In Memoriam. Len Twort - 1941 - 2025

We’re saddenned to announce the recent passing of Len Twort at the age of eighty-four.

Len was a renowned field official for Reading Athletic Club who was selected for the 2012 London Olympic Games to be the Chief of the High Jump.

Len passed-away very peacefully on 22 August 2025, one day after his eighty-fourth birthday which he celebrated with his entire family present. We wish his wife Linda and the wider family our thoughts at this time.

Len will be remembered at Reading Athletic Club for his kindness, dedication and his genuine interest in the development of so many younger athletes.

Len’s funeral will be a family event. His wish to be buried in his 2012 Olympics suit is being honoured by his family.

Rest in Peace, Len.

Alternative Training Venues During Palmer Park Resurfacing

Please remember that Palmer Park track is closed for resurfacing which is expected to continue until mid July. All athletes should have already been contacted by their coach to confirm the temporary training arrangements. Alternative venues organised by the club include Blue Coat School, Sonning on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings between 6pm and 8pm and Little Marlow Track near Marlow on Sundays from 10am til 12pm. Some coaches are still using the public areas in Palmer Park for some of their training sessions.

Little Marlow track

Sundays 10am - 12pm

Wycombe District Athletics Complex, Marlow Rd, Little Marlow, Marlow SL7 3RS

reading blue coat school

Tuesdays 6pm - 8pm
Thursdays 6pm - 8pm

Sonning Ln, Sonning, Reading RG4 6SU

 

 

Order New Club Kit

Members keen to get the new club kit before the track closure in April should place there orders before 8 March.

Visit the Joined in store

Fundraising for New Equipment Store

We have now raised £3,214 towards our £5,000 target (or 64.3%) for a new equipment store at Palmer Park.

With the renovation of the stadium a couple of years ago we lost our dedicated equipment store and now share a space under the stand and have a locakble space for competition equipment. Additionally, we need to keep some equipment such as some of our vaulting poles in the clubhouse.

With the new equipment store, that most likely will be a repurposed shipping container, we will be able to have a dedicated locakable storage space and free up the clubhouse to make it more suitable for community activities.

If you would like to contribute towards our goal please either pay via the JoinIn website (click icon link below, then go to bottom of page to make a voluntary contribution) or just make a contribution on the card reader at the desk or in the clubhouse on training nights.

Click icon above to make a donation for the equipment store.

Reading AC Athlete Wins National Cross Country Championship

Congratulations to Jess Gibbon who was crowned senior women’s National cross country champion for a second time this past weekend with a ruthless display.

The victory mirrored her win from 2022 when the nationals was last held at the Parliament Hill venue.

Jess has enjoyed a very solid winter season, representing GB and England, along with a BB&O championship win as well as Hampshire and Oxfordshire League victories for the club, however this race just highlighted what an immensely talented athlete she is.

The Parliament Hill venue is regarded by most at the home of cross country, a true test of physical and mental ability with its punishing hills and always muddy terrain and Saturday was no different. For Jess however she almost made it look easy as she virtually had the race won after 5 minutes, after ascending the opening hill, she pushed into the lead and from there she just continued to push away and won with a huge 41 second margin to claim the senior women’s title once more and cement herself as one of the club’s best ever athlete over cross country.

Pleasingly Anna Godfrey, Abi Farnworth and Shirley-Ann Dix were also on hand to ensure the ladies fielded a team as they placed 29th. Anna enjoyed a very solid outing herself in a field of 830 finishers, she battled through the tough conditions to take 209th. It is also so good to see Abi back running regularly and she can be very happy with her efforts around the 8km course to finish 383rd whilst Shirley-ann closed out the scoring quartet when she crossed the line in 492nd.

It was very pleasing to see Isabelle Craven and Alyssa Wilson line up for the under 13 girls and the experience they will have gained from their race will hold them in great stead going forward. Isabelle placed well with a pleasing effort as she claimed 160th position, whilst Alyssa closed out her race in 233rd, both girls doing very well over one of the hardest courses in the country.

Disappointedly we did not field any athletes in any of the other age groups. With only 6 female athletes in action across 5 age groups, it is disappointing to say the least, particularly for such a huge and iconic race - the pinnacle of the season almost. The potential is without doubt there at the club to field athletes and teams in all age groups and to do very well even at this level, as club/team competition is such an important part and definitely played a part of our senior athletes who raced this weekend - none more so than Jess, who always was out racing for the club as a youngster and through to the senior age group, as part of a team and helped gain the experience she was able to draw on this weekend towards her emphatic victory.

April to July Track Closure for Resurfacing

It’s now confirmed that the Palmer Park track is expected to close from 14 April for two to three months for resurfacing. Unfortunately, this is a process that is carried out in warmer and drier conditions meaning it was not done during the winter.

Athletes with coaches should check with them what alternative training plans they have for that time and those that attend Friday sessions will have training out in the park while the track is closed.

When we return the track should be looking great, with the seats in the stand also being cleaned and fixed.

England Call Up to Two Reading AC Athletes

Congratulations to Reading ACs Sammy Ball and Will Alexander who have been selected to represent England at the forthcoming Swedish combined events championships in Stockholm on 15 and 16 February.

In the presence of their coach, Mike Dyer, Sammy and Will competed with their Reading AC colleagues Hal Rust D’Eye and Maddy Vietz at the England Athletics Combined Events Championships in Sheffield on 18th and 19th January.

In the senior men’s competition Sammy achieved second place and silver medal with a club record score of 5,707 points, a score that leaves him sixteenth on the UK all-time list for the indoor heptathlon.

In the U20 men’s competition, Will achieved third place and a bronze medal scoring a personal best of 4,894 points. Hal Rust D’Eye, also in the U20 men’s category finished in fifth place with a score of 4,586 points.

Meanwhile in the U20 women’s competition, Maddy Vietz, in her first year as an U20 athlete, finished in thirteenth place in a field of twenty-four scoring 2,971 points.

Well done to all athletes and their coach.

European Gold and Silver Medals for Reading AC Athletes

The weekend saw some excellent performances by Reading AC athletes Jess Gibbon and Mia Waldman who competed at the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Türkiye on 8 December 2024.

Mia, coached by Mark Booth, was competing for the first time in a Great Britain and Northern Ireland vest and had a strong start and she then maintained a gritty pace throught the race. She finished in sixth position in a time of 21 mins 38 secs, 22 seconds behind the champion, Herne Hill’s Phoebe Anderson. With the next Briton in 17th place, it meant the the British team also secured the team gold medal.

Jess finished the longer course race in 12th position and was the second Briton home in a time of 26 mins and 21 secs. With the British runners packing the top twenty, it meant a silver medal for the British team.

Well done to both athletes and their coaching teams.

Club Vests Donation Appeal

We are currently having some difficulties with our vest supplier and seeking some short-term help of donations from club members so we can restock our shelves.

We are particularly looking for vests of size 32 inches and below.

Please give to Dawn on the desk on Tuesdays or on other days to Sarah Ball, Charlotte Webb, Julie Rayfield or any club official.

We are currently working with a new supplier and will hopefully have some news on the new vest shortly.

Changes to Club Records Recording

The Club’s Council has decided to amend the way some club records are recorded.

The decision means that other than for senior records, athletes can only claim a club record for a performance in their own age category. This means, for example an U17 athlete achieving a club record in their own age category would not also get a record in the U20 category if their performance was better than the U20 record. The same would be true for a veteran athlete who’s performance surpassed a record in a lower age category.

The exception to this rule is senior club records. Any performance by an age group athlete that surpasses a senior record will continue to be recorded as senior record as well.

Notable performances by age group athletes that surpass the record of a higher age group (lower for veterans) will nowbe recorded in the ‘NotablePerformances’ section of the website.