BRR Blog - 26 October 2026
Barry with his hard-won Beachy Head Marathon medal
Hi there, Road Runners,
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, I’m not talking about Christmas, or even Hallowe’en. I’m talking about the BRR Annual General Meeting, which is just a few days away (details in the BRR Diary, below). It’s where we get to reflect on the year that has just passed (the BRR year runs from October to September - don’t ask me why!), descuss and vote for any rules changes, and vote for the Committee members for the coming year. You should have had an email from our Club Secretary, Isabel, with the papers for the meeting. If not, you can find them all on the BRR website.
Then, just a couple of days later, we have the first race in the 2026/27 Chingford League competition, hosted by BRR at Eastbrookend Country Park. The race is a nice, gentle, 5-miler, and free for BRR members to participate, so you would be mad to not take part! A few of us went and tested the course on Sunday and it was still pretty firm underfoot, but who knows what it will be like after a further week of rain. Details also in the BRR Diary.
Hallowe’en hi jinx at Eastbrookend
October Committee Meeting Minutes
With thanks to Isabel, the minutes for the October Committee meeting can be found here.
BRR Race Report
Barry crossing the finish line at Beachy Head
Barking Road Runners member Barry Rowell travelled to Eastbourne on Saturday to take on the renowned Beachy Head Marathon, one of the UK's toughest and most scenic off-road marathons.
The race, which follows the challenging trails of the South Downs and the dramatic coastline around Beachy Head, was made even tougher by adverse weather conditions. With strong winds and rain forecast later in the day, organisers took the unusual step of bringing the marathon start forward by 45 minutes to 8.00am to allow runners to take advantage of the best of the day's weather.
Despite the difficult conditions, which left sections of the course wet, muddy and exposed to strong coastal winds, Barry completed the demanding 26.2-mile course in 7:15:28.
BRR parkrun results
Barking – Owen Wainhouse 21:06, Tom Matthew 21:12, Peter Jackson 23:04, Shantelle Keech 25:08, Joyce Golder 28:07, Trevor Cooper 28:42, Cristina Cooper 31:39, Amanda Heslegrave 31:39, James Sheridan 32:14, Jason Li 32:54, Anjali Mahey 33:34, Martin Mason 35:45, Nikki Cranmer 37:32, and Alan Murphy 58:42.
Bournemouth – Mark New 25:51.
Burgess – Belinda Riches 24:00, Stephen Colloff 27:52, Darren Graham 48:04, and Denise Graham 53:18.
Chelmsford Central – Louise Chappell 31:09.
Gunpowder – Paul Ward 24:54.
Hadleigh, Essex – Dennis Spencer-Perkins 40:04.
Dennis at Hadleigh parkrun
Jeskyns Community Woodland – Rory Burr 22:52.
Rory at Jeskyns Community Woodland parkrun
Roding Valley – Paul Withyman 21:37.
Thorney Bay Beach – Ronald Vialls 24:30.
Valentines – Kevin Wotton 25:43, Richard Dudman 26:04, Chandru Thayalan 27:09, Martin O'Toole 28:14 and Andrew Gwilliam 56:29.
BRR Diary - October/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 27 October - Speed Work. Jim Peter’s Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week Jess will be coaching the ‘Goldilocks’ session:
3x 1min run, 1min rec
2x 2min run, 2min rec
1x 4min run, 3min rec
2x 2min run, 2min rec
3x 1min run, 1min rec
7.15pm, Thursday 29 October - BRR 2026 AGM. Jo Richardson School/Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Dagenham, RM9 4UN. There may be a pre-AGM shake-out run - check the WhatsApp Group for details. Don’t get too sweaty!
11.00am, Saturday 31 October - Eastbrookend 5 miler (Chingford League 01). Discovery Centre, Eastbrookend Country Park, The Chase, RM7 OSS. Volunteers please arrive at 9.15am - there is a junior’s race at 10.15am which we also have to marshal.
The Eastbrookend course
6.00pm, Sunday 1 November - LoSS 10k and 5k. Leigh-on-Sea Station car park, Belton Way, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 2ET. A spooky Hallowe'en themed evening of fun & running. Medal and a glass of Prosecco or soft drink for every finisher. Headtorches or body torches are mandatory, fancy dress is optional though there is a bonus prize for the latter. Enter at: Leigh-on-Sea Striders 10k - EntryCentral
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 indistrial 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.
9.30am, Sunday 22 November - Xmas Parks Run. Meeting Matthew Parker Street, Westminster, SW1H 9NA. Nearest tubes Westminster or 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 cafe.
7.00pm, Friday 27 November - Presentation Evening. The Three Travellers, Wood Lane, Dagenham, RM10 7DS. Join to celebrate the Club’s achievements over the past year, and to collect your trophy if you’ve won one!
Running Safely in the Dark
With the clocks going back on 25 October, many of us many of us will find ourselves running or cycling in the dark. There can be something wonderfully peaceful about being out before sunrise or after sunset, but it pays to take a few simple precautions to stay safe.
The most important thing is to make yourself visible. Wear bright or reflective clothing and, if you're running on unlit routes, consider a head torch or chest light. Cyclists should make sure they have working front and rear lights, with batteries fully charged before setting off.
Choose your route carefully. Well-lit roads and familiar paths are generally safer than isolated tracks, particularly if conditions are wet or foggy. Runners may wish to avoid uneven trails where tree roots, puddles and potholes can be difficult to spot. The pavements around here can be pretty bad too. Cyclists should be extra alert for road defects, slippery leaves and standing water concealing potholes, which can be much harder to see in the dark.
When crossing roads, make eye contact with drivers whenever possible and assume they haven't seen you until you're certain they have. Cyclists should remember that even bright lights don't guarantee visibility, particularly at junctions.
If you're running alone, tell someone where you're going and when you expect to return. Consider carrying a phone and/or tracker, if you use headphones, keep the volume low enough to remain aware of traffic, cyclists and other path users.
Finally, trust your instincts. If a route or situation doesn't feel right, change direction, head for a busier area or cut the run short. At this time of year, running with others can be the best idea.
A safe run or ride is a good one. Take a few sensible precautions, look out for one another, and you can enjoy your winter miles with confidence.
Forget about the Price Tag?
Most runners talk about race entry fees — but the truth is, the entry fee is only the start of what we end up spending on races. Whether it’s a local half or a bucket‑list World Marathon Major, the real cost of race day quietly mounts up long before you reach the start line.
A recent breakdown of the Chicago Marathon shows just how quickly things add up. The 2026 entry fee is $260 for international runners, which converts to roughly £188–£195. And Chicago isn’t even the most expensive of the Majors. That honour, in 2026, went to the New York City Marathon at around £240.
But the real costs come from everything wrapped around race day:
Transport: flights, trains, petrol, airport transfers
Accommodation: one night if you’re lucky, two or three if you want to settle in
Food & drink: carb‑loading dinners, drinks, snacks, celebratory meals
New kit: shoes, socks, race‑day outfit, hydration vest, throwaway layers
Nutrition: gels, chews, electrolytes, recovery shakes
Expo temptations: who hasn’t bought something they didn’t plan to?
Tourist extras: museums, sightseeing, souvenirs
Time off work: annual leave or unpaid days
For a big international marathon, it’s not unusual for runners to spend £800–£1,500+ once everything is included. Even domestic races can easily reach £150–£300 when you factor in travel, kit, and food.
A US running coach who posts on X sat down after the Chicago Marathon and added up everything the weekend had cost him. The total came to $5,748.48. However, that did include a Garmin watch at $1,199.99 (about £909)!
How much would you be prepared to spend on a race weekend? Do you set a budget, or do you just accept that running is your passion and go with it? Sometimes, perhaps, it is best not to know…
A Brief History of Eastbrookend Country Park
As mentioned in the BRR diary, next Saturday will see the first Chingford League race of the season Eastbrookend Country Park. If you’ve ever run there, you'll know its hills, winding trails and, sometimes, mud. But the landscape has a remarkable story of its own.
The site was once used for sand and gravel extraction, and later as a landfill site. In 1991, Barking & Dagenham Council began an ambitious restoration project, moving thousands of tonnes of soil and planting hundreds of trees to create a new country park. The transformed landscape officially opened in June 1995.
Today, Eastbrookend covers more than 80 hectares and forms part of the Dagenham Corridor, one of East London's most important areas for wildlife. Former quarry pits have become lakes and wetlands, while grassland and woodland habitats support a wide range of birds, insects and other species (including rabbits).
For Barking Road Runners, Eastbrookend is synonymous with cross-country racing. Yet every time we run there, we're also enjoying one of London's most successful environmental regeneration projects, where industrial land has been transformed into a new green space for both people and nature.
Cracker Corner
I asked a man at the bus stop how long he thought the bus would be. He replied ‘about 30 foot.’
I asked the librarian if she had any books on pantomimes. She shouted ‘they’re behind you!’
Chris told me he has the body of a Greek god. I had to point out that Buddha wasn’t Greek…
Quote of the Week
“When you go running, it gets the knots out of your mind.”
Barry Rowling
And Finally…
I was happily listening to the news about the security issues affecting some websites that rely on PHP last week, when a horrible thought struck me - was the Barking Road Runners website vulnerable? You’ll remember the problem was a security weakness in software used by many websites that could have allowed hackers to exploit vulnerable systems.
The good news is that our website is hosted on Squarespace, which manages the underlying platform and infrastructure on our behalf (the content is all down to us!). Squarespace handles the underlying technology, security updates, and infrastructure for us, meaning we do not run our own PHP-based website software. Squarespace also does not support customer-run PHP code on its platform. As a result, there is no reason for concern about these recent PHP-related reports affecting the BRR website. The World can breathe a huge sigh of relief…
