Tonbridge Athletic Club had one of its busiest weeks for three years, as leagues, open meetings and road races all took place and were back to normal, after the pandemic and lockdowns. The senior team competed in the first National League fixture, where the men’s and women’s teams are now in one competition, with promotion and relegation at stake. Tonbridge are in the Championship Division, which comprises of sixteen clubs and is one step below the Premier level. The first match at Kingston, on Saturday, saw Tonbridge finish second of the eight competing clubs, behind Crawley.
Team Manager Michael Ellis led by example, winning the 3000 metres steeplechase in 9.55.2, having earlier in the week won the 3000m at the Tonbridge Open Meeting, with a personal best of 8.37.89. Harry Kendall also competed on both days, winning the Long Jump at Kingston with 6.72m and on Tuesday evening winning both the fastest 100m and 400m of the night in 11.03 and 49.22. Kirsty Ebbage was the only other winner for Tonbridge in the field events, at Kingston, as she threw the Discus 41.68m.
All the other Tonbridge wins came in the distance races, on the track. On the men’s side, Jordan Chambers won the 800m in 1.52.9, Miles Weatherseed the 1500m in 3.54.7 and Steve Strange the 5000m in 14.44.9. There were also impressive wins in the women’s 1500 metres and 3000 metres, from Alex Shipley in 4.34.7 and Verity Hopkins in 9.40.4. Hopkins had also won the women’s event at the Ardingly 5km road races, on Wednesday, in 16.35.
The young athletes from the under 13 and 15 age groups also had a good start to their league season, competing in the top division of the UK Youth Development League, with a home match at Tonbridge, on Sunday. The team finished third of the six clubs, with maybe the individual highlight performance coming from Elicia Lacey in the under 15 girls’ 75 metres hurdles. Lacey equalled the Tonbridge record with 11.60, which has stood since 2006. She also helped the 4x100m relay team to victory in 51.56, which is also not far from the record mark. Elsa Pawson was the only other under 15 girls’ winner, as she cleared 2.40m in the Pole Vault.
Toby Bawtree continued to impress, being so new to the sport, as he won the under 15 boys’ 800m in 2.07.86, improving on his best set at the Tuesday open meeting. Sam Newton won the under 15 boys’ High Jump with 1.61m. In the under 13s, all the wins came from the boys, through Harry Wrigley (75m hurdles 12.58 and High Jump 1.46m), Lucas Bowen (Long Jump 4.47m) and Sam Foster (Javelin 23.86m). Matthew Buttery, despite finishing 4th in his race, set the fastest ever time by a Tonbridge under 13 boy, over 150m, with 19.92.
At the other end of the age groups, there were some standout performances across the week, from the Tonbridge veterans. On Tuesday, at the evening open meeting, Alan Marriott, the club’s oldest active competitor, recorded times for 100m and 200m of 24.34 and 58.71, in the over 85 age group. On the same evening, John Harley set a new club over 70 record for 3000m, with 12.54.17 and Mark McAllister set another over 50 men’s 200m record of 25.67. McAllister then lowered the mark again to 25.37, on Sunday, when finishing 3rd in the over 50 men’s British Pentathlon event, near Oxford. Nina Ridge won the over 45 women’s Pentathlon, whilst Grazia Manzotti also won, improving the British, over 50 women’s 10,000m, walk record to 56.39.30, at the same venue.
Rounding up the week’s action, Max Nicholls finished 2nd in the UK Inter Counties Mountain Race, at Snowden, Phoebe Barker won the 5000m at the Varsity match with a 16.34.69 pb, Helen Gaunt won the British Airways Half Marathon at Gatwick in 80.58 and Imogen Amos set a pb in winning the women’s 10km, at the same venue, in 36.09.
Videos of all the track races from the National League at Kingston here – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQt1MC3OSkv8WfRoEB4wopf8Wdn_BMbkq