MAC’s impressive athletic talent highlighted at annual awards evening
Maidenhead Athletic Club (MAC) held their annual junior awards evening on Friday, with a range of awards up for grabs including winners from the Border League Cross Country events, Alder Valley League meets and track and field.
What is also abundantly clear is that there's some serious talent in MAC's junior ranks with athletes strengthening and improving year on year.
However, MAC is also an inclusive and supportive club and while winners were celebrated, the efforts of those who've improved and tried their best were also highlighted.
The Midsummer Murder 10-mile race in Hambleden was also taken on by five intrepid MAC members.
It's not called the 'murder' 10-mile race for no reason and flogged themselves up some torturously steep hills before reaching the finish line.
John Ingram won his age category in a time of 1.52.19 but Laura Wharton was the first MAC entrant to finish in 1.51.19. Mike Sunderland wasn't too far behind them in 1.56.08 and Steve Overbury (2.01.31) and Marika Karavan (2.12.51) also completed the challenging course.
Alice Robinson took on the slightly longer Leamington Spa Half Marathon and achieved her pre-race goal of making it around in less than two hours, finishing in 1.58.04.
Jack Hinchy (left) claimed a silver medal in the discus in the ISA National School Championships at the Etihad Campus in Manchester on June 13.
Separately, Jack and fellow MAC athletes are also set for the Berkshire Schools Championships in Bracknell this week. Jack won the Royal Borough heats for the event in both 75m sprint and discus on Thursday, June 23 at Eton.
Four MAC members took on the gruelling Race to the Tower ultramarathon on Saturday, a double marathon from Whiteshill in Stroud to Broadway Tower, following the beautiful Cotswold Way. The 52.4 mile, nonstop, race features 7,500 feet of ascent and more than 140 gates and stiles to negotiate. Heather Smith was fastest for the club in 13.20.16, with Linda Szulc finishing in 13.55.50, Andrew Lowdon in 14.26.31 and Sayeed Islam in 14.26.32.
“The last two hills were long and brutal. I had to stop a couple of times on the penultimate hill to catch my breath,” said Linda.
“My aim had been to complete in under 14 hours. It was touch and go; I was exhausted. My daughter was waiting at the finish, and she encouraged me to sprint to the finish line where I just about collapsed in her arms in 13:55:50.
“Will I do it again? Of course, I will.” Rob Talbot completed the well organised Bracknell Samaritans 10k on Saturday, completing the two-lap multiterrain course in seventh place (v40) in a time of 42.23.