Hercules Wimbledon round-up: Senior men deliver as curtain comes down on summer season

Hercules Wimbledon’s senior men closed out their summer season with a host of impressive performances across the road and track, writes George Mallett.

On Saturday evening, Cardiff’s Bute Park witnessed four Hercules athletes represent the Friday Nights Under the Lights Team sponsored by Tracksmith in the Home Nations Podium 5k.

The event featured entrants varying from international teams to a host of brands, with the Hercules representatives making up the entirety of the Tracksmith representation.

First home, as has been the way most of the summer, was Andrew Penney in 12th in a new road best and club record of 14:13.

Penney’s time is one second quicker than the previous record held by Jonathan Cornish, set earlier this year, and adds to a selection of personal best marks achieved this summer over 1,500m and 3,000m.

Cornish was second home for the Tracksmith team in a time of 14:22, good enough for 19th.

Charlie Wyllie ran a personal best for 30th in 14:38, a time which sees him move eighth in the club’s all-time rankings.

Together, the trio finished sixth of 10 teams, just behind the Wales national team.

The race was won by England, who had three athletes in the top five.

Also competing was Archie Walton, who finished 39th. The steeplechase specialist returned after a summer break to record a time of 14:53, 16 seconds outside Hercules’ seventh fastest time ever which he laid down earlier this year.

A week before saw the end of the track season for many in the form of the Hercules Wimbledon 5,000m Night where several athletes had impressive performances.

In the penultimate race of the evening Charlie Eastaugh ran away from the field over the final 300m, recording a PB of 14:33.24 in the process.

Eastaugh potentially could have gone even faster, such was the freshness he displayed over the final lap but was happy to take the win.

The evening’s fastest race saw Cornish solidify his position of eighth on the Hercules all-time rankings, improving his personal best to 14:12.20 to secure a fitting eighth place.

Bouncing back to form was Ed Mallett in race eight of 10.

Mallett, who has raced infrequently this summer, took 15 seconds of his personal best to run 14:55.75, making him the seventh Hercules man to break the 15-minute barrier on the track this year.

In race six Eoin Brady led home a Hercules three-four in 15:32.66, with Tom Drayton clocking a new personal best of 15:35.26 one place behind. Sam Todd in eighth also recorded a new best of 15:43.81.

Notable other performances from the earlier races included George Longworth, who ran 16:28.80 for third in his heat.