Hercules Wimbledon’s senior men win team bronze medals at South of England Cross Country Championships

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club enjoyed a historic Saturday as their senior men won bronze at the South of England Cross Country Championships, 49 years after their last medal in the event.

Watched on by club stalwart Michael Fuller, who finished 15th in the team that won bronze in 1974 at Parliament Hill, Hercules finished just 25 points short of team gold with a score that would have won the competition in five of the last seven times this event was held, writes George Mallett.

In a highly-competitive battle for the silverware Highgate Harriers edged out Tonbridge AC by 101 to 103, with the race essentially decided by Highgate’s sixth counter finishing one place ahead of that of Tonbridge.

Hercules, on 125 points, were comfortably clear of Southampton AC in fourth (179) and would have still picked up a medal if their 11th scorer had counted instead of their fifth.

With all their men home in 32, they had completed their team before either of the two teams ahead of them.

It was only fitting that Jonathan Cornish broke individual records too with his seventh-place finish the clubs’ best since 1979, when GB international, and now club chairman, Dave Clarke finished third.

Cornish was just over 90 seconds behind race winner James Kingston of Tonbridge.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Hercules’ performance was their packing throughout with Fred Slemeck the next home in 18th, Andrew Penney in 19th and George Mallett in 21st, all separated by five seconds.

Not far behind was George’s younger brother Ed Mallett in 28th, with James Stockings completing the scoring in 32nd.

The end of the scoring did not stop Hercules’ charge with Archie Walton, as well as a number of others, counting themselves so unfortunate to not have scored.

Walton’s 39th would have been good enough for Hercules’ third best scorer last year.

Rhys Boorman recorded his best Southern Cross Country finish in 54th, Oli Carrington showed a return to form in 61st and Finn Johnson continuing his consistent season in 73rd.

Richard McDowell was 82nd and Jamie Bannister finished 100th. If scorers seven to 12 had been a team they would have finished fifth, a performance the club has only bettered five times in their history.

The senior men will now turn their attentions to trying to overhaul Guildford & Godalming’s lead in the Surrey Cross Country League and attempting to see how far they can push the nations best in February’s National Cross Country Championships.

Ellen Weir once more delivered an exceptional individual performance in the junior women’s race to finish fifth. Though she was disappointed with her personal performance as she rebuilds back to fitness, it means she has finished top five in the last two events, backing up her 2022 bronze.

The GB junior international was followed home by Millie Thorpe in 28th. Other standout performances included Harry Allen in the U13 boys race, finishing 29th.