BRR Blog - 5 October 2026
Hi there, Road Runners
It seems to be all go at the moment. There was plenty of racing - and swimming! - action over the weekend, with more coming up next weekend, including the last race in the 2026 Grand Prix competition. We also have the special Timed Mile track session on Tuesday with OGT coming to give us free samples of their products, not forgetting the ELVIS presentation on Friday. All the details in the BRR diary, below.
Thank you to everyone who responded to the London Marathon Double volunteers poll. We had to try and get at least 20 names for the special Saturday event to be able to put forward a water station team, and I can now reveal that we got enough names! This means we could get an extra London Marathon place for 2027!
I’m now launching another poll, and this one is also special - it’s to vote for who you think should be the winner of the Members’ Cup for 2025/26. Find out more and vote using this link: https://forms.gle/9eDxrA8uPMLbew3D8. Voting closes Friday 6 November.
Join Team BRR in the Chingford League!
The very special Chingford League mug and coaster. It has to be earned.
The Chingford League is a fantastic opportunity to represent Barking Road Runners throughout the winter/spring season. The League brings together runners from clubs across North East London and Essex. The first eight races in the series also count towards the club's internal Chingford League competition, with points awarded based on finishing position and end-of-season trophies presented to the top three male and female runners. There’s also a fun relay race at the end of the season.
Whether you're chasing points, supporting the club in team competition, or simply looking for a new challenge, the Chingford League offers a great chance to race alongside fellow BRR members, test yourself on varied courses (road and cross country) and enjoy the friendly, supportive atmosphere that makes club racing so rewarding. Best of all, it’s free - I just need to know in advance if you will be attending so I can allocate a bib number, which you use for the whole season. If you take part in all the races, you can buy a much sought-after Chingford League mug or coaster.
Details of the first race in the season, which we will be hosting at Eastbrookend Country Park on 31 October, are in the BRR Diary.
BRR Race Report
It was a busy weekend for Barking Road Runners.
On Saturday, Louise Perrin was part of a five-person relay team swimming the English Channel. Louise contended with jelly fish and freezing sea temperatures to complete her leg of the race. The team completed the swim in 14 hours and two minutes.
Louise with her English Channel relay medal
Back on dry land, Hannah Hylton completed the Epping Camino Ultra 50k, on a challenging route that started in Wanstead Flats before making its way south to north through all the green spaces of East London and Epping Forest.
Sunday saw the penultimate race in the club’s 2026 Grand Prix competition, the Southend 10. Jason Suddaby was first across the line for Barking in 47:47, with Ron Vialls taking first place in the male veteran 70 plus category in 50:42. Other runners completing the race were Martin Page 52:33, Paul Manson 55:58, Lizzie-Beth Garraghan 1:01:07, Gemma Ward 1:03:38, Dennis Spencer-Perkins 1:09:38, and Alison Fryatt and Dawn Curtis crossing the line together in 1:19:41.
Hannah looking good after her 50k ultra
Sunday saw the penultimate race in the club’s 2026 Grand Prix competition, the Southend 10. Jason Suddaby was first across the line for Barking in 47:47, with Ron Vialls taking first place in the male veteran 70 plus category in 50:42. Other runners completing the race were Martin Page 52:33, Paul Manson 55:58, Lizzie-Beth Garraghan 1:01:07, Gemma Ward 1:03:38, Dennis Spencer-Perkins 1:09:38, and Alison Fryatt and Dawn Curtis crossing the line together in 1:19:41.
Ron collecting his V70M winners trophy
Barry Rowell ran the Middlesex 10k at Victoria Park, East London, finishing in a time of 66:06.
Isabel Pinedo Borobio took part in the regional orienteering event in Thorndon Park North, Brentwood, Essex.
Isabel at the Thorndon Park North orienteering event
Further north, Maysen Davies and Joyce Golder participated in the Manchester Half Marathon, finishing in 1:58:56 and 2:05:54 respectively.
Maysen and Joyce at the Manchester Half
Barking parkunners
Do remember to list your club as Barking Road Runners in your parkrun profile to make sure you are included in the parkrun round-up.
Barking – Owen Wainhouse 20:50, Shantelle Keech 23:31, Daniel Plawiak 23:42, James Hall 29:02, Sian Mansley 29:30, Cristina Cooper 29:50, Amanda Heslegrave 29:50, James Sheridan 31:05, Nikki Cranmer 37:55, Dawn Blake 37:56, Astrid Effendi 38:33, Anjali Mahey 39:14, Trevor Cooper 42:15, and Alan Murphy 52:12
Three lovely ladies at Barking parkrun
Bournemouth – Mark New 27:52
Chesterford Research Park – Martin Brooks 30:03
Donaupark – Belinda Riches 25:12, Stephen Colloff 28:53, Rachel Sharples 34:54, and Denise Graham 1:14:00
Our international parkrun tourists at Donaupark parkrun in Vienna
Ingrebourne Hill – Barry Rowell 31:14
Barry at Ingrebourne Hill parkrun
Sandwell Valley – Louise Chappell 31:33
Louise C looking cheeky at Sandwell Valley parkrun
Thorney Bay Beach – Ronald Vialls 28:04
Valentines – Kevin Wotton 25:34, Richard Dudman 26:36.
BRR Diary - October
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 Runnerswebsite:
https://www.barkingroadrunners.org.uk/calendar.
7.00pm, Tuesday 6 October - Speed Work. Jim Peter’s Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. It’s time for our quarterly timed mile and, sadly, it will be the first without Captain Rob leading the session. On a positive note, we have our guests from OGT giving out free samples of their wrapperless energy cubes. The full session is:
7.00pm, Thursday 8 October - Training from the May and Baker Social Club. Dagenham Rd, Dagenham, Romford RM7 0QX. This week’s session will be:
4 x 600m 2 mins recovery
4 x 400m 90 secs recovery
Surprise rep
Nige may also be leading a road run from the Castle Green Centre in Gale Street. Look out for details on WhatsApp.
7.00pm, Friday 9 October - ELVIS Presentation Evening. Details below (no need to confirm your place with me, just turn up):
10.00am, Sunday 11 October - Tiptree 10 (GP08). This is the last race in the 2026 Grand Prix series. It is also an Essex Championships race. Sorry SOLD OUT.
7.15pm, Thursday 29 October - BRR 2026 AGM. Jo Richardson School/Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Becontree. To elect the club committee, vote on proposed rule changes, and discuss developments in the club over the past year.
11.00am, Saturday 31 October - Eastbrookend 5 miler (Chingford League 01). Discovery Centre, Eastbrookend Country Park, The Chase, RM7 OSS. The first race in this year’s Chingford League competition. Please forego parkrun for once and come along and support your club. It’s free for runners, but we also need marshals to make the race a success (they start earlier, as their are kids races before the adult race).
just sneaking in…
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
Running Through Pain: Is It Worth It?
The recent news that marathon world record holder Tigst Assefa suffered an Achilles tendon rupture during the Berlin Marathon has sparked debate in the running community. What surprised many runners was that she continued racing after the injury occurred, winning in a women’s course record time of 2:11:04.
For an elite athlete competing at the highest level, the decision may be understandable. Major marathons can offer significant prize money, appearance fees and sponsorship opportunities. In that context, continuing to the finish line, even while injured, may seem worth the risk. And, of course, they can afford the best medical care too.
For the rest of us, however, the calculation is very different. An Achilles tendon rupture is a serious injury that can require many months of rehabilitation. Continuing to run on a ruptured tendon could potentially increase damage to surrounding tissue, affect recovery, and delay a return to running. While medical experts may differ on the extent of the added risk, few would recommend that recreational runners try to "push through" such an injury. If you experience a sudden snap, severe pain, or loss of power through the calf or ankle, stopping immediately and seeking medical attention is usually the wisest option.
Tigst Assefa was racing for a major title and a big pay cheque (80,000 euros prize money). Most of us are running for enjoyment, fitness and long-term health. Sometimes the bravest decision is not to finish the race, but to protect your ability to run again in the future.
Are You Overtraining?
OK, I’ know I’ve banged on about this before, but I’m going to do it again as it links with the ‘running through pain’ article. Most runners know that training is what makes you fitter, but it's actually the combination of training and recovery that leads to improvement. When the balance tips too far towards training, overtraining syndrome can develop, leading to fatigue, poor performance and increased injury risk.
Some of the most common warning signs include persistent tiredness, poor sleep, a higher-than-normal resting heart rate, ongoing muscle soreness, slower recovery after runs, declining performance, difficulty concentrating, frequent colds, mood changes and a lack of motivation to train.
The main causes are often surprisingly simple: increasing mileage too quickly, skipping rest days, racing too often, not getting enough sleep, stacking hard sessions too close together, poor nutrition and hydration, and treating every training session like a race. Any of these sound familiar?
The good news is that overtraining is largely preventable. Gradually increase your mileage, take regular rest days, fuel and hydrate properly, prioritise sleep, and remember that easy runs are just as important as hard workouts. Consistency over months and years will always beat a few weeks of training too hard and then getting injured.
A brief history of Parsloes Park
By View towards Parsloes Avenue from Parsloes Park by Robert Lamb, CC BY-SA 2.0,
Parsloes Park has its roots in the 13th century, taking its name from the Passelewe family, who held the land from around 1250. Over the centuries it passed through several notable owners, including Sir Edward Osborne, before being sold to the Fanshawe family in 1619. They built Parsloes Manor, which stood at the centre of the estate until it fell into ruin and was demolished in 1925.
In 1901, part of the land was leased for an American‑style trotting track (not for trotting humans, but a harness‑racing oval where horses race at a trot or pace while pulling a lightweight two‑wheeled cart), a short‑lived but colourful chapter in the park’s history. The major turning point came in 1923, when the London County Council acquired the estate to form the heart of the vast Becontree Housing Estate. Parsloes Park officially opened in July 1935 as its central green space, with much of the 1930s layout—playing fields to the north and public gardens to the south‑west—still recognisable today. Apparently the lake once boasted flamingoes, but unfortunately they have long since flown.
In the 1930s, the stretch of the Gores Brook which flowed through Parsloes Park was channelled through a pipe and buried. The brook now runs in culvert for approximately 430 metres under the eastern section of the Park. In 2022, plans to deculvert the stretch of Gores Brook running through the park were announced. I haven’t been able to find any updates on this, but wouldn’t it be fantastic!
This long evolution from medieval manor to community park makes Parsloes a uniquely historic backdrop for modern runners, walkers, and families across Barking & Dagenham.
Cracker Corner
Last night Chris and I watched a couple of DVDs back to back. Luckily I was the one facing the television.
I was going to sail around Britain on the world’s smallest ship. Unfortunately, I bottled it.
I’ve just joined the Scarecrow Appreciation Society. They welcomed me with open arms.
Quote of the Week
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.“
Attributed to Martin Luther King Jr
And Finally…
BRR member Cristina Cooper recently received the fantastic news that she has secured a place in the 2027 Boston Marathon, one of the most prestigious races in the world and a goal many marathon runners dream of achieving.
Unfortunately, participants in the Wicked Fast Marathon in Poconos, Pennsylvania, were not so lucky. While the race produced a host of impressive times, organisers later discovered that the course was around 550 metres short of the full marathon distance. As a result, performances from the event cannot be used as qualifying times for the Boston Marathon.
It's a frustrating outcome for runners who may have thought they had achieved a Boston qualifying standard, on a nice, gently downhill, course. It just goes to show, size may not matter but, when you are aiming for a marathon qualifying time, every metre counts...
