Mike Down

Mike is the club's oldest and most experienced Level 4 coach, specialising in middle distance and all forms of endurance running and conditioning. A former BMC Coach of the Year and curator of a UKA National Endurance Initiative, he has coached athletes to  compete at all the major championships - Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth Games. Having first qualified in 1961 he completed 60 years of service in 2021.

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Chris Elson

Chris is responsible for guiding a broad spectrum of club runners to achieve their potential in endurance and middle-distance running. He conducts sessions at Whitehall on Tuesdays (endurance 6.15pm warm up and middle distance 7.10pm warm up), Thursdays (7.10 warm up) and Friday evenings (6.00pm at Whitehall and at WISE on Wednesdays (6.15pm), the last two with Nick Crewe.

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Ali Hurford

"Sport has been an extremely important part of my life & I have been a member of several athletics clubs since aged 10. Initially I began my athletics career as a successful sprint hurdler followed by an interesting transition to middle distance & cross country running when I joined Bristol & West AC. I consider myself extremely lucky to have experienced both how to train as a sprinter & endurance runner. I have been coaching the junior boys endurance group since 2004 & apart from a lot of fun it has kept me young at heart. Spending time with young athletes & their parents can be hugely rewarding & I continue to learn & adapt to the needs & requirements necessary to produce successful athletes competing for Bristol & West AC"

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Nick Crew

Nick enjoys running mostly middle distances, following an England Athletics leadership in running fitness course, he started up a local group and shortly afterwards became a qualified coach and personal trainer. He believes that jogging/running is for everyone and wants all our sessions to be fun, inclusive and structured so that we can learn new skills and techniques together to improve to be the best we can. If that's to meet a specific goal you have in mind or just to enjoy the experience that's fine. It is rewarding to see people achieve their goals and its great to see the group supporting one another.

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David Taylor

In the 20 plus years I have been working as Coach with Bristol and West, I have only worked with around 70 athletes. 

I prefer to work with small numbers as all members are able to contact me 7 days a week to discuss their running ambitions.

Named by its Athletes, I’m the Figure head behind ‘Team Taylor’.

I would consider myself an average Club Coach who prefers to Coach 800 to 5k including Steeplechase 

Team Taylor has undergone three distinctive phases:

The first phase up to 2009, involved training twice a week working with the U13 Girls - U17 Ladies. This brought various success but mainly in Cross Country.

2009-2013 and largely thanks to a conversation with Hilary Nash, the Team changed direction.

In this time the Team produced 13 separate representatives at English Schools from 800-3,000m. Resulting in four silver and one bronze medals at 800 and 1500m, a silver in the English Schools Games and one member representing England in the SIAB.

There were further riches as the Team also took 5 Midland Championship Titles along with 9 SW Schools titles. There was a second England Call up for Cross Country.  

Team Taylors final phase 2013 to present day ‘The age of the Masters’ and some seniors. With the assistance of Clare and Sarah, this phase has probably been the most fruitful with over 10 British Masters titles, 3 further Midland Senior titles including the 2k Steeple Chase, a Team Silver medal in the European masters 5k Road race, 2 Welsh senior medals and a Senior British Championship 3k Steeplechase Bronze. Several of the Team have rightly been rewarded with England and Welsh masters Call ups, which has produced a further 3 England Team Medals.

Throughout phase 2 & 3, Eleven of the Team have been listed inside the top 22 in the National Power of 10 rankings for their age group. 

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Chris Palmer

Chris is our coaching coordinator and the main point of contact for all training purposes. Chris coaches our junior girls endurance athletes from age 13 onwards for middle distance track and cross country events. His sessions are at Whitehall on Monday and Wednesday evenings. He also coaches senior athletes on a one to one basis for distances from 5k to marathon.

Contact on coaching_coordinator@bristolandwestac.org

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Dave Bedwell

Dave is a UKA qualified coach and is keen to work with both junior and senior middle and long distance runners.
Dave currently coaches our u15, u17 and u20 boys in endurance running, and has supported them to individual and team medals. Their main sessions are at Whitehall on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and on Saturdays in Ashton Court.

The junior boys’ endurance runners are team managed by Emma Withers. Contact Dave and Emma to find out more.

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Dave Hart

Dave is a Event Group Endurance coach with over 50 years’ experience and a 2.20 marathon to his name.

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Johnny Thewlis

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