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Reading Athletic Club Male Section.
Welcome to the Male page of Reading Athletic Club.
Here you will be able to find out more info on what goes on for Male athletes of all ages at the club. Including which league's the club contests during the track and field season, all the info on competitions during the cross country season and also a little info on events held during the winter season for indoor athletics, including indoor track and field competitions and sportshall athletics.
The team managers at the club will be happy to hear from any new members, or to answer any questions/queries from existing members that you may have about the club. The Team Managers for the female side are as follows:
Track and Field
Seniors: Richard Kinnersley
Under 20's: Charlotte Webb
Under 17's: Jamie Shillam

Cross Country
Seniors & Under 20's: Ray Stevens
Under 17's: Bob Allden

Veteran Athletics: Susan Francis

Or if you wish, you can speak to any of the Team Captains at the club who are as follows:
Track and Field
Senior Men: Michael Dyer
Under 20 Men: Ryan Bonifas
U17 Men: Liam MacDevitt
Veteran Men: Andrea Curson
Cross Country
Richard Kinnersley
Track and Field

The club competes in a various number of league's during the summer season, that ranges from National League level to local league competition. There is something for everyone no matter their age or ability.
The Senior Men compete in the British Athletics League, having qualified for the league in 2010. The senior's also compete in the Southern Men's League.
The main league for our youngsters is the National Young Athletes League, to which we compete in the Southern Premier Division. Whilst we also take part in the Alder Valley League, which is a local league and gives a perfect oppurtunity for athlete to gain their first taste of athletic competition.
We also compete in the National Junior League, which caters for athletes that are rising from the young athletes ranks towards senior level, this league is an Under 20 league.
Of course our veteran athletes have their own league, a veteran is an athlete aged 35 or over. They compete in the Southern Western division and enjoy much success.
Please click on one of the links to find out more about the various league's

British Athletics League
 
Indoor Track and Field Athletics
The club is also very active over the winter season with many of it's athletes taking part in various indoor track and field competitions as well as Indoor Sportshall competitions.
These competitions prove very usefull for keeping the interest going during the cold winter months and is also sometimes a good way to see how well winter training is going.
On the track and field circuit, there are various indoor open meeting's that athletes can enter, that cater a large number of events, which can also be a good preparation for those wishing to enter the Southern and National Indoor Track and Field Championships.
For our very younger members in the Under 11 and Under 13 age groups, we compete in Sportshall competitions, which is a varied form or track and field, it still involves various running events, but adapts some field events, such as events as standing long jump, vertical jump and a ball throw etc. These matches are always highly entertaining and for many is the first taste of competitive action. More details can be found below on the various goings-on during the winter season.

Indoor Track and Field Open Meetings
There are various open meeting's held during the winter, usually between the months of November and February. A popular one with our members is one's that are held at the TVAC Centre in Eton. There are 4 of these held each winter, with 1 in each month of December, January, February and March. These are self enter competitions, which you just turn up and enter on the day for the various events you wish to compete in. Details of these 4 meetings are added to the website as they are published and can also be downloaded from our website in the download section.
2011/2012 Dates for WSEH Open Indoor Meetings
Sunday 4th December 2011
Sunday 8th January 2012
Saturday 4th February 2012
Sunday 4th March 2012
All 4 meetings are self entry in which you can enter on the day, so just turn up and enter the events you wish to compete in.

Southern and National Indoor Track and Field Championships
There is a Southern and National Indoor Championship held every year. The Southern - traditionally held at the Lee Valley Centre, is usualy held towards the end of January, whilst the National - traditionally held at Birmingham, is held in Mid-February.
These require athletes to enter theirselves before a closing deadline, usually 7-10 days before the event.
Entry details will be posted here when they become available each year and a entry form can usually be downloaded from the website, by clicking on the download section.
South of England T&F Champs - Info below
15th January 2012 -U15 & U17 Pentathlon Championships - Closing date 3rd January 2012
15th January 2012 - Individual events - 200m (U20M, U20W), 800m (SM, SW, U20M, U20W), 300m (U17W, U15G), 400m (U15B, U17M, U20M, SM, U20W, SW), High Jump (SM, SW, U20W, U20M) - Closing date 3rd January 2011
21st January 2012- Individual events - 60m hurdles (ALL), 200m (ALL - except U20 M&W), 800m (U17M, U15B, U17W, U15G), Shot (U15G, U17W), Long Jump (U15B, U17M, U20M, SM), Pole Vault (U17M, U20M, SM), Triple Jump (U17W, U20W SW), High Jump (U17M, U15B, U17W, U15G) - Closing date 10th January 2012
22nd January 2012- Individual events - 60m (ALL), 1500m (ALL), Shot (U15B, U17M, U20M, SM, U20W, SW), Long Jump (U15G, U17W, U20W, SW), Pole Vault (U15G, U17W, U20W, SW, U15B), Triple Jump (U17M, U20M, SM) - Closing date 10th January 2012
All these details plus more including entry forms can be downloaded from our website by going to the download section

Sports Hall Athletics
The club compete in Sports Hall fixtures over the winter, for it's younger athletes.
For U11's and U13's, there are 2 league fixtures in the Berkshire Sports Hall League. These are held during October and November of each year
There is also a Berkshire Sports Hall Championships for U13's and U15's held in November/December
There is also a seperate U11 Championships held in February/March, in which a number of local primary schools also take part. Dates and venue's for the 2011/2012 season are as follows:
13th November 2011 - Berkshire League Round 1 at TVAC Eton - U11, U13, U15 B&G
27th November 2011 - Berkshire League Round 2 at TVAC Eton - U11, U13, U15 B&G
11th December 2011 - Berkshire Championships at TVAC Eton - U13, U15 B&G
29th January 2012 - Berkshire Championships at TVAC Eton - U11 B&G

Cross Country

The club is also very active on the cross country scene. As their season runs from the end of September to Mid-April.
They only compete in one league during the winter and that is the Hampshire Cross Country League, in which 5 meetings are held each winter from October to February, the club usually hosts one of these, usually in January at Prospect Park in Reading.
They also compete in various Championships, including one of the oldest cross country championships still going - The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Championships. They also contest the Berkshire Championships and of course the Southern and National Cross Country Championships.
They also enter teams in various relay competitions. In September they take part in the South of England road relays. They also often take part and medal in one of the oldest cross country relays in the world, the Horsenden Cross Country relays.
Whilst towards the latter part of the season the seniors will compete in the Southern and National Relays which is run over 12 stages for men. To find out a little more on these fixtures, please read below.

Hampshire Cross Country League
The Hampshire Cross Country league, is probably one of the most competitive cross country league's in the country, with many of the top cross country club's in the UK competing in this league.
There is no limit on how many athletes run, which makes it ideal for many athletes to get competition, but only the first 3 club runner's to finish score for the team, with the exception of the Senior men, whose team is 5 to score. 
The Men's section has 3 Divisions and Reading currently compete in the top Division - Division 1, whilst the veteran men also has 3 different league competitions, they currently compete in Division 2. The Senior men have enjoyed some fine success and are reguarly challenging for a top 3 placing in Division 1, whilst the veteran men enjoyed huge success in the 2004-2007 seasons in which they were crowned Division One Champions for 3 years running.
The club also enjoys success in the younger age groups and are often in the hunt for end of season awards after the 5 league matches. 

The timetable for League races are as follows:
1215 - U/13 Boys
1250 - U/15 Boys
1410 - U/17 Men
1430 - Senior Men (including Vets, U/20’s)
The Hampshire League website address is: www.athletics.hampshire.org.uk/events/hxcl.html
Championships Races
Reading compete in a number of Championships races over the winter season.
The biggest is naturally the National Cross Country Championships, all ages are contested and there are no restrictions on how many athletes run, providing they have been entered by the club beforehand, for all ages it is the first 4 athletes that score, except the Senior Men who need 6 to score.
The Southern Cross Country Championships are the same format as the nationals. The course is regulary held on the Parliament Hill Fields, in Hampstead Heath, London. This course is regarded as one of the toughest of any courses in the country.
The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Championships has been highly successfull for the club and is usually held in November time, the senior men have won the team event on numerous occasions, with many of the younger team's also claiming team event victories in the past, as well as a healthy amount of individual winners across the years.
The Berkshire Championships has also seen many many team and Individual title's for the club, they have often been the most successful club in the county at this fixture.
The Club also compete in various relay championship races. Traditionally the season will start with the South of England road relays Championships, which is always held at the Rushmoor Arena, Aldershot in late September. All age groups compete. For the young male athletes contest 4 legs. The veteran men is also run over 4 legs, whilst the senior men compete over 6 legs of the Aldershot course.
The Senior Men will also compete in what is described as probably the oldest cross country relays in the world - namely the Horsenden Cross Country Relays, these are held in the first week of October and the club always does well at this, often medalling in the team race but sometimes winning the team event also.
Towards the end of the season, the longer road relay championships are held. The Southern event, see's the men's race run over 12 legs, this fixture is often held at Milton Keynes University. A good result here and the team become eligable to qualify for the National version, held in mid April, at its traditional home of Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield.