Good Evening Race Report Fans. I hope you have not missed me too much. A relatively quiet weekend it seems.

There were first placed finishes for both Adam Shute and Mairead O’Rourke at Rickmansworth and Amersham, in times of 17.36 and 22.32, respectively. Meanwhile, Adam Finch earned himself an all-time PB of 22.22 at Rickmansworth. ​

In multi-sporting news, Neil Turner bagged a 2nd place finish in his age group at the Eastbourne Triathlon last weekend: a sea swim, plus a tough bike section over Beachy Head and back were topped off by an 18.28 5km run to finish. Today, Neil and James Repper raced at the English Aquathlon champs this morning - 750m swim and a 5km run. James bagged a bronze in 45-49 category and Neil grabbed a silver in 50-54.

South Bucks gained a second victory at the Southern Athletics League match at Luton on Sunday.
 
Despite several team changes during the week, the team were still strong enough to ward off a challenge from the host club.
 
There were twenty-seven South Bucks athletes in total (slightly down from 31 at the first match), nine coming from Chiltern. The match scores were South Bucks 286.5, Luton 250.5, Northampton 205, Biggleswade 153, Maidenhead 134, Aylesbury 41.
 
On a warm, sunny day there was some good athletics to enjoy. George Brown made his SAL debut with second place in 800m in a PB of 1.59.20. George added to this with a big win in his specialist event, 3000m with a time of 8.49.7, enough to earn the Man of the Match award. Matt Evans ran B string 800m and also gained a PB of 2.13.1.
 
There were seven Chiltern women taking part. Alice Brown was second in 400m in 62.7. In a tough 5000m in the heat, Ali Young and Charlotte Docwra had a good battle with Ali first A string in 2.02.2 and Charlotte first in B string in 2.04.6. Ali added first place in B string 1500m (5.28.0) with Soraya Lockwood winning A string in a PB of 5.10.3.
 
Holly Henderson won 1500m steeplechase in 5.51.4 and Abbie Henderson was third in A string high jump with 1.40m. Fiona Calder was second in B string 800m and also did non-scoring 200m and long jump. Alice was in the A string mixed relay team that was second and Abbie in the B string team that won.
 
Match 3 is on Saturday July 16th.

Several Chiltern Harriers made the trip up to Milton Keynes for the British Milers Club PB Classic on Saturday 4th.
This meeting, for athletes U13-U20, is a good opportunity for young athletes to improve their times, each race being led by a pacemaker with lap targets. Chiltern athletes George Brown, Will Brown, Alex Johnson and Max McGarvie helped with the pacemaking.
 
800m
Alden Collier was fifth in the Men’s A Race to log a season’s best 1.55.88. In the B Race U20 Max McGarvie also got a season’s best with 1.56.97. The C Race saw good runs from U17s Isaac Jessop-Tranter in 2.00.84 and John Nickless in 2.02.29, both outside their best however. U20 Louis Peterson won Race D in 2.00.34, just three tenths off his PB. U15 Callum Powell was fifth in the G Race in 2.19.51, just off his recently set best.
In the female 800m races Lily Jessop-Tranter ran 2.25.05 in the C Race whilst U15 Marlie Nkoane ran 2.33.07 in the Mixed I Race. U17 Allegra Massey won the Mixed L Race in a PB of 2.33.68.
 
1500m
In the Men’s C Race the Pinder twins both ran season’s bests - Euan in 4.22.30 and Archie in 4.26.58. U15 Alex Hughes ran 4.45.33 in the D Race, a little off his best, and in the F Race U13 Charlie Quantrill with 4.59.91 and U20 Charlotte Docwra with 5.10.64, were also a little off their best.
 
3000m
In the Men’s B Race U20 Tom Emery ran a PB of 9.07.12 and in the Women’s A Race U17 Maddie Hughes ran a PB, and ESAA qualifier, of 10.11.89.
 
Steeplechase
In the Women’s 1500m race Frankie Baxter ran a PB of 5.29.17.

A still, mild evening provided good conditions for middle distance running at Watford on June 1st, and the Chiltern contingent had another successful evening.
 
1500m
Race 1
There were PBs for U13 Maya Davis (5.28.25) and U15 Eleanor Horne (5.50.68). U13 Isaac McCall was just off his best with 5.34.71.
 
Race 2
PBs in this one for U13s Jacob McCall (5.25.04) and Eddie O’Brien (5.29.00) and U13 Nia Clarke was just off her best with 5.26.77.
 
Race 3
U15 Issy Robinson ran well for a PB of 5.06.89 and U13 Evelyn Wildman also logged a new best of 5.12.60. Vet 45 Ali Young ran a season’s best 5.20.67 and U13 Luke Coultate 5.30.01.
 
Race 4
Race 4 saw a Chiltern win for U15 Rory Hilton in a new best of 4.53.07. There were also PBs for U13 Charlie Quantrill (4.59.20), U13 Kara Gorman (4.59.98) and U15 Marlie Nkoane (5.02.62). U15 Olivia Clarke was slightly outside her best with 5.05.63.
 
Race 5
This saw a positive race from U15 Aidan Suleyman who hung on well for a PB of 4.58.08.
 
Race 8
U17 Ethan McCall ran well for a new best of 4.37.44. There were also PBs from U15 Callum Powell (4.41.57) and U13 Tom Ford (4.42.39).
 
Race 9
U17 Maddie Hughes worked hard for a season’s best 4.45.25.
 
Race 10
Senior Man Alex Paul had a good run to log 4.19.79 for a season’s best.
 
Race 12
U20 Louis Peterson ran a PB of 4.02.77 and U17 Isaac Jessop-Tranter also had a PB evening with 4.08.38.
 
Race 14
U20 Tom Emery ran well for a PB of 4.01.19.
 
3000m
There were five Chiltern PBs from five in the 3000m races at the end of the evening. In Race 2 Senior Man Aran Davidson with 8.49.47 and U23 Will Brown with 8.49.65 were third and fourth and not far behind U17s Thomas Redmond with 9.04.83 and Ash Finch with 9.08.14 also logged new bests.
 
In Race 3 U23 George Brown kept a good tempo for a big new best of 8.33.11.

Chisom Nwafor took part in the EA U18 Heptathlon Championships at Bedford at the weekend. The event, which also featured the Senior and U20 multi-events competitions, acted as a qualifier for the European U18 Championships which are in Jerusalem in early July.
 
In good conditions, and after recording four personal bests, Chisom won the gold medal with a points score of 5361, surpassing the qualifying standard for Jerusalem of 5200, and putting Chisom second on the U17 all-time list.
 
All weekend Chisom had a great battle with Taunton’s Seren Rodgers who ended on 5233. Chisom won three of the seven events and was never out of the top four. On Saturday Chisom opened with a PB of 14.69 in the 100m hurdles to be third. Chisom followed this with a win in high jump and another PB of 1.62m to remain third. A huge PB of 13.81m in the shot putt allowed Chisom to take the lead and open a gap on her rivals. A final PB of 25.33 in 200m meant Chisom ended the first day with a 63 point lead over Seren.
 
Day Two started well with possibly Chisom’s strongest event, long jump. A leap of 6.03m put her with a lead of over 200 and solid performances in javelin, 31.79m, and 800m, 2.28.53, left Chisom the victor despite a fast 800m by Seren to close the gap.
 
Chisom will now focus on getting ready for Jerusalem in just over a month’s time.

U20 Women
Christan Paulsen ran well in A string sprints, fourth in both in 13.1 and 26.5. Aaliyah Cain and Lottie Warkup were both fourth in the B strings. Olivia Edwards ran 2.29 for fourth in A string 800m, Tia Lomas 2.35 for second in B string. Charlotte Docwra was fourth in A string 1500m. Ella Griffin was third in 100m hurdles and Rufaro Chikwanda third in 400m hurdles. Olivia Brown had a great race to be second in 1500m steeplechase in an English Schools qualifier of 5.13.9. Tia Lomas jumped 4.52m in long jump with Rufaro and Hannah Wells doing well in triple jump. Hannah carried on her busy day with a win in shot, second in hammer, third in discus and sixth in javelin. The 4 x 100m team of Lottie, Rufaro, Christina and Ella were fourth whilst the 4 x 400m team of Tia, Charlotte, Ella and Lottie were also fourth.
 
U20 Men
The six U20 men available worked hard and gained some useful points. Ryan Wells won hammer and was second in discus and Keelan Welch was third and fifth in the short sprints in 11.7 and 24.3. Thomas Askey had a busy day with fourth in A string 400m and 800m. Max McGarvie added fifth in javelin and sixth in shot to his fourth in 1500m. Laurie Gawne won 3000m on debut in a good time of 9.35.5. Laurie added fourth in B string 200m. Andrew Partridge had a varied day in B string 800m plus PBs in long jump, shot and discus. The 4 x 400m relay team of Max, Laurie, Thomas and Max Baxter was third.
 
U17 Women
Keira Payne ran well in A string 100m and B string 200m with Bella Hussain in B string 100m and Aoife  McCauley looking after A string 200m. The 300m duo of Frankie Baxter and Aaliyah Cain ran well. In 800m Evie Burton added an A string win to her second place in the 1500m earlier. Sofia Lomas was second in B string 800m, Ellie Faulkner third in B string 1500m. Jo Snelling ran A string 80m hurdles with Aoife McCauley in B string. Jo also ran A string 300m hurdles, Mae Burton looking after the B string. Frankie Baxter made a good debut in 1500m steeplechase, winning with 5.33.0. Aoife and Bella did long jump with Sofia in triple jump and Mae in high jump. In the throws Frankie and Evie did shot, Aaliyah and Sofia discus, and Bella and Kiera javelin. The 4 x 100m team was fourth and the 4 x 300m team of Jo, Frankie, Evie and Sofia third.
 
U17 Men
Again just six South Bucks men participated but all made big contributions. Isaac Jessop-Tranter ran A string 200m (PB of 25.5) and 400m and the 800m was looked after by Archie Pinder and Ethan McCall. Euan Pinder was second in 1500m with Rowan Gawne second in B string. Max Baxter was second in 3000m. Max added A string discus and won B string long jump. Archie did A string long jump and B string high jump and Rowan added A string shot. Ethan ran B string 400m and threw a javelin PB of 25.89m with Euan second in B string. The 4 x 400m team of Euan, Archie, Ethan and Isaac was third.
 
The third match is closer to home at Harrow on June 26th.

For several seasons Chiltern Harriers has been involved in the Southern Athletics League, a competition for vets, seniors, U20s and U17s across the south. This has been in the form of composite teams with Bedford B and Vale of Aylesbury, neither of which have been particularly successful.
 
So this year the club have joined up with Wycombe Phoenix who have operated at a good level by themselves in this league. The South Bucks name continues the composite that has worked successfully in the YDL Upper Age Group for U17s and U20s for many years.