Hercules Wimbledon AC round-up: Wimbledon Common the stage for second match in Surrey cross country league
Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club’s cross country runners will resume their battle to retain their Surrey cross country league title when they compete in the second of this season’s four Division One matches on Wimbledon Common tomorrow.
Charlie Eastaugh, who helped the club win the South of England cross country relay title on Wormwood Scrubs for the first time last month, comes in to strengthen the squad which will be going flat out to reduce the 93 points winning lead Kent AC posted in winning the opening match on Effingham Common.
The five-miles race is being organised by Thames Hare & Hounds from their Putney Vale headquarters and starts at 3pm. Before that the youngsters will be in action in an U13 race at 2pm and a joint U15 and U17 race over the same distance, 2.5 miles, at 2.30pm.
The U17 girls will be going flat out to repeat their win in the opening Surrey Ladies League match at Reigate when they compete in the second match on Mitcham Common. Their race starts at noon. They run with the U15s. Their race is followed by the U13 race at 12.30 and the senior Division One race at 1pm.
Two Hercules Wimbledon runners posted lifetime best times in the New York marathon on Sunday. Ben Toomer got inside three hours for the first time as he clocked two hours 27 minutes 56 seconds in the Big Apple. It was only his second marathon. He ran in London in 2012 when he clocked 3:02:42.
Dominic Kiralyfl, who like Toomer is now based in New York, also improved on his PB in clocking 2:34:09. It bettered his 2:36:46 set in London in 2016. They both ran remarkably even-paced races with Toomer reaching the halfway point in 1:13:44 and Kiralyfi 1:16:50.
Eileen Toomer, who like husband Ben and Kiralyfi was making her New York debut, dropped out after 17 of the 26 miles race.
The club’s runners dominated the weekly Wimbledon Common 5km parkrun last Saturday.
Rob Tuer headed home the 229-strong field to post his second Wimbledon Common parkrun win. His first was in August 2017. He clocked 18:12, finishing 17 seconds ahead of club mate Felix Allen who equalled his best finishing position in the event.
Ellen Weir and her dad Andy took the honours on the Isle of Wight in 20:14 and 19:00 respectively.
Justin Reid was fifth out of 804 runners in Bushy Park in 17:23, Stuart Fraser was fourth out of 326 runners in Burgess Park in 17:34, slicing five seconds off his previous best time, Rowena Hornshaw was sixth woman finisher in Richmond Park and Jason Taylor was seventh at Witney.
PICTURES BY CLIVE SCAMMELL
Main Pic: Felix Allen