The final Club training night of the year took place on Thursday (21st) and the first night back at the track will be on Tuesday 2nd January.

The park is open but facilities will be closed from 7am until 5pm during the days between these dates. The pedestrian gates only will be open on the 25th and 26th December and 1st January. 

Please ask your coaches about any alternate sessions they may be holding next week.  

The final North Staffs Cross Country League meeting of the season was held at Rugeley on Saturday (16th).

Lily Crompton and Katherine Grainger ran in the U3G race finishing in 5th and 10th positions respectively whilst, in the U13B, Finlay Stanton continued his good form by winning the race to finish second in the overall standings for the season. In the same race, Brandan Smart came 4th, Charlie Cresswell 5th and Bertie Haskell 16th. These performances gave the lads a magnificent gold in the team standings.

Georgia Griffiths finished in an excellent second place in the U15G race and our biggest turnout of athletes was in the U15B where Ben Allen came second, Callum Pearson third (and third overall), Jack Hadley 6th, Zach Pearson 11th, Luke Cresswell 13th and Alfie Blackett 14th. Frustratingly, Telford just pipped our U15 team to gold by 1 point.

In the U17M, Sam Mensing was out only competitor and he finished the race in 7th place.

Our Senior Women had already been relegated for being unable to field 4 runners for one of the meetings but, in this meeting, Natasha Lee put in a great performance to finish 14th which gave her second place overall in the U20 age group. Sue Kneill-Boxley came 50th, Caitlyn Disley 62nd (and 3rd overall in the U20s) and Christine Kilkenny 74th

The Club's Presentation Evening will take place at Stafford Rangers FC on 13th January 2024 at 7pm. As well as the presentations, there will be a hog roast, games and a disco. Tickets are £5 and can be bought from your coach or Allee Rigby. There are only 130 tickets available so don't miss out!

Don't forget some cash to join in the games and raffle on the night.

We have now received an email informing us that we have been given two club places for the 2024 London Marathon. One place has already been allocated but if you are a current member interested in taking the other entry, please contact Shaun.

Please do not apply if your intention is to defer to 2025.

On another busy cross country weekend for our athletes, the Seniors travelled to Stratford on Saturday to compete in the Birmingham & District Cross Country league and our young athletes were at Warley Woods on Sunday in the WMYACCL.

Our Seniors came ninth in their meeting and currently lie eighth in Division 2 after Saturday's performance. With only seven athletes turning out, Tom Eustace continued his decent recent form to finish 18th. Jon Biddle was our second finisher in 47th and Harrison Hardy-Smith came 60th, one place ahead of Mitch Blundell. Wes Southall came 83rd, Craig Pearson 89th and they were supported by Malcolm Eustace who finished in 157th, the quickest runner of his age group.

On Sunday at Warley Woods, after a small amount of snow overnight, both Finlay Stanton and Georgia Griffiths maintained their push for individual success. In the U13B race, Fin came a fantastic second to be placed second overall after the first two races. Georgia came 4th in the U15G to remain 4th overall to date.

Also in the U13B, Bertie Haskell came 46th and, in the U15G, Aimee Waters finished 29th.

We had four athletes in the U15B race with Jack Hadley finishing in 13th, one place ahead of Callum Pearson. Zach Bent came 30th and Alfie Blackett 41st.

It seems to have been an extremely long and busy year this year with the track and field club meetings not finishing until the middle of September and the Vets Cup Final taking place on the same date as the first North Staffs Cross Country League Meeting.

As always, I’d like to start by giving a massive thank you to all our volunteers who have helped in coaching, officiating, managing and running all of our teams and carrying out the administration of the Club. Without the unpaid time and dedication of these people we simply wouldn’t survive.

With regards to financial administration, unfortunately, over the last year, rising costs have caught up with us. A substantial rise in track hire costs have meant that we had to raise training fees for the first time in eight years. Also, an increase in England Athletics affiliation fees for all of our athletes along with increased competition costs have led the committee to propose a raise in membership fees of £5 for 2024, the first increase for seven years. I hope you can understand the rationale behind these increases.

On the track, encouragingly, the number of U13 / U15 athletes in the club continues to improve and we won our division in the YDL Lower Age Group this season before finishing fifth in the promotion match. The hope, over the next two or three years is that these athletes move into the higher age groups where numbers are currently significantly lower.

Turnout in the U17 / U20 YDL meetings remained around the same as last year and our team finished in third place in their division. Once again, numbers of girls competing far outweighed the number of lads.

I mentioned in last year’s report that I expected our Senior League team to yoyo between divisions in the Midlands League over the coming seasons, mainly due to the higher number of athletes that are available for selection at the ‘bigger’ clubs such as Notts and Rugby & Northampton. Despite being relegated from Division One this season, the number of our athletes turning out this season was actually higher than when we gained promotion the previous year.

I find the Senior League meetings are great for the development of our athletes. In my opinion, if the athlete is good enough, they are old enough and they should be encouraged to compete in this league. The team atmosphere at these meetings is excellent and I know that the athletes taking part for the first time this year have really enjoyed it.

At Veterans level, both our Men’s and Women’s teams retained their Midland Veterans League North Division titles. Congratulations to the athletes and well done to Craig Pearson and Rob Law who managed the men’s team and Emma Hollinshead who organised the women.

Away from the track, congratulations to our Senior Men’s cross country team who recently won the Midland 7 Cross Country Championships at Halesowen for which we believe is the first time in the Club’s history. The men also begun the Birmingham & District League season by having eleven athletes turn out to race at the first meeting.

However, our Senior Women’s Cross Country team will be relegated at the end of the season after failing to get four athletes out for the third meeting of the season in the North Staffs Cross Country League. This is a shame as the team has survived in the top division for a number of years now but we are currently extremely short of senior female middle / long distance runners between the ages 18-35.

Over the season, there were also a number of C&S athletes who achieved individual success. I apologise if I have missed anyone out. I’ve tried to mention all achievements at area level or above.

Nina Skilton was selected to represent England in the W55 age group in the British and Irish Masters Cross Country International in Glasgow. This is one of the very few Masters events where athletes have to gain selection to represent their country so well done Nina. Nina also won a silver medal in her age group at the British Trail Running Short Distance Championships.

Ella Beeson, Natasha Lee, Georgia Griffiths, Jack Hadley, Callum Pearson, Jake Weavell, Caitlyn Disley and Luca Keeble represented their County at the English Schools Cross Country Championships and Matilda Perry, Mia Wainwright, Sophie Hulse, Noah Glover and Olivia Riley were selected to represent Staffordshire at the English Schools Track & Field Championships at Alexander Stadium.

Sophie Hulse won gold and silver medals in the long jump and 200m respectively at U15 level at the Midland Championships.

In the veterans competitions, Carl McMullen won the M40 age group at the World Ultra Multi Events Championships in the double decathlon and Stephen Terry-Short, Malcolm Down and Emma Hollinshead all brought home medals as part of GB relay teams at the European Masters Championships.

Craig Carr, Darrell Wilde, Sue Kneill-Boxley, Vici Browning and Emma Hollinshead won medals at BMAF Championships and Stephen Terry-Short, Andy Weetman, Darrell Wilde, Mark Shepherd, Rob Law, Vici Browning, Ann Robinson and Emma Hollinshead all represented their areas in either the Masters Indoor or Outdoor Inter Area Competitions. A number of our athletes also won medals at the Midland Masters Championships.

I hope you all have a happy and healthy Christmas and a successful New Year.

Shaun Ainge

Chairman

Please also see Bob if you are able to help out by collecting course markers at the end of the day etc

There were four club records broken last weekend.

Sophie Hulse ran 41.4 in the 300m in the YDL LAG meeting at Tipton to become the new U15 record holder.

At the Senior League meeting in Nottingham, Malcolm Eustace broke his own M60 3000m record, Darrell Wilde beat the previous M55 Steeplechase best and Natalie Griffiths, Kyle Haycock, Mia Wainwright and John Kirby broke the Mixed 4x400m record with 3:42.82.

Due to a massive rise in the amount that Freedom charge us for hire of the track, we will be increasing training fees to £2 for members and £3 for non members from the 30 July 2023.

This is the first increase in training fees for eight years but, unfortunately, is necessary to cover this increase in costs

Five Cannock & Stafford athletes represented Staffordshire at the English Schools Championships at Alexander Stadium last weekend.

Mia Wainwright ran 58.90 in her Senior Girls 400m heat before Sophie Hulse finished a fraction outside of her pb with 26.44 in the Junior Girls 200m.

Noah Glover ran 24.88 in the Junior Boys 200m and Matilda Perry 26.01 in the Senior Girls 200m.

On Saturday, Olivia Riley cleared 1.53m in the Senior Girls high jump.

Congratulations to all five on their selection.

Our Veteran athletes had a successful day at the Midland Masters Championships at Nuneaton on 11 June.

Vici Browning came first in both the W50 400m (68.90) and 800m (2:33.30) and third in the 200m with 31.33.

The 400m and 800m were particularly productive events for our athletes. In the 400m, Darrell Wilde ran a season's best of 61.61 in the M55 for silver, Malcolm Down 65.93 in the M60 for bronze and Emma Hollinshead 70.60 in the W50, also for bronze.

In the 800m, Andy Cotterill ran a pb of 2:17.63 for silver in the M45, Malcolm 2:35.60 for silver in the M60 and Darrell won gold with 2:22.24 in the M55. Emma took home another bronze in her age group, clocking 2:41.16.

Chris Hollinshead finished his M55 5000m race in 19:23.26 for bronze and, in the short sprints, there were bronze medals for Stephen Terry-Short in the M50 100m (13.11) and Tunde Adeyemo in the M40 200m (24.79)

As part of the Midland Senior League this season, an additional 'technical events' meeting was introduced and this took place yesterday at Nuneaton.

The meeting consisted of four track events - short hurdles, long hurdles, 3000m steeplechase and 400m - and four field events - pole vault, hammer, high jump and triple jump. All teams from all divisions were invited to send teams with the final results being sorted into a divisional scoring system and counting towards the league positions.

In addition to the scoring events, shot put and 100m were added into the timetable as non scoring events.

The track events began with the 100m hurdles with Natalie Griffiths finishing fifth overall.

At the same time, Cara Brown cleared 2.30m in the pole vault and Martin Roberts threw his best distance since since 2018 of 36.63 to finish second of all of the 'B' competitors. Also in the hammer, Jack Turner had to retire with injury after his second throw but still finished fourth of all the 'A' competitors with 45.92m. Natalie Griffiths threw 19.23 in the women's hammer.

The Men's high jump saw Alasdair Rigby finish fifth overall with a 1.75m clearance and Olivia Riley came second overall with 1.60m.

Issey Kelly jumped 9.63m in the triple jump and Mia Wainwright recorded 9.24m in the same event.

Alasdair Rigby (58.96) and Natalie Griffiths (67.38) each came second overall in the Men's and Women's 400m hurdles with Charlotte Hall winning the women's B race.

Darrell Wilde gained a 3000m steeplechase pb, finishing in 12:42.51.

We had four athletes in both the men's and women's 400m, with five of the athletes achieving pbs. Mia Wainwright ran a pb of 58.67 to finish first out af all the 'A' athletes and Hannah Burney finished top of the 'B' runners with a 61.45 pb. Chloe Wilde was first of the 'C' athletes with 62.15 and Lucy Wain ran a pb of 64.27 as a non scorer.

In the Men's races, Kyle and Calum Haycock both ran pbs (51.49 and 52.16 respectively), Henry Heathcote ran 52.61 and Tunde Adeyemo 56.15.

Martin Roberts threw 6.92 in the non scoring shot event and, in the non scoring 100s, there were pbs for Mia, Lucy, Calum and Kyle.

Cannock & Stafford had four athletes representing their universities at the BUCS Outdoor Championships last weekend.

In the 100m, Charis Farmer (representing Edge Hill) came 5th in her heat in 13.08 and Syd Davies (Staffordshire) ran 12.96 to finish 4th in her race.

Amy Pye (Bath) won her 400m heat in 57.50 on the Saturday and, the following day, qualified for the final after finishing 3rd with 57.08 in her semi. In the final on Sunday, Amy ran a season's best of 56.37 to finish 6th.

In the hammer, Jack Turner (Loughborough) threw 45.57m to finish in 10th place.

Congratulations to Nina Skilton who won silver in the W55 age group at the British Trail Running Short Distance Championships held in the Forest of Dean on Sunday (2nd).

Nina covered the half marathon distance course in 1:35.30 to finish tenth woman home of all age groups.

The Cannock & Stafford Senior Men's team came 22nd in Saturday's Midland Counties 12 Stage Road Relays at Sutton Park.

Matt Craen (29.25), Mark Shepherd (32.22), Tom Eustace (30.35) and Phil Wolfe (32.32) took on the responsibilities of the 'long' legs and handed over to Bill Chesters in 29th position.

Bill ran the first of the 'short' legs in 17.37 before handing to Chris Perrin in 27th. Chris then completed the sixth leg in 16.52 to leave us in 23rd place. From there, the team's position varied little until the end of the race. James McCann ran 17.45, Mitch Blundell 18.13, Andy Cotterill 19.40, Nigel Haycock 18.30, Craig Pearson 18.11 and Malcolm Eustace 20.08.

Stephen Terry-Short yesterday competed in the 200m at the World Masters Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland

Congratulations to Natalie Boswell who was selected to represent Staffordshire in an Inter Area competition at the Knighton 20 last Sunday (19th).

Natalie ran 2:30.49 to finish 26th female in the race to help Staffordshire to second place overall.

Congratulations to the five young Cannock & Stafford athletes who represented Staffordshire at the CAU Inter Area Cross Country Championships at Prestwood Hall in Loughborough on Saturday.

Natasha Lee came 166th in the U17W race, Georgia Griffiths 90th in the U15G and Beth Beeson 163rd in the U13G.

In the boys races, Jack Hadley finished 206th in the U15B and Charlie Cresswell 163rd in the U13B.

Cannock & Stafford had five athletes representing their areas at the England Masters Inter Area Challenge at Lea Valley on Sunday (26th).

Stephen Terry Short, representing Midland Masters, came 5th in the M50 200m in 27.22 seconds and Andy Weetman (Welsh Masters) also came 5th in his 200m in 29.48.

Darrell Wilde (Midland Masters) came 7th in the M50 400m in 63.61 and Emma Hollinshead (Midland Masters)  finished 3rd in the W50 400m in 71.16. Emma also competed in the W50 800m where she came 5th in 2:47.58 and Mark Shepherd (Welsh Masters) ran in the M50 800m, finishing 3rd in 2:19.38.

Report courtesy of Chris Hollinshead

The cross country league season came to an end at the weekend as our Senior Men had a great meeting, finishing 4th on the day to avoid relegation whilst on Sunday, Georgia Griffiths secured second place overall in the U15G at the WMYACCL.

On Saturday, the final league meeting of the Birmingham & District Cross Country League took place at Burton Dassett. Our Senior men saved their best performance of the season until the last meeting, finishing fourth on the day and ninth overall for the season.

Tom Bill was our highest placed finisher in 18th and was supported by Jon Biddle (29th), Phil Wolfe (33rd) and Tom Eustace (39th). Mark Shepherd had an excellent run to finish first in his age group and 45th overall, Bill Chesters was 67th, Craig Pearson 70th, Jamie Price 78th and Malcolm Down 127th.

Our young athletes took part in the WMYCCL meeting at Aldersley on Sunday and Georgia Griffiths finished a brilliant second place overall for the season in the U15G after coming third on the day. Also in the U15G, Ella Beeson came 33rd, Delilah Dempsey 46th and Aimee Waters 54th.

Will Hadley came 61st in the U11B and Luna Dutton 33rd in the U11G.

We had two competitors in the U15B with Jack Hadley in 26th and Zach Bent 68th whilst, in the U13 age group, Beth Beeson finished 15th and Harriett Penn 57th in the girls race and Alfie Blackett came 65th in the boys.

Here are the list of the top point scorers in the Midland Senior League, Youth Development League - Upper Age Group, Youth Development League - Lower Age Group and Midland Veterans League from last season.