BRR Blog - 29 June 2026
BRR’s hot team at the EERR ELVIS race
Hi there, Road Runners!
After several consecutive days of record-breaking high temperatures, it will be nice to have a few days below 30 degrees before it hots up again.
The EERR race at the Olympic Park on Tuesday was just about bearable. We were very sorry to have to cancel the handicap race on Thursday but it was ‘safety first’ - no point risking people’s health for a race that we could reschedule. The ice lollies will keep until this Thursday’s race, where it is forecast to be a much more civilised 25 degrees at 7.00pm.
BRR FC
The weather was certainly better for our BRR FC guys at the football match in Parsloes Park on Suunday. The first half ended at 5-5 after a strong performance from BRR. Things fell apart in the second half, as tiredness, the heat, and (and a few bad decisions from the ref) took its toll. The game finished at 7-5 to teh other side. But we are playing better and better. Maybe next time…
Meanwhile, all the running action is in:
Greg’s Race Report
ELVIS Round 4 at the Olympic Park for Barking Road Runners this week. The 5k race is hosted by East End Road Runners. BRR once again had a good amount of members competing. For the women, who came 2nd overall in their race, Jean Bridgeman was first finisher followed by Belinda Riches, Joyce Golder, Debra Jean Baptiste , Alison Fryatt, Stephanie Rashbrook, and Dawn Curtis.
For the men, who finished first in their race, Stuart Mackay was first finisher followed by Daniel Plawiak, Martin Page, Jason Suddaby, John George, Tom Brennan, Kevin Wotton, Tom Shorey, Barry Rowell , Steve Colloff, and Darren Graham .
Barry Rowell was back in action at the 30K North Downs Run. On a tough, at times brutal, trail course Barry managed to finish in 4:08:36.
Barry with his North Downs Run t-shirt and medal
Barking parkrunners
Alan C after his 200th volunteer milestone, with Chris H getting in on the act.
Barking - Dominic Herring 21:25, Owen Wainhouse 22:21, Joshua Ezissi 22:29, Shantelle Keech 22:46, Jason Suddaby 22:51, Daniel Plawiak 23:19, Joyce Golder 27:50, Faye Spooner 30:06, Mick Davison 30:35, Nikki Cranmer 38:59, Louise Chappell 46:33 and Alan Murphy.
Bournemouth - Mark New 25:48.
Gunpowder - Paul Ward 24:11 and Gary Harford 31:38.
Gary at Gunpowder parkrun
Harrow Lodge - Martin Page 23:16.
Martin P at Harrow Lodge parkrun
Ifield Mill Pond - Dennis Spencer-Perkins 34:11.
Dennis at Ifield Mill Pond parkrun
Southall - Belinda Riches 26:24 and Steve Colloff 32:28.
Belinda and Steve C at Southall parkrun
Valentines - Richard Dudman 26:35, Martin O’toole 30:08, Trevor Cooper 32:14, Cristina Cooper32:30 and Andrew Gwilliam 34:53.
Walton Promenade - Rory Burr 22:56 and Stuart Burr 28:13.
Stuart and Rory at Walton Promenade parkrun
Westmill - Darren Graham 43:54, Barry Rowell 48:00, and Denise Graham 58:06.
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Belinda Riches 66.79% for the women and Martin Page 74.93% for the men.
Barry, Denise, Rachel and Darren at Westmill parkrun
BRR Diary - June/July
Ready for Zahra’s Sun Cycle?
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 30 June - Speed Work. Jim Peter’s Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week Zahra will be taking the session, the aptly named ‘Sun Cycle’:
30 sec hard, 1 min rec
1 min hard , 1 min rec
90 sec hard , 1 min rec
90 sec hard, 90 sec rec
2 min hard , 90 sec rec
2 min hard , 2 min rec
2 min hard , 2 min rec
2 min hard , 90 sec rec
90 sec hard, 90 sec rec
1 min hard, 1 min rec
1 min hard, 1 min rec
1 min hard , 1 min rec
30 sec hard , 1 min rec
7.00pm, Thursday 2 July - Summer Handicap #02. Barking Park, parkrun course. Just £1 per race, or you can pay £6 for the remaining seven races. First past the post has a chance of winning a tenner, plus there are trophies for series winners. Why not pop into the Acorn for a drink afterwards?
10.00am, Sunday 5 July - Felsted 10k (GP04). Felsted School, Felsted, Dunmow CM6 3LL. The return of a popular race through the Essex countryside, finishing with a lap round the school playing field. Organised by Nice Work in conjunction with Grange Farm and Dunmow Runners. £22 EA/ £24 non-EA. Free parking and bespoke medal. Enter at nice-work.org.uk/e/felsted-10k-14657
7.30pm, Wednesday 8 July - Newman Hilly 5 (ELVIS 05). Hainault Forest, Fox Burrow Road, off Romford Road, IG7 4QN. A two lap, hilly, 5-mile course (the clue is in the name!). One big lap followed by a slightly smaller lap around the beautiful Hainault forest. Enter at: https://www.entrycentral.com/newmanhilly5.
7.00pm, Thursday 16 July - Summer Handicap #03. As above.
10.15am, Sunday 26 July - Dunton 10k. Langdon Hills Nature Discovery Centre, Lower Dunton Road, Basildon, SS16 6EJ. A brand new race, organised by Phoenix Striders. The route goes around the challenging paths and trails that make up part of Langdon Hills. There are early bird prices until 14 July. Enter at: Dunton 10k - EntryCentral
Paris Diamond League
The eigth round of the Diamond League took place in Paris took place on Sunday. The record‑breaking heatwave had prompted local authorities to initially ask organisers to cancel the meet so emergency services could focus on vulnerable residents.
However, the French Athletics Federation (FFA) confirmed the event would proceed, in a heavily adapted format. Only elite competitions were held, with all junior, community, and promotional activities cancelled.
There were four notable performances from Team GB athletes. Matthew Hudson-Smith came fourth in the men’s 400m, in a time of 44.09, a season’s best (SB). Ben Pattison also came fourth, this time in the men’s 800m, in 1:43.63. Jake Wightman secured a third place and a SB of 3:29.95 in the men’s 1500m. But the best GB performer of the meet was Georgia Hunter-Bell, first in the women’s 1500m in 3:55.63, a SB for her.
Too Hot to Handle?
It’s easy to think that only the elderly or unwell have to be careful about extreme heat, but it’s not so. As France sweltered in the same sort temperatures as we have been experiencing, Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire was not impressed by people who continued to run. He told French television “I saw 100 or so joggers on the street. Frankly, that’s irresponsible.”
He was right: when the heat cranks up, even the fittest runners need to think twice before lacing up. The recent European heatwave has shown that high temperatures can strain the heart and body far more than most of us realise.
When it’s hot, your body works overtime to keep cool. Blood rushes to the skin to help you sweat, leaving less for your muscles. Your heart beats faster to compensate, and that extra effort can push it close to its limits, even if you’re fit and healthy. Add dehydration and lost electrolytes, and you’ve got thicker blood, slower cooling, and a recipe for dizziness or heat exhaustion.
As your core temperature rises, the enzymes that help muscles use energy start to falter. You burn through fluids and salts faster than you can replace them, and your body’s cooling system struggles to keep up. It’s not just uncomfortable, it’s risky. Heatstroke can sneak up quickly and cause serious harm. Not something you want to happen, especially if you are out running alone.
Fitness doesn’t make you invincible — it just means you can push further before noticing danger. So, if the forecast looks hot, hot, hot, train early, hydrate well, and listen to your body. Swap your long run for a shaded jog, gym session, or swim. Rest days are part of smart training too.
Stay safe, stay cool, and remember: there’s no medal for overheating. The road will still be there for us to run on when the more temperate weather returns!
Calamatous Calves?
When we talk about running faster or feeling smoother on the move, we usually focus on mileage and consistency. But an important contributor to running efficiency is something most runners never think about: the size and weight of your lower legs.
Running economy is essentially how much energy you need to maintain a given pace. The less energy you burn per stride, the easier and faster you can run. And weight closer to your feet is far more costly in energy terms than weight higher up the leg. Your leg acts like a lever, and the farther the mass is from the hip, the harder it is to swing.
That’s why a runner with chunky quads but slim calves will typically run more efficiently than someone with the opposite build. The quads don’t swing nearly as much as the lower leg does.
A study by Myers et al. tested this by adding weight to different parts of the body while runners kept the same pace. The results were eye‑opening:
8lb added at the waist → 4% increase in energy cost
4lb added to each ankle → 24% increase in energy cost
Same total weight, but a six‑fold difference in effort depending on where it was placed.
Another study compared two groups of boys from different countries. One group had calves that were 15–17% smaller in volume, and that difference translated into around 8% energy savings per kilometre.
Of course, you can’t change your bone structure, and it isn’t a good idea to try and shrink your calves. But it does highlight a few practical takeaways:
Footwear matters — lighter shoes reduce the energy cost of each stride.
Avoid unnecessary bulk around the lower leg (e.g., heavy socks, ankle weights, overbuilt shoes).
Strength training still counts — strong calves are essential for propulsion, even if they’re not tiny.
Appreciate your biomechanics — sometimes your natural build gives you hidden advantages (or disadvantages!).
Running economy isn’t just about fitness — it’s about physics. And sometimes the smallest details, quite literally, make the biggest difference.
Quote of the Week
“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the obstacles you overcome.”
From Booker T Washington
Cracker Corner
If you have trouble sleeping in this weather, here is a top tip: lie on the edge of your bed and you’ll soon drop off.
I’ve got a new job at London Zoo providing psychological support for the monkeys. I’m there when the chimps are down.
I think Chris has put superglue on my collection of antique fire arms. He denies it but I’m sticking to my guns.
And Finally…
The Sneek Marathon in the Netherlands, due to take place on 20 June, was cancelled just four days before race day.
Following a random police check, it was discovered that the company hired to provide medical cover was run by a 22‑year‑old convicted for …pretending to be a paramedic.
Fully convicted of impersonating emergency staff, forging documents, driving fake ambulance vehicles, and stealing medical equipment from the Red Cross (how low can you get?), he had not begun his sentence due to an appeal. So he decided to use the time impersonating a medical operative again!
With no legitimate medical team available at short notice, the local council had no choice but to cancel the whole event - leaving around 3,000 runners without their race. Now, just let me cancel that Dutch chap who was going to provide first aid for our August Bank Holiday race…
