Congratulations to Thaila-Jade Mason who was awarded the prestigious Junior Sports Personality of 2024 at an inspiring Bedford Sports Awards Ceremony held at the Corn Exchange on Monday 9^th December. She came out on top of a very strong field of 16 nominations for the Junior Award.

A number of other Bedford and County members were nominated. Jemma Eastwood, Etienne Maughan, Jasmine Wilkins and Euan Supple were among 12 nominations in the Senior Category, whilst Lyla Danobrega was also nominated for the Junior Award.

The Wheelchair Racing Section were nominated in a number of categories: Sean Chigumba and Varun Bandi respectively for the Junior and Senior Disability Awards; The coaching team of Zoe Luscombe, Michael Blunt and Sharmila Harman for the Open Coaching Award (16 nominations in that category); and the Wheelchair Racing amongst 12 nominations for the Club of the Year.

Kempston Academy, whose Head of PE is Gav Fordham, won the Secondary School of the Year Award.

Jasmine Wilkins taking a break from winter training competed in the 60m at the Cardiff Dual Meet on the 4th Dec, running 7.47secs a new club record beating the previous record of 7.60 she also held.

Jasmine was satisfied with the result and feels she will run quicker in the new year.

She is off to Tenerife in early Jan, training, and then off to Dublin for an indoor meet there and is off to another longer camp training meet at Easter.

Tia Wilson was a part of the GB team that took gold at the European U23 Cross Country Championships held in Turkey last Sunday. Tia, who is the latest of a long line of successful Bedford and County Cross Country runners, finished in a magnificent 17^th place to seal the victory for the British team ahead of Turkey. She finished as the 3^rd brit, behind race winner Phoebe Anderson and Mia Waldmann (6^th) and just ahead of Kate Willis (18^th). 

Congratulations Tia!

The 2024 Club Christmas Handicap is on Sunday 22nd December. It'd be great to see lots of athletes taking part!

All the details are on the poster below.

Congratulations to Tia Wilson on her selection to represent Great Britain as an U23 in the European Cross Country Championships which take place in Turkey on 8^th December.

Well done to everyone who competed at the Cross Challenge in Liverpool yesterday. Bedford and County results below:

Apologies to Etienne Maughan who was omitted from the List of SIAB competitors in the Article on SIAB in the September Newsletter. She represented England winning the 80m Hurdles.

In a dramatic finish to the over 16 Schools International Pentathlon, Thaila-Jade Mason fought back to claim a brilliant bronze medal in Glasgow last weekend. But the 800m was not the only drama of the day for the 17year old Bedford & County athlete.

With the events taking place in an unusual order, she placed a lowly 13^th of 15 competitors after the shot, despite throwing a personal best of 9.37 metres. But there was drama in the 60m hurdles which almost proved calamitous. She was leading the field when she turned her ankle on landing from the fourth hurdle and limped across the line albeit in a still decent time of 9.16 seconds. For a while it looked as if she might have to withdraw from the competition, but there was no serious damage and she was able to continue.

Well done to everyone who ran in the Eastern Cross Country Championships today at Nowton Park, Bury St. Edmunds.

The U13 boys were 1st as a team, with Ethan 3rd overall.  (Harry 4th, jake 16th). 

The U17 men were 2nd as a team (Sam 8th, Dylan 12th, Harry 14th).

Well done to all the athletes who were awarded the Bedfordshire Athletics Association’s County Badge last night for representing Bedfordshire over 2 or more seasons.