Hey Roadrunners!

There might not have been any official club races at the weekend, but I think folk made up for it by seeing how many different parkruns we could cover: 16 has to be a record for us!

Elsewhere, it was the ever-popular Clacton Running Festival - mainly popular for the now-traditional Greek meal afterwards as much as for the slog up and down the promenade; that pier never seems to get any closer. Belinda and Tom went that little bit further than Clacton and tackled a half-marathon in Musselburgh. All the information in Greg’s race report, below.

Volunteers Needed for BH5K

Thank you to those of you who have signed up to volunteer at our Phipps (August Bank Holiday) 5k race, but we need lots more to make the day a success. If you have friends and family who are willing to marshal, or maybe hand out water or crisps (yes, crisps!) at the end, they will be very welcome.

Chris has shouted out on WhatsApp, or you can sign-up using the SignUp website. Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on SignUp: https://signup.com/go/QEHZOfu
2. Enter your email address: (You will NOT need to register an account on SignUp)
3. Sign up! Choose your spots - SignUp will send you an automated confirmation and reminders.
Note: SignUp does not share your email address with anyone.

Diamond League

It was a disappointing showing for GB athletes at the Diamond League in Silesia, Poland. Our only win was for Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m, who stormed home to victory in a meeting record of 1:54:74. This was the fastest time for any women’s 800m since her victory in the Paris Olympics and bodes well for the upcoming Tokyo championships. Georgia Hunter-Bell also did well, finishing third in 3:56:00 in the 1500m.

For our other female athletes, it was a case of ‘nearly.’ In the 200m, Amy Hunt finished in fourth in 22:31 with Daryl Neita just behind in 22:44. Amber Anning finished fourth in the 400m in 50:11. Dina Asher-Smith was a disappointing seventh in the 100m in 11:07.

The only male GB runner seemed to be Neil Gourley, who finished an unlucky thirteenth position in the 1500m, in 3:34:90.

Donald Trump Revives the Presidential Fitness Test

Donald Trump is not only focused on Making America Great Again—he also wants to Make America Healthy Again.

At the end of July, Trump signed an executive order to bring back the Presidential Fitness Test in schools, a programme last used over ten years ago.

Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, will lead the initiative, which is supported by several professional athletes. Notably, athletes from running and endurance sports are missing, even though a mile run is a key part of the test.

During the White House signing ceremony, Trump called the test’s return a “wonderful tradition” meant to encourage discipline and excellence in schools. “From the late 1950s until 2013, students all across our country competed in the Presidential Fitness Test, and it was a big deal,” he said. “We’re bringing it back.”

The original programme, launched by President Eisenhower in the 1950s, was initially in response to studies which showed American children were a lot less fit than their European counterparts. This developed into Cold War paranoia about the US being at a disadvantage compared to the USSR because its youngsters were ‘getting soft.’

Over time the components of the fitness test changed, with throwing a softball (useful practice for throwing a hand grenade at the Russians) dropped and the mile run added in, alongside challenges like sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, and a flexibility test. Top students earned the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, which was a source of pride—or sometimes stress.

Kennedy, best known in this country for his anti-vaccination stance, said the test’s return is “a return to pride in fitness.” He will set new award criteria and help states start new programmes to reward student achievement. The top 15% of those tested will receive the Presidential Fitness Award.

It hasn’t been decided if the new test will adjust for age, gender, or ability. The original test, ended by the Obama administration in 2013, was criticised for favouring naturally athletic kids and discouraging others. It was replaced by the Presidential Youth Fitness Programme, which focused more on personal progress and overall health.

Ironically, Trump has previously said he believes exercise uses up the body’s energy (like we have a finite supply of energy!).

How do you think such a test would go down in the UK? There’s no doubt that we need to do more to promote fitness, for children and adults alike, but would a mandatory test encourage or discourage active lifestyles?

Artificial Antics

I’ve been having fun with AI and the opening text on the BRR website again. But what style is this text written in? Answer at the bottom of the blog.

Original text:

“Barking Road Runners, established in 1984, is a friendly running club in Barking, East London, with about 120 members of all abilities aged 18 to 78. Whether you're a beginner, looking to get fitter, or a seasoned runner, you're welcome to join us. Keep reading to find out more or contact us by clicking here.”

AI version:

“Looking for a running club that’s more fun than your favourite pair of trainers? Barking Road Runners has been pounding the pavements of East London since 1984—long enough to remember when shorts were really short! With about 120 members aged 18 to 78, we welcome everyone, whether you sprint like lightning or jog like you’re chasing an ice cream van. Want to know more or ready to join the fun? Keep reading, or drop us a line—don’t worry, we don’t bite (unless you’re made of chocolate).”

The A-Z of Running

There are a lot of running terms that we tend to just throw around, as if everyone understands them. But some newer runners might not - and sometimes even the more experienced runners might not know what they mean.

So let’s start today with the letter ‘A’. If you would like to explore any of these terms further, just let me know.

Aerobic Threshold (AT)

The effort level you can sustain for hours while breathing easily, just before lactate levels start to rise. Training at or below AT builds endurance, letting you run longer and maintain higher intensities without fatigue. The fitter you are, the higher your AT will be.

Anaerobic Threshold

Also known at lactate threshold, this is the point where lactate accumulates faster than your body can clear it, causing fatigue to set in. Training near this threshold improves your ability to sustain fast paces for longer before slowing down.

Acqua running/jogging

Also called pool running or deep water running, aqua running is a popular type of cross-training for runners that involves running against water resistance in the pool’s deep end (or natural body of water), where your feet can’t touch the bottom. Often used in rehabilitation for those with an injury that is preventing them from running, it can also be used as part of normal training.

Greg’s Race Report

The penultimate summer handicap, race no. 7 for Barking Road Runners, was won by Jason Suddaby with Sian Mansley and Barry Rowell in 2nd and 3rd respectively. With one race to go Barry Rowell still leads the way, but there are only a few points in it.

In other races, several BRR members travelled to Clacton to take on either the Half Marathon or 10k distances.

First BRR and first in his age category in the Clacton 10k, Ron Vialls

On a very warm day, Barry Rowell ran the Half Marathon finishing in a time of 2:31:39 whilst, in the 10k, Ron Vialls was both the first finisher for BRR and also first in his category in a time of 51:53. He was followed by Joyce Golder 1:03:55, Dennis Spencer Perkins 1:08:27, Steve Colloff 1:09:59, Alison Fryatt 1:10:45 and Isabel Pinedo Borobio 1:33:40, who was the tail runner.

Belinda Riches and Tom Brennan travelled further afield to run the Scottish Half Marathon with Tom finishing in 2:00:42 and Belinda in 2:01:13.

BRR parkrunners

Barking - Joshua Ezissi 23:55, Rosie Fforde 24:06, Barry Rowell 27:10, John Lang 29:28, Martin Mason 33:59, Nikki Cranmer 37:51, Dawn Curtis 40:23, Les Jay 40:25 and Alan Murphy 48:31.

Blickling - Paul Ward 27:37.

Chelmsford Central - Gary Harford 29:03.

Gary at Chemsford Central parkrun with former members Jenny and Barry C

Finsbury Park - Darren Graham 39:29 and Denise Graham 58:33.

Denise and Darren at Finsbury Park parkrun

Fordingbridge Recreation Ground - Mark New 23:09.

Hackney Marshes - Jess Collett 22:42.

Harlow - Rachel Sharples 37:47.

Harrow Lodge - Rory Burr 24:23.

Harwich - Alison Fryatt 32:47.

Kirkcaldy - Belinda Riches 26:12.

Belinda at Kirkcaldy parkrun in bonny Scotland

Lowestoft - Kevin Wotton 25:25.

Rutland Water - John Mitchell 32:23.

Southwark - Dennis Spencer Perkins 30:48 and Steve Colloff 32:00.

Valentines - Chandru Thayalan 23:55, Chris Muthaka 26:48, and Andrew Gwilliam 55:00.

Walthamstow - Stuart Mackay 20:45.

Wimpole Estate - Martin Brooks 31:24.

Highest BRR age gradings Jess Collett 68.28% for the women and Stuart Mackay 70.52% 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. Simply 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 Runners website: https://www.barkingroadrunners.org.uk/calendar.

7.00pm, Tuesday 20 August - speed session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. After our two-week ‘holiday’ it’ll be good to be back at track, and we have Zahra leading the ‘matched pairs’ session:

3 x (2 mins fast, 2 mins recovery)
3 x (1:30 mins fast, 1:30 mins recovery)
3 x (1 min fast, 1 min recovery)
3 x (45 secs fast, 45 secs recovery)
3 x (30 secs fast, 30 secs recovery)

This might be the last session led for us by Zhara before she goes off to uni, so do come along and support her.

7.00pm, Thursday 22 August - Club road run. Castle Green Centre/Jo Richardson School. A road run, usually around four miles.

9.00-9.25am, Sunday 24 August - 2025 ASICS LDNX. Wembley Stadium. Inaugural event of a new London 10k, on a closed-road course. You can still enter at https://ldnx.co.uk/2025/03/03/how-to-get-a-place-in-ldnx-2025/.

10.30am, Monday 25 August - Phipps (August Bank Holiday) 5k. Barking Park. BRR’s turn to host an ELVIS race, the last in the 2025 competition. We ask members to either run for the club or volunteer. If you decide to run, there is a 50% discount code available. Please ask for the code BEFORE booking; once you have booked it is too late for us to give you the discount.

7.00pm, Thursday 28 August - Handicap 08. Barking Park. The grand finale. Which three members will take the trophies, and who will win the final tenner?

10.30am, Sunday 14 September - Pleshey Half Marathon (GP06). Pleshey Village Hall, The Street, Pleshey, CM3 1HA. If you are fed up with the crowds of the central London half marathons, you’ll enjoy this race through the country lanes of Essex. Enter at https://www.atwevents.co.uk/e/springfield-striders-pleshey-and-essex-half-marathon-11528

11.00am, Sunday, 21 September - Ingatestone 5 (GP07). Anglo European School, Willow Green, Ingatestone CM4 ODG. Penultimate race in the grand prix series, and always one of my favourites (not least because of the 5-mile distance). This year is the 40th anniversary. Entry via Entry Central at https://www.entrycentral.com/Ingatestone5MileRoadRace

Cracker Corner

A camel was born in London Zoo last week but it doesn’t have a hump. They’ve called it Humphrey.

My doctor told me that I have high blood pressure. I took that diagnosis with a pinch of salt.

I started taking salsa dancing lessons, but I just don’t feel like I’m progressing... it’s one step forward, two steps back.

Quote of the Week

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass… in spring, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

John Lubbock

And finally…

Last Thursday saw the World Humanoid Robot Games kick off in Beijing, with two-legged androids competing in sports ranging from table tennis and football to dance, kickboxing, and track and field. In a 1,500m race, the winner clocked 6 minutes, 34 seconds, nearly double the human world record of 3:26.00, but a lot faster than I could manage. Unfortunately, some of the other competitors fared less well; one robot fell and lost an arm, and another’s head flew off mid-race. Let’s just hope we don’t have any incidents like that in our Bank Holiday race…

Keep Running!

Alison

Chair, Barking Road Runners

PS - and the website text style this week was…jokey. I might put this on the website and see if we have a sudden increase in new members.

BRR Blog - 19 August 2025