June highlights

A few of the events to look out for in June

June will begin with a Watford Open Graded track & field meeting on Wednesday 1 June; then on Thursday 2 June, Battersea Park is the venue for the Serpentine home Assembly League 5k race. The Assembly League is a series of six races open to all members of the league clubs, with no need to sign up in advance.

Two Serpentine teams will run from Caernarfon to Cardiff in the Welsh Castles Relay over Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 June, and hoping to win back the trophies they took last year. The June club handicap will be on Saturday 4 June – if you can't run, why not come along and share the experience of an early morning in Hyde Park by being a marshal/timekeeper/writerdowner or cheerer – please email handicapper@serpentine.org.uk if you can help. Also on Saturday is the ITU World Duathlon Championship in Spain. The Clash of the Tritons aquathlon on Sunday 5 June is a London Triathlon League event; and also on Sunday is a Regents Park Summer 10k.

On Monday 6 June the second Southern Counties Vets League track & field meeting of the summer will be at Hillingdon. If you're interested in taking part of just want to know more, please contact the team captains. The next of this summer's Tuesday Tens at the Lee Valley Velo Park will take place on Tuesday 7 June. The following evening is the third opportunity to compete at a Rosenheim League track & field meeting – this one in Wimbledon. The Rosenheim League is an inter-club competition for senior & U17 athletes. Each meeting has a wide-ranging track programme covering distances from 100m to 3000m and includes 2 jumps, 2 throws & 1 hurdle race. Clubs can have as many competitors as they want and each athlete can take part in as many events as they want (within UKA rules for U17). Entry is free for Serpies but please wear your club vest!

The Sri Chinmoy 10k races in Battersea Park, the next of which is on Saturday 11 June, are always popular with Serpies. There will be fewer Serpies running the South Downs Way 100-mile event on the same day, but there are sure to be some. On Sunday 12 June, there are events to suit many tastes, with the St Albans half marathon, Windsor triathlon and Ironman 70.3 Staffordshire. On Sunday it's also the first of this year's Summer League races, this one at Headstone Manor in Harrow. The Summer League is an inter-club competition with a main event plus a shorter 'tenderfoot' (1.5-2km) race that is suitable for children and a series of light hearted 300-400m relays, plus food provided by the organising club after the races. There is no need to enter in advance - just turn up and run.

Monday 13 June offers a chance for a 5k in Battersea Park with the Sri Chinmoy 5k. On Wednesday 15 June there's another Watford Open Graded track & field meeting plus the club’s committee will be holding their next committee meeting in the club room at the Seymour Centre. Any members who would like an item to be added to the evening’s agenda can contact the appropriate Committee member before the meeting. The Serpentine T&F taster/training sessions at Battersea track earlier in the year proved popular, so an additional two have been arranged. The first one will be on Thursday 16 June, from 6:30pm - 8:30pm,  and is for newcomers to track & field, or anyone returning after a break (however long), and will include high jump, hurdles & steeplechase, hammer and discus. You can read more about taking part here.

Serpentine has had 1 first and 1 second place so far this season at SAL matches and we're hoping to keep up the great results at the third Southern Athletics League meeting in Braintree on Saturday 18 June. For Serpies who are new to track and field, or who haven’t competed since school days, there’s information about the SAL on our website, or please contact the team captains if you have any questions about taking part or officiating - all are very welcome. Also on Saturday is the Jetstream at MT's Triathlon in Northwood, which is a London Triathlon League event for juniors. On Sunday 19 June, for short and long run lovers alike, there are the City of London mile, the Midsummer Munro half marathon and the Picnic marathon.

There's another chance to compete at a Southern Counties Vets League track & field meeting on Monday 20 June, this time at Battersea. New club members have the opportunity to meet other club members and find out about what Serpentine offers at the new members' evening at the Seymour Centre on Wednesday 22 June; and also on Wednesday is a Lee Valley sprints meeting. The June Brooks Serpentine Last Friday of the Month 5k will take place on Friday 24 June. Also on Friday are the Orion Harriers' Fast Friday 5,000m and 10,000m track races.

On Saturday 25 June there are chances to run 5k, 10k, 10 miles or half marathon distances at the Olympic Velopark races. Sunday 26 June will be a busy one, with the Windrush aquathlon which is the next London Triathlon League event, the Mont Blanc marathon, North Downs 30k and Ironman 70.3 UK. Also on Sunday, Serpie trail running lovers can run the route of stage 15 of the Green Belt Relay (Stone Crossing to Shoreham - 12 miles) in the latest of the series of social GBR recce runs.

Another Tuesday Ten at the Lee Valley Velo Park will take place on Tuesday 28 June; and for track & field lovers, on Wednesday 29 June there's our home Rosenheim League track & field meeting at Battersea (help needed - please email races@serpentine.org.uk if you can help) plus a Watford Open Graded track & field meeting. The next Serpentine T&F taster/training session at Battersea track will be on Thursday 30 June.

Looking forward to early July, Saturday 2 July is the date of the July club handicap as well as the Serpentine Summer Party, which will be at the Oyster Shed. See more details and how to buy tickets here. The first of the 2016 summer club Grand Prix races, the club championship 3,000m, will be on Tuesday 5 June at Paddington track. There's no advance entry needed for these Grand Prix races, you just turn up on the day with your Serpie top ready to run.

There's more information about lots of these events on the Serpie events planner.

Sally Hodge
communications@serpentine.org.uk

Submitted: 31 May 2016

Back