BUCS XC is always a big event for the uni but when you’re hosting it and the race is on your home turf you’re expected to deliver results, so this was a big day for BUAC. We were sporting good teams in all races and our 6 in the A race were Wilko, Alex Tovey, Josh Lilley, Adrian Hollid .. Read More

The people that went to Kenya were told to race as soon as they came back. I maybe took it to the extreme by racing the next day but I was eager to test myself after a good block of training. We got there a bit later than planned but still had time to warm up and get the usual routine done. Howeve .. Read More

Post Liverpool I got some good training in so I thought I’d be going to Portugal in reasonable shape. I was at the back of the pen but that wasn’t an issue as I wanted to move through anyway. So we set off and we had 3 little laps and 4 big laps to do. I set off feeling ok and was pro .. Read More

It wasn’t until two days before that I decided to run the trial. After the stomach bug, taking a few days off and feeling absolutely rubbish even when I ran easy I wasn’t too optimistic about this race. It didn’t help that it was ice cold in Liverpool too. I stood on the start l .. Read More

Once again I was drafted into run the 1st leg for the Belgrave team representing at the cross-country relays. After hearing tales of how quick the start can be and how messy it can get I was hoping to get away quick. Also, after what happened at the 6 stage with the chaotic start I wanted to make su .. Read More

The last of the major road relays for 2010 and it was up to me to get the team rolling. I asked for first leg as I wanted a race situation because I haven't been in one for a long time and need the practice before Liverpool. Rumours floating around the course beforehand were that the first leg was s .. Read More

Unlike previous years I was going to double my running and do two legs of the 2.2 mile course. Upon arrival conditions were good. It was a dry course with a little boggy bit at the start and quite a bit of wind at one point. My first leg would be the last leg for the A team and the second leg was th .. Read More

This was my first race in...well a long time. However my approach to the race was different than usual. If I was going to race Steve laid down a condition which I had to fulfil. See he knew I hadn't been back running long so I wasn't going to be at my best. So he said in order for me to run I have t .. Read More

This race was almost three weeks ago so I'll try and recollect as much as I can. Well I remember finishing dead last in 1:53.35 which is a slight PB and going through 800m in 55ish and not having the nicest of times. After my previous outing over two laps I wanted to get out harder and get myself i .. Read More

A week after Sports City I was back on the startline tackling another 1500m. This time it wasn't a paced race, just a normal race in the British League for my club Belgrave. I thought it would be a tough race as we're in the Premiership division of the British League and for a club to be there they .. Read More

Saturday's outcome was certainly the last thing I was expecting waking up in the morning. Going into the race with PB's over and under distance I was fairly confident another would come at 1500m. Along with the recent sessions I've been putting in I thought I was in PB shape, clearly that wasn't the .. Read More

So my first middle distance race of the season and a massive reminder of how fast track running is! Waking up in the morning I wasn't even going to run as I had a headache for a few days and it still hadn't cleared. I got it from starring at my computer screen for a long time while I was trying to .. Read More

Heat So today was my debut over 12 and half laps of a track, more commonly known as 5k. To be honest it wasn't as bad as I thought, I qualified fairly comfortably and didn't find the monotony too boring. I was in heat 1 out of 2 with 20 other runners, it was a fairly cramped startline. We set .. Read More

Pre-Race So we're back on the roads again after 5 months in the mud, and it kicks off with the regional 12 stage championships. I don't know if it's like this for all regions, but I know in the Southern you have to finish in the top 25 to qualify for the National championships. Of course Belgrave a .. Read More

Pre-Race I think to any British endurance runner, the National Cross is a big deal. This was always the race I went to as a youngster and felt dwarfed by the whole occassion. For a start the fields are huge! I remember looking down the startline a couple of times and not seeing the end. It was alwa .. Read More

Pre-Race The pinnacle of student cross-country running for the 2009/2010 season has arrived. This weekend is the weekend which will top all weekends. Any student-athlete who has any kind of grip on reality will tell you this is one of the greatest races ever concieved. Not because of the race .. Read More

Pre-Race This weekend marks one of the most important weekends for British running this side of Christmas, the weekend of the European Cross Country Championshps. This is the second time I've been at this event but this year I get a trip to Dublin . Like last year, the team looks very strong and w .. Read More

So here we are. The culmination of all the hard mileage, gym sessions and injury/illness prevention put in since September. There's only a window of 6.3k to let it all out and shine as one of the best six. Personally, everything has started going right at exactly the right time. Since my .. Read More

My junior cross country campaign kicked off in Gateshead this year, and I was lucky enough to be a member of the England Team being sent there. I had heard rumours that the course was tough and when walking around I could see why. The ground was completely soaked and churned up and the hill not .. Read More

Unfortunately there was no pre-race report, I was completely swamped with work last week. But going into the race I was looking forward to it as I thought training was going well. We had a solid team and hopes were high. However, these hopes were completely destroyed le .. Read More

Going into the race I was feeling a bit rough but told everyone I was feeling ok as I still wanted to run in the A team. Getting to the course the atmosphere was good and everyone was still rushing around trying to find out which teams got who out. I was assigned with second leg which was the same a .. Read More

Pre-Race Birmingham Universiy Athletics Team are invading the north tomorrow for the Manchester relays, and like last year we'll probably take 100's of runners. If I remember correctly it's a fairly flat course around fields, so if it's dry it might be quite fast. This is good because I'm doing one .. Read More

Pre-race So, it's that time of the year again. Every 6 months we all get together and boast what our possible Senstational Six or Terrific Twelve will be. In the weeks building up there is much speculation of who is running, who is fit and who is making a great comeback to try and be among the team .. Read More

Pre-race Put your money away, all bets are off, Sharp vs Goolab isn't going to happen!! Some how, some way, I was put in the C race and he was put in the B race. Tragic, I know. I don't understand how it happened though, seeing as I have a better season's best then him over 800, 1500 and 3k. It's o .. Read More

Pre-race Report It's only been a few days since the 3k but I'm heading out onto the track to race again, this time in a 1500m at a Watford Gold Standard BMC. Having looked at the start lists the field is LOADED!! There are some very quick guys who are going for some very quick times. As with all BM .. Read More

Pre-race Report I thought I would try something different and give an account of the build up towards the race. Originally I was never supposed to do this race, but UKA rang me on Monday and invited me to the race. I spoke to Steve and he wasn't really on board with me doing it. The main reason was .. Read More

Steve said it was a no pressure race and it was just a case of getting round. I thought this was a good approach to take so when I was standing on the start line I didn't feel many nerves or my legs didn't stiffen up like they usually do. That's maybe because I changed my warm up round a bit. R .. Read More

Another 800m after the one at Stretford. As I'm writing the race report quite a while after the race I can't really remember much. I do remember starting the race and breaking and being last I think, had another slow start. I then remember going through the bell in roughly 56 and still being at the .. Read More

The first decent track race I've had since I opened my summer campaign. I wanted to do a bit of speed work before my next 1500m and try to break that magical 800m barrier of 2 minutes. The meet was running behind and I think I raced 45/50 mins later than what I was supposed to. After we eventua .. Read More

My first 1500m championship for 3 years, and only my third one ever! The last one I did was when I was under 17 in the Southerns, quite a jump going from that to this. Heat I had to be up 6:05 to get on the coach, 6:05!!! A ludicrous hour in the morning to be awake! Got there ok but had to warm up .. Read More

I'm sure as you've seen on all the forums and websites (apart from the UKA one), we had a quite a good day at Sutton Park on Saturday. Not only did we win the rcae but we set a club record as well, thanks to a great effort by 12 quality men. The day started with Captain Sharp giving a little prep t .. Read More

I always enjoy running on the road so going into this race I was quite excited, especially seeing as it was a relay. The Captain got us off to a good start even though he thought he ran poor, typical. Then, the combined effort of James Fairbourn, Will Cockerell, Mike Trees and Simon Jones meant that .. Read More

I think it's about time I explained what happened then. Well I started the race staedy like everyone told me to, and ended up running with teammate James Wilkonson for a bit. But even though I was holding back, I felt terrible. Legs started burning early on and the chest got tight, and I hadn't eve .. Read More