Happy Birthday from Thursday 12 December to Wednesday 18 December – Lydia Ball, Chris Bennett, Alexander Charalambous, Jeremy Dempsey, Alexa Eichelmann, Keelan Farrell, Thomas Fulton, Christopher Heron, Nicole McGovern, Anabelle Panwar, Max Panwar, Jazz Sears, Cameron Sharpe, Shandell Taylor, Nosa Urubusi and Joseph Wheeler-Henry

RECENT NEW MEMBERS – We wish you a very warm welcome, and a happy, healthy and successful time with Shaftesbury to MIKO BRAI-ALOYE, JOSHUA KUMAR, ALEXANDRA MAI, JAKE MICHALIK and ERYKAH-MONAE QUARTEY

DAVID STONE’S EUROPEAN SUCCESS – Congratulations to DAVID who won the Bronze Medal in the Under 23 Race (6322m), he finished 4 seconds (18.31) behind GB&NI winning team mate WILL BARNICOTE (18.27). Along with BRETT RUSHMAN the GB&NI team won the Gold team medals with 17 points to FRANCE who had 24 points.
In the Under 20 Men’s race (4812m), HENRY DOVER finished in 49th place (14.50).

NEW CLUB RECORD – Congratulations to MANON BAINES who broke the Under 20 Women’s Pole Vault Indoor Club Record at Loughborough on 8 December. Her vault of (3.71mi) added 1cm to ZOE BROWN’S (3.70mi) set at Cardiff on 3 February 2002.

NEW CLUB RECORDS – Congratulations to TEMI JAIYEOLA who lowered her own Under 11 Girls 60m and 200m Indoor Club Records at the Lee Valley Minithon on 7 December. Her 60m time was (8.92i) taking .10 of a second off her 19 October time, and 200m time was (28.63i) taking 1.05 of a second off her 19 October time.

NEW CLUB RECORD – Congratulations to TEMI JAIYEOLA who broke the Under 11 Girls Long Jump Indoor Club Record at the Lee Valley Minithon on 23 March. Her jump of (3.36mi) added 77cm to LOUANN LAMY’S (2.59mi) set at Lee Valley on 15 December 2012.

THE SECOND RE-UNION AT THE SHAFTESBURY TAVERN – Report and photographs follows the upcoming fixtures.

DAVID STONE – following the second re-union, there is an article on DAVID, which was recently published on the Athletics Weekly website.

I remember DAVID’S in his early days at Shaftesbury vividly, he joined the club on 4 September 2012, aged 10. Making his competitive start in 2013, winning the Hertfordshire Cross Country Championships, then he competed in the EYAL, including the plate final, winning all his 800m and 1500m races. The final race of 2013 was the National Road Relays, on 13 October at Sutton Park, Birmingham. Speaking to team manager TONY SMITH the week before, he was excited that he had a very strong Under 13 team. I made my annual pilgrimage to Sutton Park, on a dull and wet day. On Leg 1 was NATHAN FERNANDES who came home in 9th place (14.13), DAVID was on Leg 2, and was 600m from the handover when DAVID appeared absolutely soaked, finishing over 20 seconds in the lead (14.03), it was left to JAMIE HARPER to bring the team home with a time of (14.01), winning by a margin of 41 seconds.

You will read in DAVID’S article of the untold injuries he had, but NATHAN’S career was cut short as an Under 15 in 2014. JAMIE’S career was cut short eventually as an Under 20 in 2018. JAMIE finished 2nd in the 2014 National Cross Country Championships as an under 15.

SBH REMAINING TEAMS IN 2013 – Overall it was a very exceptional day for Shaftesbury at the National Road Relays on 13 October at Sutton Park.

The results were as follows – Under 13 Girls finished 19th, Leg 1 LIA RADUS (15.51), Leg 2 SCARLETT KENT (17.03), Leg 3 MIA GROOM (16.21) – Under 15 Boys finished 7th, Leg 1 TOM FULTON (13.17), Leg 2 GEORGE GROOM (13.02), Leg 3 JEREMY DEMPSEY (13.18) – Under 15 Girls finished 45th, Leg 1 GABRIELLA KYRIACOU (16.07), Leg 2 SOPHIE BOWEN (16.21), Leg 3 JESSICA HURLEY (16.18) – Under 17 Women finished 8th, Leg 1 NATALIE CONNOR (14.24), Leg 2 CHLOE GOODSON (16.12), Leg 3 SOPHIA PARVIZI-WAYNE (13.29)
Finally the Under 17 Men also won the team Gold Medals, Leg 1 JAMAL LEWIS (11.51), Leg 2 JAMIE DEE (11.55), Leg 3 ROBBIE LIGHTOWLER (12.05) winning by 54 seconds.

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS SUBSCRIPTIONS – Our new Club year started on 1 October 2024. The current SBH annual subscription is £85 (following the recent 2024 SBH AGM) and the current England Athletics annual registration from 1 April 2024 is £19. The current total is £104 and should be paid NOW to; ACCOUNT NAME: SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS, BANK: HSBC, ACCOUNT NUMBER: 41308378, SORT CODE: 400426 – Please advise GEOFF MORPHITIS by email (geoffrey.morphitis@capeandd.com) when payment has been made.

RESULTS
Just to clarify, that the results I publish can be different to those that are shown on the Power of 10. The differences relate to seasons and personal best performances. For example in the recent EYAL results, an athlete in the 200m ran (24.1), and on his profile his season’s best was shown as (23.88) indoors. As the 200m indoors and outdoors are totally different type of events, I had shown the (24.1) as a season’s best.
The Power of 10 publishes separate UK rankings for indoor and outdoor performances.

LEE VALLEY MINITHON – Took place at Lee Valley on 7 December.
Year 3 Boys – THEODORE BETTRIDGE U11 10th (PB 111 points) 60m (PB 11.40i), 200m (PB 40.29i), 600m (PB 2:23.32i), CAMERON MORTON U11 13th (PB 104 points) 60m (PB 11.21i), 200m (PB 38.79i), 600m (PB 2:09.43i), MATTEO MICHALIKU11 16th (PB 91 points) 200m (PB 34.56i), Long Jump (PB 1.89mi) only 2 events competed

Year 3 Girls – ISABELLA LABORIEUX U11 2nd (PB 133 points) 60m (PB 10.69i), 200m (PB 37.15i), 600m (PB 2:22.52i), ANEESA SPENCER U11 10th (PB 112 points) 60m (PB 10.44i), 200m (PB 39.52i), Long Jump (PB 1.65mi), TARA AKINDIJI U11 13th (PB 107 points) 60m (PB 11.66i), 200m (PB 42.26i), Long Jump (PB 2.16mi)

Year 4&5 Boys – IMIKAN EDOHO U11 6th (158 points) 60m (PB 9.19i) taking .05 of a second off his 19 October time, 60m Hurdles (PB 10.81i) taking 1.20 seconds off his 19 October time, Long Jump (3.43mi), SHAAYAN RANMAL U11 6th (158 points) 60m (9.58i) taking .21 of a second off his 19 October time, 200m (32.41i) taking .25 of a second off his 19 October time, Turbo Javelin (PB 12:50mi), HENRY LING U11 32nd (138 points) 60m (9.96i), 200m (33.29i), 600m (2:16i)

Year 4&5 Girls – TEMI JAIYEOLA U11 1st (PB 165 points) 60m (PB 8.92i) taking .10 of a second off her 19 October time, 200m (PB 28.63i) taking 1.05 of a second off her 19 October time, Long Jump (3.12mi) both 60m and 200m are New Club Records, also a New Minithon Record, ANAYA COLLINS U11 3rd (PB 150 points) 60m (PB 9.27i), 200m (PB 34.06i), 60m Hurdles (PB 12.13i), MIA BEGGI-RAYMOND U11 6th (145 points) 60m (PB 10.03i) taking .05 of a second off her 19 October time, 60m Hurdles (PB 11.93i) taking .59 of a second off her 2023 time, Long Jump (3.11mi), NAYAH BOBB-SEMPLE U11 12th (138 points) 60m (10.82i), 200m (PB 32.81i) taking .56 of a second off her 23 March time, Long Jump (PB 2.68mi) adding 7cm to her 1 September jump, ANYA BOWRY U11 27th (PB 126 points) 60m (PB 9.83i) taking .36 of a second off her 19 October time, 200m (PB 35.26i) taking 1.04 seconds off her 19 October time, Long Jump (PB 1.99mi), ELSIE BETTRIDGE U11 28th (PB 123 points) 60m (PB 12.67i), 200m (PB 38.42i), Long Jump (PB 2:23.28i), ARIZONA ARCHIBONG U11 35th (116 points) 60m (PB 10.89i), 200m (PB 38.36i), Long Jump (PB 2.20mi), MEGAN MICHELIK U11 44th (PB 81 points) 200m (PB 36.18i), 600m (PB 2:22.25i) only 2 events competed

Year 6&7 Boys – JAMES TSUI U13 3rd (188 points) 60m (PB 8.75i), High Jump (PB 1.45mi), Long Jump (4.27mi), SETH SAUNDERS U13 4th (181 points) 60m (PB 8.65i) equalling his 19 October time, 60m Hurdles (PB 10.33i) taking .08 of a second off his 1 December time, 200m (PB 28.62i) taking .52 of a second off his 19 October time, AIMON PETRENCU U13 36th (PB 120 points) 60m (PB 10.35i), Long Jump (2.84mi), Shot 3kg (4.58mi), JAKE MICHELIK U13 39th (PB 101 points) 200m (PB 32.24i), 600m (PB 1:57i) only 2 events competed

Year 6&7 Girls – DAMI ADEKUNLE U13 2nd (193 points) 60m (8.59i), 200m (PB 30.10i) taking .20 of a second off her 23 March time, Long Jump (4.25mi), SIENNA DARCY U13 7th (173 points) 60m (9.58i), 200m (30.42), 600m (1:51), 60m Hurdles (PB 10.72i), KEENYAH ADELESI U13 12th (164 points) 60m (9.58i), 200m (PB 30.90i) taking .28 of a second off her 19 October time, 600m (1:58mi), GEORGINA WARMATE U13 12th (164 points) 200m (30.33i), 60m Hurdles (PB 11.70i), High Jump (PB 1.57mi), KAIA VAUGHAN U13 16th (162 points) 60m (PB 9.04i), 200m (31.79i), Long Jump (3.40mi), ISABELLE NNAJI U13 32nd (146 points) 60m (PB 10.04i) taking .01 of a second off her 19 October time, 200m (PB 35.28i) taking .72 of a second off her 2023 time, Long Jump (3.26mi), TAYLIAH COOMBS-GOODFELLOW U13 52nd (PB 118 points) 60m (PB 10.72i), 200m (PB 36.94i), Long Jump (PB 1.77mi), CATALEYA PETRENCU U13 53rd (115 points) 60m (PB 10.63i), Long Jump (PB 2.27mi), Shot 2.72kg (4.06mi)

BE-FIT TRACK ACADEMY OPEN MEETING – Took place at Lee Valley on 8 December.
60m – SM A03 EESA ADEKUNLE-ALI U17 2nd (PB 7.72i), A04 BEN BAMISAIYE U15 3rd (8.27i), EYTAN POSNER U17 8th (8.61i), A05 KEYLLAN GENTET U17 2nd (PB 7.81i), A08 JEREMIAH ELLIOTT U17 8th (7.75i), A09 KAIDEN SIMMONDS U15 6th (PB 7.56i), A10 HARLEY HENRY U17 3rd (PB 7.36i), A11 TYLER HOLDEN-AIKHOMU U17 6th (PB 7.54i) taking 1.14 seconds off his 2022 time, A13 SAVAN MALIK U20 2nd (7.40i), A14 VICTOR VAIUSCO U20 1st (PB 7.24i) taking .20 of a second off his 21 January time, A15 KHYAN MARKLAND U20 3rd (PB 7.19i) taking .05 of a second off his 17 January time, NATHAN HOWELL U20 4th (7.37i), B03 KHYAN finished 4th (PB 7.10i) taking .09 of a second off his A15 time, B04 VICTOR finished 7th (7.27i), B05 HARLEY finished 3rd (7.31i) taking .05 of a second off his A10 time, NATHAN finished 5th (7.34i) taking .03 off his A15 time, B06 SAVAN finished 6th (7.48i), B08 TYLER finished 1st (PB 7.42i) taking .12 of a second off his A11 time, B08 EESA finished 6th (7.74i), B11 JEREMIAH finished 6th (7.72i) taking .03 of a second off his A08 time, B12 KEYLLAN finished 2nd (PB 7.77i) taking .04 of a second off his A05 time, B19 BEN finished 4th (8.23i) taking .04 of a second off his A04 time
60m – SW A06 ULANI MCCABE-HUGGINS U17 4th (SB 8.65i), A07 ERYKAH OSOBU U15 2nd (PB 8.37i), A09 GRACE NYAONGO U17 2nd (PB 8.48i) taking .08 of a second off her 2023 time, A12 MILLI BRIDGMAN-ATHANSATOS U17 5th (PB 8.79i), A14 ROSALIND ZEFFERTT V60 5th (10.16i), A15 FOYIN SONOIKI U20 3rd (PB 8.18i) taking .50 of a second off her 2022 time, A16 MAKAYLA BRAI-ALOYE U20 2nd (PB 7.85i) equalling her 13 January time, VANESSA ANSUAA U23 6th (8.19i), A17 TAMI GEORGE U20 3rd (7.73i), HANNAH FOSTER U23 7th (SB 8.16i), B01 TAMI finished 3rd (7.73i) equalling her A17 time, B02 MAKAYLA finished 4th (7.86i), B04 HANNAH finished 2nd (SB 8.08i) taking .08 of a second off her A17 time, B05 VANESSA finished 3rd (SB 8.15i) taking .01 of a second off her 31 January time, FOYIN finished 4th (8.19i), B06 ERYKAH finished 6th (PB 8.33i) taking .04 of a second off her A07 time, B08 GRACE finished 5th (8.52i), B10 ULANI finished 2nd (8.68i), B13 ROSALIND finished 7th (10.10i)
200m – SM 3 LUCAS DAVIS U15 3rd (27.45i), 4 BEN BAMISAIYE U15 3rd (26.32i), 7 JEREMIAH ELLIOTT U17 4th (25.48i), 8 TYLER HOLDEN-AIKHOMU U17 2nd (24.42i), 10 VICTOR PAISUCO U20 1st (PB 23.38i), SAVAN MALIK U20 4th (PB 24.67i)
200m – SW 6 ERYKAH OSOBU U15 3rd (27.82i), 9 MORAYO IDRIS U17 4th (29.04i), 13 TAMI GEORGE U20 2nd (25.39i)
300m – SX 4 ADANNA MAZINWOSU U20 1st (42.80i), 5 HOLLY RYAN U17 4th (42.05i), 9 DIJANI BARNOR U17 4th (37.44i), 12 JOSHUA NAIMIECH-OYEBOLA 4th (PB 35.21i)
800m – SX 3 DINA SILVERMAN U20 2nd (2:24.83i)
60m Hurdles – U17M A05 SETH RENNIE-RODDY U20 1st (PB 8.54i) taking .50 of a second off his 16 March time, B05 SETH finished 2nd (8.64i)
60m Hurdles – M50 A05 GARY SMITH V50 (2nd Claim) 1st (8.68i), B05 GARY finished 1st (8.76i)

LOUGHBOROUGH OPEN MEETING – Took place at Loughborough on 7-8 December.
Pole Vault – SX MANON BAINES U20 2nd (PB 3.71mi) adding 1cm to her 12 June height, and is ranked UK No.2 U20 in 2024, and is a New Indoor Club Record
Shot 4kg – U23W ALEXANDRA BALTAZAR-HALL U23 1st (12.35mi)

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SHARON COLYEAR-DANVILLE SEASON OPENER – Took place at Boston, Massachusetts, USA on 7 December.
5000m – SM 5 JAMIE DEE (Iona College) 20th (SB 14:24.46i)

SOUTH LONDON ATHLETICS INDOOR MEETING – Took place at Carshalton on 7 December.
60m – SX A10 ERYKAH-MONAE QUARTEY U15 5th (8.31i), B11 ERYKAH-MONAE finished 5th (8.30i)

HOLIDAY CLASSIC – Took place at New York, New York, USA on 7 December
300m – SW 8 LILY PARRIS U23 (Princeton University) 3rd (SB 42.15i)

YALE SEASON OPENER – Took place at New Haven, Connecticut, USA on 7 December
200m – SW 4 LARISSA GILES U23 (Yale University) 3rd (26.89i)

VALENCIA MARATHON – Took place at Valencia, Spain on 1 December
DAVID GREENSTEIN V55 (SB 3:22.17)

PARKRUN – Can you make sure that you are registered as ‘Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers’, as the link I use to select all results only shows SBH athletes. If anyone is also officiating can you please contact me and advise me where and when.

PARKRUNS MILESTONE VESTS – You can purchase these from 50 to 500, this is the link – https://shop.parkrun.com/collections/milestone-run-walk-vests

PARKRUNS IN THE UK – Last Saturday at parkruns in the UK, there were…
505 events – 70,756 walkers, joggers, runners and volunteers – 1,564 first timers – 4,071 PBs

COMPLETELY USELESS RANDOM FACT – One of the coldest parkruns on record was completed in -15C temperatures, at Pokkinen parkrun in Finland. That’s really teeth-chattering, chilly weather!

UPCOMING FIXTURES FOR THE NEXT 6 WEEKS, WHICH COVERS THE PERIOD THURSDAY 12 DECEMBER UNTIL WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY – The SBH 2024-2025 Winter Fixture Card can be found on the SBH website, in which you can Access/Print a copy for future reference. Also the majority of fixtures Information can be found on the SBH Website under the ‘Upcoming Fixtures’ section.

SOUTHERN U15/U17/U20 AND SENIOR COMBINED EVENTS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place at Lee Valley Athletics Centre are 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR) on Saturday 14 December and Sunday 15 December.
Entries Closed

BOXING DAY BONANZA RUN – Takes place on Thursday 26 December at StoneX Stadium.
DAVE BEDFORD will be organising this event, with the racing starting at 11.00. 
The issuing of numbers, refreshments and prize giving takes place in the Indoor Track area. Distance 2 miles and  1 mile for Under 11. Only £2 entry fee! There will be prizes, raffle (bring cash) and free refreshments……why not come in fancy dress.
A run or even walk for all the family including pets!. Last year we had 50 runners!  Donations to the raffle welcome with winners galore!

LEE VALLEY NEW YEARS INDOOR OPEN MEETING – Takes place on Wednesday 1 January, at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR).
To enter please use this link – https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2025/GBR/lvacnewyearsopen/
Entries Closing Date Sunday 29 December – Please be advised that events may be full before the closing date.
Note: You will have to enter yourself and pay the appropriate entry fee

MIDDLESEX AND HERTFORDSHIRE CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place on Saturday 4 January at Trent Park, Cockfosters (Satnav EN4 0JZ).
Race HQ: Will be at the western end of Trent Park.
Registration: The races will be chip timed.  Numbers, disposable chips and pins will be available from the registration area for Team Managers and those runners who entered individually.  Registration will open from 10.00am.
Changing Facilities: There are no changing rooms, so please arrive ready to run.
Public Toilets: Are located close to the main Cockfosters Road car park.
Refreshments: It is hoped that the cafe will be open for refreshments.
Team Tents and Assembly Area: Team Tents and meeting points should be along the Limes Avenue footpath, in the area beyond Go Ape.  Please be aware that the ground can become very muddy.
Travel: Parking is available within Trent Park via the main entrance on Cockfosters Road, but will be limited.  Given the proximity of Trent Park to Cockfosters and Oakwood underground stations (Piccadilly Line), use of public transport is strongly recommended.
If you intend to drive, please car-share as much as possible. There is NO parking available at Southgate Hockey Club.  You must not attempt to park there.
Cockfosters tube station car park has 311 spaces, cost £8, and Oakwood tube has 114 spaces, cost £8.  There may be street parking on Mount Pleasant and roads off this (EN3 9HQ.  This is about 10-minutes walk from Trent Park.  Please be aware that Spurs will be playing at home with a 12.30pm kick-off.
Start / Finish: Will be at the western end, close to Go Ape.
Start Times 11.00am U11 Boys (1500m), 11.05am U11 Girls (1500m), 11.15am U13 Boys (3000m), 11.20am U13 Girls (3000m), 11.40am U15 Boys (4500m), 11.42am U15 Girls (4500m), 12.00pm U17 Men (6000m), 12.05pm U17 and U20 Women (6000m), 12.40pm U20 Men (8000m), 12.40pm Senior Women (8000m), 1.30pm Senior Men (11750m).
Entries Closing Date Friday 27 December
Note: You will have to be pre-entered by your respective Team Manager 

VICTORIA PARK SPORTS MEDICINE METROPOLITAN LEAGUE – The fourth fixture of five takes place on Saturday 11 Janauary at at Stanborough Park, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire (SatNav AL8 6DF).
The following information is from the 2023 race, and will be updated when published.
Race Headquarters – Race HQ and Registrtion will be adjacent to the Start/Finish at the south side of the North Side of the park.
Changing Facilities – There will be no dedicated changing rooms or showers, so please arrive ready to run. Toilets are available in the amenity block by the Splashlands playground. Extra toilets will be provided at the end of the car park, close to the amenty block. There are also toilets located at the Sailing Centre on the south side of the Park.
Refreshments – Will be from the kiosk in the amenity block on the north side of the park or from the cafe at the Sailing Centre on the south side of the Park.
Course Location – North Side Stanborough Park – See course maps.
Course Description – Start and Finish in grassed field, remainder undulating parkland course suitable for spikes.
Public Transport – Welwyn Garden City Station (Main Line) 1.25 miles.
Directions From Major Roads – Leave the A1(M) at Junction 4, (after the Hatfield Tunnel). At the roundabout take the second exit to A414/A6129. At the next roundabout take the first exit A6129. At the bottom of the dual carriageway take the second exit out of the roundabout. The entrance to the car park on the north side is on your left after around 100m. The entrance to the car park on the south side is more or less opposite but you cannot gain access from the left side of the carriageway. As early arrivers will undoubtedly fill the car park on the north side, you may be advised to go straight to the one on the south side.
Parking – There is a fairly large car park on the north side of the Park, adjacent to the course. There is a very large car park on the south side of the Park, 5 minutes walk to the course.
These car parks are camera operated and you must pay or you may incur a fine. You can pay at a meter by card.  However, payment does not have to be immediate. We have not been able to negotiate a reduced rate.
There is a footpath under the road bridge, providing traffic-free access between the South Side and the North Side of the Park.
Course Details – The start and finish are in grassed parkland.  The remainder is an undulating parkland course with two short woodland sections on each longer loop and a short climb and then descend on each of the shorter loops, all being suitable for spikes.
Additional Notes – The finish has been relocated and is now adjacent to the boundary with the school, and is outside the large loop of the course.
Link to the full information, include Course Maps – https://metleague.run/fixture/race-4-welwyn-13-1-2024/
Timetable – 12.00 U11 (Over 9) Boys (2km), 12.02 U11 (Over 9) Girls (2km), 12.10 U13 Boys (3km), 12.12 U13 Girls (3km), 12.30 U17 Men and U15 Boys (4km), 12.32 U17 Women and U15 Girls (4km), 12.50 U20, Senior and Veteran Women (8km), 13.30 U20, Senior and Veteran Men (8km)..
Note: You do not have to be pre-entered, just turn up and run.
Please collect your race numbers from the respective team managers – SIMON KEENE, JEREMY SOTHCOTT and JO KENT
Please go to Start Fitness Metropolitan League web site www.metleague.co.uk for any other final information.

VICTORIA PARK SPORTS MEDICINE METROPOLITAN LEAGUE RACE NUMBERS – I have been asked to remind you that your race number must be kept by yourselves, and is to be used for all 5 fixtures.

WINTER XC POINTS CHAMPIONSHIPS – The Metropolitan League fixture is the fifth fixture for the Under 11 Boys and Girls in their six race series. It is the fourth fixture for the Under 13 and above age-groups

SOUTHERN U13, U15 AND U17 INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place at Lee Valley Athletics Centre are 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR) on Saturday 11 January and Sunday 12 January.
To enter please use this link – http://www.seaa.org.uk/index.php
Entries Closing Date Monday 30 December
Note: You will have to enter yourself and pay the appropriate entry fee

ENGLAND ATHLETICS U20 AND SENIOR INDOOR COMBINED EVENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS – Takes place at the English Institute of Sport, Coleridge Road, Sheffield (Satnav S9 5DA) on Saturday 18 January and Sunday 19 January.
To enter please use this link – https://meets.rosterathletics.com/public/competitions/details/registration?id=24425
Entries Close Friday 20 December
Note: You will have to enter yourself and pay the appropriate entry fee

LEE VALLEY LONDON U20 AND SENIOR INDOOR GAMES – Takes place on Saturday 18 January and Sunday 19 January, at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton (Satnav N9 0AR).
Events are 60m, 200m 400m, 800m, 60m Hurdles, Pole Vault, High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump and Shot. For age-groups U20, Senior and Veterans.
Entries Open Tuesday 1 October
To enter please use this link – https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2025/GBR/ligu20sen/
Entries Closing Date Friday 9 January – Please be advised that events may be full before the closing date.
Note: You will have to enter yourself and pay the appropriate entry fee

LEE VALLEY INDOOR FIXTURES – The following 4 fixture are now open to enter from 1 October. Please remember to enter as early as possible, to avoid not to be disappointed. New Years Open Meeting 1 January (Closing Date Sunday 29 December), London U20 and Senior Indoor Games 18/19 January (Closing Date Thursday 9 January), London U13, U15 and U17 Indoor Games 25/26 January (Closing Date Thursday 16 January) and Middle Distance Open Meeting 19 February (Closing Date Sunday 16 February)
Link to the 4 fixture details – Lee Valley 4 Indoor Fixture Fixtures Opening 1 October 2024

LEE VALLEY MINITHON INDOOR FIXTURES – Is for School years 3 to 7, in which you compete in 3 events from the following – 60m, 200m, 600, 60m Hurdles, High Jump (Year 6 and 7 only), Long Jump, Shot Put and Javelin (Year 6 and 7 only).
There are 2 fixtures on Saturday 17 December and Saturday 22 March.
Link to information guide on the Minithon – Information Guide For Lee Valley Minithon
To enter please use this link – https://www.better.org.uk/leisure-centre/lee-valley/athletics-centre/kids-activities#%20
Note: You will have to enter yourself and pay the appropriate entry fee

THE SECOND RE-UNION AT THE SHAFTESBURY TAVERN – Last Wednesday 4 December, a group of SBH members met up at the Shaftesbury Tavern.  The clubs’ name almost certainly came from Shaftesbury Road and I’m sure some of our early colleagues met in the Shaftesbury Tavern at the end of the road after training or races.  DAVE BEDFORD presented an early picture of our club members to the landlord of the pub who will hang this in a prominent place.  He was unaware of the connections to the club and greatly impressed by our history.   He has welcomed us back next year on Monday 1 December 2025.

In total 14 Club members attended and together we had 760 years membership with the Club.  It would be great if we could get this over 1,000 years next year and also see a wider group of our members attending.  The Shaftesbury Tavern was very welcoming, not too busy and served good food.  The group picture shows from left to right JOHN KELLY, JULIAN GOATER, MARTIN GREY, DICK BOBER, GEOFF MORPHITIS, DAVE BEDFORD, BOB MALLOWS, PHIL CUNNINGHAM, RICHARD SAMUEL, HUGH STARKEY, HUGH RICHARDS, DAVE BRADLEY, JOHN DRYDEN and RAY POWELL.

DAVID STONE: “I WANT EURO CROSS TO BE THE START OF GREATER THINGS TO COME” – The following article was published on the Athletics Weekly website recently. Photograph taken by DANIEL MOSES.

The Brit won the under-23 race at the Liverpool Cross Challenge, qualifying him for the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Turkey. You get the feeling that DAVID STONE is just getting started. The 22-year-old Brit secured a stunning victory at this season’s Liverpool Cross Challenge, defeating last year’s European Cross under-23 champion Will Barnicoat on a muddy Sefton Park course. It marks quite the return to competition for STONE, who has battled through a myriad of injuries and surgeries over the past couple of years. STONE, who trains with BARNICOAT and TOMER TARRANGANO – senior men’s champion in Liverpool – at the University of Birmingham, will now be making his debut for Great Britain at this Sunday’s European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey (December 8).

The Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers athlete’s last full competitive season was in 2019 and although he’s been forced to spend a long time away from events, STONE is quietly confident about targeting a top five finish in the under-23 race this weekend. Ahead of this year’s Euro Cross, AW caught up with STONE on his journey into running, overcoming an abundant of injuries and his ultimate goals within the sport.

How did you get into running in the first place? – I was probably about 10 years old or so. The first thing I can remember is that when my dad was 50, he was looking to start jogging. I mostly played football at the time but I went along with him on runs. We lived pretty close to a track in Hendon, where Saracens play. I just went down, really enjoyed it and soon after that started competing. I did well but it was hard to tell as I was only competing against local athletes. From the age of 13 onwards, I started competing in national races and the Mini London Marathon. They obviously felt like a massive deal at the time as I got to race the best people in the country. My favourite race was always the National Cross Country Championships, I loved that. You’re competing against 1000 other people instead of just 12 on the track. I’d love to be running well on the track but because of how the last few years have gone, it’s been tough.

Are you able to open up about your injuries and how you’ve tried to overcome them? – Well to start off with, I didn’t grow until quite late and I had a lot of pains up until the ages of 17 and 18. I was always up there in the big cross-country races but then I’d be absent for a while. You’d watch everyone get better and it was frustrating. When I got back into competing, I was injured. In 2022, I placed second behind WILL BARNICOAT at the National Cross Country Championships. After that, I thought I could really kick on. Then, it went from bad to worst on the injury front. I got glandular fever for starters and then I had really bad shin pains, which limited me to running 30 miles per week. After that, I discovered I had bowel problems, which made it difficult to eat and run. Both my parents are doctors and they were struggling to figure out the problem. I wasn’t absorbing much food, found it difficult to eat before I ran and lost a bit of weight quite quickly. It turned out there were these neuroendocrine tumours in the lining of my bowel that had to be removed. The following February, I came back and placed well at the BUCS Cross Country Championships. I then had really bad pains on my ankles. It turned out I had this extra bone spur on each side – not uncommon – but once it started hurting there wasn’t much I could do apart from operating. It took ages to work it out. That extra bit of bone was getting crushed when I was running. It was only this time last year when I had the first of two operations.

How was it mentally to keep on believing you could get through that period? – It was a pretty tough period but I definitely came out the other side stronger. I’d be looking at all the people that I’d be competitive with going through the age groups. They were absolutely flying. I would beat myself up about it. I was thinking ‘why’s everything going so well for them while I’m in this position?’. I thought I shouldn’t compare myself to others though. Once I stopped asking ‘why’s this all gone so wrong?’, I then focused on what I could do about it. I came to the realisation in my head that I could only play with the cards that I’d been dealt. After the surgery, it was about working up from a clean slate and being a better version of myself for the next few weeks and months. I expected this to be a much longer process and, even though I’m not out of the woods yet with injuries, it’s been steady so far.

How’s the recovery been for you? – I wanted to build that aerobic base so that when I was ready to run, I didn’t lose a year of training that everyone else had. So through April and May, I hammered away at cycling. I’ve always had quite a lot of energy and liked the thoughts of exercising. Even if I can’t run I’ll do other things. I built quite a lot of fitness quite quickly through cycling. I knew it’d be very tedious on the running side, so cycling helped me get through that period. Even now though, the ankle that was most recently operated can still be stiff. Progress on it was slow from May to September. We’d been micro-dosing intensity in training and I only started steady runs a few months ago.

Read More: Euro Cross 2024 preview – DEAN MILLER, my coach, was instrumental for me during this period. His versatile philosophy helped me a lot with my training programme and getting me up to something like full fitness again. Recently, our training group went out to Font Romeu and I responded really well at altitude. As well as doing steady runs and hill sessions, being on the bike for five hours at altitude did me wonders.

What was the feeling of winning at the Liverpool Cross Challenge? – If you said to me that before the race I’d win it and beat WILL, I’d have told you that was amazing. I went off hard and, with the likes of TOMER and WILL, we all just slotted in together like it was a training run. I thought I was realistically going to be in a dogfight to get into the top six, as you don’t know what shape you’ll be in, so I was never expecting the stars to align like that straight away. It felt a bit odd winning but WILL‘S race is in Turkey. He didn’t need to go out and smash Liverpool. Obviously, it was encouraging to beat him from my perspective but I’d seen him in the week and he had a bit of cold and coursework to submit. I’m sure he’ll compete well in Turkey.

Thoughts on making your Great Britain debut in Turkey? – I’m just excited to be there in all honesty. I think coming in the top five would be great. It still feels like a bonus as I didn’t expect this to happen straight away. I just want it to be the start of even greater things to come down the line. I’m going to race it to the best of my capabilities and try and have a positive impact on the race. Having said that, I do think the course and conditions will be quite a bit different to Liverpool. I think the cross training you do comes off a bit more when it’s a muddy surface and everyone has slowed down a bit. Whereas it will be a lot faster with dry earth in Turkey. I’d love to get a medal and I’ll obviously race to try and get one. When it comes to this kind of stuff I’ve got high ambitions and low expectations. I wasn’t actually thinking that things would start going this well instantly. It feels like a blessing for everything to have the stars lined up like that.

What are your thoughts on 2025 and ultimate goals in the sport? – I’d ideally want to do an indoor season but I think the extra banks on the track will put a lot of stress on the Achilles. So we might try and do just one 3000m indoors. I’ll also do the Podium 5k in Battersea (December 31) and then the Armagh 5km (February 13). I’d love to also focus on the 1500m next season and get that pace work back up there. I’ve got a lot of cobwebs to blow off on the track. I’m still trying to work out what to do in the future. I mean, I’d love to run professionally for at least a year or two. I don’t want to look back in 10 years and think ‘oh, if I locked in a little bit more then I might’ve just been able to do something a bit better’.

ENGLAND ATHLETICS DISCUS AND JAVELIN MASTERCLASS – Just received the following from NICK RIDGEON of England Athletics – Regarding the masterclasses, we are going for something a bit different with the technical coaching coming from within the brilliant English coaching community. We are then bringing in good practitioners to supplement them.

Talent Development Javelin Masterclass: Target audience: Javelin throwers who are 14 and over and are already on the talent programmes or are hoping to progress onto them in the next few years. Javelin coaches working with club and talent level athletes hoping to support athletes on to talent programmes and national and international championships.
Date: 25-26th January 2025.
Venue: Loughborough University
Content:

• Saturday – movement skills & ball throwing (Mark Bradford), technical throwing practical (Tom Dobbing, Mike McNeill & Nick Neiland), running mechanics practical (Joe McDonnell – Loughborough Head of Para Sprints), gymnastics for javelin (Scott Knighton) & mastering competition (Nick Neiland)
• Sunday – Injury prevention (Lucy Eggleton – EA Pathway Physio), physical preparation (Jake Reeve – Loughborough University), talent pathway overview (Tom Dobbing), medicine ball practical (Scott Knighton), planning and communication (Mike McNeill)) & sports psychology (James Austin – Grey Matters)

Booking:

• Athletes (2 days)
• Athletes (Sat)
• Athletes (Sun)
• Coaches (2 days)
• Coaches (Sat)
• Coaches (Sun)

Talent Development Discus Masterclass: Target audience: Discus throwers who are 14 and over and are already on the talent programmes or are hoping to progress onto them in the next few years. Discus coaches working with club and talent level athletes hoping to support athletes on to talent programmes and national and international championships.
Date: 25-26th January 2025.
Venue: Loughborough University
Content:

• Saturday – physical preparation (Rich Eaton – Newcastle University), technical throwing practical (Mark Chapman & Garry Power) & overview of the technical excellence framework (Mark Chapman)
• Sunday – Injury prevention (Lucy Eggleton – EA Pathway Physio), throwing technical review (Mark Chapman), goal setting and planning (Garry Power) & sports psychology (James Austin – Grey Matters)

Booking

• Athletes (2 days)
• Athletes (Sat)
• Athletes (Sun)
• Coaches (2 days)
• Coaches (Sat)
• Coaches (Sun)

 If you continue to face difficulties booking onto the masterclasses via athletics hub, please email Enquiries@englandathletics.org

ENGLAND ATHLETICS THROWS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER – Just received the November issue from NICK RIDGEON of England Athletics – EA Throws Newsletter November 2024

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS NEW INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT– Many thanks to SEAN SUTHERLAND who undertook a review on the best way forward, following this a decision was made to set up a new account, and SEAN has now set that account up.

SBH 2024-2025 WINTER FIXTURE CARD – The Updated SBH 2024-2025 Winter Fixture Card and Information Sheet is now available on the SBH Website. Please access these and print a copy for your reference

The Fixture Card has been updated on 14 November, and those changes are as follows – Cross Country – SEAA Inter-County Championships on 7 December, venue is now Croydon – BUCS Championships on 1 February, venue is now Cardiff – CAU Inter Counties on 8 March at Nottingham – English Schools on 15 March at West Sussex – Indoors all at Lee Valley – VAC and EMAC on 9 February – British Masters on 16 February – Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Kent Championships on 15/16 March – Essex and Eatern Championships on 1/2 March.

Link to the Fixture Card and Information Sheet – https://sbharriers.co.uk/fixtures-results/fixture-cards/
Document explaining what is contained on the Fixture Card and Information Sheet – SBH 2024-2025 Winter Fixture Card – Information on Front Sheet, Fixtures And Information Sheet
Any changes/information will be published in the SBH Weekly Newsletter as and when available, this is the link to the current and previous SBH Weekly Newsletter – https://sbharriers.co.uk/news/

SBH 2024-2025 CROSS COUNTRY POINTS RACES – Take place throughout the season, these are races that are available to run.
Under 11 Boys and Girls – All 5 Start Fitness Metropolitan League fixtures, plus Hertfordshire or Middlesex Championships. Best 4 out of 6 results to count.
Under 13, Under 15, Under 17, Under 20, Senior and Masters Men and Women – All 5 Start Fitness Metropolitan League fixtures, plus Southern and National. Best 5 out of 7 results to count.
Link to the updated Men and Women’s points tables, following the 30 November Start Fitness Metropolitan League fixture at Uxbridge –

SBH 2024-2025 CROSS COUNTRY CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP RACES – Take place throughout the season, these are races that are available to run.
Under 11 Boys and Girls – Start Fitness Metropolitan League on 11 January at Welwyn Garden City.
Under 20 Men, 5 Miles Senior Men and Masters Men 40+ – Start Fitness Metropolitan League on 30 November at Uxbridge.
Under 13, Under 15, Under 17, and 9 Miles Senior Men – Southern Championships on 25 January at Beckenham.
Under 13, Under 15, Under 17, Under 20, Senior and Masters 40+ Women – Southern Championships on 25 January at Beckenham.
Link to the updated Men and Women’s Club Championship winners, following the 30 October Start Fitness Metropolitan League fixture at Uxbridge –

STONEX STADIUM MEMBERSHIP – To use the StoneX Stadium facilities for training, SBH members are required to pay a fee. You can register as a member (which is free) which then entitles you to a discount. This is the link to the form to apply for membership – SBH StoneX Membership 2024-2025  The entrance fee on the membership form, cover the period 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2025.

GEORGE HARRISON MBE MEMORIAL DOCUMENT – The document has been put together with contributors from LISA WEBB, MARTIN ROCHFORD, NADEEM SHAIKH, RACHEL FELTON, LIAM and JAMIE DEE, JAMES LOVELL, EMILIA ECONOMU, ALAN WELLER,  KAREN HARRISON,  TIM UNDERHILL, GLEN WATTS, JOANNA WINFIELD, SHAUN CLIFFORD and EUAN MACKENZIE – Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers Memorial To George Harrison From Friends And Members 20 April 2023
If you wish to contribute your own memories and/or photographs of GEORGE, please email them to me, either within the email or as a separate attached word document.

CODES OF CONDUCT – SBH have now adopted the UK Athletics (UKA) and the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAF) Codes of Conduct which set out national standards of conduct for all clubs, coaches, officials, volunteers and athletes in the sport.  The purpose of the codes are to clarify what behaviours are acceptable and unacceptable, the standards of practice expected and the basis for challenging and improving practice.  The Codes are similar to our previous Codes of Conduct which were part of the previous ClubMark scheme.  All club member and anyone undertaking a relevant role must agree to abide by the codes of conduct. The Codes of Conduct have now been put onto our Website, please read these to understand the commitments you are making by being a member of SBH.
Link to the Code of Conduct document – Codes Of Conduct Booklet 2021 (1)

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION OF INTEREST CAN BE FOUND ON THE SBH WEBSITE BY USING THIS LINK – http://sbharriers.co.uk/
Section ‘About Us’, includes Annual Reports, Best Performance Trophy Awards, Individual And Relay Best Performances By Year, Club Records and SBH All-Time Top 10 T&F Performances.
Section ‘Team Managers And Competitions’, shows details of Track & Field, Cross Country and Road Relays Team Managers.
Section ‘Future Information/Results’, includes Information On Each Fixture, Summer & Winter Fixture Cards, Winter X/C Points Tables and Winter Club Championships Winners.

SHAFTESBURY BARNET HARRIERS NEW CLUB KIT – They are now available to purchase from our club kit supplier, Supreme Sports – click on the link for the full range – https://www.supreme-sports.co.uk/webshop/schools-and-clubs/shaftesbury-barnet-harriers/
By opening the link, you will be on the front page, which displays the men’s items. Click on SBH LADIES for the women’s items, or click on SBH KIDS for the young athletes’ items.

CLUB HOODIES– With well over eight hundred hoodies already in circulation, this is your opportunity to join the club. The bright red hoody is made to order and has your name embroidered on the front along with the club badge and has the Club name on the back. We now have 2 styles, the original pull over style at £37 + P&P or the new one with a full zip at £40 + P&P.
Here is the link to the Supreme Sports website which if you click on it, will take YOU to the new Club Hoody and allow you to then view the full range of Club kit online – https://www.supreme-sports.co.uk/webshop/schools-and-clubs/shaftesbury-barnet-harriers/

ACCESS TO SBH CLUBHOUSE – The new Keyholders to the outside door are TY HOLDEN, CLYDE GORDON, NEVILLE THOMPSON, GREG THOMPSON, COLIN GODFREY and YAMILLE ALDAMA who all use the Clubhouse outside of normal stadium opening hours. GEOFF MORPHITIS and DAVE BEDFORD will also have a key. All other key fob holders can continue to gain access to the clubhouse via the (New) West Stand Entrance and the Trackside Door to the Clubhouse.
Link to note and details for further information – SBH Club House Door 20-01-23

PHOTOGRAPH’S – From time to time we have photographs of our members taken at meetings or presentations which we would like to use both on the website or incorporated within our report to our local newspaper. Can you please let me know if you do NOT want your photograph to be published. Also, I would appreciate if you could send me any photographs, which I can then publish on the website and newsletter.

FACEBOOK – Photographs can be found on the SBH page.

CAN YOU HELP PLEASE – I would welcome any contributions From Yourselves, any impending marriages, or additions to the family, any running or competing incidents, also past warm weather training/holidays (No Club 24 please). Currently the response has been excellent, but if you have anything that could make it into next week’s Newsletter – please email me.

CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF SHAFTESBURY INFORMATION – Currently I notify members (by email) using “MailChimp”. The reason I changed, was in November 2017 “Gmail” put a limit of 100 addresses that users could send to in a 24-hour period, and currently I send to approximately 850 members each issue.

On seeking technical advice “MailChimp” was recommended as the best way for SBH to go forward. There is one thing you should be aware off is that when you receive an email from me, the footer at the bottom has 4 options, of which one is “Unsubscribe Me From List”. Could I ask you not to select this as if you do you will be automatically removed from my distribution list.

SBH MIDWEEK POLE VAULT CLUB AT STONEX STADIUM – The current arrangements until further notice are that Pole Vault training is on Monday’s and Wednesday’s from 18.30pm to 21.00pm. Please contact the session administrator CLYDE GORDON at clydeg67@hotmail.co.uk in advance and let him know if you are planning to attend.

SBH HIGH JUMPS GROUP AT STONEX STADIUM – High Jump training takes place on Monday’s from 19.00pm to 21.00pm. These sessions will be run by our High Jump Coach GRANT BROWN. There will be a charge of £10 per session.
Please contact the session administrator CLYDE GORDON at clydeg67@hotmail.co.uk in advance and let him know if you are planning to attend

SBH TRAINING AND COACHING – Please see the 2024-2025 Winter Fixture Card, which gives details of Training and Coaching – A SBH Winter 2024-2025 Fixture Card Front Sheet Issued 02-09-24

POLE VAULTERS REQUIRED FOR 2025 – To all athletes young & old – are you aware of the SBH Pole Vault sessions held at StoneX Stadium on Monday & Wednesday evenings from 18.30pm. We have room to coach more of you, why not come along and watch a session and the get involved – give it a try NOW.
Please contact the session administrator CLYDE GORDON at clydeg67@hotmail.co.uk for more details.

STEEPLECHASE TRAINING AT STONEX STADIUM – Check with your Coach for details of training times.

SBH PRIVACY STATEMENT – In becoming a member, SBH will collect certain information about you. Can you please read the attached ‘Privacy Statement’ which contains Information on General Data Protection Regulations – SBH Privacy Statement Final April 2018

STONEX STADIUM – Main Switchboard telephone number is 020 3675 7250.

STONEX STADIUM AWARDED TRACKMARK STANDARD – Congratulations on achieving the UK Athletics Quality Assurance Standards for StoneX Stadium. This is the letter from UK Athletics and certificate showing all area that achieved compliance – StoneX Stadium Award Letter 09.11.21StoneX Stadium Certificate

ALAN WELLER – SBH NEWSLETTER EDITOR AND WEBSITE MANAGER