Hercules Wimbledon AC round-up: Theo Creed named U13 National Cross-Country champion in Staffordshire

Theo Creed is the U13 Boys English National Cross-Country champion as he led home a Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club, who continued to break new ground in Weston Park, Staffordshire this Saturday.

Creed, who in March was crowned the U13 Boys UK Inter-Counties champion, eased down the home straight, beating the best in England by five seconds and earning Hercules their first individual title at the championships since now Chairman Dave Clarke successfully defended his Senior Men’s crown in 1988.

Creed’s run was only the start, however, as his teammates chased him home for team gold. James Fraser had an outstanding run for 17th, with Max Harrison and Ivan Derian not far behind in 39th and 41st respectively. In doing so, Hercules upgraded their silver in the same age group in the last edition. Thomas Hennigan and Cyrus Sheikh were part of that quartet last time out but were unfortunate to miss out this year, still running strongly to finish in 51st and 52nd respectively, only seven seconds down on Derian.

Hercules’ combined score for the four was 98, well clear of Windsor, Slough Eton & Hounslow on 170, with Liverpool Harriers completing the podium on 197.

The championships were rearranged after being cancelled in February for flooding. On a hot day in Staffordshire, conditions could not have been more different on Saturday, with firm ground leading to fast racing throughout the day.

The U17 Boys kept up the fierce opening pace to pick up a second medal, edging out Tonbridge by two points to take an outstanding bronze. Benjy Street led home the quartet in 16th, with Pancho Panchev 39th, swiftly followed by Noah Fernandez in 41st. Sebastian Cockerell competed the scoring four in 68th. Aldershot Farnham and District AC took the title, finishing on the same points as City of Norwich but winning by virtue of their final scorer finishing ten places higher than their Norfolk rivals.

The success continued in the form of the days final race, the Senior Men’s, which featured over 700 entries.

Stu McCallum led the team to an outstanding fifth place, the club’s best since winning bronze in 1974. McCallum finished ninth, the first time Hercules have enjoyed a top-ten finisher since Clarke once more. McCallum will now have his eyes firmly set on a return to the GB vest for the first time since 2021 with the Euro Cross Country Trials falling in late November.

Jonathan Cornish was next home in 27th with James Stockings 54th, George Mallett 55th, Ed Mallett 71st and Henry Silverstein 88th. It is the first time since 1974 that the Senior Men have had all six counters in the top 100.

Other individual highlights include Freia Harper-Ted and Jessica Wood finishing in 31st and 40th, respectively, in the U13 Girls. Millie Thorpe and Charlotte Lam were 38th and 48th, respectively, in the Junior Women’s race.

Photo of the winning U13 quartet – from left to right – James Fraser, Max Harrison, Ivan Derian, Theo Creed

Photo credit: Tom Davies