Well done to everyone who ran in the Southern Cross Country Championships in Beckenham on Saturday. 

Bedford & County results:

Thaila-Jade Mason won the England bronze medal by the narrowest of margins with a personal best score of 3434 points in the England U20 Pentathlon Championships at Sheffield last weekend.

Following hurdles (9.23 sec.) and high jump (1.59m) she set a pb of 8.51m in the shot and leapt 5.74m in the long jump to leave her in 2^nd (English) place. However, a hamstring injury sustained in the long jump put her participation in the final event, the 800m, in doubt. 

Congratulations to Darren Kerr on another club record in the M55 Shot with 11.79m at the London Indoor Games on Sunday 18^th January.

The Eastern Indoor Athletics Championships are being held at Lee Valley Athletics Centre from 28^th February to 1^st March.

Entries are now open and close on the 10^th February.

Enter here: https://meets.rosterathletics.com/public/competitions/details/about?id=27968

Several Bedford & County athletes ran in the Valencia 10K on Sunday.

The stand-out performance was Ben Alcock’s fantastic club record – although his gun time shows 28:38, his chip time (thus his true time) was even quicker at 28:34.

Behind him, there were other excellent performances by club athletes. Sam Winters’ 30:39 shaved 3 seconds off his pb, whilst Alf Yabsley took over a minute off his previous best with 31:05. There were also excellent runs from Stan Willis (32:02) and Pete Benedickter (32:25) – both of which were highly commendable efforts given that they are just easing their way back into full training after long spells out thought injury and illness respectively. Ed Whiting (33:03 - PB) and Lauren Nichols (34:59) also put in strong performances. Alice Lambert is in fine form, running extremely well to achieve an outstanding PB of 35:17, following her PB of 17:03 at the Battersea 5K on New Years Eve. 

Well done to everyone that ran.

A few of our athletes have been competing at the South of England Indoor U13/U15/U17 Championships over the weekend. 

Bedford & County Medals:

Oskar E Pole Vault U15 Boys Silver 3.20m
Lois F Pole Vault U17 Women Bronze 3.10m
Olive P Shot Put U13 Girls Bronze 7.55m (PB)

Well done to everyone who competed.

Our distance runners braved the cold this Saturday at the fourth Chiltern League match in Cassiobury Park, Watford. There were many excellent team and individual performances from Bedford & County’s athletes. 

Congratulations to Darren Kerr who set a new M55 Indoor and Outdoor Record with the shot with a put of 11.64m at the Bedford Christmas Indoor Invitational on Sunday 21^st December 2025.

Emily Elphick almost set a club record in the U15 Girls shot but was just 1 cm below the record of Romina Johnson.

Well done to everyone that ran in the Cross Country County Championships at Southill Park at the weekend. Bedford & County had a successful day, coming away with many of the team and individual titles.

Many congratulations to our Life Vice-President, Paula Radcliffe on receiving an OBE for services to sport in the New Year Honours List.

Congratulations to Lois Fordham on setting a new U17W Pole Vault record (both indoors and overall) at the Bedford Invitation Meet on Sunday 21 December, setting a new height of 3.12m.

The 45^th edition of the annual Christmas Handicap was staged on Sunday. The “race”, looping the Embankment, raised £675 for Pancreatic Cancer UK in memory of club stalwart Pete Dancer. Isabelle took first place in the handicap with Jack Goodwin fastest man (14:08) with Lucy James and Molly Blizard joint fastest ladies (17:03).