Head Coach – Ash Harrell
Ash started running at the age of 16 in his final year at high school. Running became his true passion where he improved immensely over a 4 year period, which saw him climb towards the top of the National rankings as a under 20.
He then went to St. Mary’s University (the UK’s endurance hub) where he studied Sport Science Strength & Conditioning (BSc). Throughout his time at St. Mary’s he was a regular England and Great Britain International runner finishing 29th at the European Cross Country Championships in 2009. This also gained him a full Sport Scholarship to Lamar University, Texas where he studied a Masters in Kinesiology.
Upon his return from the states in 2014 Ash started coaching in 2016 and has helped hundreds athletes to personal bests and achieved goals they thought weren’t achievable. His running has been majorly hampered with several major injuries but has enjoyed some successful moments of late, most recently running 2:29 at Manchester Marathon.
Personal Bests:
1500m – 3:49
5000m – 14:23
10000m – 30:18
10 mile – 50:13
Half Marathon – 67:06
Marathon – 2:29:39
Coach – Joanne Harvey
Jo started running when she attended secondary school and her passion for the sport instantly began when she was persuaded by a friend to join cross-country club at lunchtime. Jo was soon running for her county, Devon, and by the age of 14 she won her first national title at the English Schools Cross-Country Championships in 2004. Jo reflects back on this time and puts a lot of her success down to her first coach from her local athletics club and having a great training group to run with.
With a handful of Great Britain vests under her belt, from the European Youth Olympics 800m to the World Cross Country Championships, she attended St Mary’s University. She studied Sport Science (BSc) at the UK Endurance Hub whilst achieving another cross-country national title and competing in Canada at the World Student Cross-Country Championships. This also gained her a full Sport Scholarship to New Mexico University, where she studied a Masters in Sports Administration. Unfortunately, during her time out in the states she suffered with a serious foot injury.
Since then, she has qualified as a Sport Massage therapist before going on to become a Primary School Teacher. Her enthusiasm for running has remained high and whilst on her placement year managed to win the Wokingham half marathon in 78:04 and she came 17th at the 2017 London Marathon in 2:50.46. Nowadays, Jo enjoys trying different events, including Park Runs, ultra marathons and even triathlon
Personal Bests:
1500m – 4:17.51
5000m – 16:53
10000m – 36:15
Half Marathon – 78:04
Marathon – 2:50:46
Ultra Running Coach – Mark Innocenti
An ultra-marathon runner based in the Chiltern Hills. Mark got into Ultrarunning after following a friend out to the Amazon in Brazil to run a 315km 6 day multi-stage ultra named the jungle Marathon in 2015 and he was hooked.
Several road marathon and trail ultra-marathons followed including the Centurion NDW50, SDW50, WW50 and Autumn 100 as well as a finish at the Dragons back Race in 2019. More recently Mark has developed a love for running longer and flatter and most recently achieved the joint 9th fastest time for 100 miles in British history.
Following Mark’s 3rd place in the Brighton Marathon, 2021 he was selected to run for England. Competing in the Anglo Celtic Plate incorporating the British 100km Championships he finished a incredible 8th in a time of 7:00:38
Personal Bests:
Marathon – 2:31:53
50k – 3:02:31
100k – 7:00:38
100 miles – 12:34:51
Coach – Matt Crossman
Matt has been running for the past 5 years where his journey started whilst studying at The University of Nottingham. He caught the runners buzz by getting involved with a friendly university athletics club and racing in road, track and XC events. With regular training, Matt saw his running performance massively improve during his studies.
Since graduating and starting a Structural Engineering job in 2022, Matt has been a member of Abingdon AC and AJH Coaching – Coached by head coach Ash. Unfortunately, a severe Achilles injury in his Amsterdam marathon ’22 build has resulted in a lot of rehab and conditioning as of late. Matt has used this period to focus on coaching qualifications and helps coach Abingdon AC athletes. He looks to build back stronger to chase down his PB’s, particularly in the half and full marathon, whilst starting his one to one coaching to help others achieve their goals.
Personal Bests:
3000m – 9:25
5km – 16:38
10km – 34:49
Half Marathon – 79:31
Marathon – 3:05:15
Sports Dietitian – Jenaed Brodell
Jenaed is one of the UK’s best sports dietitians and works with elite athletes across the UK. She is the lead sports performance dietitian for leading sports institutions in the UK including Imperial College London as well as Cambridge University.
She has worked with elite level athletes over a large array of sports. Jenaed’s sports performance nutrition specialities and expertise include sports nutrition for;
- Team sports – Rugby, hockey (ice and field), netball, football, ultimate frisbee
- Endurance sports – Triathlon, Running, Swimming, Modern Pentathlon
- Individual sports – Tennis, fencing, diving, rowing (lightweight and open), boxing & weight category sports, track and field, gymnastics, ballet
She has a special interest in Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports and provides dietetic treatment in conjunction with a multi-disciplinary team including Psychologists and sports physicians to ensure athletes optimally recover and fuel as well as regain their menstrual cycle. She helps athletes improve their relationship with food through specific nutrition interventions.
AJH Coaching 