Athletics round-up: Herne Hill Harriers and Hercules Wimbledon in National Road Relay Champ action
HERNE HILL HARRIERS
Herne Hill Harriers’ women claimed team bronze medals at Saturday’s National Road Relays Championships at Sutton Coldfield – despite some withdrawals from the original A team in the days leading up to the race.
Impressively the club still filled two teams for both the women’s and men’s races, sending a total of 36 runners in red-and-black to this major event for the first time in their history, writes Geoff Jerwood.
The women’s third-placed team was led by an exceptional second leg run from rising star Lucy Jones, who propelled her team from 14th as she went past almost all the runners ahead of her to hand over only just behind the leader.
In addition the 26-year-old Wimbledon resident took home gold for the fastest overall female time of the day across the six stages.
The England cross country international had just returned from almost a month of altitude training in Font Romeu in the Pyrenees as she prepares for the London Marathon at the end of this month.
First leg saw Darcie Hey hand over in 14th. Jones moved up superbly to second, handing over to Bryony Proctor. She held her place with Liv Stillman, Helena Keenan and Sophie Tooley ensuring the team were never outside the medals positions thereafter.
Tooley, also just back from Font, ran the second quickest anchor leg time to see off the challenges of Belgrave Harriers in fourth and Guildford & Godalming fifth.
This was the second time the club has won medals in the national six-stage event following their silver medals in 2019. They also won gold in the national four-stage road relay in October 2024.
The men’s teams also excelled on only the second occasion the club has qualified a B team from the area championship to contest the national.
The A team placed 11th, their highest-ever finishing position and ahead of local rivals Hercules Wimbledon and the usually highly-ranked Aldershot, Farnham & District. The B team were fourth of all B teams present, finishing 30th overall.
The A team were led off by team captain Daniel Shaw in 24th, then next up was club men’s 800m and mile record holder Arlo Ludewick, who moved through to 11th. Tom Austin held on to 11th, then Ollie Mills 16th and U20 Harry Bell 21st.
Tom Patterson saw them 20th at halfway, then Morgan Roberts 17th, Sam Brashaw 17th, Brandon Dewar 15th and Andrew Clarke up to 13th, with a great job rounded off by Alex Russell 11th and Ronan Tanguy holding station.
The men’s B team in 30th comprised Harry Roberts, Max Rose, U20 Tom O”Mahoney, Stephen McLeod, James Nutt, Andrew Warburton, M50 Simon Coombes, Joe Elliott, Matt Cartwright, M40 Jeff Cunningham, M45 Ben Millar and Seve Loudon, as they progressed from 54th at the end of leg one into the top 30.
Phoebe Anderson finished 31st in the European Athletics Women’s Road 10km Championships in Leuven, Belgium on Sunday.
She was the third team scorer in the Great Britain women’s team in this race – in a time of 32:52. This was Anderson’s senior debut for Team GB after winning the European U23 Cross Country title in December and cements her position as a top team member at championship events for her country.
HERCULES WIMBLEDON
Hercules Wimbledon AC produced a solid result in trying circumstances to finish 11th at the England Road Running Association National Road Relays at Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield on Saturday, writes George Mallett.
A series of illnesses had ravaged the team which finished fourth at the South of England Road Relays just two weeks prior, but those who came into the team stepped up and competed admirably.
The event usually sees a mixture of long and short legs but for reasons unexplained, this year’s edition featured 12 short 5.08km legs over undulating hills. The format meant the club’s short leg all-time leaderboard was likely to take a heavy assault.
Charlie Eastaugh, who previously held the second fastest time for the club over the course, ran 15:39 to bring the team home in 31st place after leg one, at the time giving himself three of the fastest four short legs ever run by a Hercules vest.
It did not take long for that to get rearranged. Freddie Hessian sliced through the field to run 15:03, a new short leg club record, with Hercules then in 15th. Hessian’s time was the sixth fastest of any second legs on the day.
Archie Walton’s 15:45 was enough to see Hercules one place higher.
Former short leg club-record holder Charlie Wyllie came next, running 15:20 to lift the side into the top 10. His time was the fifth fastest leg four on the day.
The club would reach their highest position after five legs thanks to team captain James Stockings (15:37), handing over in sixth.
Fred Slemeck ran 15:59 to hand over in seventh, with A team debutant Sam Todd running 16:34 to hand over in 10th place.
George Mallett ran 15:45 and lost one place on leg eight, with Olympian Andrew Butchart making the pass with somewhat expected ease.
Oli Carrington lifted the club back up to ninth (15:50).
Two debutants would follow in 10 and 11 with Tom Drayton running 16:39 to keep the club in ninth and Vitaly Baranov steaded the ship with a 16:51 to hand over in 10th.
Ed Mallett, who missed the South of England 12 Stage with a nasty illness, was still clearly feeling the full force of its effects.
His 16:47 was almost 70 seconds slower than his best around the course.
Hercules have now gone sixth, ninth, sixth and 11th in the last four editions of the relays, which sees the best clubs in the UK compete.