September highlights

A few of the events to look out for in September

In case any members have a resolution they want to submit to be discussed at this year's AGM, they need to submit it in writing to the Honorary Secretary by Wednesday 2 September at the latest. The final Assembly League race of the year will be on Thursday 3 September in Beckenham, starting at the slightly earlier time of 7.15pm over a 3 mile course.

The September club handicap is on Saturday 5 September - if you can't run, why not come along and share the experience of an early morning in Hyde Park by being a marshal/timekeeper/recorder or cheerer. Also on Saturday is the annual challenge match between Serpentine Swimming Club and Serpentine Running Club. The event consists of a 2 mile run around the Serpentine followed by an 800m non-wetsuit swim in the Serpentine. The event is very low key, there is no entry fee, and no numbers or timing, you just turn up and take part. There's a team prize as well as individual prizes. Last year the swimmers took the team prize so it would be good to give them a run for the money this time!

On Sunday 6 September is the 8th London Triathlon League event: the Splash & Dash aquathlon. Currently, Serpentine are 2nd in Men's category, 3rd in Ladies and 3rd in Mixed Team and there are still places available to sign up for Splash & Dash. Also on Sunday are the Maidenhead half marathon, the Richmond Running Festival half marathon and the Cardiff 10k, which is one of the runbritain grand prix events.

The penultimate chance to turn up and compete at a Watford Open Graded track & field meeting this year is on Wednesday 9 September. Wednesday is also the final date to submit nominations to be Honorary Officers or members of the club's Committee in writing to the Honorary Secretary.

On Saturday 12 September any Serpies who have been involved in any T&F match this season (judges and officials, athletes and helpers) are very welcome to come along to the 2015 Track & Field Social to toast the end of the season and for the presentation of this year's T&F awards. The social will be at the Roebuck pub near Hampstead Heath from around 3pm (speeches and awards starting at around 4pm). For those planning to run any of the fell races in the Isle of Wight later in the month, there's an informal hill training session at Box Hill on Saturday 12 September, aimed at all abilities for those interested in improving their hill running: contact Glenn Hughes: glenn.hughes@gmail.com or Sarah Pemberton: run-coach-liaison@serpentine.org.uk for more details. There will be  few Serpies heading to Betws-y-Coed, Wales for the World Masters Mountain Running Championships which are also on Saturday and others running the latest Green Belt recce social trail run over stage 5 in the Chilterns, including an "out-and-back variant" where runners will start at the "finish", run back to the start to meet the main group there, and then retrace their steps with everyone together, a total of 32 miles.

The autumn half marathon season is well and truly underway by mid September, and Sunday 13 September will see Serpies taking part in the Great North Run and the Bristol half marathon. Serpie Peter Holmes will be pacemaking at the Run to the Beat 10k in Wembley on Sunday. Also on Sunday are the Hampstead Heath Duathlon (Pondathon), which combines swimming in the Lido and Heath Ponds with running; plus a QEOP women-only duathlon at the QEOP Velopark; and the challenging course of Ironman Wales. Finally, the popular and hilly Eridge 10 in Kent on Sunday is sure to have a few Serpies running.

The final committee meeting before the club's AGM will be on Tuesday 15 September. Any members who would like an item to be added to the evening’s agenda can contact the appropriate Committee member before the meeting. On Saturday 19 September there'll be Serpie womens' teams competing at the Southern 4-stage road relays in Aldershot, with the men's turn coming over 4 stages for the vets and 6 stages for the senior men on Sunday 20 September. Also over this weekend, a Serpie team will be running though the day and night at the Round Norfolk Relay. In the multi-sport arena, the London duathlon, next QEOP duathlon and the Willesden triathlon and aquathlon are all on Sunday 20 September.

The Victory Services club is the venue for the 2015 club AGM, which will start at 8pm on Wednesday 23 September. The club runs will start early and the bag room will be closed early to enable everyone to get to the AGM in good time. We hope that plenty of you will come along to have your say in the future of our club. The September Brooks Last Friday of the Month 5k will be on Friday 25 September.

Over the last weekend of September a sizeable group of Serpies will be heading to the Isle of Wight for the annual fell racing weekend. Also over the weekend there's a large group of Serpies signed up for the Berlin marathon on Sunday 27 September plus more will be racing the Ealing half marathon and Barns Green half marathon. The Hever Castle Olympic distance and Gauntlet Half Ironman distance triathlons are also both on Sunday.

Looking forward to early October, the National Road Relays and the October club handicap are on Saturday 3 October. On Sunday 4 October are two club championship races: the Middlesex 10k is the 2015 club championship 10k and the London Fields Aquathlon is both a London Triathlon League and the 2015 club championship aquathlon.

There's more information about lots of these events on the Serpie events planner.

Submitted: 31 August 2015

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