Project 2012 2011 Season

If 2010 was a season of hardship and unfulfilled potential, 2011 can be considered one of a lot more positivity and progress.

Virtually all of the Project 2012 athletes achieved PBs or their fastest times for several years, and those with long-term injuries are fast returning to their best.

Highlights of the season include Andy Robinson being ranked 19th in the world in the 5000m for the V45 age category, and especially Molly Renfer’s call-up to the Swiss national team in the European Junior Championships, but all Project 2012 athletes have reason to be happy with their season and to be optimistic for the future.

Richard Holt

Richard has been pleased with the 2011 season for both his Project 2012 athletes and his athletics group in Kingston. A significant number of points were scored by the athletes he coaches in Kingston and Poly’s successful British Athletics League campaign, which resulted in promotion, and he has overseen many PBs from his runners. The Kestrel Club for youngsters has also continued to be a big success, with well over 150 young athletes having tried it out since its inception in 2009.

As far as his own track season goes, Richard ran a time of 58.32 in the 400m Hurdles – his fastest run in his favoured event for 8 years, and was still called upon to represent Blackheath and Bromley in the British Athletics League Division 1 at the tender age of 39.

Now moving up to the V40 category, Richard hopes to compete amongst the best in the world for his age group in the 2012 season, and he is confident that his group will continue to progress and make breakthroughs in the next 12 months.

Chris Hall

Chris has had a mixed season, with conditions generally not being ideal to record a good time in his favoured event, the 200m. Despite this, he earned a call-up to the Surrey team for the Inter County Championships in July and qualified for the BUCS Semi Final and Welsh Championships Final in the 200m. Otherwise, he has continued to do a range of events for Kingston and Poly, and ran a promising PB of 49.83 in the 400m – the event he now wants to concentrate on.

Humphrey Waddington

Humphrey’s bad luck with injuries has continued in 2011, with his season being cut short by a bad ankle twist in late July. The months preceding the injury displayed promising progress, however, with a 6.71m Long Jump and 14.35m Triple Jump at nowhere near 100% fitness being the highlights, as well as a PB 16.5 in the 110m Hurdles. He also represented Surrey in the Inter County Championships in a range of field events, helping the team achieve 3rd place.

Humphrey continues to be a major team player, competing in 8 different events for Kingston and Poly this year, and taking on Team Manager duty for the club’s Rosenheim League team, leading them to victory in the Final.

Lana Whatley

Lana has had a good season, being one of the most committed members of the Kingston and Poly Southern Women’s team, and helping to fill in the gaps to score solid points. Lana was thrilled to run a PB of 66.9 in her main event, the 400m Hurdles, and has also broken her PB in the flat 400m by over 1.5 seconds to go sub-60 for the first time, as well as recording a big PB in the 100m Hurdles.

Molly Renfer

Molly has had a great season and has proved that she has the potential to be one of the most successful athletes that Kingston and Poly has produced. The highlight of the year has been a call-up to represent Switzerland in the 800m in the European Junior Championship, and Molly also came 4th in the English Schools Championships in that particular event.

Outside of the 800m, Molly has also recorded a very impressive 56 second 400m PB, and she will be hoping to continue her progression before moving to Havard University in the USA for her studies.

Tom Parry

Tom has spent most of this year continuing his recovery from a serious knee injury, but is almost back to 100% and has worked hard to make a comeback in 2011, competing for Kingston and Poly’s National Junior League team in a range of events. A strong 52.0 400m run has shown that Tom’s rehabilitation has been successful, and a sub-60 400m hurdles race – although a few seconds off his best – is a promising return to his favoured event. With a solid winters’ training under his belt, Tom should be confident that he will reach the heights of his 2009 season once again.

Craig Price

Craig’s immense hard work has seen him reduce his time in the 1500m by over 3 seconds – recording his first ever time under 4 minutes for the distance – and has resulted in his quickest 800m time since returning to athletics from a 3-year break. This season has also seen him become the Surrey county champion in the 800m, and consistently score solid points for Kingston and Poly’s British Athletics League team.

Andy Robinson

Andy has not been able to compete as frequently as he’d hoped due to work commitments, but he has still performed to a superb level for his age group – his time for the 5000m puts him in the top 15-20 in the world for the V45 age category. Andy has also contributed to Kingston and Poly’s success in the British Athletics League, placing highly in the 3000m and 3000 steeplechase, and he has continued to be a very strong performer in cross country and long-distance events during the winter months.