MMAC 10k Track Championships – Walks and Run

This is a reminder that this event is held within the BMAF Championships over the weekend of 20th/21st September at Alexander Stadium, Perry Barr, Birmingham. Closing date for entries  is the 6th September.

For anyone interested in being selected for England in the British & Irish Masters International Cross Country this event is a must to establish a recent time.

Get your entries in NOW

England Athletics AGM

Notification of England Athletics 2013 Annual General Meeting

In preparation for the Annual General Meeting which takes place at 11am on 5 October, 2013 at the at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Chapel Lane, Birmingham, B43 7BG the following documents are attached for your attention:

1.    Agenda

Click here to download the Agenda
2.    Draft minutes of the 2012 Annual General Meeting

Click here to download the draft minutes of the 2012 Annual General Meeting
3.    The Directors Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2013
Click here to download The Directors Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2013
4.    Proposed Articles of Association put forward for consideration under Agenda item 10

Click here to download the Proposed Articles of Association put forward for consideration under Agenda item 10

5.    Proxy form for the 2013 Annual General Meeting

Click here to download the Proxy form for the 2013 Annual General Meeting

On behalf of the Board
Kevan Taylor, Company Secretary
12 September 2013

Midland Masters AC Flickr Group

After the recent Masters Inter-Area Match at Solihull, Louis Satterthwaite has kindly set up a Flickr Group for Midland Masters Photographs. If you have any images that are relevant to Midland Masters AC then you too can upload them onto the Group page after first joining the Group. Lou will administer this part of it. Go to http://tinyurl.com/mq8uzjl and take a look. Then consider joining the Group and add your pictures for everyone to see.

EA Registration – MMAC Survey Results

The following is a report on the results of our survey carried out recently. It was not a scientific survey but I believe it conveys the views of most of our members.

Owing to the surprising announcement at the end of September by England Athletics about the increases in registration fees and a change in structure and the potential impact on MMAC, I quickly produced an online survey on our website seeking our member’s views. This survey ran for approximately 7 weeks and had a total of 147 participants.

The following questions were asked:-

1. Are you a member of a UKA Club? YES/NO
2. Are you a 1^st Claim Member to MMAC? YES/NO/YES track & field only
3. Are you happy to pay a registration fee to EA? YES/NO
4. Do you recognise the need to pay a registration fee? YES/NO/Please help us understand why you selected this answer
5. If you answered YES to question 4, what would the maximum amount be that you are prepared to pay? £7 to £10 /£10 to £15/ £15 to £20/ Other option
6. Do you agree to a two tier system? i.e. road runners pay less YES/NO
7. Are you satisfied with what you get from the registration scheme? YES/NO/Please help us understand why you selected this answer
8. What would you like to see EA provide out of this extra fee? To your Club/As an individual/Please help us understand why you selected this answer

The above questions were a ‘knee jerk’ reaction to the announcement and with hindsight would probably be either different or phrased differently. However, I felt it important to seek views immediately so that I could present the results at our November Committee meeting. Subsequently to the EA announcement, their own AGM was held where Clubs expressed strong views and as a result a series of Forums have been set up by EA.

Following are the results received to the questions giving both numbers and percentages.

Question 1 – Are you a member of a UKA Club?

136 answered YES (94%); 8 answered NO (6%) – there were 3 who skipped the question

Question 2 – Are you a 1^st Claim Member to MMAC

25 answered YES (17%); 113 answered YES (79%); 6 answered YES Track & Field Only (4%) – there were 3 who skipped the question.

Question 3 – Are you happy to pay a registration fee to EA?

97 answered YES (66%); 50 answered NO (34%) – No skips.

Question 4 – Do you recognise the need to pay a registration fee?

113 answered YES (77%); 34 answered NO (23%) – No skips and 108 comments.

Question 5 – If you answered YES to Question 4, what would the maximum amount be that you are prepared to pay?

52 answered £7 to £10 (44%); 19 answered £10 to £15 (16%); 16 answered £15 to £20 (14%)

31 answered ‘Other Option’ (26%) of which 68% wanted £5

Question 6 – Do you agree to a two tier system? i.e. road runners pay less.

144 answered NO (74%); 38 answered YES (26%) – there were 3 who skipped the question.

Question 7 – Are you satisfied with what you get from the registration scheme?

80 answered NO (56%); 64 answered YES (44%) – 3 skips and 104 comments.

Question 8 – What would you like to see EA provide out of this extra fee?

68 answered ‘To your Club’ (64%); 39 answered ‘As an individual’ (36%) – 40 skips and 113 comments.

General Observations

The overwhelming thing that stood out from the comments was the ignorance of members of either what EA is or does or where we as a Masters Club benefit. Even 1^st Claim status was not understood by all as a few ticked YES both for a UKA Club and MMAC, thus shifting the analysis slightly!

As we would expect, the majority of our members belong to a UKA Club (Q1) but the numbers claiming to be 1^st Claim members was too high at 17%, the actual figure being nearer 11% (Q2). The majority seem happy to pay a registration fee and do recognise the need (Q3 & Q4) however some did question what EA provides for the veteran/master athlete competing in only a few events per year. Others thought that a nominal fee was acceptable but not the large 4x increase. The majority 44% were prepared to pay between £7 and £10 (Q5) and as most members were against the two tier system (Q6) then an across the board registration fee of £10 seemed to be acceptable. It’s interesting that although members generally are happy for a registration scheme the majority are not satisfied with what they get from it (Q7), many not seeing any benefits particularly as veteran/master athletes. From the comments made this is mainly through a lack of understanding. Members wanted EA to provide more to the Clubs than individuals (Q8) but there was a range of comments from wanting more to be done for youngsters through to more for the older athletes.

Conclusions

More education for our members on what EA provides and why we have a registration scheme in the first place is required. I can reply to some of the concerns expressed on the survey to explain or allay their fears and misunderstandings.

This was not a scientific survey and only 22% (147) of the potential 652 members on email/internet actually took part. But it is a guide as to how our members feel. The bottom line is that most are happy to pay an increase up to double the current fees providing it is across the board i.e. road runners and track & field pay the same.

Tom Morris – 23rd November 2013

British & Irish Masters International Cross Country

Bellahouston Park, Glasgow

British & Irish Masters International Cross Country

Saturday 26th November 2011, Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, Scotland

The criteria for selection for the England team are based on National BMAF events during the current year, especially the Cross Country Championships, as well as the 5k and 10k road and track races.

Note: The 10k road on the 2^nd October at Exmouth will be taken into consideration, although after the closing date.

MMAC members who wish to be considered for selection should complete the relevant forms from the BMAF website, please click on the short link direct to the page http://tinyurl.com/6ym7olw

Additional details appear there as well.

All completed forms, from both men and women, must be sent direct to Mick Smedley to be received no later than Friday, 30^th September 2011, see address below.

All applicants MUST be current, fully paid up members of Midland Masters AC.

Forms to be returned no later than Friday, 30^th September 2011

To: Mick Smedley, 12A Bagshaw Street, Crewton, DERBY DE24 8TX

S.A.E. must be enclosed (maximum 9″x 6″)

NO S.A.E. — NO ACCEPTANCE!

BMAF 5k Road Championships at Horwich

Michael Elwell writes: –

BMAF Track & Field Championships

Alexander Stadium

A very important message from Maurice Doogan to all masters athletes who want to enter the BMAF Track & Field Championships 2012 at Alexander Stadium on the 25/26th June: –

The On-Line Entry Form should be up and running in a few days time – go to www.areg247.co.uk to access, although a link may also appear on the BMAF website, but with that there might be a delay.

As I stated earlier, you need to have your NATIONAL [England, N.I. etc.] Registration Number and your Area Club [MMAC etc.] Membership No. to complete your entry.

We have a further problem, in as much that the External Throws Area at Alexander Stadium will not be available, so although I have, allegedly, squeezed in most of the throws, it does mean a 09.00 start for some age groups. However we do have a problem with the weight throw, which I am trying to resolve next week with a meeting with Alexander Stadium management. Hopefully I will be able to post a provisional timetable on the BMAF website in the next week.

Due to this problem, we are having to switch the Men and Women’s Pole Vault competitions. Womens competition now on the Saturday and Men’s on the Sunday.

Yours in Masters sport

Maurice

Accommodation details for the event can be downloaded here…… ALEXSTADIUMHOTEL_DEALS_2011

British & Irish Masters Cross Country International

British & Irish Masters Cross Country International

Congratulations to the following Midland Masters AC members who represented England in the Cross Country International races in Santry Park, Dublin on the 13^th November 2010.

*Northern Ireland

A full set of results can be downloaded from the Power of 10 website at http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/masters-international-results.pdf

RNLI Reindeer Run, Dudley Zoo & Castle

Dudley Castle

Dear All,

There is a brand new RNLI Festive run this year taking place at Dudley Castle and Zoo.

We have a 10k, 5k and 1k (1k is just for under15’s) on offer from 10am onwards on Sunday 5th December.

I have attached a poster and entry form for any runners who would like to take part and below is a link to register online for the 10k and 5k runs as well as a Santa Saunter for those who like a more relaxed pace.

RR entry forms w&w-1

RR- DUDLEY POSTER

For under 15’s give us a call to register them on 0121 780 6960.

It would be super if you  could also advertise this on your website to your runners and potential members of your club.

Look forward to seeing you on the 5th.

Kindest regards,

Charlotte

Charlotte Bird

Events Manager Wales and the West

8 Quartz Point Business Park

Solihull

B46 3JL

Tel:  0121 780 6960

Fax: 0121 782 9002

Join the stampede! – RNLI Reindeer Run – Dudley Zoo and Castle

Brueton Park Run, Solihull

Knowle and Dorridge Running Club’s Jonathan JENNINGS was the first athlete across the finish line today, Saturday 2nd October 2010. He completed the course in 16:53 and posted an age grade score of 82.72%. The first female athlete to cross the line was Solihull & Small Heath AC’s Helen FINCH in a time of 19:36 posting an age grade score of 75.51%.

The following athletes from Midland Masters AC from took part in today’s Brueton parkrun.

.. Brueton Results by Club … Position Athlete Sex Run Time Club Name Age Grading % Age Category Personal Best 16 John KEEGAN M 21:10 Midland Masters AC 72.60% VM55-59