The Club competed for the 12th year in the SCVAC Track & Field League, which gives an opportunity for road and cross country runners to demonstrate their prowess in events in which they may not otherwise have competed, and have a bit of fun in the process, writes John Robinson.

Last year we finished bottom of Division 2, so hoped to do better this year. Fortunately this year the team was strengthened by the return from injury of Jim Duffill, and the addition of Peter Ash who turned out to be a capable sprinter. 

After an encouraging start at Sutcliffe Park, we gained third place in Division 2. Following a brief excursion to second place after the match at Canterbury, we regained third position after the remaining matches at Bromley, Ashford and Erith. This was considered to be the ideal result, as finishing second would have meant being promoted to Division 1, which would have stretched our capabilities. The final match, also at Erith, had to be cancelled at short notice due to a massive power failure affecting a wide area.

The backbone of the team were Rob Peers, Jim Duffill and Geoff Kitchener, who competed in several events at all five meetings. They were ably backed up by Rob Carr, Peter Ash, John Denyer, David Simpson and Geoff Vine.

Whilst several members performed consistently well, perhaps the best individual performance was that of John Denyer who, having just driven back from a walking holiday that day, won the M60 3000m in 11.04.2 at Erith, less than 4 seconds more than he accomplished on the same track last year. Over the season he was in fact undefeated on the track in Kent as an M60 at all distances from 800m up. 

Denyer also won the track 5000m M60 Champs in 19.00.45 (a new Club M60 record), and the track 10,000m M60 Champs in 39.57.3, and has  been selected for the second year to represent the Southern Counties in the 1500m and 3000m at the UK Inter-Area match later in August, having finished 2nd in both distances last year.