Hercules Wimbledon AC round-up: PBs posted in final race action before month-long lockdown
BY TOM POLLAK
Almost two dozen runners of all ages from Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club took the chance to have a final race in torrential rain at Battersea Park last Saturday before the month-long lockdown came into effect on November 5.
Many of the club’s youngsters posted personal best times in the Halloween Endurance Meeting despite the testing conditions.
The only Hercules Wimbledon winner in the 24 races over 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m was teenager Tom Davies. He took a narrow victory in his 1,500m race in a PB of 5:19.4 seconds to chop off almost 20 seconds. Sam Dyson, in his first race over the distance, was second in 5:20.9.
Davies’ dad Andrew was also in action, finishing fifth in his 1,500m race in a 2020 season’s best of 5:01.8.
Best of the 10 Hercules Wimbledon runners in the 800m races was Ava Moaned who raced to runners-up spot in her two-lap race in 2:33.5 to slice almost four seconds off her PB. Allegra Adams, another U13, clocked an encouraging 2:45.7 in her first race over the distance with fellow U13 competitor Neva Jansen clocking a slightly slower 2:48.3.
Iasballa Fanning (U13, 3:00.2) and U11s Sophie Smith (2:56.2), Leonardo Wood (2:57.5), Matilda Saviour (3:02.9), Noah Feretto (3:04.0) and Enoki Calvert-Ansari (3:05.4), all posted PBs. It was also Calvert-Ansari’s first race for Hercules Wimbledon.
Iona Alexander (U13) finished sixth in her 800m race in 2:54.0. Albane Fery clocked 10:44.6 in her first race over 3,000m.
Pete Giles, the club’s oldest runner at 76, clocked 5:46.6 in his 1,500m race. It was his first race over the distance since the Spring when he won the British Masters indoors over-75 800m, 1,500m and 3,000m titles.
Anna Garnier, another British Masters indoor champion who took the over-65 1,500m gold medal at Lee Valley in 5:56.57 in March, was slightly slower at Battersea Park clocking 6:09.5.
In her first race over the distance since June 2019, over-40 veteran Gina Galbraith was fourth in her 3,000m race in 10:33.2.
Over-55 veteran Lisa Thomas, the British Masters indoor 400m champion, clocked 5:26.4 over 1,500 metres in her first race over the metric mile since August 2019.
Main pic: L-R Lisa Thomas, Pete Giles, Anna Garnier
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