Brewers Memorial Games 2026

Great height from Aria on her long jump. Virtual hurdle shown in red!

On Bank Holiday Monday, six Club athletes from one of our youngest to one of our oldest participated in the Open meeting events at the Blackridge track:

• Jess Jacobs (8) doing U10 Quadkids : 75m, Standing Long Jump, Howler Throw and 600m

• Ed Knight (12) : 1500m

• Aria Stavrakakis (12) : 100m, 200m & Long Jump

• Alice Averies [second claim] (12) : 800m

• Toby Conway (14) : 1500m

• Dorian Matts (MV65) : 100m, 200m & Triple Jump

Despite rain being forecast, it was a dry day, although the track was wet in places from overnight rain, and there was some breeze into the face in the home straight.

Jess with her Quadkids certificate

Quadkids

Jess started her Quadkids competition with a fast 75m, achieving Level 1 PB award for Under 12 girls, despite being only eight! She only scored 13 QK points for that though, but scored double that with her 1.35m Standing Long Jump (SLJ); this a Level 5 U10 PB Award, so really well done, Jess.

She then did her strongest events, where she came second with a 14.64m Howler throw, another Level 5 U10 PB award; lastly doing the 600m in 2:30.03 (Level 1 U12 PB Award).

800m

Alice was our only 800m runner and she was disappointed she didn't get a PB again finishing in under 2:42, (she ran 2.40.81 at Glos spring open) but still managed a Level 3 U14 PB award. Well done, Alice.

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"Honest, Gov, I wasn't holding on to her hair!"

100m

In the 100m, Aria's heat had no headwind and she ran a PB of 14.36 with the first three girls separable by less than five hundredths of a second. Well done, Aria.

Unfortunately, for Dorian's heat, the headwind reappeared, but that doesn't explain him not PB'ing, but he was happy with his start and the second half of his race, in particular, overtaking a much younger athlete to finish in 16.3s.

1500m

Our 1500m runners were both in the same final, and ran well, Toby getting a PB and a Level 1 U16 PB Award, while Ed was a little outside his PB pace but still achieved a Level 2 U14 PB Award, so really well done, boys. Apologies to the boys for no photos, but I was timing their splits.

Long Jump

Aria also squeezed in the long jump between her sprint races, and after a foul, jumped 4.08m, and two 3.90+ jumps for 11th place in a large field of 20. Her 4.08 jump was less than 4 inches behind her PB set the week before, for Level 5 PB Award. (see top photo).

200m

Aria in transition with good lean into the bend in her 200m

The large field in the ladies long jump meant Dorian's triple jump was postponed until after the 200m which both he and Aria ran, albeit in different heats. Aria was fourth in a sub-30, 29.83 for a PB and a Level 6 PB award. She's now not so far behind Holly Stewart-Hodges' 200m times, such that we can expect some good battles between the girls over the season.

Dorian had another headwind, albeit not so strong this time, and was beaten by Ciren AC ex-member, Lisa Carpenter, who is now in the same sprinters group as Dorian at Swindon Harriers. His time was a bit down on where he would have liked but there may have been extenuating circumstances (all runners have their excuses for their performances! - see mine below).

Triple Jump

Lastly, Dorian did the triple jump, about an hour later than scheduled, but the sun was shining. About a fortnight ago, following some analysis, he had decided to swap his hop to his left leg, to try and maximise the step distance through greater mobility on his right side and then jumping off his stronger right leg. Unfortunately, in practising this change of technique on Friday evening, he jarred his left leg and so had a sore left knee for the competition. But he stuck at the plan and his first two jumps, done with left leg hop were consistent but about a metre down on his PB, at 6.26m and 6.28m, and his left knee was hurting! Best laid plans, eh? So, he decided to switch back to right leg hop and did 7.11m, followed by two 6.90+ jumps, as his left knee hurt more. He ducked out of his last (6th) jump. He came 5th out of five; two competitors failing to start following a bizarre clash of heads when warming up for the event. The triple jump can be quite punishing on the body (I have a sore left knee and right ankle, as I type this!) but one doesn't expect to be bleeding from the head.

Next weekend is both the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire County Athletics Championships where Aria and the Woodfine brothers : Henry and Stanley will be competing at Wilts, and Aria (again!) and Toby at the Glos ones. All the best to them.

Dorian

RESULTS (in order of the events)

U10 Quadkids which took all day! {QK points}

Jess Jacobs : 75m 15.72 {13} ; SLJ 1.35m {26} ; HT 14.64 {29} ; 600m 2:30 {39} = Total 107 pts

800m Final D

1st Maisy Little (C&CH) 2:37.92

3rd Alice Averies (Swindon Harriers) 2:41.58

100m

Final G (0.0 m/s)

1st Jade Murray (Worcester AC) 14.32

3rd Aria Stavrakakis 14.36 (PB)

Final I (-2.4m/s)

1st Lily-May Beer (C&CH) 14.87

3rd Dorian Matts (MV65) 16.32

1500m Final B

1st Jason Tilley (Gloucester AC) 4:58.8

3rd Toby Conway 5:14.51 (PB)

6th Ed Knight 5:24.49

Ladies Long Jump

1st Lara Taylor (Worcester AC) 5.08m

11th Aria Stavrakakis 4.08m

200m

Final F: (+0.2m/s)

1st Kit Shannon (C&CH) 26.14

4th Aria Stavrakakis 29.83 (PB)

Final H : (-1.0m/s)

1st Lisa Carpenter (Swindon Harriers) 31.91

3rd Dorian Matts 34.50

Triple Jump

1st Emma Hall (Worcester AC) 10.55

5th Dorian Matts 7.11m