Marni Ison-Stierer was the sole U11 Girl racing, finishing well in 22nd. The U11 Boys were fifth on the day and move up to seventh overall. Jack Dalton was 12th, Jonathan Kaliballa 13th and Oliver Harrison 27th to score, and there was good back-up from Oliver Vandenbrekel (29th), Freddy Higgins (31st), and Charlie Yeoh (43rd).
 
U13 Juliette MacDougall completed her fourth league victory, thereby securing the individual league title. She was supported by Loren Gerber (fifth), Emilia Ingham (tenth) and Annie-Rose Quantrill (16th). Also running well were Holly Knott (17th), Lottie Monnington (20th), Mala Bahia (36th) and Phoebe Gorman (52nd). The team were second by one point to St Albans but have a 25 point lead going into the final match.
 
A good turnout from the U13 Boys saw the team finish fourth and they lie second overall. Harrison Lawrence continued his good form to be sixth; Josh Woodward (12th), Zac Taylor (13th) and newcomer John Rooney (17th) completing the scoring. Good back-up came from Hector Gamblen (18th), Harry Reeder (24th), Oliver Atkinson (26th), Thomas Cooper (36th) and Jack Dixon (50th).
 
Just three U15 Girls faced the starter and Evelyn Wildman (third), Megan Lockwood (tenth) and Maya Davis, bravely battling a painful ankle in 14th, scored enough for third team and they are second with one match left, just 25 points covering the top four teams in this exciting division.
 
Tom Ford led home the winning U15 Boys team and his third victory clinched the individual league title. Tom was given great support by Thomas Reynolds (sixth), Charlie Quantrill (eighth), and Ben Reeder (16th). The large team also featured good efforts from James Henderson (26th), Colin Miles (28th), Raphael Tsolaki (38th), Kit Dixon (39th), Isaac McCall (41st) and Jacob McCall (45th). The boys take a narrow lead into the last match.
 
The Junior (U17/U20) women kept their podium hopes strong with a good third place courtesy of Emily Ford (eighth), Alice Peckham (11th) and Issy Robinson (13th). Another large team saw good runs from Jo Snelling (27th), Lara Milburn (45th), Lydia Cross (48th), Rebecca Lawson (51st) and Ellie Gowers (53rd). The team lie a comfortable third prior to match 5.
 
Chiltern’s U17 Men again worked hard to keep in the team medal mix. Edward Johnson (fourth), Callum Powell (seventh), James Holdsworth (ninth) and Daniel Munn (22nd ) were the scoring four that finished third. Solid back-up came from Rory Hilton (27th), Zach Cleary (29th), Jack Turner (31st), Charlie De Sousa (40th) and Mattie Gemmell (42nd). The team lie a strong second overall.
 
Newcomer Beverley Whitfield led home the Chiltern women who had their best turnout of the season. The team were fifth, moving up to sixth overall. Also scoring were Roxie Jones (28th), Katie Royals (29th), Jess Orr (50th), Ellie Bates (52nd) and Cath Holloway (58th). Also contributing in a large team were Jenny Bizley (59th), Lauren Mayot (69th), Abi Askey (70th), Helen Chalawo (76th), Sylvia Moss (80th), Lyndsey Bill (90th), Sue Slade (100th), and Fiona Calder (170th). The Vets quartet of Beverley, Ellie, Cath and Jenny were second and move up to ninth overall.
 
For various reasons several usual scorers weren’t running but an influx of strong newcomers helped the Senior Men to a solid performance. The seniors were seventh, and the vets won and hold a decent lead going into Match 5. Leading the scoring on debut was Matt Whitfield in 17th and he was backed up by Aran Davidson (22nd), Charlie Ogilvie (24th), Tim Lawrence (31st), Daire Stack (32nd), Adam Shute (40th), Neil Turner (88th), Russell Vandenbrekel (117th), Ben Hannen (104th) and Tom Wright (106th).  Also running were Toby Radbourne (165th), Richard Moss (169th), Frank Gaymond (170th), Ian Lawson (175th), Amit Dixit (176th), David De Sousa (198th), Ed Wright (201st), Glen Martin (205th), Allan Cairns (208th), and Tony Dawson (217th). In the Vet 40 race Matt was third, Tim fourth and Adam sixth. Neil was fifth Vet 50. The vets foursome of Matt, Tim, Adam and Neil scored another win and another good effort at Match 5 could clinch the team title.
 
The final match is at Oxford Horspath on February 8th where all positions will be decided. Another good turnout will help to maximise the medal count.

Many club members will be familiar with seeing Richard Slade leading the way in Chiltern League races. But last weekend, Richard took his success to another level and represented England for the first time.

Taking part in the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza (Elgoibar Cross Country) in Spain, Richard - who has been running with Chiltern Harriers since he was a junior - was part of a four-strong senior men's team.

Taking on the gruelling four lap course, complete with significant climbs and drops, Richard maintained a top 10 position throughout, staying close to the other England Athletes (Tomer Tarragano, Alfie Manthorpe and Jacob Cann).

The pace continued to pick up throughout and running what England Athletics described as a "fantastic last lap", Richard finished well to be the first member of the England team home, placing a very impressive 7th. This is despite him receiving a late call up to compete as he was originally named as a reserve in the team

Richard is due to race again for England in Belgium later this month.

​

The 2025 Hertfordshire and Middlesex Cross Country Championships took place at Trent Park, Cockfosters on Saturday. A firm crust on the course soon cut up to a heavy, soft surface, and the hilly section through the woods created a challenging circuit.
 
It was the first time the counties had joined up and it made for good-sized races. As usual there were a small number of Chiltern runners taking part in the Herts Champs and this year, one in Middlesex.
 
The U11 Boys race saw a great run from Jack Dalton who was seventh overall and fourth in Herts - sixty-nine athletes faced the starter.
 
Further good efforts came in the U13 Boys race with Josh Woodward and Isaac Brown both involved, Josh eighth and Isaac tenth in the Herts results.
 
Tom Ford was third overall and second in Herts in the U15 Boys race which featured a large field of sixty-five. James Henderson was 29th overall and 19th in Middlesex, and Ben Reeder was 33rd overall and 11th in Herts.
 
In the U17 women’s race Emily Ford was fifth overall and second in Herts and in the U17 men’s race Callum Powell was fifteenth overall, sixth in Herts.
 
In the Senior Women’s race second claim member Beverely Whitfield, wearing the colours of first claim club Hillingdon, was an impressive 11th in the Herts results. 

The club is eligible for an allocation of places each year for the London Marathon. This year it is two places again. This is based on the number of our members who hold an EA Competition Licence.

The Club committee has discretion in the allocation of these places to club members. A sub-committee will consider applicants using the following criteria:

1. It is a pre-requisite that the applicant is currently a fully paid member of CHAC.

2. Recognition will be given to the length of time full membership of the club has been held. There is a general expectation that such membership shall have been for a minimum of twelve months.

3. Preference will be given to applicants who have received a rejection from the London Marathon ballot.

4. Preference will be given to applicants who have not been awarded a club place in the London Marathon in recent years.

5. Recognition will be given to applicant’s involvement with the club in recent years. This may include assisting in the running of the club and its events, representing the club in events and supporting training sessions.

Applications for a place should be made to the Secretary by email ([email protected]) by Friday 20 December 2024, including the following information:

* First name and surname
* Email address for contact
* Date of birth
* EA Competition license number for 2024
* Rejected by London marathon ballot - YES|NO
* Details of involvement in club activities

All Applications will be considered and those successful will be advised by Friday 27 December. Incomplete replies will not be considered under any circumstances. The decision of the committee will be final.

Tony Molesworth
Club Secretary

Many thanks to all participants in the Bran Tub relay. 
RESULTS

It was a really well supported event with 12 teams toeing the start line. 

These events require a significant effort to put on and particular thanks are due to those that assisted by helping with marshaling, scribing and refreshments  A special mention is also due to those that allowed themselves to be 'press ganged' into running to enable full teams.

Finally many thanks to Steve Perkin who, as ever, took responsibility for organising the teams and doing the timing.

Wishing everyone a great Christmas.
Sue Slade

Chiltern had a good day at the Bucks Cross Country Champs on Saturday at Campbell Park, Milton Keynes. It was a cold and bright day and the tough hilly course, muddy in places, made for a stern test for the runners.
 
There were individual wins for Juliette MacDougall (U13G) and Edward Johnson (U17M) and team wins for the U13 Girls and U17 Men. Eighteen Chiltern athletes gained selection for the Bucks teams at the National Inter Counties in March.
 
Kit Reynolds was the sole Chiltern presence in the U11s and ran well for sixth place in the boys race.
 
The U13 Girls had a great race with a Chiltern 1-2-3-4. Juliette MacDougall continued her fine season with the win and was backed up in the scoring by Alice Martin (second), Nell Frost (third) and Bea Robinson (fourth). Also running very well were Lottie Monnington in seventh and Holly Knott in eighth.
 
Harrison Lawrence had his best run of the season to be second in the U13 Boys race. Chiltern were second team with Toby Reynolds 7th, Thomas Cooper 11th and Oliver Atkinson 12th completing the scoring.
 
Maya Davis in third and Evelyn Wildman in fourth both ran well in the U15 Girls but the lack of a third scorer prevented the chance of a team medal.
 
The U15 Boys team were second thanks to good packing from Charlie Quantrill in fifth, Thomas Reynolds in sixth, Logan Gaskell in tenth and Hugo Mundy in 12th. Isaac McCall in 15th and Jacob McCall in 17th completed the team.
 
The U17 and U20 Women run together and the team was second. Alice Peckham was fifth overall (fourth U17), Roxie Jones tenth overall (third U20), Jo Snelling 11th overall (fourth U20). Also running well were Izzy McFetrich in 18th and Lara Milburn in 23rd.
 
Biggest turnout of the day came from the Chiltern U17 Men with seven runners facing the starter. Edward Johnson continued his good recent form with a win and the other scorers were James Holdsworth in third, Aidan Suleyman in fifth and Daniel Munn in ninth. Zach Cleary in tenth, Rory Hilton in 11th and Jack Turner in 12th provided excellent back-up.
 
In the U20 Men’s race Isaac Jessop-Tranter was second and Toby Radbourne third.
 
The Senior Men’s race saw just four Chiltern runners, so not a full team, but there were good efforts from Aran Davidson in sixth, Tim Lawrence in 11th, Neil Turner in 23rd and Allan Cairns in 39th.
 
The Senior Women’s race was small and there were good runs from Katie Royals in third and Ellie Bates in fifth.

It was with great sadness at the weekend that we learnt of the passing of Buckinghamshire AA President, Caroline Bird.  Caroline was the team manager of girls cross country teams for Bucks AA for many years.

Caroline also organised Bucks Schools Cross Country Champs and Bucks Schools Track and Field Champs, and was Bucks Schools’ Team Manager at English Schools Cross Country and Track and Field Championships.

Over the years Caroline helped many Bucks, including dozens of Chiltern, athletes with their development in county teams. Caroline’s passing leaves a huge gap in the organisation of junior athletics in the county.

There will be one minutes silence for Caroline at 11am at this Saturdays Bucks County Champs.
​
Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.

On Tuesday 17 December at 8:15pm (after training), the annual CHAC Christmas meal will be taking place at Lebanese Village in Chesham town centre.

The cost is £28.60 per person (including service charge). This includes hot and cold starters, with a meat, fish or vegetarian/vegan main option and Baklava for dessert.
You will also get 5% off any drinks.

All are welcome - please sign up via this link.

Payment is the same as last year and can be made via Paypal - search Elizabeth Lang (or @beth662) 
Please advise of any allergies and dietary requirements in advance.

A big thank you to Julia and Beth for organising the evening once again!

Several Under 11s made their debut. In the girls race Rita-May Jones was 18th and Marni Ison-Stierer 23rd, very good efforts in a field of over 50. In the boys race Jonathan Kallibala was 7th, Jack Dalton 17th, Oliver Harrison 27th and Oliver Vandenbrekel 28th. The girls were 8th and the boys 5th in the team standings.
 
The Under 13 Girls had a strong team out and sealed a third team win. Juliette MacDougall scored her third consecutive individual win and the other scorers were involved in a big sprint finish ending with Loren Gerber 6th, Holly Knott 7th and Bea Robinson 8th. Also running well were Emilia Ingham in 11th and Lottie Monnington in 17th.
 
A good U13 boys team packed well with Jack Rogers 9th, Harrison Lawrence 10th, Isaac Brown 12th, and Toby Reynolds 14th being the team that finished second. Completing the team were Zac Taylor 17th, Hector Gamblen 18th, Oliver Atkinson 24th, Thomas Cooper 28th, and Josh Woodward 29th.
 
The U15s was one area where teams were a little light with a few usual scorers away. The four U15s girls worked hard and were fourth on the day, dropping to third in a very tight team contest. Maya Davis was 3rd, Evelyn Wildman 8th, Carys Jones 20th and Lauren Dwyer 38th.
 
On the boys side Tom Ford took another excellent win and he was backed up by Ben Reeder in 13th, James Henderson in 24th, and Felix Danielli in 28th. Kit Dixon 34th and Isaac McCall 35th completed the team. The team was fourth and drop a place to third overall.
 
A good U17/20 Women’s team were second thanks to Emily Ford 6th, Frankie Baxter 8th and Issy Robinson 15th. Completing a big team were Jo Snelling 27th, Jocelyn Davies 30th, Lydia Cross 43rd, Lara Milburn 45th and Ellie Gowers 48th. The team is third overall.
 
Edward Johnson scored his second win of the season in the U17 Men’s race and the team was second with James Holdsworth 4th, Callum Powell 6th and Zach Cleary 20th scoring. Also doing well were James Malin 28th, Charlie De Sousa 33rd and Mattie Gemmell 39th. Aidan Suleyman had to drop out.
 
A much-improved Senior Women’s team were fourth and featured thirteen runners, compared to six and seven at the first two matches. Bex Nkoane was back in action leading the team home in 18th. Completing the scorers were Roxie Jones 33rd, Katie Royals 35th, Jess Orr 47th, Ellie Bates 52nd, and Carys Evans 54th. Also involved were Jenny Bizley 57th, Lauren Mayot 63rd, Abi Askey 64th, Sylvia Moss 72nd, Sue Slade 82nd, Tamsin Finch 109th, and Fiona Calder 128th. The team are now up to 9th. The Vet quartet of Bex, Ellie, Jenny and Lauren were third and move up to 12th.
 
There was a big jump in the fortunes of the Senior Men with eight scorers within the top 40. Richard Slade took a second individual win leading home the Green Arrows, and there was great back-up from Simon Bossi 6th, Angus Williams 11th, Aran Davidson 12th, Adam Shute 22nd, Cam Reid 23rd, Tim Lawrence 25th, Nick Hughes 36th, Mike Turney 96th and Neil Turner 99th. An 18-strong team also featured Tom Robinson 129th, Ben Hannen 130th, Alan Crozier 133rd, Toby Radbourne 160th, David Reynolds 166th, Frank Gaymond 181st, David De Sousa 189th, Max Baxter 210th and Trevor Brawn 219th. Leon Doran was well placed but fell on a knee already bruised from a training run fall and dropped out. The team was a strong second on the day and move up to fourth overall.
 
The Vet quartet of Adam, Tim, Nick and Mike won and extend their lead. The U20s were eighth thanks to Toby and Max. In the Vet 40 contest Adam was third and Tim fourth, Nick was first Vet 50, and Mike first Vet 60.
 
The fourth match is at Cassiobury Park, Watford on January 11th where Chiltern are slated to provide marshalling assistance to hosts Watford Harriers. Anyone interested in helping please contact Trevor Brawn or Sue Slade.