29-06-10 –
Dear Keighley & Craven Members
On Tuesday 29th June at 6pm we will be officially opening the new fixed XC course in Cliffe Castle in Keighley, which has been installed via ourselves, the Bradford Athletics Network and Bradford Council. The club is jointly helping to promote an international sports conference in Keighley on 29th/30th June (details attached) and as a result of that we have been able to get David Hemery CBE (former Olympic 400H champion and world record holder) and Filbert Bayi (former 1500m and mile world record holder from Tanzania) to do the official opening. They will be joined by a variety of coaches from the UK, Europe and North America who will be on hand to chat to athletes and coaches alike.
It would be great if we had a huge turnout in club vests to do this properly and so I propose that the opening will consist of David and Filbert cutting the starting tape of a mass run/ challenge around the fixed route of approx. 3km (this will involve other BAN athletes as well but will primarily be K&CAC athletes), with the younger athletes doing a slightly shorter version. The idea is that we will record everyone’s times and that this can be used as a benchmark for future personal training and performance monitoring throughout the year and into the future.
This is a great opportunity for the club so please make sure that you turn out if you can. It follows another high level “plug” for the club yesterday when I was fortunate to meet Lord (Seb) Coe in Bradford. Young Josh Ferguson was there and he asked Seb how fast he had run 1500m? “3 mins 28secs”, was the reply (wow!! now there’s a target!) and he asked if Josh belonged to a club. ”Keighley & Craven” said Josh, and I confirmed that it was my club too. ”Great stuff”, said Seb, “keep training and working hard and you’ll get there”. (I think he was speaking to Josh rather than to me!!).
With the new track and facilities coming up and all sorts of training possibilities in the pipeline, allied to the great successes in the Millennium Way at the weekend, we have an exciting future so do please get involved!!
Cheers
John
lukas says:
“When Bayi dared to run away from the field in the Commonwealth Games 1500 meters final in Christchurch, he created a template for Sebastian Coe, for Steve Ovett and for any middle-distance runner who wants to be proud of having stamped his or her personality and authority on the events which have done so much to define international athletics throughout the century and a half of organised competition. Bayi opened with a lap of 54.9 seconds and just kept going. John Walker, who had his breakthrough in that race, was catching Bayi throughout the last lap, and was barely a metre behind on the final bend. In those circumstances, 99 times out of 100, the pursuer bursts past to victory. With barely a backward glance at the big black-vested interloper, though, Bayi simply stretched away again, and won in 3 minutes 32.2 seconds, breaking Jim Ryun’s world record by nine tenths of a second. Almost a second off the world record, and he had run every second of the way in front. What a man, what a hero! Bayi’s performance is an endictment of every middle-distance man and woman who thinks that they have to be paced to turn in a decent time. The film of his Christchurch run should be compulsory viewing for every aspiring middle-distance runner.”
The Perfect Distance, Pat Butcher.
Filbert Bayi 1974 Commonwealth Games 1500m
David Hemery Mexico 1968 World Record
David Hemery also won BBC Superstars twice!
29th June 2010 at 2:10 pm
sportjohn says:
Cheers! Just watched the clips and it almost made me dig out the old track spikes again! Should be a good do on the 29th!
29th June 2010 at 6:05 pm
Keighley & Craven AC » Juniors » ‘Beyond 2012: Excellence for All’ – Tuesday 29th June 6pm says:
[...] here here for further details on the Keighley and Craven WEB [...]
29th June 2010 at 8:33 am
Dave Hamer says:
Sounds, like the diplomat he is, Seb was talking to Josh, but just loud enough for you to hear John…
29th June 2010 at 11:15 am
paul says:
Given you want us only to wear club vests, will we be running to accopaniment of Robbie Williams “Swing when you are winning” CD?
29th June 2010 at 2:31 pm
Munny says:
photographs from this evening here
29th June 2010 at 9:47 pm
pauls says:
Excellent photo’s Munny, some great ones of the children and young people and their parents.
29th June 2010 at 10:30 pm
sportjohn says:
Just a quick note to thank everyone for turning out at an unconventional time and for making it a great occasion. Both David Hemery and Filbert Bayi were really impressed with the friendliness and turnout of people, and with the park, the course and where we run in Keighley. During the day’s conference Filbert had looked out of the window and said “I love these hills and these trails that you have all around you. Those were my facilities – I love to get out there and just run!”
Great photos Munny!
Many thanks everyone – great stuff!
29th June 2010 at 7:33 am
JP says:
Nice one Munny cracking set of photo’s, capturing the true friendly nature of our club. KCAC and proud!!
29th June 2010 at 9:59 am
Trish says:
Yesterday’s conference was truly inspirational and thought provoking, particularly David Hemery’s presentation. Well done John for attracting such big names to Keighley. It was fantastic to be the first to use the new college facilities too.
29th June 2010 at 11:02 am