BRR Blog - 7 September 2026
Some of the BRR team at the Big Half. More to follow…
Hi there, Road Runners,
What’s the best way to remember a friend who was a runner who has passed away? By running, of course! I think Rob would have been very proud of all our efforts at the Big Half on Sunday, from the fast guys and girls at the front, all the way through to Steph helping people as a tailwalker at the rear of the race.
There are lots of things about the Big Half I don’t like, including the fact that it always seems to be hot, the surprisingly undulating course, the Limehouse Link tunnel, and the cobbles in Wapping Hight Street. But I love the community spirit, bumping into people you know, the fabulous tops, and - of course - a sneaky glass of something at the end. Here’s hoping we get some community places again for next year.
Thank you to everyone who has been able to donate to the collection for Haven House Childrens’ Hospice, in memory of Rob. So far (as of Monday morning) we have raised £665. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.
Greg’s Race Report
ELVIS competition race No 08 was the Phipps 5k hosted by Barking Road Runners. The 5k race was well attended with 256 runners taking part over the Barking parkrun course. First finisher on the day was Shamil Mohammad in a fast time of 15:13. BRR managed to put out a strong men’s team despite their organising and marshalling duties on the day.
First BRR finisher was Stuart Mackay followed by Jack Stanford, Jason Suddaby, Paul Ward, Peter Jackson and Ron Vialls, these six were the BRR points scorers for the race. Unfortunately they only had four women compete, who were Joyce Golder, Louise Chappell, Sian Mansley and Emma Paisley this left them two runners short in their team.
The Big Half on Sunday was BRR’s club GP series race no 07. With over 30 members registered to run it was once again a very popular event for the club. BRR’s first finishers on the day were James Lowndes 1:44:16 for the men and Shantelle Keech 1:47:05 for the women other members running on the day were Rory Burr 1:46:36, Daniel Plawiak 1:47:14, Jason Suddaby 1:49:58, Belinda Riches 1:58:19, Tom Brennan 2:00:04, Mark New 2:07:48, Cristina Cooper 2:08:32, Trevor Cooper 2:08:32, Joyce Golder 2:14:21, Maysen Davies 2:12:19, Louise Chappell 2:31:28, Alison Fryatt 2:49:19, George Hiller 2:15:48, Debra Jean Baptiste 2:09:57, Jason Li 2:34:27, Steve Colloff 2:54:52, Barry Rowell 2:19:38, Faye Spooner 2:18:05, Chandru Thayalan 2:24:50, James Sheridan 2:54:53, Dennis Spencer-Perkins 3:02:55, Dawn Curtis 3:25:46, Isabel Pinedo Borobio 3:28:01, Astrid Effendi 3:24:22, and Stephanie Rashbrook tailwalking.
More of the BRR Team at the Big Half
Away from the Big Half, Gary Harford took on the shorter Takeley 10k this week, finishing in 1:07:20. The race saw runners take on a scenic, mixed terrain, course around Takeley, starting along a disused railway track and finishing at the village's Silver Jubilee Hall.
Gary at the Takeley 10k
BRR parkrunners
Barking - Tom Matthew 20:18, Joshua Ezissi 21:12, Martin Brooks 26:14, Paul Manson 29:26, Nikki Cranmer 31:30, Daniel Plawiak 31:31, Martin Mason 33:45, Sian Mansley 34:29, Steve Colloff 34:30, Alan Murphy 51:10 and Trevor Parkin 60:34.
Bournemouth - Mark New 30:53.
Clapham Common - Darren Graham 39:47 and Denise Graham 56:08.
Maldon Promenade - Louise Chappell 43:08.
Presint 18 - Belinda Riches 25:24.
Belinda at Pinsint 18 parkrun in Kuala Lumpa
Rushmoor - Owen Wainhouse 20:28.
Thorney Bay Beach - Ron Vialls 25:47.
Valentines - Martin O’Toole 29:14.
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Belinda Riches 69.42% for the women and Ron Vialls 72.27% 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. 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 1 September - Speed Work. Jim Peter’s Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. This week we have an acceleration run. Eight (yes, eight!) times:
2 minutes – Easy (RPE 3–4) Gentle, conversational effort. Settle your breathing, relax your shoulders, and focus on smooth form.
1 minute – Moderate (RPE 5–6) A controlled pick‑up. You should feel purposeful but not strained—like the first kilometre of a tempo run.
30 seconds – Fast (RPE 7–8) Sharper, quicker running with good posture. Hard but not a sprint; you should finish feeling challenged but in control.
1 minute – Recovery (RPE 2–3) Easy jog or brisk walk. Let your breathing come down before the next set.
This accelerator session is brilliant because it blends endurance, control and speed. The gradual shift from easy to moderate to fast teaches you how to change gears smoothly, a skill that pays off in races and tempo runs. The short fast burst boosts leg turnover and running economy without overloading the body, and the built‑in recovery keeps the session low‑risk but high‑reward. Hopefully it will leave you feeling sharper without leaving you exhausted!
There were even more nasty bugs last Tuesday, probably attracted by the floodlights. I even got bitten through my clothes! Do apply repellent if mozzies find you tasty.
7.00pm, Wednesday 9 September - Crown to Crown. Westley Heights Country Park (at the rear of the Miller & Carter – Crown Public House). A low-key, mainly off road, 5k. Enter at: Pitsea RC 5k Crown to Crown - September - EntryCentral
7.00pm, Thursday 10 August - Social Road Run. Castle Green Centre (Jo Richardson School), Gale Street, Dagenham. A gentle run of around 5k on local roads. Faster runners loop back, so nobody is left behind.
9.40am, Sunday 13 September - Fyfield 5k and 10k. Ongar Road, Fyfield, Essex, Ongar, CM5 0RF. Through fields, private roads and farm tracks, raising money for the local scout troop. Never done Fyfield before, but races seem a bit sparse in September, so it might be worth giving it a go. Enter at: Fyfield 5K and 10K 2026 2026 | Sun 13 Sept | Book @ Findarace
10:30, Sunday 13 September - Orienteering in Epping Forest SE. Loughton, England, IG10 4DZ. If you want to try ‘proper’ orienteering (without the safety net of a mobile phone app), here is a local event. More details here: https://www.chig.org.uk/events/260913-epping-se
Future Diary Dates - SECCL
You may have spotted race dates for the 2026/27 South Essex Cross Country League (SECCL) pop up in the BRR TeamUp app. If you’ve missed them, please see above. Cross-country is back-to-basics, muddilicious, hilltastic, good fun, and the SECCL sees us pitted against 15 teams from East London and Essex. Each race starts at 10.00am and costs £5 to enter, but BRR members benefit from a £2 subsidy, so you pay just £3, on the day or into the bank account.
30 Minutes is Enough
We've all been there. The alarm goes off, the day is busy, life gets in the way, and squeezing in a run can feel impossible. But according to a recent Marathon Handbook article, just 30 minutes of running a day can still deliver significant health and fitness benefits.
The article highlights that a 30-minute run is enough to meet recommended physical activity guidelines and can help improve cardiovascular fitness, reduce the risk of lifestyle-related diseases, boost mental wellbeing and support weight management.
Perhaps even more encouraging - especially for runners like me! - is that you don't need to cover huge distances. Depending on your pace, most runners will clock up around three to four miles in half an hour. Those miles soon add up over weeks and months, building endurance and confidence along the way.
The message is simple: consistency beats perfection. Not every run needs to be an epic long run, a track session, or a race effort. Of course, if you are training for a half marathon, some runs longer than 30 minutes would be helpful, as I found to my cost at the big Half.
Hands-On Recovery
After a tough race, a big training block, or weeks of marathon preparation, many runners turn to sports massage to help them recover. But do they really work?
A good sports massage can help reduce feelings of muscle tightness, improve relaxation, and provide some short-term relief from the aches that often follow hard training. Many runners also find that massage helps them become more aware of areas that feel particularly stiff or overworked.
Massage may also improve range of motion temporarily and can be a useful opportunity to discuss niggles and training loads with a qualified therapist. Just as importantly, taking time to relax and recover can have benefits in itself.
However, it's not a miracle cure. Massage won't magically remove injury risk, flush toxins from your muscles, or replace the foundations of good recovery. Consistent training, adequate sleep, sensible nutrition, hydration, and strength work remain far more important.
If you do choose to book a massage, remember that harder isn't always better. Excessive pressure can leave muscles feeling battered rather than refreshed. A skilled therapist will work at an intensity that is productive, not painful.
Think of sports massage as one useful tool in the recovery toolbox, rather than the toolbox itself. Used sensibly, it may help you feel and move better as you prepare for your next run.
A Short history of Goodmayes Park
The gothic gates of Goodmayes Park
Goodmayes Park began life in the early 1900s, created as a green “lung” for the new Mayfield Estate being developed by Archibald Cameron Corbett, who donated the land to the local council. The park opened in 1905, taking its name from Goodmayes Farm, which once stood on the site.
The arrival of Goodmayes railway station in 1901 spurred rapid growth in the area, and the new park was laid out along the Mayes Brook, with tree‑lined avenues, gothic‑style gates, and later a pair of lakes. One of these lakes was formed in 1945 when a V2 bomb left a large crater that was subsequently flooded.
South of the main park lies the former Goodmayes Park Extension, a large open area used for football, tennis and general recreation. In 2018, this section was formally renamed Orchard Playing Fields, giving it a distinct identity while remaining part of the wider park landscape. It covers around 25 acres, offering extra space for sport, dog‑walking and family activities.
With its mix of lakes, long straight paths, mature trees and wide open fields, Goodmayes Park and Orchard Playing Fields provide a varied and historic backdrop for training runs— we often pass through on our Thursday night runs during the summer months - linking over a century of local history with today’s running community.
Sadly, the Emerald Café Bistro, located in the Park Pavilion on Aberdour Road is temporarily closed. It looked like it was being refurbished when I cycled through the park on Saturday, so hopefully it will be up and running again soon.
Cracker Corner
I bought a levitating chess set from a man in the pub. Don’t worry, it’s all above board.
My friend has just moved into a neighbourhood where everyone wears jumpers that are too small for them, It’s a tight-knit community.
Someone has stolen my glasses but I’ll find them. I have contacts.
Quote of the Week
“Courage sometimes looks like taking one more step, but courage can also look like knowing when not to.”
Jack Cullen, musician
And Finally…
The Westlab Epsom Salts that Zahra got for us at the Phipps 5k race on August Bank Holiday Monday were fabulous; just what a runners needs after a hard race. But it got Cristina and me thinking about what it might be nice/useful to get next. After the photo of Cristina outside the portaloos at the Big Half, we have the answer…toilet rolls. If anyone from Andrex, Cushelle, Who Gives a Crap, or the Cheeky Panda are reading, we are open to offers…
