Hercules Wimbledon AC just miss out on regional medal at South of England 12 Stage Road Relays
BY GEORGE MALLETT
Hercules Wimbledon AC came within a whisker of another regional medal as they finished fourth at the South of England 12 Stage Road Relays held last Sunday (March 30) in Milton Keynes.
Athletes compete over 12 legs alternating between “long” 8.6km and “short” 5km legs, starting and finishing on Stantonbury Athletics Track and heading out on a generally flat loop of Linford Wood.
After over four hours of racing, Hercules fell out of the medals with just 200m to go, despite an admirable effort by Hayden Beauchemin, who just two days before was at the hospital receiving help for a long-term on/off illness.
Hercules B team were 28th, sixth of the B teams on the day.
The A’s were led off by Charlie Sandison, who would come home in 22nd place in 27:47 again, nursing an illness that would see him off the next three days sick.
A team debutant Josh Lally quickly closed the gap, running 15:16 for the third quickest of any of the second legs, and lifting Hercules to team to 13th.
England international Jonathan Cornish stepped in on leg three, running the fourth fastest third leg with a 26:32 clocking, with Hercules entering the top ten for the first time in seventh. Progress continued through Charlie Wyllie, returning from injury to clock the quickest leg four in 14:07.
Hercules were now fifth with Hercules maintaining that position through Fred Slemeck’s 27:27 and George Mallett’s 15:33.
England international Andrew Penney saw Hercules enter the medals just past the halfway stage, his 26:27 the fourth fastest seventh leg.
The gap to Tonbridge in fourth widened through James Stockings on leg 8 with a 15:16 clocking. Rhys Boorman maintained the gap, fourth and fifth swapping behind him as he ran a solid 27:18.
The gaps would marginally shrink on leg ten with Charlie Eastaugh still running a creditable 15:40, but Freddie Hessian then clocked the fastest leg 11 to ensure Beauchemin had just over 30 seconds heading into leg 12.
Such is the nature of the competition that some clubs choose to leave their best till last and what followed was a performance of his life from Tonbridge’s Ted Higgins.
Higgins ran a 4:01 mile earlier this year and recorded comfortably the quickest short leg of the day in 14:34 to catch Beauchemin as they arrived to the track with 200m to go, kicking hard down the back straight.
The final gap of 12 seconds belies just how close it was, a dejected Beauchemin jogging in the final 50m after it became clear he would not be able to match Higgins’ finishing speed.
For all those watching on it was an exciting advert for the sport, with Beauchemin’s Hercules teammates making it clear to him there was no shame in what had remained an incredibly gutsy performance.
For the B’s, highlights came through Oli Carrington’s 27:51 on leg three and Tom Jervis’s 15:46 on leg two.
