Herne Hill Harriers round-up: Three athletes part of medal-winning teams at English Schools Championships

BY GEOFF JERWOOD

Herne Hill Harriers youngsters competed in their final cross country events of the 2022-23 season which culminated with a couple of schools championships race events.

A number of Harriers represented their counties at the English Schools Championships in Wollaton Park in Nottingham and three were part of medal-winning teams at this major event.

The highest-placed individual from the club was also the oldest.

Kaitlin Hewitt, in her final school year before university, placed an excellent 42nd in the senior girls race and was the second team member of her Surrey Schools team, rounding off a very successful first full season of racing for her.

The London Schools junior girls team claimed bronze medals and their scoring team of six included Maeve Minielly (71st) and Sophie Jack (90th) as both took podium places on the day. Lily Kitto finished 102nd, just outside the team scorers.

London’s intermediate girls team went one better as they won silver medals with Orla Carrol in 43rd place playing a key role in their success.

Other Herne Hill athletes who raced for London were senior boys Alex Jack (166th) and Harry Bell (188th), intermediate boys Alex Wilson (176th) and Fabien Whitelock (285th).

Caspian Holmes (128th) and James Clements-Nash (155th) competed in the junior boys section.

Herne Hill were dominant in the London Borough Schools year 7 and 8 championships.

Edward Cunniffe was first in the Year 7 boys race with Zacchaeus Kelman third.

In the Year 7 girls race Sofia Mendes and Florence Mills were second in the Year 7 and Year 8 girls races respectively.

Caspian Holmes was first in the Year 8 boys, Lucas Heath came second with James Clements-Nash third.

Leading W40 athlete Gaby Reynolds scored a superb victory in the Kingston 20 miles race on Sunday, finishing as first female and seventh overall in a very fast 2:04.26 as she gets ready for an April marathon.

Brandon Dewar clocked 14:57 at the Friday Night Under the Lights 5km in Battersea Park.

Matt Cartwright (15:33), Joe Elliott (15:34), Ronan Tanguy (15:40), M50 Ben Paviour (15:49), David Moyse (15:50), Jack Brotchie (16:14) and Ross Brown (16:30) showed good form leading into the upcoming men’s 12 stage road relays.

There was also a groundbreaking event at Canary Wharf on Friday evening, where the Podium Underground races took place around laps of an indoor go kart track and attracted a high-quality field. Ryan Willmott qualified for the men’s semi-final, while M50 Simon Coombes and Andrew Georgeson both raced in the heats.

M45 athletes Ben Millar and Jon Key ran 76:45 (PB) and 81:18 on Saturday morning at the Run Through Hyde Park half marathon.