BRR Blog - 22 September 2025

The BRR Team (minus Gary H) at the Ingatestone 5

Hi there, Road Runners

There have been some great athletic performances over the last week. Unfortunately, I don’t mean from Team GB &N at the World Athletics Championships, but from Team BRR, who have excelled in both running and swimming. Next Sunday we will be testing our sporting prowess still further, with the long-awaited football match. Details in the BRR diary - I can’t wait!

Committee minutes

The minutes of the September Committee meeting can be found here.

World Athletics championships

There were some surprises and lots of disappointment for Team GB & NI at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. We had to wait five days for our first medal, a silver for Jake Wightman in the men's 1500m. Amy Hunt also claimed silver in the women's 200m. Katarina Johnson-Thompson shared bronze in a nail-biting heptathlon finale on Saturday. Georgia Hunter Bell won a silver in the women’s 800m, with Keely Hodgkinson getting bronze.

So, our total medal haul was three silver and two bronze. This is the first time the team has won no golds since 2003.

There was bad luck, with 1500m champion Josh Kerr, Olympic and world 400m silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith, and 2024 world indoor pole vault champion Molly Caudery each suffering injuries. The poor performances were also blamed on the heat and humidity. This doesn’t bode well for the next World Championships in Beijing in 2027, where weather conditions are likely to be similar. Luckily, the athletes have plenty of time to prepare!  were also blamed for.  poor performance

Top Tip

A properly executed stretch should be mildly uncomfortable but never painful - pain is a warning from your body to go no further. If you experience sharp and stabbing sensations, tingling, numbness, or pain in your extremities, or feel as if your joints are stuck or crunching, stop the stretch immediately. Never force it: it’s best to ease into a stretch, starting gently before taking a deep breath in and stretching a bit further (without bouncing!) as you breathe out, if you can.

A to Z of Running

Episode five in the A-Z of running, and this week it is brought to you by the letter ‘F.’

Fascia: A thin, strong, fibrous connective tissue extending throughout your body to provide support and protection to your muscles and bones. The Plantar Fascia, at the bottom of the foot, is probably the most well-known (and most likely to get injured).

FKT: Fastest known time (FKT) is the fastest time that anyone has completed a specific trail, route, peak, etc. As there is no single governing body for these types of races, they have a FKT rather than formal records, like road or track races.

Flats: Light running shoes often worn by elite runners for road races, more usually referred to as ‘racing flats.’ They don’t have much, if any, cushioning, so they should be used with care.

Foam rolling: A form of self-myofascial release (or self-torture) in which a cylindrically shaped firm foam object is used to apply pressure to certain body parts to soothe pain, increase range of motion and speed up recovery.

FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out. When applied to the world of running, FOMO is used to describe the negative inner state of not being able to sign up for a race with your running friends - maybe you’re injured, maybe you didn’t get a place, or maybe your schedule is just too full - and missing out all of the fun.

Foot Strike: The area of your foot that first contacts the ground while running. With heel striking, the rearfoot or heel makes initial contact with the ground, with midfoot striking, you land on the center of your foot, while forefoot striking involves landing on the ball of your foot. There is a lot of debate about how and where your feet should strike the ground while running, but finding the right foot strike is a matter of personal physiology and preference, so you should aim to find what works best for you and ignore all of the hype surrounding it.

Form: The posture of your body as it moves when you run. ‘Proper’ running form includes an upright posture, neutral head and spine, a very slight forward lean of the trunk, an engaged core, arms swinging back and forth with a 90-degree angle in the elbows, and an even stride length.

Front Runner: the runner who’s at the front of the pack during a race. It’s not always the best place to be, tactically, as other runners will tuck in behind the front runner in an effort to conserve their energy before sprinting off at the end of the race.

Fuel: not gas or electric, but what you consume before, during, and after running to give you energy. It could be gels, jelly cubes, drinks, or ‘real’ foods, but should be high in carbohydrates. Post-run fuel should include protein too, to help your body repair after the exertions of the run.

‘A’ Skip in Time Saves Nine

Athlete performing an A skip.

If you come to the track on Tuesdays, you’ll know that we like to do a warm—up and drills before starting the main part of the session. The warm-up does what it says on the tin: it warms up your muscles, joints, and tendons and gets them ready for the exercise to come. But why do we ask you to perform running drills?  

Drills are a great way to improve your running form. By reinforcing key elements of ideal running technique – like agility, balance, and coordination - they reduce injury risk and help make you a faster, more efficient, runner.

Skips are a very common running drill and, not surprisingly, the starting point is ‘A’ skips. A skips can significantly sharpen your stride mechanics and foot strike, giving you a smoother, more powerful gait.

How to Do A-Skips

·       Stand upright, core tight, arms at your sides, feet hip-width apart.

·       Hop on your right foot while lifting your left knee up to hip height, toes pointing up.

·       Land your left foot under your body on the ball of your foot.

·       Switch sides: hop on your left foot, lift your right knee.

·       Alternate sides, keeping a bouncy, skipping motion.

·       Swing your arms as you skip to help lift your knees.

Tips

·       Keep your body upright and core engaged.

·       Don’t lean forward or backward.

·       Move your legs quickly, keeping ground contact short.

·       Land on the balls of your feet.

If A-skips are too hard, start with A-marches: march in place, lifting your knees high, and pump your arms.

Greg’s Race Report

The Barking Road Runners Grand Prix race No 7 this week, the penultimate race in the 2025 competition, was the Ingatestone 5-mile event. First finisher for BRR was Ron Vialls 39:43, followed by Martin Page 40:01, Barry Rowell 46:39, Debra Jean Baptiste 47:01, Lizzie Beth Garraghan 47:15, Gary Harford 48:40, Mick Davison 48:43, Louise Chappell 51:27, Rob Courtier 52:59, Nikki Cranmer 53:01, Alison Fryatt 54:42, Martin Mason 56:13 and Les Jay 1:10:23.

Clodagh, Ken, and Dawn at Sim Serpentine

Several BRR members swapped their running shoes for flippers this week to take part in the Swim Serpentine event at Hyde Park covering various distance. Dawn Curtis and Ken Summerfield took part in the half mile swim, finishing in 36:26 and 37:30 respectively. Clodagh Shorey competed in the two-mile swim, finishing in 1:42:54. Having already successfully tackled the Ride London cycling event and the London Marathon, Clodagh’s swim earned her the much-coveted London Classics medal.

Belinda, Denise, and Darren getting ready for the Pride 10k

Four BRR members were at Victoria Park for the 2025 Pride 10k race. Belinda Riches 52:45 was their first finisher followed by Darren Graham 55:07, Steve Colloff 1:15:08 and Denise Graham 1:49:35.

Steve at the Pride 10k

Emma Paisley and Dennis Spencer Perkins were in Yorkshire to compete in the Marathon du Malton 10k events.

Emma and Dennis at the Malton 10k

 BRR parkrunners

Barking - Owen Wainhouse 21:59, Doug King 2:17, Rosie Fforde 26:56, John Lang 29:50 and Alan Murphy 54:01.

Bushy Park - Jason Li 28:11.

Chelmsford Central - Louise Chappell 30:35.

Loise and some dodgy friends at Chelmsford Central parkrun

Gunpowder - Paul Ward 25:47 and John Mitchell 31:01.

Hackney Marshes - Barry Rowell 29:43, Belinda Riches 31:30 and Steve Colloff 31:31.

Steve C, Barry, Belinda, and Jason S at Hackney Marshes parkrun

Huntingdon - Sunny Bulchandani 24:27.

Raphaels - Faye Spooner 35:19.

Thorp Perrow - Dennis Spencer Perkins 51:34.

Dennis at Thorp Perrow parkrun

Valentines - Kevin Wotton 24:23, Mark New 25:10, Daniel Plawiak 39:26 and Andrew Gwilliam 68:13.

Wimpole Estate - Martin Brooks 27:41.

Highest BRR age gradings this week were Belinda Riches 55.98% for the women and Kevin Wotton 64.11% for the men.

BRR Diary – 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 23 September - speed session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week we have a power fartlek session:

* 6mins at 10k pace
* (90s recovery jog)
* 2x3mins at 5k pace (60s recovery)
* (90s recovery jog)
* 6x1mins 1 mile pace (30s recovery)
* (90s recovery jog)
* 6mins 10k pace

7.00pm, Thursday 25 September - Club road run. Castle Green Centre/Jo Richardson School. A road run, usually around four miles.  

Various times, Saturday 27 September - Westminster Mile.

Various times, Sunday 28 September - Vitality 10,000.

2.00pm, Sunday 28 September - BRR versus A&G Builders charity football match. Barking Abbey School AstroTurf football pitch - South Park Drive (next door to the bus garage). Team to arrive at 1.15pm for the pre-match warm-up and a rousing team talk from the captain.

Entrance to the football ground, from South Park Drive

Cracker Corner

I wasn’t originally going to get a brain transplant, but then I changed my mind.

Someone dumped an old wash basin in my front garden. I’m still trying to let it sink in.

My friend is becoming addicted to helter skelters. It’s a downward spiral.

Quote of the week

“Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind that you have to convince.” 

Andrew Murphy

And finally…

We all hate cheats, but who knew it could be a criminal offence? Professional trail runner Michelino Sunseri probably had no thought about that when he set out to break the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on Wyoming’s Grand Teton mountain range in September 2024. He completed the course in 2:50:08, beating a decade-old record. 

A year later, he was found guilty in federal court for cutting a switchback during his descent, violating National Park Service regulations intended to prevent erosion. Cutting switchbacks was made a criminal offence in 2022 and Sunseri now faces a possible $5,000 fine and a ban from Grand Teton National Park.

Sunseri’s public Strava post, in which he admitted to using the Old Climber’s Trail, despite warning signs that it was closed to prevent erosion, was key evidence. Rangers testified that his high profile influenced their decision to prosecute, aiming to “send a message” about responsible land use.

Judge Stephanie Hambrick ruled that Sunseri had knowingly taken a prohibited shortcut, rejecting arguments that previous FKT holders had done the same.

Sunseri’s legal team plans to appeal. Meanwhile, his FKT was removed from official records, and trail runners are now more cautious about using closed routes. The verdict highlighted the growing tension between increased trail running activity and the need to protect fragile public lands. Although it took place in the USA, there are similar tensions in the UK where increasing visitor numbers to National Parks are causing potential damage to the very landscape that they have gone to enjoy. The moral of the story? Best to stick to the official route…

Happy Running

Alison

Chair, Barking Road Runners