Members: A

Jeff Aston

Club statistician and Gwent League results wonk, Jeff is one of our two London ever presents, and can claim one of the widest spreads of race times ever, from sub 2:30 in London once, to 5:30 plus this year (with sciatica, to keep the sequence going).

Jeff works tirelessly to keep up with our race results, although the complexities of his handicapping system still leave most of us bemused.

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Julian Baker

The owner of possibly the driest sense of humour in the club. If some people consider their dotage as starting when their waist measurement in inches is less than their age in years, runners may see their 10k time in minutes as a similar barrier. Julian passed that mark on his last birthday, and promptly crocked himself falling down some stairs.

Poaching Julian from Pegasus has made all the difference to our team results. Getting into the senior men’s ‘A’ team for anyone else (with the exception of Phil Cook) is a triumph in itself now.

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Claire Beatty

Well-known for the colourful bandanas she wears at races, Claire Beatty of the Galway Tribune has made an impression with everyone in the short time she’s been at the club.

Fast-improving athlete and gregarious in nature, Clare’s generosity of spirit has touched everyone. The most notable example of this happened at the London Marathon, when, after dropping out at 18 miles, Claire helped another distressed athlete back to the finish from Canary Wharf. And then, despite her own personal disappointment at not finishing, had the presence of mind to join her mates in the pub.

A little gem is our Claire.

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Dave Bennion

Carol Miller’s partner. Dave is more of a two wheel man. He rode the lead bike for the ‘97 Castles Relay, and sport-wise is happiest off-road biking. You’d think that being a father would have taught him things like mellowness, and the fact that his life’s not just his own anymore, but he still managed to whack his calf with his bike’s kick-start thing.

Dave has plans to be a Karrimor crazy, like Andy Cleves, Geran Hughes, and Simon Nurse.

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Judi Bowsher

Kenneth Bray

Ken is one the hardest workers in the club. He was a distance runner of some pedigree back in the 1950s. After many years out of the sport, the formation of Les Croupiers rekindled his enthusiasm and he competed for us for several years on the road and country.

He then took on the valuable role of co-ordinating the club entries for major races, which is always a tough task given the numbers of athletes we turn out. More recently he became Treasurer of the Welsh Masters, and is both a selector and organisor of Welsh Masters Cross Country events. He also is a timekeeper and Marshalls Co-ordinator at many local events.

Always present at the end of the funnel after the Gwent League, with Derek and Reg, whatever the weather. Ken also likes the odd glass of red wine (or three).

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Richard Brewer

David Bright

David is a very talented athlete, even if his numerous other priorities dictate that he no longer figures in our "A" Team. I first met him more than 20 years ago when he was running 400 and 800 metres for Newport Harriers.

He then moved to about 100 yards from my house in Barry, and we started training together. David’s vastly superior leg speed and my extensive endurance background led to our helping each other’s athletic career greatly.

I ran personal best track times over 3000 and 5000 metres in my early thirties and David ran 2:25:34 in the 1989 London Marathon (having run scared for the last mile whilst on TV because Veronique Marot was hard on his heels!) This was the springboard to many international marathon vests for Wales and he also notably won the Belgrave 20 Miles Road Race.

Though pursuing his teaching career, which has seen him move to London, then the Midlands, before securing a headship in this area, David has maintained his allegiance to the Croups throughout, and has also been responsible for Warlingham School, South London and Dudley Kinswinford competing in the Welsh Castles Relay.

Having paid him so many compliments, I should add that he supports Manchester United, but then again, nobody’s perfect!

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Howard Brown

Great to see the recent return of one of the club’s all-time great characters, Howard Brown,alias “Handsome Howie.” Maybe we should say “great survivors”.

Stories about Howie could fill many volumes of ACE, and indeed, Woody wrote many of them. Howie was one tough competitor, whatever the event, 2:33 for marathon (short course), 5:55 for 50 miles, 16th in the 1985 London-Brighton. A long-time busker, sandwich-maker and landscape gardener - hence the name “Capability Brown”. Most recently maker of ads. for the Halifax Building Society. Yes, this is an athlete with a little extra.

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Richard Bullen

See Julian above. Richie says, “ I owe all of my (limited) success to my wonderful wife. Without her cooking, training suggestions, and tolerance towards my stretching regime for my hamstring problem, I would have retired years ago”. So far in 2002 has had yet another hamstring injury, won the Corsham 10K (well it’s a BIG event for Wiltshire ), successfully defended his AAW Vets Half Marathon title, run a 32:28 10K in Poole …. and got lost in the Castles Relay. Last ran a marathon in April 1998 and still has no intention of running another yet.

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Yvonne Bullen

So far in 2002 has managed P.B.s for 5k (19:42), 10k (41:04), 10 miles (68:33), and half marathon (90:30), and won her stage in the Castles Relay. Not bad for someone who in her first ever Gwent League race some 16 years ago finished with no one behind her. Her ambition is to beat Dave Lloyd in a head-to-head race and thus get him removed from the Club website homepage … revenge for him not buying a dinner dance ticket.

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