Headline

Last season we came within a whisker of the promotional final. This season the mission is singular: reach the final, and from there promote back to the Premiership. Round 1 has signalled our intent.

A 35-point opening-fixture win over Crawley AC — our nearest rival on paper and likely to be so all season — puts us top of the table with maximum league points from the first of the qualifying matches. Exactly the start the mission requires.

Set against the calibre of the squad on show, the result reads even more strongly. Charlotte Henrich lined up at Crawley fresh from representing GB at the World Relay Championships and Wales at the Loughborough International. Lauren Farley, Dillon Claydon, Holly Mpassy, Joseph Scanes, Jed Starvis, Bailey Stickings, Daisy Snell and Zara Obamakinwa all turned out within days of competing at the Loughborough International. Eight Loughborough internationals and a World Relays GB vest, all backing up for the club at the opening Championship round — and all delivering.

The standout individual mark of the day came from Zara, whose Discus 56.84m was the biggest throw in either gender across the whole match. Backed up by Dillon‘s double A-string maximum in the men’s Shot (17.13m) and Discus (54.77m), and a match-defining win for the men’s 4×400 (3:21.52), the team took control through the strength events and the longer sprints.

Match Summary

Blackheath and Bromley finished on 635 points, ahead of Crawley AC (600) by 35. Herne Hill Harriers (464), City of Portsmouth (381), Basingstoke & Mid Hants (358) and Kingston & Poly (250) followed.

Forty-nine athletes were declared. The match was won on the depth across both strings: A-string individuals contributed 326 points and B-string individuals contributed 227 — meaning roughly 41% of our individual scoring came from the B string. In a match decided by 35 points, that depth was the difference.

A-string event wins: 14 individual + 1 relay (men’s 4×400). B-string outright wins: 5 (Evan 200m, Marley 400m, Jed 800m, Holly 100m & 200m). A+B clean sweeps (both strings combined for 22 points): 7 events.

Headline Performances

Charlotte Henrich — Women’s 100m A (11.60) and 200m A (23.55). Double A-string maximum. 24/24. Straight in from GB duty at the World Relay Championships and Loughborough, looked unhurried at the top of both sprint events. Combined with Holly’s two B-string wins, both sprints were 22-point sweeps.

Zara Obamakinwa — Women’s Discus A, 56.84m. The biggest throw of the match. Backed up by 2nd in the Shot A with 12.09m — 22 points across two events. Backing up from Loughborough.

Dillon Claydon — Men’s Shot A (17.13m) and Discus A (54.77m). Double A-string maximum. 24/24. Backing up from the Loughborough International with no drop-off in either circle.

Daisy Snell — Women’s Long Jump A, 6.25m (win). Another Loughborough international stepping straight into NAL duty and winning the A string outright.

Men’s 4×400 — 3:21.52, 1st A. A match-defining team performance. Thomas, Bailey, Marley and a strong anchor leg.

Lauren Farley — Women’s Javelin A 51.15m (win) and Shot B 11.32m (3rd). 22 points, with the Shot a late move from the JT-only original entry. Another Loughborough International turning the screw at NAL level.

Holly Mpassy — Women’s 100m B (12.07) and 200m B (24.49). Two B-string wins. Loughborough International form carried straight through.

Joseph Scanes — Men’s 800m A, 1:52.22 (win). Another Loughborough athlete. Paired with Jed Starvis — also fresh off Loughborough — winning the B in 1:53.76 for a 22-point sweep.

Bailey Stickings — Men’s 400H A, 52.10 (win). Another of the Loughborough contingent. Also a key leg of the winning men’s 4×400.

Kelechi Aguocha — Men’s HJ A 1.86m (win) and TJ A 13.17m (2nd). 22 points across two events.

Elsa Pawson — Women’s Pole Vault A, 3.46m (tied win). Madeleine matched the height for 10 in the B string — a combined 21 points from a single bar.

Harry Fage — Men’s 3000SC A, 10:25.37 (win). Backed by Micah 2nd in the B (10:56.76) for a clean sweep.

Tony Ndukwu — Men’s 110H A, 16.62 (win) and 400H B, 1:07.32 (2nd). Doubled up across two hurdles events.

Top Point Scorers (combined A + B)

• Claudia Baker — 25 pts (HJ A 7, LJ B 8, TJ B 10). Three events, top individual tally.
• Dillon Claydon — 24 pts (SP A 12, DT A 12). Maximum.
• Charlotte Henrich — 24 pts (100m A 12, 200m A 12). Maximum.
• Kelechi Aguocha — 22 pts (HJ A 12, TJ A 10).
• Zara Obamakinwa — 22 pts (DT A 12, SP A 10).
• Lauren Farley — 22 pts (JT A 12, SP B 10).
• Tony Ndukwu — 20 pts (110H A 12, 400H B 8).
• Brydon Duncan — 20 pts (SP B 10, DT B 10). B-string MVP.
• Holly Mpassy — 20 pts (100m B 10, 200m B 10). Two B-string wins.
• Zoe Austridge — 20 pts (400H A 12, 100H A 8).

Event-by-Event Summary

Men’s Track

Men’s Field

Men’s Relays

• 4×100 A: 2nd (42.98) — 10 pts.
• 4×400 A: 1st (3:21.52) — 12 pts. Match-defining.

Women’s Track

Women’s Field

Women’s Relays

• 4×100 A: 2nd (48.86) — 10 pts.
• 4×400 A: DQ — no points. Julia, Zoe, Sophie and a fourth ran but a disqualification stopped what would likely have been an 8–12 point return. Worth understanding the cause ahead of R2.

Multiple-Event Participants

17 athletes contested more than one individual event:

Three events: Claudia (HJ, LJ, TJ — 25 pts).

Two events:

• Men: Dillon (SP/DT — 24), Kelechi (HJ/TJ — 22), Tony (110H/400H — 20), Brydon (SP/DT — 20), Zute (100/200 — 18), Evan (100/200 — 18), Dennis (LJ/TJ — 18), Simon (HT/JT — 15).
• Women: Charlotte (100/200 — 24), Zara (SP/DT — 22), Lauren (SP/JT — 22), Holly (100/200 — 20), Zoe (100H/400H — 20), Gemma (DT/HT — 16), Gracie (400/5000 — 10), Samantha (400/JT — 8).

Plus relay double-ups: Charlotte, Holly, Zute, Evan, Clayton, Matthew (men’s 4×100); Thomas, Marley, Bailey, Julia, Zoe, Sophie (4×400 squads); Joyce, Rebecca (women’s 4×100).

The next match is at home on July 11th. A busy weekend with English Schools and another YDL UAG match competing for attention will mean that we will have plenty of competition opportunities. Watch this space!

Blackheath & Bromley turned out in good numbers for the National Road relays at a windy Sutton Coldfield!

Huge congratulations to our U13 Boys relay team, who won the event at Sutton Coldfield in a time of 40.11! The team was made up of Harry Beeraji, Zach Evans, Emery Aldridge. Our U17 Men team range a very strong race as well finishing in 3rd with a time of 35.28.

Well done to all who ran, with the completed teams finishing as below: a report will be in the next Presidents Newsletter (emailed weekly to all paid up members).

Results are here – ERRA National Autumn Road Relays

The fourth edition of the European Athletics DNA Club Championships took place this past weekend in Leiria, Portugal. For the fourth consecutive year, Blackheath & Bromley Harriers had the honour of representing Great Britain – a privilege earned thanks to the combined efforts of over 80 athletes, coaches, officials, and managers who secured the national YDL title earlier this season.

A squad of 20 athletes, including travelling reserve Beth Regan, team managers Helga Pulin, Tim Soutar, Ian Firla, and physio Mike Reeves met at Luton Airport for the short flight to Lisbon, ready to take on the best clubs of Europe.

The DNA Format

The European DNA (Dynamic New Athletics) format is fast-paced and innovative. Each event is contested head-to-head, round by round, with points contributing to the team total. Day one sees six teams compete, with the top three advancing to the A Final and the bottom three into the B Final on day two. All roads lead to the final event – “The Hunt” – a pursuit-style mixed relay where the points are converted into head starts and deficits, and the first team across the line wins the match.

Day One – Narrowly Missing the A Final

The team got off to the perfect start with our 4x400m mixed relay quartet of Ryen Rennie, Alyssa Firla, Gracelyn Kendeck, and Sam Mowa, who stormed to victory, holding off a hard-charging Irish team to take maximum points.

Momentum built as one of our youngest athletes, Emilia Adese, made her competitive debut with the 4kg shot. Unfazed by the weight increase, she dominated her opposition to secure another maximum points haul.

On the track, Amber Bloomfield produced a strong run in the 100m hurdles, close to her season’s best, while Andrew Nikoro powered through the 110m hurdles to add solid points with 4th place. In the 800m, Niamh Stanley bravely stayed with the leaders through 500m before fading slightly in the closing stages against a powerful field.

In between those, Chinedu Ndukwu tackled the 400m hurdles with real determination. First to the opening barrier, he clipped one hard mid-race but showed grit to stay on his feet and battle home, ensuring the team gained valuable points.

The DNA format gives each field event centre stage, but the head-to-head structure – one jump or throw per round – means PBs are rare. Dennis Savage battled gamely in the long jump to finish 4th, while Jackie Nzekwe, more at home in the hammer circle, gave her all in the high jump to place 5th.

Back on the track, Cheyanne Nketia ran superbly in the 100m, pushing through the cold, windy conditions to take 2nd place, close to her PB. Meanwhile, Max Kennedy came agonisingly close to a lifetime best in the javelin, eventually finishing a strong 2nd in a tight contest.

Next up was our world record holder Divine Iheme, who lit up the track in the 200m with a commanding win, again just shy of a PB despite the adverse conditions.

Heading into “The Hunt”, the team sat 4th overall – just outside the coveted top three needed for the A Final. The deficit was six seconds to third and ten seconds to first.

The Hunt team – Aoife McDonagh (600m), Oliver Driscoll (400m), Nevie Tamblyn (200m), and Jed Starvis (800m) – rose to the challenge. Aoife closed the gap with a gutsy opening leg before Oli and Nevie piled on the pressure. By the time Jed took the baton, we were within striking distance. His heroic run clawed us to within two seconds of 3rd place, but agonisingly short of qualification. Despite missing the A Final, our squad clocked the fastest Hunt time of the day – proof of the quality in the team.

Day Two – Dominating the B Final

The disappointment of day one fuelled the team’s determination to make a statement in the B Final. Right from the start, it was clear there would be no half measures.

The unchanged 4x400m mixed relay squad set the tone with a gun-to-tape victory, crossing the line a staggering ten seconds clear. The video tells the story – the gap to second place was enormous.

Emilia Adese was again imperious in the shot put, this time equalling her PB from Day 1 to ensure her second consecutive maximum-points win and complete a season without a loss in both the 3 and 4kg. Dennis Savage, fresh from the unique experience of post-competition drug testing the previous day, jumped the second-longest mark in the field but finished 4th due to the format quirks – still valuable points for the team.

From there, the first places kept flowing. Niamh Stanley took command of the 800m from the gun and held off all challengers to secure victory. Jackie Nzekwe rose to the occasion in the high jump, clearing a competition PB for more points.

Cheyanne and Divine again dominated the 100m and 200m, while Amber, Andrew, and Tony delivered more crucial contributions across the 100, 110 and 400 m hurdles.

In the javelin, Max Kennedy set himself a challenge before the competition by symbolically marking an “X” at 51m on the grass. In the final throw of his season, he sailed past it, recording 51.7m to take a richly deserved win and a PB.

That left just The Hunt. This time, it was Blackheath & Bromley who carried the advantage – a commanding seven-second lead. Aoife blasted the opening 600m to extend the margin, Oli ran a dominant 400m, Nevie delivered another flying 200m, and Joe Scanes cruised the anchor 800m to seal victory. The team crossed the line more than ten seconds clear, celebrating a decisive B Final triumph.

It was a bittersweet ending. The squad took pride in dominating the B Final but knew their performances would have stacked up well in the A Final – the times and distances later confirming we would have been medal contenders. Still, there was satisfaction in finishing the competition with such emphatic victories and in sharing post-event celebrations with athletes from across Europe.

Special recognition goes to Beth Regan, who travelled as reserve and was a huge support to her teammates throughout the weekend despite not getting the chance to compete herself.

A weekend of pride, resilience, and camaraderie – and another chapter in Blackheath & Bromley’s long tradition of competing at the highest levels of European club athletics.

Details here – DNA Clash of the Clubs IV Leiria

The men’s 3000m was won by Jack Kavanagh of Blackheath & Bromley in a Championship and League record time of 7.58.23. Congratulations’ Jack!!

A more detailed report to follow but thank you to the athletes in their efforts to enable the win and to the judges and volunteers who helped on the day.

The Parris Handicap 2025 saw fantastic club participation, committed performances, and a brilliant atmosphere across four events between May and July. With 72 entries, 58 runners, and around £600 raised for club funds, it was a great start for the reformatted series.

Overall Series Champion – Seva Ivanov (BBHAC)

A huge congratulations to Seva Ivanov, who emerged as the 2025 Handicap Series Winner with a total of 117 points across the four races.

Seva not only ran consistently well but also took first place in Race 4, rounding off a standout series performance. A worthy winner and a fantastic example of consistency, effort, and improvement.

Club Participation

• BBHAC – 57 runners
• Petts Wood – 11
• Beckenham RC, BVAC, Zero, Guest – 1 each

Volunteer Support

21 marshals volunteered across the series – your help made the event safe, smooth and enjoyable. Thank you all.

Runners Completing All Four Events (11):

Seva Ivanov, Mark Ellison, Ian Scott, Olivia Senbanjo, Damian Hayes, Luigi Arcuri, Chris Fishlock, James Olav Breen Norris, Adrian Stocks, Steve Evenden, and Steven Pairman.

Most Improved

Olivia Senbanjo (Petts Wood) was the only runner to improve her time in all four races – an impressive achievement.

Fastest Individual Times

• Tom Desborough – 16:28 (15 July)
• William Reedman-White – 16:49 (14 May)
• Leon De Bruyn – 17:08 (5 June)

Race Winners (handicap)

Handicap – Final Top 10 Standings

Rank	Name	Club	Points
1	Seva Ivanov	BBHAC	117
2	Mark Ellison	BBHAC	112
3	Ian Scott	BBHAC	89
3	Olivia Senbanjo	Petts Wood	89
5	Damian Hayes	BBHAC	87
6	Darren Corneille	BBHAC	80
7	Luigi Arcuri	BBHAC	75
8	Jamie White	Petts Wood	64
9	Chris Fishlock	BBHAC	58
10	Katy Sugden	BBHAC	57

Thanks to all who made this year’s series such a success — runners, marshals and organisers alike. We look forward to seeing you all in 2026!

Result from 15 July

Fastest Times