Highlights from the 2014 Veterans League final for clubs in the South East
CAMBRIDGE HARRIERS & EPSON & EWELL HARRIERS won possibly the most exciting Veterans team contest in the UK this year, at Ashford on 7th September.
The reason for that was due to the good organisation by Arthur Kimber, the Chairman of the Southern Counties
Veterans AC and British Masters Athletics Federation.
It was in fine weather and it was purely about points and little to-do with’ individual performance.
It was a contest that contained the leading Masters teams from all the Areas in the South, who qualified for the Final at Ashford.
Most of the top veterans were spreading themselves thinly, as they did event after event. ..
Epsom & Ewell had Liz Sissons, who achieved W65 and W70 British javelin records this year but pressing Epsom & Ewell, who incidentally had won the event for several years were Cambridge Harriers.As the points showed after 10 of 17 events completed. At that point Epsom were on 164 to Cambridge’s 158 points.
Cambridge were helped by Clare Elms, W50 (who ran the fastest mile ever by an Over 50 in 2014 and coached by Steve Smythe). Clare Elms ran the quickest time of all the age groups over 1500.
But it was a bit of a surprise to see Glynis Penny obtaining 3 points in the W60 Shot and Hammer,as she was 3rd in the London Marathon in 1983 with 2h36.21 and won the Venice Marathon in 1988 in 2h36.49.
Blackheath & Bromley’s, Helen Godsell (W60), who achieved several gold medals in the Recent European Veterans Games in Turkey, was impressive, as was Barnet & District’s Dave Wilcock, running as an Over 60. He ran away from the field in the 800m. Wilcock had won many World Veterans titles since he was in his early 40’s. Simon Coombes (M40) Herne Hill Harriers who ran in Ben Pochee ‘s Night of PB’s at Parliament Hill fields in May, led all the way to win the 1500/3000-Age group races for 35-50 in 4:15.45/9:06.78 n respectively.
Cambridge men won all the 100 sprints and three of the four 200’s, Impressive was the ex-footballer, Anthony Noel (M50) who won the World Masters lOOm in Spain in his 40 ‘s) , whilst their field event athletes were sufficiently strong to help win the day for them.
It was good to see Ex- International, Chris Melluish, now 70, win the over 60 ‘s discus as, he was many times Kent Champion as a young man.
For full results refer to the SCVAC website here