Hercules Wimbledon AC round-up: Harrison shines for Surrey at South of England Athletics Association Inter-County Cross Country Champs
Isabella Harrison was the pick of the bunch as Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club athletes competed at the South of England Athletics Association Inter-County Cross Country Championships in Horspath, Oxfordshire on Saturday.
Harrison, competing for Surrey, was second in the U13 girls, just seven seconds behind race winner Isabella Buchanan of Sussex, writes George Mallett.
In addition, Harrison led home the Surrey team to a dominant win from Essex and Sussex as Surrey finished with four athletes in the top seven.
This event sees athletes selected to compete for their county against representatives from Sussex, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hampshire, Kent and Suffolk. It plays a part in deciding selection for the English Schools Cross Country Championships in 2023.
Also held on the same day at the venue was the SEAA Masters Cross-Country Championships.
Hercules’ representation was in the form of Peter Giles. Despite being a V75 – over 75 – he was an impressive winner competing against the V70s. Giles finished nine seconds clear of Demond Michael of Barnet & District AC.
It represented a second race in a week for Giles, who won the British Masters 5k Championships in the V75 category thanks to a 21:40 clocking at Battersea Park the prior Sunday.
Hercules’ senior men had representation at Sunday’s Telford 10k, one of the fastest races in the UK over the distance.
Jonathan Cornish was first home for Hercules. Such is the depth of the field that Cornish’s 29:34 was only good enough for 22nd with 33 athletes under 30 minutes.
George Mallett (68th) bettered his PB by more than two minutes to run 30:42. James Stockings (95th) improved his own mark by 25 seconds (31:17).
Rhys Boorman was meant to be racing in Valencia last weekend but was waylaid by an unfortunate case of gastroenteritis.
Boorman shrugged off the disappointment to record the seventh fastest parkrun in the UK this Saturday.
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