Forty-six runners from Bedford and County, ranging in age from eleven up to fifty, took part in the English National Road Relays at Sutton Park, Birmingham on Sunday 6th October. In total, fourteen teams from the club took part, and three of them achieved top twenty finishes.
Around sixty athletes from Bedford & County made the trip to South London to compete in the Southern Road Relays at Crystal Palace on 22 September. The Under 13 Girls produced a brilliant team performance to win silver. Competing against over fifty teams from across the South of England, the girls’ team clinched a superb runners up spot in a classy field.
Three of our juniors were selected to compete in the English Schools Combined Events Championships at Exeter on Exeter on 21st and 22nd September. Well done to Darcy Button, Stephen Simmons, and Gracie Wall.
In a magnificent all-round display Stephen Simmons won the English Schools Intermediate Octathlon title. Despite strong winds on Saturday and some heavy showers on Sunday, Stephen focused on each of the eight events determined to make each one count. He did so with devastating effect, setting lifetime personal best performances in seven of them. It is difficult to know which one was the most outstanding highlight.
The Men’s Masters Team narrowly failed to regain the Eastern Masters Athletics Club League Trophy at Milton Keynes on Sunday 22 September.
The overall result was still in doubt up to the last event, the medley relay, and with Marshall Milton Keynes just about hanging on to win that event it meant that they took the trophy by half a point. The winning margin was only 1.8 seconds.
Bedford and County AC's mens squad commenced the 2019-20 winter season with an impressive 3rd place finish in a very strong South of England 6 Stage Road Relay Championship, at Crystal Palace on Sunday. Heavy rain showers failed to put a damper on proceedings as the Bedford squad achieved their best finish in years.
The Club’s junior athletes finished off their season with a superb 3rd place in the EYAL Plate Final on Sunday 15th September on their home track.
Both girls’ and boys’ teams had a few athletes missing from their squads due to school trips and illness, but those who stepped up did themselves and the team proud. The U13 girls won their age group with U15 girls 2nd, U17 women 3rd, U13 boys 6th and U15 boys & 17 men 5th.
Seven of our juniors earned the right to represent Bedfordshire in the Southern U15/U20 Inter County Championships in Oxford on 7th September, and there were some outstanding performances.
It’s not only Liverpool who can win European titles.
Bedford and County has its very own European Champions: Tennyson James won a tight-fought M60 100m Hurdles at the European Masters Championships in Venice in a season’s best of 15.59 seconds. Tenny also set a club record of 47.77 seconds whilst coming 7th in the 300m Hurdles.
Several of Bedford and County AC’s athletes were in action at the Great North Run on Sunday.
Without doubt, the outstanding run of the day must go to Josh Lunn, who ran out of his skin to finish in 15th place with the phenomenal time of 64:25, a mere 4 secs outside the Bedford club record. Josh, who’s previous personal best was 66:29 from last winter, had been hoping to run in the low to mid 65’s. But no doubt inspired by lining up on the elite start line alongside Mo Farah, Josh proceeded to exceed all expectations with his brilliant performance.
Bedford and County’s youngsters enjoyed a fantastic weekend at the England Athletics U17 / U15 Championships at Bedford on 31st August and 1st September.
Leading the way was Stephen Simmons, who not only won Silver in the Under 17 Men’s !00m Hurdles, but who also smashed the club’s U17 record into the bargain. Stephen was victorious in his heat with a PB of 13.22 seconds, and then stormed to second place in a high-quality final, slicing almost a further third of a second off his best with 12.93 seconds.
On Sunday 18th August BACAC’s U15 Girls and U17 Women 4 x 100m relay squads travelled up to Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium to take part in the Club Connect Relays at the Diamond League. This was a great opportunity for the eight girls and their families as the teams are invited on their Power of 10 rankings. Our U15 team consisted of Etienne, Kaylen, Gracie and Ruby with the U17s made up of Tia, Serena, Leah and Zari. After taking part in the relays the girls had the opportunity to watch the last Diamond League to be held at the Alexander Stadium before it’s major redevelopment.
18 Aug 19 - Will Mackay won the Kimbolton Half marathon in 1hr 09mins 21sec. Former pupil at Kimbolton and St. Neots Riverside Runner broke the course record by over a minute.
