Hercules Wimbledon round-up: Supervet Lisa Thomas smashes world record

BY TOM POLLAK

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club supervet Lisa Thomas is celebrating becoming a world record-holder.

She smashed the women’s over-55 world age record for the 2,000m steeplechase when she clocked 7:51.9 in a Southern Athletics League meeting at Perivale Park in west London. It took more than six seconds off the previous mark of 7:58.43 set by New Zealander Margaret Orman in Durban, South Africa, on July 27, 1997. It was also the first time the Hercules Wimbledon runner had managed to get inside eight minutes.

The previous day she competed in three events in a Southern Athletics League meeting at Carshalton improving on her British veterans over-55 record in finishing runner-up in the 2,000m steeplechase in 8:06.8, the mark she bettered the next day at Perivale Park.

This beat her previous record time of 8:18.3, also at Carshalton on June 20, which bettered the UK record of 8:38.29 set by Notts AC veteran Jane Pidgeon at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, in August 2019.

Thomas was runner-up in the 800m B race in 2:42.6 and third in the 400m hurdles in 75.7.

The club had to settle for runners-up spot after winning the opening two league matches.

Finn Johnson took the 5,000,, Simon Wade the 1,500m B and teenager Dominic Smith-Fray, in his first season with Hercules Wimbledon, the 100m B race in a PB of 11.6. He also linked up with Devonte Casely-Hayford, Kashane Gayle and Marcus Gay to win the 4x100m relay.

Hercules Wimbledon also won the 4x400m relay. Ed Newton won the triple jump B event, Alex Waiffe the shot with 12.22m and Mark Andrews the javelin B with 36.87m.

Grace Batchelor and Hannah Fernando gained maximum points in taking the women’s 1,500m A and B races with Batchelor also taking the 3000m.

Teenager Darcy O’Shea was just below her best with a 1.60m high jump win. She was also second in the long jump where Kyra Stone won the B string. Cora Barnett (100m B) and Perena Polius (javelin B) were other individual winners with Barnett, Sade Ajami-Akinfolarin, O’Shea and Rebecca Afriyie linking up to take the 4x400m relay.

Hercules Wimbledon had a quartet of winners in Saturday’s 5km parkrun.

Veteran Kieran White made it three wins out of four as he headed home a 134-strong field in Wendover Woods in a PB of 18:08. Rhys Boorman kept up an impressive record at Hastings where he posted his 35th win in 40 appearances in 15:53.

Having posted numerous wins on the Isle of Wight, teenager Ellen Weir made a winning debut at the other end of the country in Keswick, Cumbria, in 17:39 while veteran Gina Galbraith was top woman finisher in Southsea in 18:48.