Hercules Wimbledon AC round up: Best results in 50 years as team so close to medals at South of England Road Relay Championships

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club posted their best team performance for 50 years in the South of England Road Relay Championships at a cold, cloudy and windy Milton Keynes on Sunday, writes Tom Pollak.

The squad came tantalisingly close to gaining their first team medals since the side which included international twins Bob and Dave Holt took the title at Wimbledon back in 1972. The club also won in 1969.

None of Sunday’s team, which finished just outside the medals, was born the last time Hercules Wimbledon took the title.

Sunday’s team effort was a big improvement on the club’s seventh place the last time the event was staged in 2019. They were the top team from South London and Surrey.

The relay was held over alternate long (8.8km) and short (5km) legs. Charlie Eastaugh got Hercules off to a strong start handing over 11th of the 49 teams at the end of the opening long leg in 26:47.

Ali Carrington made up four places, clocking 15:21 on the second 5km stage with Fred Slemeck (27:11) slipping to 10th on the third leg.

Joe Croft moved through to seventh spot in clocking 15:26 on leg four with Jonny Cornish (26:39) holding that position on the fifth long leg.

Ed Mallett (15:24) handed over in sixth place at the halfway stage. Dan Cliffe (26:33) held sixth place, posting the fastest long stage effort, before Matt Sharp (16:04) slipped to seventh on stage eight.

Andrew Penney (27:14) gained a place on leg nine with George Mallett (15:12) posting the second fastest short leg time for the club and holding sixth spot.

The team finished strongly with Tom Jervis (26:46) moving up a place, and anchor leg runner Bradley Goater (15:03) posted the fastest Hercules short-stage time of the day in finishing fourth.

Best of the Hercules Wimbledon B team runners were Jackson Creegan (19th at the end of the first long leg in 27:29) with Tom Maloney the fastest short leg runner, clocking 16:32 to move up from 28th to 23rd on stage six.

Final standings: 1 Tonbridge 4:10:00; 2 Highgate 4:10:52; 3 Bedford 4:11:58; 4 Hercules Wimbledon 4:13:47; 5 Cambridge & Coleridge 4:14:39; 6 Aldershot, Farnham & District 4:15:27; 23 Hercules Wimbledon B 4:41:43.

Thomas Wharton ended an outstanding cross country season with victory in the Year 7 race in the South East Schools Inter-Counties 3km cross country race at Writtle, near Chelmsford, Essex.

The 12-year-old Tiffin schoolboy, who won the Surrey Schools title at Reigate and the South of England U13 indoor 800m titles in January, headed home the 83-strong field in the 3.2km race in 12:28.

He beat George Gilbert from Sussex by just two seconds and also led Surrey to third team place.

Ross Franks was the best of 22 club runners who took part in nine parkrun 5km events on Saturday as he headed home a 1,051-strong field to win the Bushy Park event in 15:50. It was his ninth win in 64 appearances there since August 2008.