Herne Hill Harriers round-up: Cummings wins silver at European Masters Championship

BY GEOFF JERWOOD

Mike Cummings won a  M35 1,500m silver medal on Saturday while representing Great Britain at the European Masters Championship in Venice.

Clocking a fast 3:58.05, Cummings ran an astute tactical race and was only beaten by a flying Dutchman who achieved a 3:55 performance.

This was superb follow up to Friday’s silver medal won by Harriers club mate Stuart Thurgood in the M40 weight throw 15.88kg. Thurgood’s PB throw of 15.44m is a new club men’s record.

Fiona de Mauny was fifth in the W35 1,500m final in 4:46.86. On Monday she claimed the third silver medal won by a Herne Hill athlete as she finished second in the W35 400m. De Mauny was timed at 59.06 behind a very fast Polish athlete who is still good enough to compete at senior international level and has been a pacemaker in women’s 800m races in some Diamond League meets in Europe this season.

Penelope Cummings placed sixth in the W40 5,000m track race walk in 28:06.04, only just outside her PB.

Allan Long was sixth in the M75 100m final in 14.90. Giuseppe Minettii reached the semi-finals of the M50 400m but his 56.19 was not quite enough to qualify for the final.

The Surrey track and field relays took place over the weekend at Sutton Arena.

Herne Hill were well represented in all of the younger age groups, led by the U13 boys team, who won gold in both the 4x100m and in their longer sprint relay.

The other Harriers gold medal team was the U20 men, who were first across the line in their 4x100m relay.

There was a fine collection of silver medals – the U17 women and men both coming second in their 4x100m and long relays.

The U15 boys were third in the 4x100m, and so were the U13 girls in the longer relay and fourth in the 4x100m.

Jordan Foster moved further into ultra distance racing as she recorded an won the women’s race at the Thames Path 50km Challenge.

She placed second overall with an excellent debut time of 4:07:41.

Myles Preston won the Run Through 10km in Weybridge in 34:28.

Arlo Ludewick ran 4:03.81 for a marginal PB in the A 1,500m race at the South London Harriers Middle Distance meet. Eoin Brady ran 4:27.22, also for 1.500m.

Jeff Cunningham (16:10.24), Raj Paranandi (16:14.92) and Matt Cartwright (16:29.54) were in 5,000m action at a specialist track competition evening.