Category Archives: Club Athletics

With the XC season rapidly coming to a close, the only races left are big ones, so it was with some concern that we headed up to Birmingham with Robbie just getting over a cold.

The Inter-Counties is a huge event, televised by Sky Sports with hundreds of runners. Robbie raced in his white and green Hampshire vest, selected as the eighth U15 runner. In these major events, the starts are always penned so the lower your selection place, the further back on the grid you start. With Robbie being selected 8th, he started on the back row (4th) of runners. It was never going to be a special result for Robbie, he went in to the race with a target place of top 60 and an aim to try for top 50. Unfortunately the day didn’t pan out as he hoped, ultimately finishing 71st, and limping away from the line at that.

A Cold, a bad start position and a pulled Glute muscle all contributing to the final place and a disappointing race.

Hampshire Results: (Team Pos. 6th)
8: Jake Cvetkovic 16:29
38: Sam Costley 17:12
53: Ted Yeates 17:22
60: Sam Maher 17:26
71: Robbie Coupland 17:33
127: James Beeks 18:08
172: Edward Mason 18:36
NS: Luke Powell N/A

Seconds before his Glute goes Ping.

22nd of February, Robbie’s first run as a fourteen year old, The National Championships, Wollaton Park, Nottingham.

Well for a change the weather was great, arrived at the park to glorious sunshine, it did cloud over by the time the boys ran, but for February it was warm, and generally a great day, weather wise that is.

AFD U15 Boys are still without Jack Boswell, and with the strength of teams like Tonbridge, Bedford and Leicester, his absence would guarantee no team medal. The Aldershot boys took it in their stride and went all out to try to push the team forward in the team results, with great performances from both Oliver Percival and Harry Grace adding to the team points.

AFD Runers:
08: Jake Cvetkovic 14’23”
44: Robbie Coupland 15’09”
116: Ollie Percival 15’53”
126: Harry Grace 15’56”

The AFD Boys start their battle.

Robbie – Looking Strong passing the Lake

The Battle for the End. – Robbie holds off John Howorth from TeamBath.

The Couplands spent this afternoon, Sunday 9th Feb. from 2pm onwards in the Cody Sports and Social club, cheering and clapping as the AFD awards were handed out to the good, the great and the outstanding.

With the like of Steph Twell, Amelia Gorecka, Ian Bailey and Steve Connor mounting the stage it was great to see Robbie called up for the second year running. Last year Robbie got an achievement trophy based on his improvement on track, specifically his 800m time. This year the acknowledged was for his preferred discipline of Cross Country. Congratulations to Robbie Coupland, awarded the AFD U13’s of the year, (for last year) Cross Country Trophy.

Robbie with his XC Runner of the year (U13’s) Trophy.

Unusual for this season, but we set off to Salisbury in glorious sunshine, things changed after we parked up and headed to the race start though. Wind whipped across the fields, driving the very air from your lungs, and as the U13 girls got under-way the rain started and swiftly turned in to hard and sharp hail stones. The U13 girls running head on in to a gale force wind, driving pellets of ice in to their skin, was not a pleasant to watch, and must have been much worse to experience. The shower, all be it very nasty, was brief and by the time the U13 girls had finished the skies were once again blue, and the sun was once again out. It didn’t last though, and the U15 boys experienced the same driving wind and pellet like hail as they raced to the line.

Robbie finished 8th on the day, adding an improved position to his event scoreline. With this being the last race of the league, both individual and team positions would be calculated in a hurry, and medal ceremonies were set for 14:15. So post race, it was leg it to the scout hut, buy hot chocolate and cake and try to warm up as we waited for the final positions to be announced, and the medal ceremonies to be completed.

Just before the Hail Storm started, with James Beaks.

Going in to this final event AFD were clinging on to first place in the team event, but Reading, with the return to form of Matt Rawlings looked likely to be a huge threat on the day.

AFD U15 Boys Hampshire League Results.
2: Jake Cvetkovic Best 4: 4,4,2,1: 11
9: Robbie Coupland Best 4: 10,10,8,8: 36

U15 Boys Team Results
1: Reading: 8
2: AFD: 9
3: Southampton: 16

Over the period of the Hampshire League this year, 5 AFD runners contributed to AFD coming 2nd in the team event. The most obvious of which was Jack Boswell, who is still injured and couldn’t make today’s event.

But well done to all contributors.
Jack Boswell, Jake Cvetkovic, Robbie Coupland, Sean Pocknee, Michael Try.

Jake, Robbie and Sean collect the Silver medals on behalf of AFD U15 Boys.

As always the Southerns is one of the most difficult, arduous and physically demanding races of the cross country calendar, and this year was no different. 4.5 kms of hill and mud faced the boys and was braved and battled through by all who attended.
Jack Boswell is still injured, so once again the U15 boys were without there No. 1 runner.

AFD U15 Boys Results
A Team (5th)
07. Jake CvetKovic
23. Robbie Coupland
51. Ollie Percival
70. Harry Grace

B Team (28th)
093. Tom Fitch
159. Sean Pocknee
182. Reece Webber
200. James Hier

C Team (N/A)
244. George Dorran

Robbie’s 23rd place was an exceptional run, seeing Robbie beat many runners who we would normally expect to see in front of him, including the likes of Thomas Kendrick and Matt Rawlings who have been two of the super stars at Robbie’s age.

If mud is as good for your skin as they say, then Robbie’s legs are going to be really soft.

The penultimate event of the Hampshire league saw something of a depleted AFD squad, with a number of age groups failing to field a full 3 man team. The U15 boys were without star runner Jack Boswell, and were missing a number of the regular attendees, at least they managed to field a full team.

Who says running is hard? Robbie and Tom Bourne closing their eyes in relaxation as they enter the top field at Bournemouth.

Full AFD U15 Boys positions and times will be added later, Robbie finished 8th with Jake Cvetkovic coming 2nd. Reading were the stars of the day with 4 runners in the top 10.

AFD Runners.
2. J. Cvetkovic 13:42
8. R. Coupland 14:10
27. S. Pocknee 15:20
43. R. Webber 15:57

Teams.
1. Reading 11
2. AFD 37
2. Southampton 37