Blackheath & Bromley can justifiably argue they are the best club in the country at U20 level down to U13s after finishing runners up in both the upper and lower UK Development League finals in Birmingham.

They can also be proud that their under 20 womens team will represent the UK in the European Champions Club Cup for Juniors in 2015 and that their veteran women are one of the strongest teams in the country after finishing third in the southern area final at Ashford.

Second place in the UKDL Upper age group final for under 20 and under 17 men and women is an achievement in itself but they weren’t actually beaten by another Club but by a composite Club, Team Edinburgh, which is an umbrella for Edinburgh AC, Lasswade AC and Corstorphine AC.

There is no official recognition of the best individual club if the competition is won by a composite team, but the League does calculate the best mens and womens teams to award the honour of representing the UK in Europe the following year.

B&B women were convincing winners by 40 points which means they will be competing in the ECCC for an astonishing ninth time in 10 years.  

Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers were the best mens team.

The celebrations didn’t end there, however, as Bailey Stickings received the Athlete Of The Match award for his win in the under 17s 400 hurdles.

Not only did he win, but his time of 54.05 was a new personal best and League record.

It capped a memorable day for him as he also set personal bests in the 100 hurdles and pole vault and ran his fastest ever relay split of 49.5 to anchor to victory the 4x400 quartet of himself, Kimani Smart, Joshua Dalsan and William Pope. 

Shannon Hylton put on a sparkling display in the under 20 sprints and was a class apart in the 100 and 200 metres races with times of 11.59 and 23.41.

She also picked up gold medals in the 4x100 with Toyin Orelaja, Vivien Olatunji and Cheriece Hylton and the 4x400, again with sister Cheriece, Natalie Jones and Janae Galley. Cheriece also won the 400 metres in 56.67.

Kerri Davidson celebrated her 18th birthday in style by winning the long jump in a new personal best of 5.47.

She also won her main event the triple jump with a leap of 11.92 with Stefan Amokwandoh taking the men's title with 14.34.

More field success came courtesy of Louis Mascarenhas who won both the shot and discus contests with distances of 13.78 and 50.26. 

Back on the track Kelsey Fuss won the under 20s 1500 steeplechase despite still being an U17.  

Training partner Jessica Keene had a busy day which included a win in the U17s 3,000m in a time of 10.06.21.

Molly Scott took the honours in the 80 metre hurdles with a time of 11.61 and then joined Jamilya Robinson Pascal, Elizabeth Ibidunni and Parris Johnson for victory in the 4x100 metres.

Toyin Orelaja had got her relay gold running in the higher age group but she also won the under 17s triple jump with a leap of 10.89.

Winning an event in the national final with a personal best is the best way to finish your summer and this is just what Dele Aladese did in the under 17s discus with a throw of 45.71.

The previous day in the lower age group final an exciting battle with Sale Harriers Manchester saw B&B miss out on the National title by a mere eight points after nearly six hours of competition. 

Some impressive performances in the throws included wins in both the mens and womens U15 hammer contests courtesy of James Lancaster and Victoria Wiltshire.

Their distances of 49.34 and 50.50 respectively were just outside their personal bests.

Carys Marsden’s distance of 39.73 in the B string would have won the A string had Victoria not competed.

Eloise Locke picked up gold medals in both the shot and javelin with distances of 11.11 and 33.80.

Katy McDonald was the class act in the 800 metres.

The new national record holder won comfortably in 2.15.82 and then joined Catrin Murphy, Grace Scopes and Roisin Atkins Dykes for victory in the 4x300 metres in a time of 2.54.26.

In the U13s Myles Xavier finished the weekend with three gold medals.

He won the 100 and 200 in times of 13.13 and 26.76 and was in the winning sprint relay team with LJ Wright, Caelan Raju and Nathan Urwin.

Tom Mills moved up to seventh in the national javelin rankings as he won in a new best of 39.49.

What was most impressive over the two days was how so many of the club‘s athletes rose to the occasion to set personal bests.

On the Saturday, Matthew Knight, Olivia Richer, Angus Harrington, Yasmin Austridge, Emilie Penlington, Caelan Raju, Billy Keene, Antonia Alapafuja, Alice Prentice, Isabelle Bridge, George Pope, Lewis Stickings, Kareena Galley, Daisy Dowling and Zoe Austridge ran faster, jumped longer and higher and threw further than ever before.

On the Sunday, aside from those already mentioned there was Niyi Akin Agunbiade, Megan Beaman- Browne, Ibrahim Sankch, Helena Coleman, Joe Freeman, Jon Pairman, Aleksander Wiltshire, Mary Guy, Max Hodson, Pippa Croft, Yinka Sofidya, Sheyi Cole, Brooke Hollett, Korede Osinibi and Akina Gondwe all setting new bests.

It was a testimony to their dedication and commitment over the weeks between the end of the Area League matches and the final.

The task now is to build on this success and with the youngsters enthusiasm, the guidance of coaches and team managers and the backing of family, supporters and club there is every chance they will.

So many people contributed to the success this weekend including sponsors London Biggin Hill Airport who have done so for a number of years.

That same commitment and enthusiasm was also evident at the southern counties veterans AC area final at Ashford where the club’s womens team finished in third place.

Fresh from winning four gold medals at the European masters championships, Helen Godsell won four events and set two new club records.

She moved down an age group to win the over 50s 100 metres in 14.7.

Back in the over 60s she won the 200 metres in 30.4, the high jump with a clearance of 1.07 and the long jump with a leap of 3.57.

The latter two were both new club records and amazingly she now holds ten of the records in this age group, all set this year.

Jackie Montgomery also enjoyed victory outside her own age group as she won the over 35s pole vault with a clearance of 2.60, just two centimetres off her best. She also won the over 50s long jump with a leap of 4.03 a personal best and new over 50s club record.

Anne Cilia was the club’s other winner on the day taking the 2000 metres walk in a time of 13.53.0.

It was, of course, a team contest and many athletes did more than their fair share of events to ensure the club did as well as possible in the match. Jenny Neale, Claire Robinson, Jane Bradshaw, Maureen Miller, Claire Austridge, Barbara Terry, Tracey Ashenden, Rosie Ferguson, Cathy Messent, Lisa May, Sue Dowse and captain Maz Turner are to be congratulated on their efforts.

Away from the end of season team competitions, Scott Overall set a personal best as he won the A race at the British Milers Club 10,000 metres track festival at Stretford. He timed 29.18.39 for the 25 laps of the track.

Carole Penlington was the first woman to finish in the Wolverhampton Marathon.

She timed 3.15.12 and was 21st overall. Tony Crowder was seventh in the Kent Coastal Marathon in 3.08.56.

Roger Michell was the second M65 in the Jim Sharlott 10km walk in Leicester. He timed 57.43. Shaun Lightman went one better in the over 70s category winning in 63.52

A total of 63 runners competed in this year's summer series of races for the Parris Memorial Shield.

Each of the six races is approximately 5km on the road on a yacht handicap basis whereby the slowest runner sets off first and the fastest sets off last with everyone else setting off in between.

In theory, all runners should finish more or less together.

Points are earned by competitors in each race based on their finishing position with the winner being the person that has accumulated most points over the course of the six races.  

The trophy is in honour of Roy Parris, a former member who died of cancer in 1998.

The final race of the series was won by Andrew Pino, outwitting the handicapper by over a minute and a half.  

Fastest lady on the night was Sarah Belaon in 21:02 and fastest man was Marco Arcuri in 17.10.

The contest for the overall Parris Memorial Shield was close throughout the season and only nine points separated the top three going into the final race.

But in the end the winner was Martyn Longstaff thanks to a great run in the last race, with Mike Simms second and last years winner Clem Leon third.
The club and the race organisers are most grateful to everyone who took part throughout the summer and special mention must go to the following 11 runners who competed in all six summer races: Scott Bulmer, Nigel Bulmer, Mike Simms, Martyn Longstaff, Clem Leon, Sarah Belaon, Tim Ayres, Tim Ward, Chris Pike, Sally Haffenden and Neil Roberts.

This was the first season that Dick and Sheila Griffin had organised the races and over £500 was raised for club funds.