BRR Blog – 30 December 2024
Our Micky, always a winner to us.
Aye Aye, Road Runners
This isn’t the blog I had planned to write for the twixmas period. I planned to write about finding inspiration for running in 2025. Instead, I have been looking back over the hundreds of photos of Micky Ball saved on my phone, and thinking about all the times that we have spent running together. Like all of you, I have many tales to tell. Until very recently, we would run together at Hainault every Sunday morning when there wasn’t a race. We would talk about Adam’s farm (from Countryfile); when he worked as a security guard in the building where I now work; the start of his running career with the black taxi drivers before he joined BRR; horse racing and football; and – best of all for me – about Micky’s days visiting the pubs and clubs back in the sixties and seeing live music like a young Rod (the Mod) Stewart and Long John Baldry (younger readers may need to look him up). The comments on our WhatsApp group show that I’m not the only one of us to feel deep love and affection for Micky.
Micky over the years, and with Chris.
When most octogenarians would have been content to sit in an armchair watching the TV, Micky refused to hang up his trainers. While I was huffing and puffing after running up a hill, Micky kept going at an even pace – he even complained if a course was too flat as that was boring! It wasn’t that he didn’t have to work hard for it – he worked very hard, which made him even more of a hero; when he finished last in a race, he got a bigger round of applause than the winner.
More memories of Micky
Once, when I was looking out for him at the end of the cross-country at Hadleigh, the tail runner encouraged him up the steep hill by saying “Look, Micky, your daughter is waiting for you.” Micky probably thought he was a bloody idiot, but I’d always said he was my running dad, so I was more than happy to take it. Even in 2023, he ran the Big Half and the 10-mile Great South Run within a month or so of each other, a challenge lots of runners half his age would baulk at.
So, maybe I have written about inspiration after all: Micky Ball - a member of BRR since 2011 but a life member in our hearts.
In the meantime, Micky’s beloved Hainault Forest – except on the occasion when he was bitten by a dog there ! – is also missing him.
Dottie Dear’s Almanac – Micky Ball
Micky at the Ingatestone 5
It has been a really quiet atmosphere in the Forest for the last few days. The Forest Folk have been devastated by the sad news that their friend Micky Ball has recently passed away. People have been getting together in little groups and huddles, and also on the BRR WhatsApp group, to share their memories and their feelings at losing someone who has been such an important part of BRR for so long that it’s hard to imagine the Club without him.
Everyone has their special memories. Many people said that Micky was really good company, and besides talking about running he enjoyed having a good old natter about sport - especially football. He was also a bit of an expert on horsey matters (although he played his cards close to his chest when it came to racing tips)! He loved discussing the books he’d read, and was a stalwart of his local library, and besides picking over the plots of his favourite detective novels he would talk at length about various aspects of military history (what he didn’t know about WW2 wasn’t worth knowing)!
However, it was as a runner that Micky was valued by everyone. He was a role model and an inspiration at every level, turning up loyally and regularly to all events and supporting the Club in various capacities, and besides his participation as a runner, he would regularly help others with the practicalities of taking part. Some people remembered piling into his taxi to be given a lift to a race, or just to shelter from the weather (in the days when the Forest café was just a few benches outside a servery).
Others spoke of his helpful advice, his great sense of humour, his determination and resilience. To some he was ‘the absolute best’. Other people said he was ‘one of London’s finest’, ‘a legend’, ‘a true gentleman and a character’.
Finally, some people were simply lost for words – which is just as eloquent.
So this is how the BRR people and the Forest Folk would like to remember their very good friend MICKY BALL: good companion, book lover, sporting enthusiast, London cabbie, athlete, role model, inspiration, BRR stalwart, star!
Very much missed by everyone who knew him.
Christmas Day parkrun
Christmas Day at Barking parkrun
It feels a long time ago now, but Christmas Day saw our biggest-ever attendance at Barking parkrun. We had 459 finishers, beating last year’s Christmas Day record of 390 finishers by 69. The first Christmas Day parkrun in Barking in 2012 only had 32 finishers (including me) so we have come a long way since then.
It seems that people are now travelling from far and wide (well, from the wilds of Essex, anyway) to come to Barking on Christmas Day, and we had a few comments from people surprised that there was such a nice park in the middle of Barking.
Once again thank you to everyone who took part, whether running, volunteering, or - in many cases - both.
Greg’s Race Report
The BRR team at the Hadleigh cross-country race
South Essex Cross Country League round 3 hosted by Leigh on Sea Striders was the destination for Barking Road Runners this week.
The race at Hadleigh Country Park is a tough, just under 5-mile, mudfest with three drainage ditches to cross, of which the water came up to the knees of some of the shorter runners, and a nice steep hill to finish the race. First finisher for BRR was Steve Philcox for the men followed by John George, Steve Colloff, Jagbir Bassi, Martin Page, Jason Li, Dennis Spencer-Perkins and Rob Courtier. First BRR woman was Belinda Riches followed by Rosie Fforde, Cristina Cooper, Lizzie-Beth Garraghan, Emma Paisley, Alison Fryatt and Zahra Akram. Thanks to the supporters, including the scoring team and Ron with his tea cart.
Three BRR runners participated in the Boxing Day Crown to Crown race at Langdon Hills, near Laindon. First finisher for BRR was Colin Jones 25:21 followed by Nikki Cranmer 36:21 and Dawn Curtis 38:58.
Colin, Nikki, and Dawn at the Crown to Crown
At the Witham Boxing Day 5-mile race Joseph Grange finished in first place in a great time of 24:49. Also running for BRR was Alison Fryatt who finished in 52:26.
Joseph and Alison at the Witham 5
In another mudfest, this time at Hainault Country Park the Ilford 10-mile race had Adrian Davison and Veronica Barikor running for BRR.
Veronica and Adrian at the Ilford 10
BRR parkrunners
Christmas Day Barking parkrun - Ayoyinka Obisesan 19:37, Mark Odeku 22:22, Nehal Patel 22:30, Joshua Ezissi 23:51, Belinda Riches 23:55, Kevin Wotton 24:36, Rosie Fforde 25:17, Ron Vialls 26:03, Stuart Burr 26:17, Trevor Cooper 27:07, Stephen Colloff 27:09, Ricky Narwal 27:42, Chris Muthaka 27:42, Cristina Cooper 28:21, Martin O’Toole 28:56, Dennis Spencer Perkins 29:11, Kalli Fouseki 29:18, Rob Courtier 30:13, Louise Chappell 33:11, Rachel Sharples 35:36, Nikki Cranmer 37:29, Les Jay 40:04, Alan Murphy 51:41 and Darren Graham 57:43.
28/12/24
Barking - Ayoyinka Obisesan 21:16, Rosie Fforde 24:39, Stuart Burr 26:52, Jason Li 28:16, Barry Rowell 28:35, Chris Muthaka 29:17, George Hiller 29:36, Andrew Hiller 30:08, Martin Mason 33:04, Nikki Cranmer 36:17, Julie Gillender 37:47, Les Jay 39:09, John Lang 44:37 and Alan Murphy 51:47.
Curl Curl - Richard Dudman 31:25.
Harayama Koen - Johnathan Furlong 26:02.
Harrow Lodge - Belinda Riches 24:38, Ron Vialls 26:40, Louise Chappell 33:42 and Rachel Sharples 37:00.
Mary S Young - Sian Mansley 33:37.
Pegwell Bay - Rob Courtier 29:03.
Rushmoor - Owen Wainhouse 21:13.
Storeys Field - Sunny Bulchandani 24:54.
Valentines - Kevin Wotton 24:01 and Andrew Gwilliam 37:18.
Highest BRR age gradings this week were Belinda Riches 70.7% for the women and Ron Vialls 67.81% for the men.
BRR Diary – January
To see the full diary of BRR events on the TeamUp app. Just download the TeamUp app onto your phone, then enter the calendar key: ks67p21gt8p5gzdo66 when asked. If you don’t want another app on your phone, you can also find it under the ‘events’ tab on the Barking Road Runners website: https://www.barkingroadrunners.org.uk/calendar.
9.00am – Wednesday 1 January – New Year’s Day parkrun. Valentines Park. What better way to start the new year than with a parkrun, even if the forecast is for rain? We usually go to the Great Spoon of Ilford afterwards for brunch.
7.00pm, Tuesday 7 January – Speed Session. Jim Peters Stadium, Mayesbrook Park. It’s the quarterly timed mile. How has Christmas affected your performance?
7.00pm, Thursday 9 January – Road Run. Castle Green Centre, Gale Street, Dagenham. First Thursday night club run of the new year.
10.00am, Sunday 12 January – SECCL 04: The Wild Forest. Hosted by Nuclear Races. More details to follow nearer the time.
10.00am, Saturday 18 January - Chingford League (CL05) Epping Forest. Meet at the Orion club house, Jubilee Retreat, Bury Road, Chingford. More details to follow.
10.00am, Sunday 19 January – The Benfleet 15. Hadleigh Country Park, Chapel Lane, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2PP. Sorry, it seems the world is full of mad people and this race is SOLD OUT, though there is a waiting list.
Quote of the Week
I thought this was appropriate for Micky:
“Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up.”
Amby Burfoot
Happy running
Alison
Chair, Barking Road Runners
