Hello Road Runners!
Welcome to this week’s BRR Blog, where we’ll be looking ahead to the 2027 Grand Prix competition (it’ll be here soon enough), the stomach issues that you really should get checked out, and what makes a good ultra runner. Plus all the usual bits and pieces.
We have a busy week of races coming up, with the Chingford League race at Hog Hill (Redbridge Cycling Centre) on Wednesday, and the South Essex Cross Country league race at Hadleigh on Sunday. If you’ve never run one of these races before, why not dip your toe in? They are only 5k and about 5 miles respectively, and present a new challenge if you’ve only ever done standard road races before - details in the BRR Diary, below.
BRR Grand Prix 2027
The BRR Grand Prix (GP) is back for 2027! The GP is our annual competition based around a selection of road races during the season – a bit like the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The series can include up to eight races, including at least one race over 5 miles, 10K, 10 miles and half-marathon. BRR members score points according to their finishing position against other Club runners, with separate male and female competitions. First place scores 100 points, second 99 and so on. Only first-claim BRR members score points, and you do not have to run every race: your final score is based on your best five results. Two races have been selected so far:
Matchroom Brentwood Half Marathon 2027
📅 Sunday 21 March, 10.00am
📍 Brentwood Centre
A new start and finish venue for 2027, with a revised rural-road course. Entry is £38 for UK-affiliated runners (£40 otherwise).
👉 Enter the Brentwood Half Marathon [brentwoodhalf.org], [entryhub.co.uk]
Great Baddow 10 Mile Road Race
📅 Sunday 16 May, 10.00am
📍 Great Baddow, Chelmsford
A long-established, measured 10-mile road race and another Essex favourite. Earlybird entry is £25.
👉 Great Baddow race details and entry [baddowraces.co.uk], https://in.njuko.com/baddow-races-20271793197440626?
Get the dates in your diary and your entries in. Two races down, with six more 2027 Grand Prix fixtures to come!
Belinda’s Run Report
No races to report for Barking Road Runners this week, although that certainly did not mean a quiet Saturday morning for the club! Instead, BRR members were out enjoying parkrun at locations across the country, with some international tourism too at Amsterdamse Bos in the Netherlands. For those who don’t already know, parkrun is a free, weekly 5km community event held every Saturday morning, where everyone is welcome to walk, jog, run or volunteer at their own pace.
Alton Water parkrun Kevin Wotton 27:47.
Amsterdamse Bos parkrun Antony Leckerman 23:16.
Barking parkrun Peter Jackson 21:33, Daniel Plawiak 22:05, Sally Bridge 25:31, Trevor Cooper 26:50, Amanda Heslegrave 29:32, Cristina Cooper 31:25, Jason Li 31:26, James Sheridan 32:04, Martin Mason 34:55, Nikki Cranmer 37:35, Dawn Blake 37:35, Nige Swaby 40:12, Alan Murphy 50:10 and Emma Paisley 1:00:46 (parkwalker).
Nige in action at Barking parkrun
Bournemouth parkrun Mark New 26:37.
Chelmsford Central parkrun Louise Chappell 30:09 and Gary Harford 59:25.
Dover Waterfront parkrun Adrian Davison 24:37.
Roding Valley parkrun Paul Withyman 21:05.
Thorney Bay Beach parkrun Ronald Vialls 24:47.
Valentines parkrun Andrew Gwilliam 50:26.
Wimbledon Common parkrun Rory Burr 22:32, Belinda Riches 25:24, Jean Bridgman 26:15, Stephen Colloff 27:54, Barry Rowell 29:52, Darren Graham 43:43, and Denise Graham 56:05.
The gang at Wimbledon Common, but where were the Wombles?
BRR Diary - 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 10 November - Speed Work. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. It’s a nice, straightforward session this week. Racing on Wednesday? Reduce the number of reps. The aim is to get the legs moving without leaving the race on the track!
18 × 1 minute fast / 1 minute recovery
Fast efforts should be around 5K race effort, controlled rather than flat-out. If you are not racing the next day, try and jog at least some of the recoveries.
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. U14/16’s race at 7.00pm, 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 industrial estate opposite.
7.00pm, Thursday 12 November - Warrior Run from teh May and Baker car park, off Dagenham Road. Proposed session:
4 × 600m, 3 × 800m, with 2 minute recoveries.
There may also be a road run with Nige from the Castle Green Centre. Gale Street, Dagenham. Check out the WhatsApp Group for details.
10.00am, Sunday 15 November - Hadleigh Cross Country (South Essex Cross Country League 01). Hadleigh Country Park, Chapel Lane, Hadleigh, Essex. Discounted £3 entry 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.
7.00pm, Friday 27 November - Presentation Evening. The Three Travellers, Wood Lane, Dagenham, RM10 7DS. Join us to celebrate the Club’s achievements over the past year, and to collect your trophy if you’ve won one - they have all been ordered now! There will be a buffet provided.
9.00am, Saturday 28 November - 5k Your Way Move Against Cancer. Barking parkrun. A special event, marking 5k Your Way’s second anniversary at Barking Park, but also commemorating our own Rob Courtier and East London Runner’s Caroline Frith, who were both lost to cancer. If you have a pink tutu (and we all have, haven’t we?) don it for the run.
9.30am, Sunday 29 November - Christmas Parks Run. Meeting in Matthew Parker Street, Westminster, SWIH 9NA. Nearest tube station is St. James’s Park. A gentle pre-Christmas run of around 10k (you can loop back and do more if you like!) through St. James’s Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Usually followed by something to eat in the St. James’s Park Café.
Must-Have Keyring!
It’s not official parkrun merch, but I couldn’t resist this keyring, which features our BRR runner logo as well as your own parkrun barcode. I’ve tested it and the barcode works a treat. Available on Etsy for £5.99 inc P&P Custom Runner Barcode Keyrings for Free 5k Run Events - Etsy UK
Runner's Gut? When to Get Checked Out
Ciara Mageean after winning gold in the women's 1500m at the 2024 European Athletics Championships
The recent sad death of Irish middle-distance star Ciara Mageean at the early age of 34 has sent shockwaves through the running community. Mageean had been living with stage four bowel cancer and, before her diagnosis, initially dismissed changes in her bowel habits as the sort of stomach issues many runners routinely experience.
Her story serves as a powerful reminder that not every digestive problem can be blamed on "runner's gut". Gastrointestinal discomfort is common among runners, particularly in endurance events, but bowel cancer symptoms can appear remarkably similar. Changes in bowel habits, needing the toilet more frequently, blood in the poo, persistent stomach pain, unexplained weight loss and unusual fatigue are all warning signs that should not be ignored, especially when they represent a change from what is normal for you.
The key message is simple: know your normal. While training can often cause temporary digestive issues, persistent or unusual symptoms deserve medical attention. Being fit and active does not make anyone immune from serious illness, and early investigation can make a crucial difference. Mageean's story is a tragic reminder that it is always better to get concerning symptoms checked than to assume they are simply part of running life.
What Makes a Good Ultra Runner?
Owen might just be a good ultrarunner…
We were all impressed by Owen’s achievements at the Lake Biwa 100 last weekend, but what does it take to be a great ultra runner like Owen? You might think the perfect ultra runner needs extraordinary speed, huge mileage and an almost superhuman ability to suffer. The research suggests something slightly different: experience, preparation and knowing how to manage yourself really matter.
Experience counts. A major review of ultramarathon research found that previous race experience is one of the strongest predictors of performance, alongside marathon ability and training. Every long race teaches you something about pacing, preparation and what your body can handle.
Age isn't necessarily a barrier. Unlike many sports, ultra running seems to reward experience. Research suggests the fastest performances are generally achieved at around 35–45 years old or older, with the age of peak performance tending to increase as the distance gets longer.
Train long, but not always hard. Ultrarunners tend to cover greater weekly training volumes than marathon runners, but generally run more slowly in training. Both training volume and training speed have been associated with better ultra performance.
And what about mental toughness? Successful ultra running isn't about being exceptionally tough. It's about being exceptionally good at managing yourself: preparing properly, pacing sensibly, drawing on experience and dealing with problems when things inevitably get difficult.
Patience, experience and good judgement count for an awful lot in ultra running. Unlike natural speed, they're things we can all work on.
So perhaps being a good ultra-runner isn’t about being superhuman; it’s about preparation, learning from experience, and having the tenacity to keep going when you’re body is crying out for you to stop.
A Short History of South Park, Ilford
An autumnal South Park
South Park is one of Ilford's most important historic green spaces and one of the largest public parks in the London Borough of Redbridge.
The land that now forms South Park was originally open farmland on the former Loxford Hall Estate. As Ilford grew rapidly at the end of the nineteenth century, Ilford Council purchased 32 acres of land for £11,000 in 1899 and transformed it into a public park, which officially opened on 10 May 1902.
Designed as an Edwardian recreational park, South Park featured wide paths, landscaped gardens, mature trees and a large ornamental lake fed by Loxford Water. Facilities included tennis courts, a bowling green and a bandstand - the latter now long gone - creating a green oasis for local residents.
The ornamental lake in South Park
One of the park's most unusual landmarks was the Broadway Clocktower, which was moved from Ilford town centre to the park in 1923 to make way for a new tramway junction and to relieve traffic congestion. Sadly, it was destroyed on 16 June 1944 by a direct hit from a VI missile.
The Broadway Clocktower, 1912, before it was moved to South Park.
Today, more than 120 years after it opened, South Park remains a popular venue for runners. The tarmac path going all the way around the perimeter makes it ideal for everything from gentle jogs to structured training sessions.
Cracker Corner - the plant edition
What’s the scariest type of plant? BamBOO!!!
What’s green and sings? Elvis Parsley.
What’s a cacti’s favorite song? “U can’t touch this.”
Quote of the Week
“I don’t know many ultra runners with nice feet.”
Imo Boddy
Saloman and Sportsshoes Athlete
And Finally…
Mint choc chip icecream - better in the hand than thrown over you.
Nige’s WhatsApp message last week about the dangers of fireworks while running sparked an unexpected conversation about things people have had thrown at them. And it turns out fireworks are only the beginning.
BRR runners have apparently had to dodge an assortment of unexpected projectiles over the years, including eggs and ice creams. Quite why anyone sees a runner passing and thinks, “That person needs an ice cream thrown at them, let’s waste mine” remains one of life’s great mysteries.
So, in the interests of runner safety, here is the unofficial BRR Runner’s Survival Guide to Incoming Objects:
Egg: duck.
Ice cream: sidestep. Unless it’s still wrapped, in which case reach out and grab it.
Water from a car window: consider it an unofficial drinks station.
Chips: catch if possible. Salt replacement is important.
Banana: actually quite useful on a long run. Not so useful if its just the skin.
Firework: give it a very wide berth and get away from the situation.
Anything heavier: forget the Garmin, abandon the Strava segment and concentrate on getting out of the way.
Most importantly, don’t retaliate. Keep moving, put some distance between yourself and whoever is responsible and, if necessary, report anything dangerous. Apart from anything else, after a long training run, your throwing accuracy probably isn’t what it was...
