PETE’S POST – MARCH 2024

Despite some major cancellations due to the weather recently, there is still so much going on that it’s hard to know where to start!

Let’s begin with some congratulations for some remarkable performances.

As already reported, Callum Elson qualified for the G.B. team for the World Indoor Championships by winning the silver medal in the 1500m at the British Championships. Tom Bridger also qualified for this final, it was amazing to see two C&C athletes lining up on T V. for such a big race.
Over the same weekend, Alex Melloy won two medals at the World Student Games Championships.

A few other very notable performances: Callum also set a new club record for the 1 mile in February, a remarkable 3:53! Ollie Newman also went sub-4 for the mile, joining the ever increasing number of C&C athletes to break this barrier.
Tom Bridger also came 2nd in the BUCS 3,000m Champs., just 0.04 seconds dividing him from the race winner.
In Australia, Tom Keen ran a 3.36 1500m, in the same race as 2022 World Champion, Jake Wightman, and Tom was less than 2 seconds behind him. Not to be outdone, younger brother George Keen set a new U20 club record for the mile……..displacing brother Tom from that top spot!

Also in February, some brilliant C&C performances across all age groups with medals won at the Eastern Masters and British Masters Indoor Championships, and some excellent performances up in Sheffield at the England U20/U17/U15 Indoor Championships (see reports already on website).

Each weekend the top-10 fastest male and female Park Runs over the whole of the UK are published. On Saturday 24th Feb., C&C had THREE men in the top 10! Chris Darling (15:08), Liam Conway (15:10), and Isaac Morgan (15:25). I have never seen one club have three runners in the top 10 before!

The final Sportshall event took place in February. Well done to all the athletes that took part over the series, and to all club members that attended and helped out too.
A great compliment was paid to our C&C participants by one of the chief Sportshall organisers, who described our young athletes as, “Having a great attitude, and are full of enthusiasm!” This is great to hear, and I’m sure reflects the values that our coaches are inspiring. It’s an approach that can take our athletes a long way.

Now, I want to talk a little bit about C&C’s brilliant Disability Group, some of whom are pictured. The group was formed around 2010, and is currently made up of around 14 athletes, with a regular attendance of around 8 -10 at each weekly session. Some travel a long way to come to C&C; Norwich, Bury St. Edmunds, Welwyn Garden City. There is a mixture of wheelchair athletes, frame runners, and ambulant athletes including visual impairment. On the right of the picture is Claire Howard who was featured in a C&C report recently, when she broke 40 mins for 10k, 39:55, to be precise. What an achievement! The athletes are coached by Neil Costello, Carol Wright, Becky Wilburn, and Richard Lyle. This group, and it’s athletes, are another great source of pride to C&C.