BRR Blog - 17 August 2026
Owen Wainhouse, winner of Handicap 06
Howdie Road Runners
What a fantastic event the 2026 European Championships has been, not least because of the plethora of medals for Team GB and NI. We missed out to Italy on topping the medals table by three-hundredths of a second in the men’s 4 x 400 relays, or was it by 1cm in teh women’s long jump. Or perhaps it was Tamberi winning the men’s high jump against all the odds. But, never mind, it was a fantastic event and hopefully earned lots of support for our sport.
Our successful mixed 4 × 400m team
August Committee Minutes
The minutes of the August committee meeting can be found here.
Greg’s Race Report
runners and supporters at the handicap race
Handicap race No. 6 of eight for Barking Road Runners this week was a 5k race over the Barking parkrun course. First finisher was James Sheridan but, as James was using this race to set his handicap, the £10 prize went to second-placed Owen Wainhouse with Barry Rowell finishing third. In tough conditions due to the heat, only Owen beat his handicap this week which was extra impressive as with the highest handicap he started after everyone else.
At the Clacton 10k, an out and back two-lap course along Clacton Seafront, BRR’s Martin Page 46:39 and Ron Vialls 50:59 finished second and first in their respective age categories.
Ron and Martin P at the Clacton 10k.
BRR Parkrunners
Barking - Owen Wainhouse 21:04, Joshua Ezissi 21:19, Paul Manson 29:18, Trevor Cooper 29:21, Cristina Cooper 30:24, James Sheridan 33:07, Nikki Cranmer 38:23 (500th parkrun), Astrid Effendi 42:09 and Alan Murphy 49:07.
Beckton - Dominic Herring 23:18.
Bournemouth - Mark New 26:25.
Cairns - Paul Ward 23:38.
East Grinstead - Barry Rowell 33:50, Darren Graham 42:25 and Denise Graham 55:40.
Harrow Lodge - Rory Burr 21:55.
Highwoods - Gary Harford 33:07.
Jeskyns Community Woodland - Belinda Riches 29:15, Steve Colloff 33:47, Dennis Spencer Perkins 34:28 and Louise Chappell 44:22.
Newark - Dawn Curtis 41:35.
Thorney Bay Beach - Ron Vialls 30:20.
Valentines - Keith Wotton 25:42.
Wanstead Flats - Stuart Mackay 21:17 and Martin O’Toole 29:14.
Wimpole Estate - Martin Brooks 28:58.
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Belinda Riches 60.28% for the women and Stuart Mackay 69.3% for the men.
BRR Diary - August/September
The highlights of the coming weeks are listed below but you can see the full diary of BRR events on the TeamUp app. Just download the TeamUp app to your phone, then enter the calendar key: ks67p21gt8p5gzdo66 when prompted. If you don’t want another app on your phone, you can also find it under the ‘events’ tab on the Barking Road Runnerswebsite: https://www.barkingroadrunners.org.uk/calendar.
7.00pm, Tuesday 18 August - Speed Work. Jim Peter’s Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. Back by popular demand, we are having the dice fartlek session again. Here’s a reminder of how it works, for anyone who missed it first time:
The session is divided into 10 rounds of 3 minutes. At the start of each round, I roll the dice. The number rolled tells everyone how long they must run hard (i.e. 5-10k effort, working hard but controlled, holding form). The remainder of the three minute block is recovery. As a reminder
🎲1 - 30 seconds
🎲2 - 1 minute
🎲3 - 1 min 30 secs
🎲4 - 2 minutes
🎲5 - 2 min 30 secs
🎲6 - 3 minutes
In theory, there is no rest after a three minute run, but I was kind and gave 30 seconds last week. But, who knows what numbers will be rolled this week?
7.00pm, Thursday 20 August - Summer Handicap #07. Barking Park, parkrun course. £1 to enter and the chance to win a tenner.
7.00pm, Thursday 27 August - Summer Handicap #08. Last race in the competition! But who will be the overall competition winners…
10.30am, Monday 31 August - Phipps (August Bank Holiday) 5k (ELVIS 08). Barking Park. Our very own ELVIS race. Hopefully you are either running or volunteering on the day. Don’t forget BRR runners get half price entry - ask for the discount code before entering.
Sunday 6 September - The Big Half (GP07). Tower Bridge. You should have received your email with start instructions by now, if you are participating.
10:30, Sunday 13 September - Orienteering in Epping Forest SE. Loughton, England, IG10 4DZ. If you want to try ‘proper’ orienteering (without the safety net of a mobile phone app), here is a local event. More details here: https://www.chig.org.uk/events/260913-epping-se
If you’re not good with directions, and you think orienteering sounds too difficult, rest assured that there are courses for all abilities. The colour‑coded course names below are the standard British Orienteering difficulty levels, used to help runners choose a course suited to their experience and navigation skill:
British Orienteering course difficulty levels
The Comeback Trail
Seven steps to recovery - and success!
Every runner knows the frustration of injury or illness. One minute you're planning your next race or chasing a parkrun PB, and the next you're watching from the sidelines wondering when you'll be able to run properly again.
The good news is that most health issues don't have to signal the end of your running. A recent Marathon Handbook article highlighted seven key steps to a successful return, and they all come down to one thing: trust the process rather than rushing back too soon.
Step 1: Get the right diagnosis. Understanding what's actually wrong is the foundation of recovery. A proper assessment from a physio or healthcare professional can help you build the right rehabilitation plan.
Step 2: Respect the pain. Rest is often part of the treatment. Ignoring pain and trying to run through it can turn a minor issue into a long-term problem.
Step 3: Stay active if you can. Depending on the injury, cycling, swimming, walking or other low-impact activities can help maintain fitness and keep spirits up while you're unable to run.
Step 4: Rebuild strength. Rehabilitation and strength exercises help address the root cause of injuries and reduce the risk of them returning.
Step 5: Start back slowly. Many runners make the mistake of trying to pick up where they left off. Your first runs should be easy and controlled.
Step 6: Progress gradually. Build mileage and intensity carefully, paying attention to how your body responds. Consistency is far more important than heroic comeback runs.
Step 7: Be patient. Recovery is rarely a straight line. There will be good days and bad days, but patience is often the difference between a successful return and another setback.
Most importantly, remember that taking a few extra weeks now is far better than losing several months because you came back too quickly. After all, the goal isn't simply to get running again. It's to stay running.
Grand Slam or Grand Flop?
When four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson launched Grand Slam Track in June 2024, he set out to shake up athletics. Johnson, who won Olympic gold medals over 200m and 400m at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, hoped his new league would create more frequent head-to-head competition between the world's best athletes and raise the profile of track and field.
It all started well. The series held its first events in Kingston, Jamaica, in April 2025, followed by meetings in Miami and Philadelphia. However, the planned Los Angeles finale was cancelled at short notice and, in December 2025, the organisation filed for bankruptcy protection after major funding failed to materialise.
Speaking publicly about the collapse for the first time, Johnson described the experience as more stressful than anything he had faced since his Olympic career. He said the league itself had been well received, but a significant funding shortfall ultimately proved fatal. He also stated that athletes have now been paid and defended his handling of the league's finances (there had been accusations of him pocketing large sums whilst participants received nothing).
It’s unclear whether the Grand Slam Track idea will ever be revived, and Johnson is left with a tarnished reputation, whether or not deserved. But perhaps the new World Athletics Ultimate Championship, launching in Budapest from 11–13 September 2026, is picking up the baton that Grand Slam Track dropped.
Can Jakob Really Break the 1500m World Record?
Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Photo: Filip Bossuyt, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Josh Kerr’s arch rival, is back from injury. And, not to be outdone, he has set his sights on the breaking Hicham El Guerrouj's legendary 3:26.00 1500m world record, which has stood since 1998.
Speaking on the RunWise podcast, before his 13:15.29 5000m win at the European Championships, Ingebrigtsen reflected on his fourth-place finish in the Paris Olympic 1500m final. However, instead of being disappointed by the result, he has taken encouragement from it. He believes the fitness he showed that day was actually worth a world-record performance, pointing out that he did all the hard work at the front for most of the race while his rivals enjoyed the benefits of drafting behind him.
Ingebrigtsen's personal best of 3:26.73 leaves him less than a second short of the record, so you’d have to say he stands a good chance of breaking it sometime soon.
A brief History of…Castle Green
Ripple Castle on Castle Green - what a shame it’s no longer there
Last week we explored the history of Hainault Forest. This week, we're looking at another local landmark familiar to many local runners: Castle Green.
While Hainault's story stretches back to medieval times, Castle Green tells a more recent tale. For centuries the area was farmland and formed part of a landscape of estates, market gardens and open countryside. The name "Castle Green" comes from Ripple Castle. Despite its name, it wasn't actually a castle at all, but a castellated country house built around 1800. It was demolished around 1938, but its name lives on.
The biggest transformation came in the early 20th century with the creation of the Becontree Estate, one of the largest public housing developments in the world. Built between 1919 and 1935, it replaced much of the remaining farmland and helped provide new homes for thousands of London families. Castle Green became an important open space at the heart of the growing community.
Today, Castle Green combines parkland with sports facilities and play areas. For local runners, it offers a reminder that the routes we enjoy don't just cross green spaces – they also trace the story of how Barking and Dagenham evolved from rural countryside into the modern borough we know today.
Cracker Corner
I gave up my job inflating tyres at the local garage. The pressure was too much.
I’ve just offered my neighbour a tenner to let me have a go on his stairlift. I wonder if he’ll take me up on it.
Police have arrested a man who stole a combine harvester. He’s been bailed.
Quote of the week
“Trust your mind; trust your body; trust yourself.”
Gianmarco Tamberi
And Finally…
Just a few weeks after Scotland's Josh Kerr (him again) smashed the men's mile world record with a remarkable 3:42.66 in London, American runner Stephen Biebelhausen has produced a mile performance that is astonishing in a very different way.
Biebelhausen clocked 4 minutes 17 seconds for the mile while pushing a stroller (buggy) at the Guardian Mile race in Cleveland, around nine seconds quicker than the current recognised men's stroller-mile world record.
Now, nobody is suggesting he was about to challenge Kerr's world record, but considering he was steering a buggy carrying his child, it's still a mind-boggling run. I for one would be happy to get anywhere near that sort of time, buggy or not…
