Oxfordshire Athletics

This fixture chart shows national fixtures in 2017. It may help clubs and event organisers with fixture planning, venue booking, and permit applications.

Results are attached.

Jade O’Dowda and Tim Stephens brought off an amazing double at the ESAA English Schools’ Combined Events Championships in Exeter.

Jade O’Dowda, a 17-year-old student at Gosford Hill School, won the Intermediate Girls’ Heptathlon with a total of 5,226 points. Her individual performances included 11.55 secs for the 80m Hurdles, a 1.68m high jump, 25.57 secs 200m, 5.83m long jump, and 2:23.8 for 800m.

Jill Slatter was presented with the South East Region’s Services to Athletics award at the Radley Club Championships. The popular coach and official received the award from Liz Purbrick, England Athletics’ National Disability Manager and herself a local athlete.

The Oxfordshire 10k Track Championships were held at Stoke Mandeville on 21 September, in conjunction with the Bucks and SEAA Championships. Regrettably, there were only two Oxfordshire runners, with Henry Hart, an U23 athlete from Eynsham, taking the title in a time of 34:19.5. Second was another Eynsham athlete, Benedict Pollard (V40) in 36:48.31. The overall winner was 38 year-old Anuradha Cooray, Sri Lanka's national record holder in the men's Marathon and 10,000 metres. Cooray recently competed in the Rio 2016 Olympics marathon, finishing in a time of 2:17:06 in 34th place.

Congratulations to James Charles and Adrian Francis who have both had technical qualifications confirmed this summer. James is now Level 1 for both Track and Photofinish and is level 3 for Field, while Adrian Francis is now Level 1 Field.

As of September, Oxfordshire now has 109 active officials (compared with 106 for the same month last year). 9 of these are Endurance only (10 last year), with 26 total in Endurance (1 down from last year). There are therefore 100 qualified (or trainee) registered Track & Field officials (96 last year).

Simon Prytherch (Cherwell Runners & Joggers) finished 6^th in the 130 mile Liverpool to Leeds Canal Race on Sunday 28^th August. The Vet 45 completed the course in 31 hours 31 mins, a fine achievement given the bursts of heavy rain during the race.

Ex-Banbury Harrier Phil Vincent (V45) pulled out of the same event at 110 miles, having held 2^nd place for more than half the race. Phil was running for JRDF, the type 1 diabetes charity.

Jade O’Dowda (Oxford City) took gold in the U17 Women’s Heptathlon in the England Athletics Championships at Bedford on the weekend of 20/21 August.

Coached by Marcia Marriott, Jade led for most of the weekend and her final score of 5,010 points put her 7^th on the all-time UK list.  She turned in a first-rate set of performances, with PBs in the Long Jump (5.76m and Shot Put (12.10m) to offset slightly below par performances in the High Jump and Javelin.

Oxford City did an excellent job in hosting their second SEAA fixture of the season at Horspath Road on Sunday 21 August. Richard Hart and his team of helpers worked a long and tiring day to deliver a very successful U20 & U15 Inter-Counties event.

These are being held in conjunction with the SEAA event at Stoke Mandeville track on 21 September (evening). Some athletes have already registered via the Entry Forms for the Championships last May. Any further entries should reach john.sear@gtc.ox.ac.uk by 10th September. The entry fee is as for the county championships - £5. The races will be for all eligible age groups.

Further information will follow.

John Sear
Chairman, OAA