SUMMER RACING IN EUROPE FOR ALL by Sean Kelley
So you have run 3:45 or say 1:50 and you have always wanted to race in Europe, but your times
are just not good enough. Or so you thought. It is possible for an athlete who has run such
times(or even slower) to set up a nice racing tour in Europe. How you ask? By way of the
British Milers Club. The BMC? The BMC is a series of over 35 meets throughout the UK for
just about all levels of ability from those looking to achieve World or Olympic qualifying
standards to average mortals.
A short history of the British Milers Club:
The BMC was formed following a year when British middle distance athletes failed to enter
the top 10 of the World or European Rankings. In June of 1963, Frank Horwill came up with
the idea to form a special club aimed at raising the level of British miling by staging special
races, The idea was to divide the country into regions with each having organized paced
races. These was before the days of paid rabbits, each BMC race had a designated rabbit who
was responsible for a pre-determined pace for half or three quarters of the race distance.
The BMC grew through the 1970's with such highlights as:
1969 - Maria Gommers broke the WR for the mile in a BMC race.
1969 - four athletes broke 4 minutes in the same BMC race
1972 - Sec Coe first broke 2 minutes for 800m in a BMC race
1976 - Coe lowered his best in the 800m to 1:47.7 in a BMC race
1974 - Steve Ovett first broke 4 minutes for the mile in a BMC race
By 1980 the BMC had achieved its goal of raising the level of British middle distance running as
Coe & Ovett both won Olympic gold medals in Moscow. In 1997 a major change was
underway as the club launched the BMC Nike Grand Prix. The first year saw 76% of the top
50 performances in the UK were set at a BMC race. By the next year 27 BMC members took
part in the Commonwealth Games
HOW ARE MEETING SET UP - The BMC events are divided into a few different
categories. You have local races which are still of high quality, regional reaces which are
simply a bit deeper and the Grand Prix which is large(4-5 heats of 800) and highest quality. The
meets can be found all over the UK and are open to just about anyone. The evening of racing
is simple: heats of 800 followed by heats of the 1500 and then heats of the 3000. In some
meets events will be switched around and in a few rare cases other events added(such as a
steeple or 10,000) or switched (1 mile instead of a 1500 or 5000 instead of a 3000). All meets
are by pre entry so a set time schedule an can be established and rabbits designated for each
race with a prescribed pace. In fact in most cases final heat assignments and time schedule
can be found on the BMC web site a day or two before the race. Each race is very
competitive as runners seed themselves on what they believe they will run that night(not what
was their best many many many years ago as happens in the USA). If you overestimate your
ability it will show very quickly. Just before the start of each race the runners are brought
together, shown who the rabbit will be (most times the person wearing the white BMC T-shirt).
Introductions are made and the gun is fired. Throughout the race splits are announced over the
PA and step by step race accounts are announced for all to hear. Results are
posted/announced soon after each race and in a matter of one hour and 45 minutes 12 races
have been run and the event is over.
The success of the club has resulted in the formation of milers clubs in Ireland and New
Zealand and in 2003 one in Sweden.
What makes this series so successful? The formula is simple.
1) Meets that are accessible to all- the furthest race north from London in Edinburgh is only a
4-1/2 hour train ride. So one could get a noon time train from London, arrive in Edinburgh at
4:30 get to the track which is 1-1/2 miles away and on the line by 6:30. The meet ends at 7:45
and you can be on the 8:30 train back to London if you want to. But that is the worst case,
most races can be reached with much less trouble. And the BMC web site gives great
directions and maps to find the race sites.
2) Meets are run on time and yet you do not feel rushed. Since each race is pre entry only, a
set time schedule can be established. There is nothing worse then a meet getting way behind or
athletes who are looking to run fast warming up for a race they think will go off in 30 minutes
then ends up sitting for 2 hours. To prevent no-shows the BMC has set up a very tough
policy. If you are accepted into a race and do not show you are banned from BMC races for 1
year unless you can prove injury, sickness or being picked for a national team competing on the
same day.
3) Each race has a pre-set rabbit and a pre-set pace - The goal of these meets is to run fast. So
each race is set up to do that. From time to time athletes who have finished competing for the
evening will go to the line to serve as a rabbit.
As added incentive there are some money bonus for achieving certain times and standards, but
the goal remains to get as many people as possible to run fast. Money has not ruined this series
yet.
So what does this mean for US athletes? Well if you want to race in Europe, have a chance at
extending your season into August, or just want to try to run fast, get yourself over to the UK &
Ireland and entered in these events and you too can go on a summer racing tour in Europe.
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