Hercules Wimbledon make strong start to Surrey League Cross Country title defence
Hercules Wimbledon’s senior men made a promising start to their Surrey League Cross Country title defence, winning the opening fixture on Wimbledon Common in their best score for three years, writes George Mallett.
They have won four of the past five titles, including the most recent making it three on the bounce, but were aware this year may be a harder proposition with other clubs making a host of summer signings.
The scores are made by counting up the positions of the top-10 finishers from each club with Saturday’s 153 points the lowest since Hercules scored 129 at the same venue in November 2021.
This time it was last year’s runners-up Belgrave Harriers who provided the biggest challenge, scoring 204, with Thames Hare & Hounds on 401 in third making it already look like a two-horse race with just one of four fixtures completed.
Hercules were led home by Dan Cliffe, a stalwart of recent club successes.
Cliffe spent much of the first of two laps outside the top 10 before moving through the field spectacularly to come within eight seconds and one place of race winner Andy Fyfe.
It was a similar story for the next yellow-and-red man over the line, Toby Cooke bided his time before taking five positions on the final stretch, moving into fifth.
GB ultra-runner Alex Milne was ninth with George Brown 11th, George Mallett 12th and Charlie Wyllie 14th.
Cross-country captain James Stockings made it seven Hercules runners in the top 20 with just 36 seconds separating their top seven counters. He was chased home by former captain Fred Slemeck, who held off Richard McDowell for 25th and 26th respectively.
Charlie Eastaugh in 31st (30th of the eligible finishers) completed the 10 counters. With Henry Silverstein in 33rd and Ed Mallett in 36th, the latter fresh from an overnight flight, there were plenty waiting in the wings who would have ensured a comfortable victory. Indeed Hercules had 12 home before Belgrave had eight.
There were individual successes in the junior races too, once more led by the U13 boys. Max Harrison and Thomas Hennigan shared a Hercules one-two, fresh from National Road Relays silver. With a few individuals missing it was still good enough for second place in the team competition with Rafael Garcia-Davis and Evan Cotter in 19th and 22nd respectively providing solid support.
Max’s sister made it a Harrison double by winning the U15 race in dominant fashion, in the process beating all the U17s too. Her margin of victory over both age groups was an impressive 28 seconds.
Freia Harper-Tee in fifth, Alexandra Bramwell sixth and Leah Paulson 13th ensured a commanding team win.
In the same race, though ranked against fellow U17s, Dillan Quinn was sixth, followed by Lara Delport 11th, Ava McAndie 13th and Rut Manez 22nd.
It was good enough for the team win, with special mention also going to Olea Sande (fifth) and Erle Vullum-Bruer (22nd) who were not registered to score but competed admirably.
For the U13 girls Jessica Wood was a clear winner with Anna Wait in third. The pair, supported by Ava Wallace-Shafie and Gwyneth Morgan in 11th and 14th respectively, ensured a fourth team win on the day for Hercules. The next fixture in the competition is on November 9.