finally, in the 2000m steeplechase Joe Lyne and Eddy Lambert were both 2nd in the A & B races with respective PB's of 7.02.87 and 8.07.62.  We had no Tom Bullen in the throws for the first time this season but Nathan Fergus won the A shot (impressively unbeaten all season), was 3rd in A discus and 2nd in B hammer, with Ben Myburgh 2nd in the A. Simon was 4th in B Discus, 3rd in Shot and 3rd in a competitive A javelin (whilst running between the pole vault and 110 hurdles - probably should be an event in itself) with Richard 3rd in B javelin. In the jumps we had 3rds throughout with Peter Shodipe and Darren Browne in the long and Darren and Simon in the high and and Ben (PB 7.47) in the triple jump. Simon also picked up 4th in a very strong pole vault.                                                                                                                                  For the women Mary James battled to 3rd in the A 400 hurdles, but we had no entrants in any of the other hurdle races. Megan French had another busy and exhausting day in the wind coming 2nd,3rd and 3rd respectively in the 100, 400 and 200. This backed up by Jade Brown coming 1st in the 100 in another new PB of 13.38 and 3rd in 200 with Amy Billups 1st in B 400 (with a fine 60.21). In the 800 Amy Billups & Victoria Radcliffe both won in PB’s of 2.19.97 and 2.30.32 respectively. Katie Mooney then came 3rd in 1500 and Vicky 2nd. In the 3000 we won both A&B races with Mary James and Laura Taylor. The same duo also came 3rd in the A & B steeplechase with Laura’s a PB of 9.03.92. Tess Billups as non-scorer also ran an impressive PB of 8.14.95. In the field a busy Joanna Barnaby was 1st in A Discus, 2nd in A shot, 3rd in B javelin and 2nd. In the B Hammer. An equally busy Frankie Evans taking 1st in A hammer (with a PB of 33.50) and B discus and 2nd in B shot, with 3rd in B Javelin. In the jumps a welcome back to Anna Given who won the A high jump and got and 3rd in Triple jump. This backed by Jade Brown with 3rds and PB's (1.25 & 4.22) in both jumps.                                                                                Finally, we came 2nd in both the women’s and men’s 4x100 relays and 2nd & 4th in the women’s and men’s 4x400. Other non-scoring PB’s came from Emmanuel in the 100m (12.25), Alex in 2000 steeplechase (7.43.73), Eddie in 1500 in 4.49.93 and Laura in high jump                                                      

 So that ends another season with the club in a credible 12th overall (out of 16), although with same points as 2018 when we finished 10th. Indeed, after quite a few gaps earlier in the season we finished strongly and showed what we can do when we put a strong team out. Thanks, and well done to all those who competed, including the debutants and those who improved their PB’s throughout the year. Also, to those willing to try new events and to Simon’s multiple efforts. Finally let’s hope we can be even more competitive next year.

August news

Some good performances at the South of England  U13/U15/U17 Track and Field Championships over the weekend at the Julie Rose Stadium Ashford.

Gabriella Thoburn won a silver medal in the U15 girls high jump with a jump of 1.60m.

Tom Harmer ran a huge personal best in the final of the U13 boys 800m finishing 3rd and taking the bronze medal in 2.17.61. Mason Owusu-Dellimore reached the final of both the U15 boys 100m and 200m finishing 7th in the 100m in 12.19 and 5th in the 200m in 23.93. Deji Bello also reached the final of the U15 boys 200m and finished 6th in 24.11. Felix Vaughan was 5th in the final of the U17 boys 1500m running 4.15.88 and Conrad Norman was 9th in the final of the U15 boys 1500m running 4.34.18.

There were some excellent performances by our seniors in the final Southern Athletic League fixture of the season and the team finished 2nd behind the hosts Basingstoke. 

SAL Meeting 4. 13th July Kingsmeadow

Graham Morris reports:

We had a strong turnout for the 4th Southern League match of the season which saw us winning a match for the first time at this level and giving us a fighting chance of avoiding relegation. Compared to recent matches we achieved far more wins and PB’s and were competitive in virtually every event so well done to all.                                                   

Again, a good cross section of ages with several athletes making their debut. In good weather conditions we started with another double win in the 400m hurdles with Richard Morris clearly winning the A Race and Simon Manning the B with a storming finish (and uk ranking time). Simon then got another win in the B 110 hurdles with Richard 2nd in the A. The flat 400 saw another double win with Richard in the A and Gon Declercq in the B. The returning Peter Shodipe then equalled his PB in winning the 100 in the A race and Simon nobly helping out again by coming second in the B. In the 200 Peter came 3rd and newcomer Tyrell Medley having already impressed in a non-scoring 100 had a great win in the B race (23.4). Moving up the distances we had an excellent debut from Felix Vaughan in coming second in the 800 A in a PB of 2.009 (so very close to breaking 2m and a great result) and Owen Waite making his debut coming 4th in the B race. Further new debutants the Harrison twins then came 4th & 3rd in the A&B 1500 both in PB’s (4.196 and 4.236). Joe Croft impressively won the 3000 A with Billy Casserley 2nd in B.

A good performance from all our male throwers with Tom Bullen possibly the pick in winning the A discus, 2nd’s in A shot and B javelin and 3rd in B hammer. Nathan Fergus backed this up by winning the B discus and 2nd in the B shot with Ben Myburgh 3rd in the A Hammer. In the jumps we had several debutants alongside the usual stalwarts.  Leo Neiro made his senior debut in winning the A long jump in a new PB of 5.89. with Darren Brown repeating that position in the B event. Darren also took 3rd in A triple jump, with Simon Manning adding to his points with 2nd’s in B triple and high jumps and 4th in A pole vault. Marcus Romilly also 4th in B in a Pb of 1.95m                                                                                                                       

 For the women  Megan French had another busy day on the track suffering a split decision in the the 100 A that placed her 2nd and then getting 3rds in both the 200 and a competitive 400 A. April James Welch repeating this in the B. Jade Brown ran two PB’s in coming 2nd in the 100 (13.6) & 3rd in the 200(28) and Rami Wedderburn got PB’s in the nonscoring 100 and 200 (in 14.0 and 29.3). Abigai Kingston came 3rd in the A 400m hurdles, with Lyn Skinner 3rd in the B race despite trying to destroy one of the hurdles on the way round. In the 800 April James Welch came 3rd in the A race with Jo Vickers 2nd in the B. We then had double firsts in the 1500 with Amy Billip (PB 55.4) and Katie Mooney. In the 5000 1st & 2nd and two further PB’s for Wendy James (17.48.4) and Sophie Wiles (21.44) in the respective A & B events. Mary and Lyn also got 1st & 2nd in the steeplechase despite April needing to stop to tie a shoelace. In the field our throwers did well again with Joana Barnaby 2nd in both A shot and discus and then winning B javelin in a new PB (24.71). Frankie Evans took a 1st in the B discus and 3rd in B hammer, with Sadia Kabeya 2nd. Ella Price took 2nd in A javelin and on another busy day also came 2nd in B long jump, 4th in A Triple jump & 3rd in B high jump. Another debutant Francesca Pires came 2nd in the A long jump with a PB of 4.60.

Finally, we came 2nd and 3rd in the women’s and men’s 4x100 relays. The mixed 4x400 is a great idea and also provided great excitement. A slightly scary start for Megan being the only female on the first lap and against a 49 second runner. She didn’t panic and with strong performances from Amy, Gon and Richard at the end our A team only just failed to snatch the win having come from 3rd place on the last lap. The B team with athletes more used to shorter or longer distances then bravely coming 3rd in the B race. Special mention for Simon who after a relaxing last match (only 7 events!) put in a great all-round show finishing with 8 events completed and numerous valuable points earned.  A number of excellent debuts also bodes well for future matches although we still need a strong turnout for the last match to ensure we keep clear of relegation.                                         

SAL Meeting 3. 15th June Uxbridge.

The 3rd Southern League match of the season was probably the most competitive so far, including both the top and third teams and ultimately saw us just ending up in last place by two points. A stronger overall team than the previous match, with a good range of ages, and experience, but we were still missing some key competitors in some events and windy conditions didn’t help. There was an excellent atmosphere, however and everybody put in a good shift. We rely heavily on such efforts and people stretching their comfort zone by entering other than their main events. 
Full results are now on the power of 10 website.                                     
On the men’s track side we started with a clear win in the 400 hurdles by Richard Morris, who unbeaten this year, even eased up to save some energy for a busy afternoon. He then ran a new PB (51.9) in winning the 400m flat with Charlie Goriup also winning the B race and then Richard won his third individual race, a competitive 110 hurdles, on the line. Charlie Goriup kindly helped out by also running rather shorter sprints than usual coming 4th in both 100 and 200 A races, with Samuel Opoku, making his debut, coming 4th in the B races. We also had 4th places in the A 1500 & 5000 for Paul Prothero and Alex Lynn in the 800 and then bravely trying the 2000m steeplechase for the first time, another 4th. In the B races another 4th for Mark Dudgeon in the 1500, but a win for Joel Wiles in the 5000.  Simon Manning on a slightly less busy day for him also won the B 110hurdles and came 3rd in steeplechase.   
 A strong performance from all our male throwers with Simon Manning (again) winning and achieving a new PB in the Javelin at a fine 46.75. Tom Bullen won the A discus and Nathan Fergus the B with roles reversed in the shot. Tom also clocked up a win in the B javelin and 2nd in B hammer so another successful day for two of our most consistent athletes who often tend to perform away from the main stand and the glare of the crowd. This all in addition to another stalwart Ben Myburgh setting a new PB in coming 4th in a strong hammer competition with 36. 43m.Simon even did a non-scoring discus to stop himself getting bored.                         
In the jumps we had a number of last-minute changes with several making their senior debuts or retrying a previous event but all gaining team points. Alex Berard made his senior debut in coming 4th in the B high jump with Darren Brown repeating that position in the A event and both did the same in the A & B long jump. Later Darren and Charlie did the same in the triple jump. Simon Manning however broke that sequence with 3rd in a strong pole vault.                  For the women Megan French had an excellent day on the track coming 2nd in both the A 100 & 200 and then topping that off with her first competitive 400m coming 3rd and immediately gaining a UK ranking time of 62.2. Jade Brown won the 200 B race winning in a PB of 28.8 and Abigail Kingston was another winner in the B 400m hurdles, with Lyn Skinner 3rd in the A race. In the 800 Vicki Radcliffe and Laura Taylor were both 4th in the respective A&B races, but in the 1500 we had two seconds with Katie Mooney and April James Welch. April’s daughter Tabitha also ran an excellent (nonscoring) first 400m in only 64.6 (promising for the future). In the 3000 Laura Taylor was 3rd in the A with Adele Boesinger 2nd in B and Lyn Skinner was 2nd in the steeplechase.                                       
In the field our throwers again did well with Joana Barnaby 2nd in both A shot and discus and Ella Price and Frankie Evans repeating that in the B events. Frankie also came 2nd in A hammer with Joanna 2nd in B. In the javelin Frankie was 3rd with Ella 4th. Ella on a busy day also came 3rd & 4th in A long and triple jump with Amelia Clark repeating that in the B events, also coming 4th in high jump with Ramia Wedderburn  a  last minute debut,4th in the B jump .    Finally, we came 2nd and 3rd in the women’s relays and 2nd and 4th in the men’s. Take a bow Katie Mooney for refusing to give up in the 4x 400 relay to the extent she actually collapsed on the line (pleased to say soon making a full recovery though). Alex Berard also went off slightly too quickly in his first senior relay but fought his way back into contention (although also didn’t look too well straight after).                                                                                        
Well done to all our new debutants, it is always good to see athletes moving up from the juniors, or trying new events. We now really do need a strong turnout for the next match in Kingston to ensure we don’t risk losing our hard fought 2nd division place and the better competition that entails. It provides good and enjoyable competition and a good opportunity for personal bests.