UKA/ fasttrack/ distance running

The mens 10k at BUSA already has a big field and I dont think that there would be room for another group of runners. The BUSA womens will include the Sheila Fairweather Memorial event, which will probably be a permanent feature.

I think another date and venue is needed for the additional mens 10k, I doubt that there is time in the programme for a 10k to be added to any of the BMC/Endurance Initiative meetings.

So where and when boys ?

There are plenty of evening meetings in Birmingham that have organisers that are quite happy to listen to requests from athletes and change the timetable.

Not sure if it would be better to hold the races on the weekend though, probably would be more convenient for all. Think BUSA is a little bit early season anyway, and it does get quite busy on the track..usually a really smelly old guy from Sunderland runs about 40 mins, not helpful.

Good to start talking about these things in good time before the season, hopefully we can get something going.

43.28 - so we dont really want good runners lapping him 7 or 8 times !

hey guys

like i have said before. The place for up and coming british runners is the states. I am american but it seems like all the top u23 runners are coming over here. If they can get in the stanford race or Mt Sac or penn relays then they are bound to run fast as the competetition is so much better over here.

hey guys

i am an amercian distance runner from alabama from what i have heard it sounds like the british racing system is pretty bad. Over here we have races like stanford, Mt Sac and the Penn relays all off which are really good meets for PRs. The competetion is alot better over here that why all the good uk runners come over here to improve. I was watching the NCAA meet on TV and there was only 2 good british guys in that race and they were Thompson and Ford both of whom were all-americans i sure they are the among the best in thier country as well

Despite all of the posts to the contrary the racing programme in the UK/europe is much better than in the US thank you.

Trouble is some of the UK runners who post here wanting carrying to the finish line, by a team of topless pacemakers.

It wasnt like that in my day.

The problem Dicker is that people don't like to race as much these days. There are probably fewer good runners now also. There are a few good 5k's that attract a good feild but not many and their are barely any 10k's at all. It seems to be all 3k's these days. I take your point that there probably are existing 5k races we could use but the problem is getting the athletes to come together. What we need to do is organize the race between ourselves. Plato made a good point in saying that Mike harris will help if we want to include a rcae in the Trafford open meeting on a tuesday night. If you want me to speak to him nearer the time I will but first we need a mailing list so we have a number of contacts who will spread the word and get a good feild out. We wouldn't want to look stupid asking for the race and have it won by some joe jogger in 33:00.

BMC have published their dates, but not venues. UKA should announce soon the distance events in same meets. There are only 5 meets (plus whatever L/boro is this year) and we know that Watford on 12th June will most likely just be AAA 10k.

So when we know what events there are scheduled to be run, we can fill in the gaps with the type of race you suggest.

If they are to be mid-week events then it is likely they will be supported, in the main, by regional athletes as it is much more difficult to get about this little country in time race in the evenings.

I suggest that we need to wait until UKA or BMC announce their events first. Agree ?

I personally think we as a group should decide what races we need and then approach organisers and ask them to include them in the fixtures. Here's the BMC and BAL fixture dates (I think):

BMC BAL

May 22 May 8

June 12 (AAA 10k) June 5

June 26 July 3

July 17 July 31

Aug 8

I'm no expert but I would think it would be best to have a another high quality 10k sometime before June 12. If 3 weeks is enough time to recover then the first BMC may be ideal, if not then a fast 5k at that fixture would work well and find a 10k for 3 weeks before that, roughly May 1st. That would avoid a BAL conflict and those who compete in the British league could do a 1500m or take that weekend (May 8th) off. I'm not sure when the intercounties are but that could work well if happened to be the weekend of the 1st. Come to think of it though, the counties are usually the 1st weekend in May right(?) so the intercounties would probably be towards the end of the month?

I think that weekend races would be more ideal than midweek ones and I for one am more than happy to travel on the weekends. Those who have e-mailed me I will get back to you soon and set up some sort of discussion list to discuss these ideas. Anyone else interested e-mail me, it's on the first page. Matt

lofty wrote:

UKA put pacemakers in to both mens and womens AAA Champs last year, so they could do so again. What finish time are you thinking of ?

Would depend on the standard of entry. Me personally? I'm usually hovering around the 30min mark, probably would hope for 70/71sec laps.

The InterCounties I have done before but it is a little too early season. 1-2 weeks after the AAA would be ideal...get in good shape for the 5k there and take a good 5k into the 10k shortly after.

HHH ... try

www.gbrathletics.com

for a fixture list.

May 1 would be too soon after London for me but I would be happy to help in any way if I can.

I'll probably do the 10k on June 12th at watford, then target the AAA (5k) on July 9-11, then would ideally be looking for a 10k 10-14 days after that. That would leave enough time before the Southern 10k (which is actually well supported) and then the road season kicks in soon after...

My mistake, the 10k in June is the Olympic trials and the AAA's are in July.

I think the BMC dates in question are

22/5 Manchester

(6/6 L/boro)

12/6 Watford AAA 10k's

26/6 Eton or south anyway

10+11/7 AAA Manchester

17/7 Solihull

8/8 Glasgow

I dont think there will be another 10k at Manchester 22/5, so where and when is still the question ?

Remember that some UK runners will do Euro 10k Challenge 3/4 so they wont have any interest for a while after that, if it is of any consequence !

I think the best thing you people could do is start an organised pressure group to put pressure on our system withyour ideas. They wont take notice of a letter in AW or an email from a few people (years have shown this). Alot of people make more noise than an individual. You all seem pretty commited to the fight too.

Keep it up.

i think its wrong to suggest its a 'fight'. by and large the people in athletics (who set the races etc) are good people and they will respond to well thought out intelligent suggestions. it's more a failure to communicate than anything else.

the races will go ahead so long as the effort is made by the athletes to make their case - it's not enough to moan on a website.

The fixture list in the UK is not the product of one person, or even one group or body.

League dates are set by one group (BAL who only care about their races, not even the runners). BMC liaise with UKA over their 5 meets, and UKA decides what endurance events are in those meets under the Endurance Initiative.

The dates and events for the meets at Bedford, Loughboro etc are purely the choice of the meet organisers.

So if you want to change any of these meets then speak to the individual bodies.

If you want additional meets, with other events, then let the respective UK coach know i.e. Surtees, Rowland, Ashwood, Baldaro. They should be able to influence someone to help if there is a real need/desire.

Writing to AW is not only a waste of time it suggests that you dont really know how to get what you want or need.

Wasn't UKA supposed to set up some committee to sort out the calender. For example, I think there is still a good case for inter-club competitions, but why does it seem to be beyond people to be a bit flexible? Why can't people talk to each other? I've lost count of the times over the years when there are no decent races for ages and then all of a sudden there's a whole load of them in the same area on the same weekend. Crazy! And I've never understood why the County champs are so early.

The problem is that the people wh are involved in the relative organisations think they are important, thats balls, its the athletes that are important, and if they valued Britain ever being a force again they would already know that. theres a bit too much nepotism at the sub elite level.

I've been refused entry for a BMC 5k B race, been told I was too slow, and then turned up and there have been people in the field who have obviously been 'in the know' who have pb's a minute slower than me if not more.

It shouldn't be about who you know or having connections, it should be a level playing field. Its like the AAA's, the qualifying is 14.15 and last year people ran pb's of 14.23! How does that work?

Can you really get into the AAA's running 14.15. Wow. I ran 14.15 my first year I ran 5000m and I couldn't get a ticket to watch the 5000!