Hercules Wimbledon AC round up: Cornish 19th in the Antrim International Half Marathon

England international athlete Jonathan Cornish is set to enjoy a well-earned rest after a brace of impressive performances for his country in recent weeks, writes George Mallett.

Cornish – pictured fourth from left with his team-mates – finished 19th at the Antrim International Half Marathon held on the coast of Northern Ireland in a record-breaking race on Sunday.

Jemal Yimer of Ethiopia won the event in a line up that featured several Olympians, and he broke Mo Farah’s record as the fastest half marathon ever run on UK soil, finishing in 59:03.

Cornish said: “The weather was amazing and I found myself in a good group on pace for around 64 mins but I slowed after the turnaround point at around 14km, losing touch with the group. I was still pleased to finish in a solid time of just over 65-and-a-half minutes.”

It came just eight days after his international debut in Bute Park, Cardiff on August 20. Cornish ran at the Home Countries International 5k, finishing first in the England team with a highly creditable 11th place.

He was seventh going into the final kilometre but he was outkicked by a number of athletes in a cruel finish as he crossed the line in 14:20.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club look set to join a host of clubs across the South of England that will reject the traditional Southern 6 & 4 Stage Championships in favour of a new breakaway competition to be held on the same day at Aldershot.

This relay competition, due to be held on September 24, traditionally sees the best clubs in the South of England compete against each other over six legs for men and four for women, with the top 25 teams qualifying to take on the nation’s best at the National Road Relays held two weeks later.

Clubs have become frustrated with perceived poor planning and communication on behalf of the South of England Athletic Association (SEAA), including their failure to host this competition last year.

Aldershot, Farnham & District Athletic Club have offered to host an alternative competition run outside the SEAA framework and the England Road Running Association have already stated they will allow the top-25 from a mix of the two competitions to compete in the National Road Relays, though they are yet to state how that 25 will be made up.

With Hercules’s male athletes due to vote on which competition they will partake in over the coming weeks, there is a strong possibility they will join some of the south’s strongest clubs in breaking with tradition and leaving the competition, which has run for more than 50 years, behind.