Hercules Wimbledon AC ready for final big test of 2019

Runners from Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club face their last big test of the year when they compete in the South of the Thames championship cross country race at Croydon’s Lloyd Park tomorrow, writes Tom Pollak.

The race will be used as a final test for the senior men’s runners to decide who should carry the red and gold vested club’s hopes in the Surrey championships which are being staged over the same seven-and-a-half miles distance on the first Sunday of 2020 at Denbies Vineyard, Dorking.

It is also the club’s final competition before the festive season although on Christmas Day runners get the chance to build-up their appetite for lunch by competing in the Lauriston Runners Club’s 30-minute paarlauf. Pairs of runners run alternately for 30 minutes with the pair who cover the longest distance winning the event.

It starts from opposite Lauriston Cottage close to the junction of South Side and Lauriston Road at 11am. After the race runners and supporters enjoy seasonal refreshments of  mince pies and mulled wine.

Hercules Wimbledon’s final race of 2019 will be the club’s annual multi-terrain five miles in conjunction with Lauriston Runners’ Club on Wimbledon Common on Saturday December 28.

It starts at 2pm near the junction of West Place and North View.More than 60 Hercules Wimbledon runners took part in the club’s annual Christmas Cracker relay at their Wimbledon Park track headquarters.

A total of 22 teams took part in the festive event with three runners in each team running alternate 200 metre legs with each team completing 12 laps.

There was a bumper squad of 21 Hercules Wimbledon athletes in action in Saturday’s Wimbledon Common 5km parkrun.

Teenager Niamh Thompson clocked a personal best parkrun time in winning the women’s category in 20 minutes 47 seconds, comfortably beating club-mate Millie Thorpe by 22 seconds.

Supervet Lisa Thomas was fourth in the women’s race in 21:42.

Top Hercules Wimbledon finisher was another teenager, Hector Revill, who was sixth of the 390 runners in 19:13. Over-50 veteran Peter Lee was 10th in 19:51 and fellow supervet Richard Evans was 13th in 20:02 with Simon Woodley 16th 40 seconds later.

Tom Cheetham, another over-50 veteran, finished 29th in 21:23 with fellow supervet Charles Hampden-Smith 36th in 21:45.

A total of 44 Hercules Wimbledon runners were in action in 13 different parkruns on Saturday. Over-50 veteran Justin Reid headed home a 196-strong field in Crane Park, Twickenham, in 17:43, competing in the event for the first time.

James Greene was fourth out of 351 runners in Lee-on-Solent in 19:12 and Jessame Coulson was second woman finisher in the St Mary’s parkrun in Bridport, Devon, in 23:13.

Marathon man David Grima was third out of 411 runners in the Richmond parkrun in 17:55.

Taking part in her first race since mid-August, Alex Binley was seventh in the women’s race in Cassiobury Park, Watford, in 23:01. Francesca Clarke was sixth woman to finish in the Kingston event in 21:26.

John Webster, the club’s oldest active athlete, was in action in a weights pentathlon at Walton’s Xcel Leisure Centre.

The 80-year-old, who has been competing since he was at school, was second of three competitors in the over-80 category.

“I had a disappointing hammer and after two fouls I had to throw a safe one without turns,” said Webster.