BRR runners at supporters at Eastbrookend
Hi there, Road Runners
Well, didn’t we kick off the Chingford League season in style? Luckily, the heavy mist cleared in time for the juniors’ race, and it was bright sunshine across Eastbrookend Country Park by the time the older racers took to the course. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to the event, either as a runner or a volunteer. We can now look forward to the next event at the Redbridge Cycling Centre (Hog Hill) on 11 November. Remember, we use the same bib numbers throughout the competition so, if you already have one, hang on to it. If you haven’t raced yet but intend to take part at Hog Hill, let me know and I’ll set aside a number for you. But Eastbrookend was just one of many races that took place last week - see the Race Report for more.
The other big event of the week was the Club’s 2026 Annual General Meeting. Thank you to the 21 members who were able to attend, ensuring the meeting was quorate. We covered a lot of important business, including a round-up of Club activity over the past year, a summary of the Club’s financial position, and agreement of a new Club Constitution, Competition Rules, Discipline and Appeals Policy, and Lifetime Membership Policy. We also voted on the Committee members for the 2026-27 year, and paid tribute to our beloved former Captain Rob Courtier. It was also agreed that we should publish the results of the various Club competitions and the Marathon Points table more frequently, so members can see where they stand. Official minutes will be posted shortly.
Race Report
Steve C, Steph, Belinda and Tom at Chase the Moon.
At the Chase the Moon 5k at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Wednesday, Tom Brennan led Barking Road Runners home in 19:46. Belinda Riches followed in 27:54, with Steve Colloff finishing just one second later in 27:55. Stephanie rounded out the club’s entries with a time of 38:37.
Saturday morning saw Barking Road Runners host the first race in the 2026-27 Chingford League at a sunny Eastbrookend Country Park. First finisher in the five-mile race for Barking was Paul Withyman 34:34 followed by Tom Brennan 34:45, Daniel Plawiak 36:40, Martin Page 37:48, Colin Jones 40:22, Jason Suddaby 40:25, Shantelle Keech 41:05, Lizze-Beth Garraghan 44:50, Joyce Golder 45:38, Mick Davison 49:33, James Sheridan 49:43, Barry Rowell 50:59, Isabel Pinedo Borobio 53:16, and Stephanie Rashbrook as tailwalker in 1:05:02.
Runners have earned their first points towards this year’s BRR Chingford League trophies - exciting! Trophies are awarded to the three highest scoring males and females, based on the best four of six races, so don’t worry if you missed the first race.
The running team at the Eastbrookend 5 Chingford League race
Further afield, Owen Wainhouse travelled to Japan to take part in the Lake Biwa 100. The 100-mile race is a prestigious ultratrail event held around Japan's largest lake and is renowned for its demanding mountain trails and spectacular scenery, attracting runners from across Japan and overseas. Owen completed the gruelling course in 46:03:36, topping it by the traditional jump into Lake Biwa.
Owen after the Lake Biwa 100
At the Marlow Running Festival, Belinda Riches (58:31) and Steve Colloff (1:08:02) tackled the muddy trails and hilly sections of the Frankenstein 10K, delivering strong performances across the eerie autumn course. Meanwhile, Barry Rowell represented the club in the Marlow Half Marathon, conquering the infamous hills of the Chilterns to put in a brilliant performance and cross the finish line in a time of 2:26:22
Steve C, Belinda and Barry at the Marlow Run Festival
Rounding off the week’s racing, Alison Fryatt took part in the Leigh-on-Sea Striders Spooktacular 10k, finishing the multi-terrain course in 1:19:01.
Alison looking a bit frightening at the Leigh-on-Sea 10k
Barking parkrunners
Barking parkrun Peter Jackson 23:02, Barry O'Neill 26:24, Faye Spooner 28:55, Amanda Jane Heslegrave 29:24, Nigel Gary Swaby 39:21, Dawn Blake 41:58 and Alan Murphy 52:46.
Chalkwell Beach parkrun Antony Leckerman 21:02.
Crane Park parkrun Rory Burr 22:44.
Dover Waterfront parkrun Adrian Davison 24:34.
Great Yarmouth North Beach parkrun Belinda Riches 31:49, Stephen Colloff 38:32, Darren Graham 49:27, and Denise Graham 1:07:38.
Some ghoulish BRR members at Great Yarmouth North Beach
Harrow Lodge parkrun Charlotte Owen Bird 28:55.
Chelmsford Central parkrun Louise Chappell 30:08.
Moors Valley parkrun Mark New 25:10.
Thorney Bay Beach parkrun Ronald Vialls 24:06.
Valentines parkrun Kevin Wotton 25:39, Martin O'Toole 28:40, Cristina Cooper 32:11, Trevor Cooper 32:12 and Andrew Gwilliam 50:24.
Wimpole Estate parkrun Martin Brooks 41:48.
Worthing parkrun Jason Li 29:57.
BRR Diary - November
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 Runners website:
https://www.barkingroadrunners.org.uk/calendar.
7.00pm, Tuesday 3 November - Speed Work. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. You’ll like this week’s session, but not a lot. As our next Club race is the Chingford League at Hog Hill, we will be doing a pyramid suited for 5k preparation. As always recovery is jog or walk:
3 min fast, 90 secs recovery
4 min fast, 90 secs recovery
5 min fast, 90 secs recovery
5 min fast, 90 secs recovery
4 min fast, 90 secs recovery
3 min fast, 90 secs recovery
You should be looking to run each rep at just a bit faster than your normal 5k time.
20-22 min group: 4:00-4:25/km
25 min group: 4:55-5:00/km
27 min group: 5:20-5:25/km
30 min group: 5:55-6:00/km
35 min group: 6:55-7:00/km
40 min group: 7:50-8:00/km
7.00pm, Thursday 5 November - Warrior Training Session at the May and Baker Social Club. This week’s session is pretty stretching:
2 × 1000m off 2 mins recovery
2 × 800m off 2 mins recovery
2 × 600m off 2 mins recovery
Nige may also be leading a session from the Castle Green centre at 7.00pm. Check out the WhatsApp Group for details.
7.30pm, Wednesday 11 November - Hog Hill 5k (Chingford League 02). Redbridge Cycling Centre, Forest Road, Hainault. Free to participate, just let us know in advance so a bib number can be allocated. Women’s race at 7.30pm, men’s at 8.05pm. Limited parking at the Cycling Centre so you may have to park in the industrial estate opposite.
10.00am, Sunday 15 November - Hadleigh Cross Country (South Essex Cross Country League 01). Hadleigh Country Park, Chapel Lane, Hadleigh, Essex. Discounted £3 for BRR members, paid on the day or into the BRR bank account (ref your name and XC01). You must wear a BRR top to represent the Club.
7.00pm, Friday 27 November - Presentation Evening. The Three Travellers, Wood Lane, Dagenham, RM10 7DS. Join us to celebrate the Club’s achievements over the past year, and to collect your trophy if you’ve won one! There will be a buffet provided.
NEW DATE!!!! 9.30am, Sunday 29 November - Christmas Parks Run. Meeting in Matthew Parker Street, Westminster, SWIH 9NA. Nearest tube station St. James’s Park. A gentle pre-Christmas run through St. James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensignton Gardens. Usually followed by something to eat in the St. James’s Park Café.
REMINDER: Our first Grand Prix race for 2027 will be the Brentwood Half Marathon on 21 March. The race has a new start and finish, so don’t forget to sign up and give it a go. More info and entries at: https://www.brentwoodhalf.org/
The Kenyan Secret
Visitors to Kenya's famous training camps in Iten are often surprised by how slowly the runners start their easy runs. Their recovery runs can feel little more than a jog, but when it's time to run hard, they run very hard indeed. The easy days are easy, and the hard days are hard.
Research into elite endurance athletes has found a similar pattern. The most successful runners typically do around 80% of their training at an easy, conversational effort, saving the harder work for a small proportion of their sessions.
Many recreational runners fall into the trap of running every session at a "comfortably hard" pace. But pushing that bit harder doesn’t make you a better runner. The result is often too much fatigue and not enough recovery.
A good easy run should feel easy enough to hold a conversation. You should finish feeling like you could keep going, not like you've just raced 10k. If you think you are going too slowly, that’s probably about the right pace.
Take a leaf out of the Kenyans’ book: sometimes the best way to get faster is to slow down.
Jolly Good Form
Have you ever volunteered or spectated at a race and noticed the huge range of different running styles? Every runner’s stride is a little different, but the fundamentals of good technique are surprisingly universal.
At its core, proper form means keeping your body aligned: head, shoulders, hips, and legs stacked neatly, with a gentle forward lean from the ankles. When things drift out of line — hunched shoulders, craned neck, overstriding — your running becomes harder, less efficient, and more injury‑prone.
So what should you focus on?
Eyes ahead, chin neutral. Looking too high or too low shifts your centre of mass and strains your neck.
Relaxed shoulders. Tension creeps in as we tire, so check in regularly and let them drop.
Forward‑back arm swing. Some swing across your chest is natural but too much crossing your arms wastes energy and twists your torso.
Loose hands. No fists — imagine holding something delicate. Coaches often say to pretend you are holding a crisp, although I don’t hold them delicately!
Tall spine, engaged core. This supports your posture and absorbs impact.
Slight forward lean. Not bending at the waist — your whole body tilts as one.
Soft knee bend. Lift just enough to move smoothly without wasting energy.
Foot landing under your body. Overstriding is the biggest culprit behind shin splints and knee pain.
Short, quick strides. A slightly higher cadence keeps impact low and efficiency high.
Trying to keep all these things in mind is a bit much, so the best advice is to concentrate on one aspect of form at a time. Drills like high knees, butt kicks, A‑skips, and strides, all of which we do regularly at track, reinforce good form habits. Small tweaks, repeated consistently, can make running feel easier, smoother, and - possibly! - more enjoyable.
A Short History of Loxford Park
Although relatively small in size, Loxford Park is one of Ilford's oldest public parks, created from the grounds of the former Loxford Hall Estate. In 1899, the estate was purchased by Ilford Urban District Council for £11,200 and converted into a public recreation ground for the rapidly growing local population.
The area itself has much older roots. Loxford was a medieval manor owned by Barking Abbey, one of the most influential religious institutions in Essex. Records show that in 1319 the Abbess of Barking was granted permission to cut timber from Hainault Forest to rebuild her house at Loxford after a fire.
The nearby Loxford Hall, dating from around 1830 and enlarged in the 1860s, survives today as a reminder of the estate from which the park was formed. It is now surrounded by modern housing estates.
During the twentieth century, the park developed into an important community space. Its features include playing fields, tennis courts, and beach volleyball courts using sand from the 2012 Olympics. The sunken rose garden created around 1940 is now home to a skate park.
Not large enough in itself for long runs, it is still a pleasant green space to run by, and its quiet paths are ideal for short reps. Oh, and it has a drinking water fountain!
Cracker Corner
The Council has put a speed bump right outside my house. I was annoyed at first but now I’ve managed to get over it.
I went to the bookshop and saw a book called ‘how to solve 50 per cent of your problems.’ I bought two copies.
Good news. The man who fell into an upholstery machine last week is completely recovered.
Quote of the Week
“If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and I believe running helps you do that.”
Haruki Murakami
And Finally…
It appears that in China and Hong Kong, dogs aren’t on leads but children are.
Ahead of Hong Kong’s new Northern Metropolis Marathon, organisers are sending patrol teams around the course to check for loose dogs. The precautions follow serious dog attacks in the New Territories, including two deaths since August.
Over at the Zhengzhou Marathon, however, officials encountered a rather different problem: a runner took a nine-year-old boy onto the course tied to him with a rope around the waist. The race rules require half-marathon runners to be at least 18. The adult’s result was cancelled and he received a three-year ban.
So, if you're racing this weekend, remember the basics: pin your number on properly, don't start too fast and, preferably, leave both the dog and the children untethered and off the race course...
