English Athletic Association – National Championships

22nd of February, Robbie’s first run as a fourteen year old, The National Championships, Wollaton Park, Nottingham.

Well for a change the weather was great, arrived at the park to glorious sunshine, it did cloud over by the time the boys ran, but for February it was warm, and generally a great day, weather wise that is.

AFD U15 Boys are still without Jack Boswell, and with the strength of teams like Tonbridge, Bedford and Leicester, his absence would guarantee no team medal. The Aldershot boys took it in their stride and went all out to try to push the team forward in the team results, with great performances from both Oliver Percival and Harry Grace adding to the team points.

AFD Runers:
08: Jake Cvetkovic 14’23”
44: Robbie Coupland 15’09”
116: Ollie Percival 15’53”
126: Harry Grace 15’56”

The AFD Boys start their battle.

Robbie – Looking Strong passing the Lake

The Battle for the End. – Robbie holds off John Howorth from TeamBath.

AFD 2012/13 Awards Ceremony

The Couplands spent this afternoon, Sunday 9th Feb. from 2pm onwards in the Cody Sports and Social club, cheering and clapping as the AFD awards were handed out to the good, the great and the outstanding.

With the like of Steph Twell, Amelia Gorecka, Ian Bailey and Steve Connor mounting the stage it was great to see Robbie called up for the second year running. Last year Robbie got an achievement trophy based on his improvement on track, specifically his 800m time. This year the acknowledged was for his preferred discipline of Cross Country. Congratulations to Robbie Coupland, awarded the AFD U13’s of the year, (for last year) Cross Country Trophy.

Robbie with his XC Runner of the year (U13’s) Trophy.

Hampshire League – Salisbury (5 of 5)

Unusual for this season, but we set off to Salisbury in glorious sunshine, things changed after we parked up and headed to the race start though. Wind whipped across the fields, driving the very air from your lungs, and as the U13 girls got under-way the rain started and swiftly turned in to hard and sharp hail stones. The U13 girls running head on in to a gale force wind, driving pellets of ice in to their skin, was not a pleasant to watch, and must have been much worse to experience. The shower, all be it very nasty, was brief and by the time the U13 girls had finished the skies were once again blue, and the sun was once again out. It didn’t last though, and the U15 boys experienced the same driving wind and pellet like hail as they raced to the line.

Robbie finished 8th on the day, adding an improved position to his event scoreline. With this being the last race of the league, both individual and team positions would be calculated in a hurry, and medal ceremonies were set for 14:15. So post race, it was leg it to the scout hut, buy hot chocolate and cake and try to warm up as we waited for the final positions to be announced, and the medal ceremonies to be completed.

Just before the Hail Storm started, with James Beaks.

Going in to this final event AFD were clinging on to first place in the team event, but Reading, with the return to form of Matt Rawlings looked likely to be a huge threat on the day.

AFD U15 Boys Hampshire League Results.
2: Jake Cvetkovic Best 4: 4,4,2,1: 11
9: Robbie Coupland Best 4: 10,10,8,8: 36

U15 Boys Team Results
1: Reading: 8
2: AFD: 9
3: Southampton: 16

Over the period of the Hampshire League this year, 5 AFD runners contributed to AFD coming 2nd in the team event. The most obvious of which was Jack Boswell, who is still injured and couldn’t make today’s event.

But well done to all contributors.
Jack Boswell, Jake Cvetkovic, Robbie Coupland, Sean Pocknee, Michael Try.

Jake, Robbie and Sean collect the Silver medals on behalf of AFD U15 Boys.

Southern Schools Inter-County Cross Championships

Yesterday (Saturday 1st of Feb.) Robbie ran in the Southern Schools Inter County XC Championships. Initial hopes were for a top 10 place, in the end he came 5th, which was great, but with a depleted field, not as great as it sounds. With the field as it was, he was very close to medal contention, and indeed spent most of the race in 3rd place, unfortunately, a fall on a climb allowed the gap behind him to close and the long down hill to the finish didn’t play kindly and he ultimately finished 5th. Great position, strong run but there is definitely more to offer. This race also acted as a replacement for the Hampshire Championships, in which Robbie had hoped to come first and walk away with the Hampshire Schools Champion title, as it happens, one of those two runners that took advantage was a Hampshire runner, knocking Robbie in to runners up place for Hampshire. But Hey, if you are going to come second in a long distance race, who better to be beaten by than someone of Ethiopian descent.

Good day all told (Except the England v France result) and a good run by Robbie, an awesome run by Zac Mahamed and a great overall result for Hampshire, coming 2nd in the Southerns, and Robbie coming 2nd in the Hampshires. 2 Silver medals in one day, can’t complain 🙂

Robbie gets away to a great start, Hampshire (in red) looking strong.