Hercules Wimbledon AC celebrate historic cross country title win
Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club are celebrating after winning the Start Fitness Surrey cross country league title for the first time in their history – while the club’s senior women posted their best team performance of the season.
The old gold and red sash-vested runners comfortably saw off the opposition to win by 89 points, clinching the title for the first time since the club was formed through the merger of Hercules and Wimbledon in September 1967.
Runners were confident of lifting the league title as they went into the final match in Croydon’s Lloyd Park with a lead of 216 points. They packed their scoring 10 runners in the top 38 of the 212 finishers.
A heavy downpour during the young athletes race, which took place just before the Division One senior five miles contest, turned much of the course into a quagmire and proved more testing for the runners.
Hercules Wimbledon had five runners in the first 16. They were led in by Andy Greenleaf, seventh in 26 minutes 52 seconds, just 24 seconds behind race winner John Sanderson from Guildford, who frequently trains with the Hercules Wimbledon runners in Battersea Park and on Wimbledon Common.
Andrew Penney, who finished third in the last match on Mitcham Common, was ninth – six seconds behind Greenleaf. Fred Slemeck, celebrating his 29th birthday, was 11th in 27:16, Jonny Cornish 15th in 27:27 and Richard McDowell 16th in 27:33.
The other five scorers among the 35 Hercules Wimbledon runners in action were Finn Johnson (20th in 27:43), Elliot Palmer (22nd in 28:01), Rhys Boorman (26th in 28:14), Will Russell (34th in 28:25), and Dimos Evangelidis (38th in 28:43).
Runners from Kent AC, the defending champions, applauded and shook hands as they handed over the team trophy to Hercules Wimbledon captain Rob Tuer.
Match result: 1 Hercules Wimbledon 198pts; 2 Thames Hare & Hounds 287; 3 Kent AC 311; 4 Herne Hill 399; 5 South London Harriers 399; 6 Guildford & Godalming 520; 7 Belgrave 535; 8 Ranelagh 622; 9 Striders of Croydon 806.
Final standings: 1 Hercules Wimbledon 700pts; 2 Kent AC 1029; 3 Thames Hare & Hounds 1251; 4 Guildford & Godalming 1808; 5 Herne Hill 1890; 6 South London Harriers 1972; 7 Belgrave 2034; 8 Ranelagh 2399; 9 Striders of Croydon 3297.
Zac Purnell, who earlier in the week was second in the London schools senior boys championship on Wormwood Scrubs, was top U20 finisher in 29:08 and was overall age-group winner for the season.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day and in much windier conditions, Hercules Wimbledon produced their best team performance in the third of this season’s Start Fitness Surrey Ladies League matches in Richmond Park. They were led in by marathon exponent Claire Grima, who was ninth of the 205 runners in 33:28. Eileen Toomer (17th in 34:22), Gina Galbraith (26th in 34:58), Zoe Pike (27th in 35:00) and Alex Binley (28th in 35:02) completed the team.
Hercules Wimbledon’s quartet of Johanna Tofte (fifth in 17:24), Rebekah Riches (seventh in 18:31), Selma Hegvold (ninth in 18:34) and Niamh Thomson (12th in 19:08) won the U17 team contest.
Led in by Ellen Weir, who was second of the 45 runners in 17:05, Hercules Wimbledon were second U15 team. Georgie Clarke, who earlier in the week finished sixth in the London schools intermediate girls championship, was sixth in 17:42, Millie Thorpe eighth in 18:25 and Albane Fery 22nd in 19:26.
Hercules Wimbledon’s quartet of Indira Isabella Ferree (11th in 12:54), Sophie Thorpe (14th in 13:03), Ore Adele (20th in 13:13) and Anya Montgomerie (13:41) were third team in the U13 race.
