June highlights

A few events to look out for in June.

The third Assembly League race of the summer will be on Thursday 1 June in Battersea Park. This is our Serpentine home race, and we are looking for a few more people to offer to marshal; if you would like to help, please email races@serpentine.org.uk. If you are interested in running but haven't taken part in an Assembly League race before, the league is a series of six races open to all members of the league clubs, with no need to sign up in advance. There's a wide standard at Assembly League races and all Serpies, including our juniors (U13+), are welcome – the more the merrier.

On Friday 2 June, there's the monthly Ealing mile, then the first weekend in June will be a busy one. The June club handicap is on Saturday 3 June. All standards are welcome and there's no need to enter in advance. If you haven't run a club handicap before, you can read all about the race here and if you're not planning to run but can offer to help, please email the handicap team. Also on Saturday, for trail runners there's a Tring Hills social trail run of around 9 miles (with optional extra hills). To make sure you receive details, sign up to the trail running mailing list. A few Serpie cyclists will be taking part in the Tour of Cambridgeshire TT, which is on Saturday, or the Grand Fondo on Sunday 4 June.

The first Summer League event of 2017 is on Sunday 4 June in Gunnersbury Park, with proceedings starting with a 10k race at 9:30am. The Summer League is a competition between a select group of London running clubs. There are 5 fixtures located in parks around Greater London. You can enter as many or as few as you like. There are age-graded prizes up for grabs, and everybody who takes part scores points for Serpentine's standing in the league, so you are welcome whether 10k will take you 35 or 95 minutes. The entry fee is included in your club membership, so you can just turn up and race on the day, with your Serpie top. Also on Sunday are a couple of longer undertakings: the off-road Stour Valley trail marathon and in South Africa, Comrades marathon, where at least four Serpies are signed up to run.

The longer, lighter evenings of summer bring more opportunities for weekday, evening events. The next track & field meeting in the Southern Counties Vets League will be on Monday 5 June in Hillingdon: if you're interested in taking part, please contact the team captains. In Battersea Park on Monday 5 June there's a Sri Chinmoy 5k, then on Tuesday 6 June, it's the next of the Tuesday Tens at the Lee Valley Velo Park - excellent 10-mile cycle time trials throughout the summer with no need to sign up in advance. The following evening, Wednesday 7 June, there's the next Rosenheim League track & field meeting of the summer, this time at Tooting Bec Track (please note the change in venue!) 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, and please wear your club vest. Also on Wednesday is a Lee Valley open sprints meeting and the first of a series of four summer aquathlons in Hyde Park.

Two Serpentine teams will run from Caernarfon to Cardiff in the Welsh Castles Relay over Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June. Over the same weekend track & field afficionados will compete at the Southern Outdoor U20/Senior Track & Field Championships at Crystal Palace. On Saturday 10 June, at least four Serpies will be running the South Downs Way 100-mile, while on Sunday 11 June are the St Albans half marathon and the popular Dragon Ride.

On Monday 12 June are the next Sri Chinmoy 5k in Battersea Park; and a Blackheath and Bromley open track & field meeting. A Woodford Green & Essex Ladies open track & field meeting, and the next Tuesday Ten at the Lee Valley Velo Park will all be on Tuesday 13 June. There's a chance to swim and run at the Tooting Bec aquathlon on Wednesday 13 June.

Saturday 17 June is the date of the third Southern Athletics League meeting of the summer, this one to be held at Croydon Sports Arena. With so many other events on this weekend, the team captains will be happy to hear from anyone interested in finding out about taking part and any officials or helpers who can offer to come along to help and support the team are also very welcome: contact athletics@serpentine.org.uk if you would like to offer your help. Also on Saturday will be a social trail run along the Stour Valley Path, with options from 13-27 miles.

On Sunday 18 June, our junior athletes will be competing at the Middlesex Young Athletes League at Parliament Hill Track. Also on Sunday is the second Summer League, in Headstone Manor Park, with the racing starting off with a 10k race at 9:30am, On the same day there will be a large group of Serpies in Devon for the Red Bull Steeplechase, plus the Dartford Bridge Triathlon and Jetstream Triathlon also take place on Sunday.

The next track & field meeting in the Southern Counties Vets League will be on Monday 19 June at Battersea: if you're interested in taking part, please contact the team captains. Also on Monday in Battersea Park is a Sri Chinmoy 5k. The next Tuesday Ten at the Lee Valley Velo Park will be on Tuesday 20 June and there's another chance to take part in a Lee Valley open sprints meeting on Wednesday 21 June.

Battersea Park is the venue for the Sri Chinmoy 10k on Saturday 24 June, then on Sunday 25 June there are the Triffic Trail, Windrush aquathlon and the North Downs 30k. The last week in June has another Tuesday Ten on Tuesday 27 June, followed by Serpentine's home Rosenheim League track & field meeting at Battersea Track on Wednesday 28 June. We are looking for helpers, experienced or otherwise, as we have lots of events to put on, plus need help with the results, announcements etc. If you can spare any time to help, please contact races@serpentine.org.uk.

June comes to and end with the Harbour Club Last Friday of the Month 5k on Friday 30 May, followed on Friday evening by Orion Harriers Fast Friday in Walthamstow.

Looking forward to early July:

  • the July handicap will be on Saturday 1 July;
  • the Outlaw Half Holkham on Sunday 2 July is also the 2017 club middle distance triathlon championship;
  • the third Summer League of the year is also on Sunday 2 July;
  • the next club committee meeting will be on Monday 3 July;
  • Thursday 6 July is the date of the next Assembly League race;
  • Saturday 8 July offers a full Serpie day, with the fourth SAL meeting, followed by the Serpie Summer Party.

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

Opportunities to help

If you would like to help the club, volunteers are needed during June at the following events:

Assembly League - Thursday 1 June in Battersea Park

We're looking for a few more people to offer to marshal. If you can help, please email races@serpentine.org.uk

Handicap - Saturday 3 June in Hyde Park

If you want to volunteer and share the unique experience of an early morning in Hyde Park please email handicapper@serpentine.org.uk. You'll need to be at the Boathouse at 8:30am, you'll have fun and get a thank-you cup of coffee and the temporary loan of a fluorescent bib!

Southern Athletics League - Saturday 17 June at Croydon Sport Arena

Qualified track & field officials gain valuable points for our team by helping at our SAL matches, but we also need willing but unqualified helpers. You may be raking a long jump pit, retrieving discuses or waving flags at relay changeovers. There will be people there to show you the ropes and you'll have a great day out. If you can help, please contact athletics@serpentine.org.uk

Middlesex Young Athletes League - Sunday 18 June at Parliament Hill Track

Qualified track & field officials are very welcome, but we also need willing but unqualified helpers to make sure our juniors' events go smoothly. If you can help, please contact juniors@serpentine.org.uk

Rosenheim League - Serpentine Home Match on Wednesday 28 June at Battersea

As well as qualified track & field officials, we also need willing but unqualified helpers. In particular we'll need:

  • Help with the results - this involves copying names, clubs, times, distances etc. from the results cards into a spreadsheet. A laptop will be provided.
  • People to help our field judges. This involves retrieving implements, helping to measure throw and jump distances, etc.
  • Track Judging help. This involves working with the qualified track judges in deciding the order of finishers in the races and recording the finishers’ numbers. 

If you can help or would like more information, please contact races@serpentine.org.uk

Harbour Club Last Friday of the Month 5k - on Friday 30 June in Hyde Park

Help is needed with course marshalling, in the finish area and to keep an eye on the runners' bags. If you can help out, please either email Malcolm French or add your name to the Serpie Planner.

Sally Hodge
communications@serpentine.org.uk

Submitted: 31 May 2017

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