Sevenoaks AC
Thanks to everyone who helped with or ran in the 2026 edition of the Sevenoaks 7 on Sunday 12th July.
The results are here. Photos are here.
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SAC at East Peckham 10k 2026
Seven SAC runners contested the eighth running of the East Peckham 10k near Paddock Wood on 2nd August with four of them finishing first in their categories. Conditions were very hot, and with little shade and not much breeze, times were slower than sometimes. However, Jon Drake was first M50, Andrew Mead first M55, Simon Hallpike first M70 and Lionel Stielow first M75. Also, Lucy Ching was 3rd W45 and Sally Shewell 3rd W65.
The SAC results were:
| Pos | Name | Bib | Category | Gun time | Chip time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Jon Drake | 87 | Male Vet 50 | 00:38:47 | 00:38:44 |
| 35 | Andrew Mead | 204 | Male Vet 55 | 00:41:06 | 00:41:04 |
| 124 | Lucy Ching | 61 | Female Vet 45 | 00:50:39 | 00:50:31 |
| 135 | Simon Hallpike | 126 | Male Vet 70 | 00:52:14 | 00:52:01 |
| 203 | Sarah Shewell | 264 | Female Vet 65 | 00:58:07 | 00:58:01 |
| 204 | Rosie Williams | 338 | Female Vet 55 | 00:58:07 | 00:58:00 |
| 285 | Lionel Stielow | 270 | Male Vet 75 | 01:11:56 | 01:11:50 |
The full results are here:
SCVAC T&F 2026
Sevenoaks AC men came 2nd at the final meeting of the SCVAC T&F league 2026, a great result, even beating Tonbridge B on home turf according to the draft results (which may have missed out the discus).
There were Div 2 victories by Jamie, only just shy of his 800 M45 club best, Rebecca over 800m W50, Oloff in 800m M50, Seb with a PB in triple jump M50 and Geoffrey in the 100m M70 (Oloff said: "Never thought it was possible to win the 100m by a country mile, but Geoffrey came close tonight.")
The mens team qualified for promotion to Div 1, this being the last match in the 2026 series, but there was a notional 'paper' play off between ourselves and Ashford AC who were potentially liable to be demoted from Division 1, and Ashford are deemed to have won this. They stay in Div 1 and we stay in Div 2. Nevertheless a best performance for us for, I think, 20 years.
Jamie said: "Thanks for all you organising and effort Geoffrey and well done to all. A successful season despite no promotion. Medway and Maidstone are coming down so will be stiff running competition in Division 2 next year."
Sevenoaks 7 2026 - report
The Sevenoaks 7 is a race where local knowledge matters as much as fitness, writes Jake Mears. With over 10 teams, 164 participants, and a strong volunteer presence across the course, this race had all the ingredients for an intense local battle – the variety of hills and surfaces we were about to race on reminded me of how advantageous it was to know every climb, corner, and false flat before it arrived.
I started cautiously, tucking in behind my parkrun nemesis Graeme Macintosh, with Sam Grant close behind. Sam is my former Sevenoaks Town FC teammate, the sort of player who used to casually bang in 40+ goals a season before transitioning into an elite HYROX athlete. He was representing Sevenoaks-based Rep Unity Run Club, alongside his sister Ellie, who produced a superb run first-female finish in 52:23, ahead of Flora Jones and Melissa Barker.
The opening hill arrived quickly - a familiar feature from Sevenoaks AC’s Tuesday “triangle of death” sessions. I tried not to get carried away too early. After reaching its peak, we raced downhill into the valleys and up towards the corner of Knole House, where the course began to feel less like a road race and more like a negotiation with Sevenoaks’ geography.
As we opened out onto the main path section, I delusionally convinced myself that I had a chance at second place. My illusion didn’t last long … Tsolthe Keikothle and Adam Muhammad glided past like gazelles, joining first-male finisher, Shamil Mohammed, at the sharp end. All three completed a brilliant podium sweep for the Ilford-based Running Charity, with Shamil’s 39:58 chip time showcasing immense talent and versatility as a runner capable of running a sub-15 5k.
Trying to replicate my 40:37 podium finish from last year, I adopted a similar strategy: sit behind the front three, stay calm, and hope I could nick a few places in the second half. The problem was that Sam was still on my shoulder, while Adam sat around 20 metres ahead, leaving me equally fearful of being caught from behind as I was about losing proximity to the front.
On the way back from Knole House, the race built towards the final killer climb. By this point, the volunteers were making a huge difference. Every marshal, cheer, and familiar voice reignited my desire to push through the pain and reach the top of the final hill.
Next came fellow clubmate Allan Lee’s shout of “Get him Jake”, giving me all the permission I needed to abandon caution. A scenic downhill finish ensued with deer and supporters settled on either side. I settled into sprint speed, closing the final kilometre in 3:10, and coming home in 42:13. I was mildly disappointed relative to last year, but given recent weather, high mileage, and assurance from my clubmates, I was happy enough.
As usual, SAC also held the free to enter 3.5k Junior race for 9 to 15 year-olds on undulating paths within the park, with the under-16M race won by George Radu, under-16W by Jasmine Stephens, under-12M by Magnus Cheeseman and the under-12W by Beth Barclay.
A huge credit to all who took part and more importantly to every SAC volunteer who made the event what it was. Special thanks must go to Sarah Philpott and Maria Ashlee, whose hard work as course manager and head marshal made the race possible, as well as to Nice Work for helping make this years Sevenoaks 7 such a successful event.
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