March highlights

A few events to look out for in March

On Wednesday 1 March there will be the chance to find out more about track and field with Serpentine. Just come to the club room after the club run (from about 20:15) and the club track and field enthusiasts will be there to inspire you to get involved.

The March club handicap will be on Saturday 4 March. 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. The club championship half marathon is on Sunday 5 March – the MK Festival of Running Half Marathon. To count for club championship competitions you must be a first claim member of Serpentine; have entered under your own name; and compete wearing club colours. Entries are open until 1 March and it would be great to have a really big Serpie turnout. Also on Sunday are a Regents Park 10k and a WSEH open indoor athletics meeting. For trail-loving Serpies there is a social trail run in Northwood Hills, familiar to many who have done cross country events at Ruislip or Mad Bess woods. The route is about 7 miles, mainly in woodland and quite undulating, following the Hillingdon Trail for much of the route. If you want more details, email trail@serpentine.org.uk.

Around 100 Serpies will be heading off to Club La Santa in Lanzarote on Thursday 9 March for some warm weather training. On Saturday 11 March there are the Thames Meander marathon and, for invited athletes only, the Inter Counties cross country championship in Prestwold Park in Leicestershire. The Finchley 20, on Sunday 11 March, is always a popular pre-London marathon event for Serpies and on the same day there will be others taking on the Bath half marathon and North London half marathon. Also on Sunday is the last chance, before the 2017 Green Belt Relay in May, to run a Green Belt relay stage with fellow Serpies. The final Green Belt Recce-thon stage (number 22) is lovely, following the Thames from Walton to Hampton Court and up to the Hawker Leisure Centre - just over 9 miles long. Contact trail@serpentine.org.uk for more details.

On Saturday 18 March are the Windsor & Eton half marathon plus another chance for a social Serpie trail run, this one on the North Downs Way from Farnham to Guilford. Contact trail@serpentine.org.uk for more details. Saturday is also the first day of the two-day Herts & Middlesex indoor athletics championships at Lee Valley. There are many half marathons on Sunday 19 March, with the Reading half marathon and Fleet half marathon likely to have a few Serpies running, plus another chance to run a 20-mile race before a spring marathon at the Surrey Spitfire 20.

There will be a club committee meeting on Monday 20 March. If you would like to raise an issue or agenda item with a member of the committee prior to this, please contact us. 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 March.

On Saturday 25th March there will be Serpie teams competing at the South of England 12 and 6 stage road relays at Gravesend Cycle Park. Registration for both of these events is now open – see details. Also on Saturday are the popular Orion 15, a Thames Turbo duathlon and the Coniston 14, plus a 14-mile social Serpie trail run around Hemel Hempstead. Contact trail@serpentine.org.uk for more details.

In preparation for the upcoming track and field season, there will be a T&F taster session at Battersea track on Sunday 26 March, from 1pm - 4pm. This will be a pre-season coached practice session for newcomers to track & field, or anyone returning after a break (however long), and will include long jump, triple jump, discus and hammer. You can read more about taking part here. Also on Saturday is the Kingston Breakfast Run, with 20-mile, 16-mile and 8-mile options.

The March Last Friday of the Month 5k will be on Friday 31 March.

Looking forward to early April, on Saturday 1 April there are the April club handicap, Victoria Park Open 5-mile and the second Serpentine pre-track & field season taster session, this one including hurdles, shot putt, javelin and steeplechase. Also on Saturday are two open athletics meetings: a WG&EL open meeting and a WSEH open meeting. On Sunday 2 April are the Greater Manchester marathon, the Rome marathon, the Paddock Wood half marathon and a Regents Park 10k. The 2017 Assembly League starts off on Thursday 6 April in Beckenham

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

Sally Hodge
communications@serpentine.org.uk

Submitted: 28 February 2017

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