Oct-Dec 03

October 2003		November 2003		December 2003
	27/10/03		24/11/03		29/12/03
	20/10/03		17/11/03		22/12/03
	13/10/03		10/11/03		15/12/03
	6/10/03		3/11/03		8/12/03
					1/12/03

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's top race walker Estle Viljoen ended what proved to be an outstanding year when she walked away with a bumper clutch of three prizes from Ilford Athletic Club's open 10 kilometres road walk at Chigwell Row during the festive season.

The 33-year-old Haslemere Primary, Mitcham, schoolteacher showed useful form to take the women's race by more than 10 minutes in 50min 32sec. She finished third in the race in which she was beaten by just two men. Apart from the women's individual prize, Estle was also awarded the style prize for her attractive and efficient walking action and also took an award for the women's team prize.

The year 2003 was a momentous one for Viljoen in which she achieved a lifelong ambition of gaining international selection for her native South Africa. She was selected for the All Africa Gamnes in Nigeria where made a really outstanding international debut by taking the gold medal in the women's 20 kilometres walk. Following that triumph, she was selected to compete in the inaugural Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad where just a few weeks later she took the individual bronze medal in the women's 10000 metres track walk.

Hercules Wimbledon's Peter Giles had a good run in the Ronhill Surrey Classic 10 kilometres road race in Epsom's Horton Country Park where he was the first veteran over 55 finishing 24th of almost 300 runners in 38min 50sec.

Another Hercules Wimbledon road runner, Roy Burgess finished well up in the annual Hog's Back 8.1 miles road race in Guildford which was revived this year after the 2002 event was cancelled because of road works. He finished 11th of more than 500 runners in 47min 7sec.

One of Hercules Wimbledon's youngsters also did well in the Holly Run boys under 15 race at Reigate Priory. Michael O'Halloran finished fifth in the race in 18min 32sec.

O'Halloran will be in the sizeable Hercules Wimbledon contingent taking part in the annual Surrey cross country championships at Croydon's Lloyd Park this weekend. Hercules Wimbledon will be represented in most of the championships races on Saturday.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club runners will get an early chance to work off any Christmas excesses when they take part in the joint Hercules Wimbledon and Lauriston Runners Club seven miles road race on Saturday. The race is over a relatively flat course and starts and finishes on the Causeway near the Fox and Grapes pub. Runners are due off at 2pm.

Anyone who fancies a run at the weekend - one of their last chances to get a race in 2003 - will be welcome to take part. A large contingent of runners from Thames Hare and Hounds are expected to join the event as they have accepted Hercules Wimbledon's invitation to take part in this turn of the year road race in recent years.

There was a good turn out for Hercules Wimbledon's Christmas Cracker Relay at Wimbledon Park with around 50 athletes taking part.

Talented teenage cross country runner Alex Bodin spearheaded his quartet, Alex's Angels, to victory in 13 minutes 23 seconds. The other members of the winning team were Dominik Leeson, Jake Bodin and Nadia Abdulla. The quartet of Hugh Saxby, Flo King, Matt Zaceck and Rosemary Fernando were runners-up in 14min with Royden John, Barry King, daughter Amadine King and Lisa Shaughnessy taking third spot in 14:04.

Hercules Wimbledon's Medina Knepsl had a useful run in the second of this season's Surrey Ladies League cross country races in Lightwater Country Park, Bagshot. Medina finished a good third in the women's under 17 race in 17:59, just 44 secodns behind the race winner, leading Hercules Wimbledon to third team place.

Serena Brotherton also had a good run in the girls under 15 race where she finished in 10th place with clubmate Imogen Stoddart, trying to regain her fitness after suffering a bout of 'flu, taking 19th spot.

Hercules Wimbledon are keen to expand their girls' cross country section and anyone interested in joining the squad should contact joint team managers Nodlaig and Arthur Stoddart at the club's Wimbledon Park training headquarters any Tuesday or Thursday night.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's youngsters were again in fine form in the second of this season's Sweatshop Surrey Cross Country League meetings at Lightwater Country Park, Bagshot. They dominated the young athletes races and look set to take the main honours for the season.

Heading the successful Hercules Wimbledon contingent was promising teenager Alex Bodin who raced away with the joint under 15'S and under 17's race in 11min 26sec with Damien Robertson runner-up in the under 15 section just a little way behind in 11min 56sec.

Richard Vanderpuije was fourth in the under 17 race in 12min 26sec followed by Ben Saxby (12min 44sec) and Oliver Sanchez 13min 7sec), and Michael O'Halloran and Jake Bodin were third and fourth in the under 15's race in 12min 51sec and 12min 59sec. Hercules Wimbledon were clear winners of the under 15 and under 17 team honours and now hold a commanding lead in that section of the competition.

Jonathan Burgess led the Hercules Wimbledon contingent home in the boys under 13 event finishing runner-up in 13min 35sec with team-mates Richard Hadley, Fergus Stoddart and Harry Wignall seventh, ninth and 10th in 14min 21sec, 14min 30sec and 14min 31sec, respectively. Hercules Wimbledon were runners-up in the team contest and, overall, are also holding second place in the competition half way through the season.

Hercules Wimbledon runners face a busy time in the run-up to the festive season. On Saturday, they host an inter-club race on Wimbledon Common where the visitors include Thames Hare and Hounds, Herne Hill Harriers and the Bank of England. There will be a seasonal touch to the event with Christmas pudding prizes for the main category winners as well as awards for winners of the Hercules Wimbledon championships decided in conjunction with the race.

The races in which seniors run five miles and youngsters half that distance start at 2pm from near the Thatched Cottage on Wimbledon Common. Afterwards, there will be the usual seasonal refreshments back at Lauriston Cottage.

Next Thursday will see a little bit of history with the 50th running of the annual Lauriston Runners Christmas Day paarlauf. The event involves pairs of runners, selected on the day, running alternately around a loop which takes in South Side, Parkside, and Causeway, Wimbledon Village for 30 minutes. The pair to complete the furthest distance are the winners.

The event starts at 11am from outside Lauriston Cottage but anyone wanting to take part needs to be at the start by 10.30am to allow time for the pairings to be chosen. After the paarlauf there will be the traditional drink of hot punch plus the usual Christmas fare of mince pies and sausage rolls.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's talented teenager Emily Martin gave another fine display in the second of this winter's Surrey Sportshall meetings at Guildford's Spectrum Leisure Centre.

Emily once again proved herself the top individual in the girls under 15 section where she gained an individual hat-trick and then linked up with her Hercules Wimbledon team-mates Nadia Abdulla and Serena Brotherton to help take third place in the relay. Her individual successes came in the four lap race, the standing long jump and the speed bounce.

Serena was runner-up in the speed bounce event and was also well placed in the four lap race and vertical jump while Nadia was well placed in the two lap race and vertical jump.

Twins Jennifer and Rosemary Fernando flew the Hercules Wimbledon flag in the girls under 13 events. Jennifer was second in the four lap race and Rosemary runner-up in the six lap event.

Newcomer Luis Garcia was impressive on his Sportshall debut in the boys under 13 events. He was second in the two lap race and also highly placed in the standing long jump. Richard Hadley also performed well finishing runner-up in his six lap race as well as doing well in the high jump.

Two other Hercules Wimbledon athletes in action were Fergus Stoddart in the boys under 13 long jump and another newcomer James de Souza in the shot. The under 13 squad of Garcia, Hadley and Stoddart also took third place in the relay.

Another Hercules Wimbledon youngster Michael O'Halloran was in action for his school in the English Schools cross country cup final in Middlesbrough. O'Halloran He was 71st out of 139 finishers in the intermediate boys race.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon runners are in action at Lightwater Country Park on Saturday in the second of this season's Surrey Ladies Cross Country League and Sweatshop Surrey Men's Cross Country League Division Two matches. The senior women's race is at 12.30 followed by the age group races. The men's yong athletes league race is at 2.30pm followed by the seniors at 3pm.

Hercules Wimbledon hold their annual seasonal pre-Christmas relays at their Wimbledon Park track headquarters next Tuesday (December 16) starting at 7pm. There will be a trophy for the team winners of the novelty race while all competitors and officials will receive a goody bag and free refreshments of a seasonal nature will also be provided.

Three of Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's most talented youngsters have been highly placed in the UK age group rankings for 2003.

Heading the trio is 15-year-old Emily Martin, who crowned her season by taking the bronze medal in the AAA girls under 15 long jump championship at Sheffield in August. Earlier she gained a hat-trick of titles at the Surrey County Champioinships in May where she won the 100 and 200 metres and long jump gold medals and also won the London Schools junior girls long jump title in June where she also took the silver medal in the 100 metres.

During the year she also won the South of England girls under 15 long jump title at Watford. Now, her best long jump effort of the summer, 5.57 metres, ranks her fourth in the country in her age group. It represented a hefty improvement on her previous best before this year of just 5.15 metres.

Ike Mba, who gained a surprise win in the men's under 17 long jump championship at the AAA age group championships at Sheffield in August is ranked ninth in that event with a leap of 6.79 metres. That was the distance he achieved with his final leap of the competition to take the gold medal at Sheffield. He triumphed in the long jump after posting a disappointing performance in what he thought was his main event, the triple jump. He failed to reach the final of that event.

He best triple jump achievement came at the Surrey Schools Championships in June where he clinched the gold medal with his final attempt.But, his best triple jump effort of the summer, 13.48 metres, ranks him 20th in the country.

Jade Lally was another Hercules Wimbledon athlete to show an impressive improvement during 2003. She won the Surrey Schools intermediate girls discus title in June with 31.11 metres and just failed to make the Surrey team for the English Schools Championships. But, in august, she reached the final of the AAA women's under 17 discus event in her first appearance at a national championship and ended the season with a best throw of 37.22 metres to rank 12th in the country for her age group.

Having achieved a hat-trick in the opening meeting last month, Emily Martin will again be heading the Hercules Wimbledon contingent competing in the second of this season's Surrey County AA Sportshall Indoor Meetings at the Spectrum Leisure Centre, Guildford, on Sunday.

Hercules Wimbledon's cross country runners will be in action in the annual Ellis Trophy men's five miles race and Dysart Cup women's 3.8 miles race in Richmond Park on Saturday.

Hercules Wimbledon's outstanding supervet Grenville Tuck celebrated his 53rd birthday with a runaway win in the second of this season's cross country races organised by the Veterans Athletic Club on Wimbledon Common.

Tuck made certain that the pouring rain was not going to upset his birthday plans and took the lead from the start of the 6.2 miles race to win by more than a minute in 34min 20sec. Hercules Wimbledon runners dominated the race by filling three of the first four places. Eric Blackmore, a mere youngster compared with Tuck at 41, was third to finish in 36min 40sec with another Hercules Wimbledon supervet, Stu Littlewood fourth in 37min 44sec.

Two other Hercules Wimbledon runners in the race were over 45 veteran Tom Morris, who finished eighth in 39min 2sec and Neil Robson, who was first over 55 veteran, in 10th place in 39min 58sec.

Hercules Wimbledon's representation at the London Heathrow Youth Games cross country championships staged at a sodden Parliament Hill Fields was cut by the flu bug which is currently sweeping the country. Brother and sister Imogen and Fergus Stoddart had to give the races a miss as they were laid low.

But, Hercules Wimbledon still had plenty of runners in action. Best of the bunch was Ben Saxby who finished 30th in the boys 15 to 16-year-olds 4.5 kilometres race in 17min 53sec, running for Merton. Michael O'Halloran, running in the younger 13 to 14-year-olds three kilometres race finished 31st in 11min 8sec helping Sutton take the team bronze medals.

Two Hercules Wimbledon runners in the girls 13 to 14-year-olds two kilometres race were Serena Brotherton and Nadia Abdulla who were 53rd and 63rd for Merton in 9min 7sec and 9min 17sec, respectively.

As vital as having competitors, officials are an important ingredient for athletic club and Hercules Wimbledon are celebrating a big boost to their team of officials. General secretary Pat Yeates, joint women's track and field team manager Ann Martin and Gill England all qualified as field events officials while Nigel Brotherton passed his timekeeper's test at a course run by Surrey County Athletic Association. They will now become part of Hercules Wimbledon's meetings promotion team.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon are competing in an inter-club seven miles cross country match hosted by Kingston and Polytechnic in Richmond Park. The match starts from near Sheen Gate at 2.30pm.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club youngsters face a tough test this weekend when they compete for various boroughs in the annual Heathrow London Youth Games cross country championships at Parliament Hill Fields, North London on Saturday.

Around 10 clubs members will be turning out for Merton with Imogen Stoddart, Serena Brotherton and Nadia Abdulla down to run in the girls 13 and 14-year-olds race and the trio of Fergus Stoddart, Deyan Knepsl and Charlie Carrington in the boys under 13 squad. Amadine King and Medena Knepsl are due to run in the senior girls race with Dominik Leeson in Merton's team for the boys 13 and 14-year-olds event and Ben Saxby and Richard Vanderpuije in the senior boys race.

Two other Hercules Wimbledon runners in action will be Jamie-Lee Carley, competing for Wandsworth and Damien Robertson for Kensington and Chelsea.

It was third time lucky for Hercules Wimbledon's Stephanie Robson when she competed in the annual Civil Service women's cross country championships in Richmond Park. After finishing third for the last two years, Stephanie managed to lift the title in impressive style leaving the field well behind her as she crossed the finishing line in 26min 58sec, almost two minutes ahead of the second runner. Her victory was her second Civil Service title of the year. During the summer she won the 10 kilometres road running championship in Battersea Park.

Now back in Merton and her teaching job at Mitcham's Haslemere Primary School where pupils and staff have been watching her achievements with avid interest, Hercules Wimbledon's Estle Viljoen top race walker Estle Viljoen returns to the domestic scene this weekend when she competes in the annual Belgrave Harriers open seven miles walk in Wimbledon Village on Saturday.

After her seven weeks of globetrotting, it will be a change for Estle to be racing on her doorstep. The start of Saturday's race is just around the corner to her home in Parkside. She won the All African women's 20 kilometres road walking title in Nigeria and finished third in the inaugural Afro-Asian Games women's 10 kilometres road walk in Hyderabad. She has a host of stories to tell about her trip especially how she was escorted by an armed guard everywhere she went in the Indian city.

But, there was also a tinge of sadness to her experiences. A fortnight before her victory in the All African Games, her mother, who had been ill with cancer, died. Estle, who managed to speak to her on the phone just an hour before she passed away, attended her funeral before competing in Nigeria which was the achievement of a lifelong ambition to compete for her native South African.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Clubs ace woman race walker, Estle Viljoen, followed up her superb victory in the All African womens 20 kilometres road walking championship in Nigeria with another medal-winning effort in the inaugural Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad, India.

She took the bronze medal in the womens 10000m track walk in 52min 1.30sec behind Algerias Bahie Bassad (51min 23.70sec) and Indias Jasmine Kaur (51min 36.60sec).

There is no doubt Estle, 32, has had plenty to tell her pupils at Mitchams Haslemere Primary School, where she is a form teacher, about her international walking exploits.

Hercules Wimbledons mens cross country captain Steve Sinnott also had a good run in the Dublin Marathon. Eighteen months after vowing to his clubmates he would not be racing over the gruelling 26.2 miles marathon distance again, Sinnott clocked 2hr 42min 25sec to move up to fifth place on Hercules Wimbledons veterans all-time list. His previous best time of 2hr 48min 13sec was achieved in the Flora London marathon in April 2002.

Hercules Wimbledons Roy Burgess had a good run in the Ronhill Surrey Classic 10 kilometres road race at Oxshott taking second place in 34min 48sec, just 21 seconds behind the race winner. His Hercules Wimbledon clubmate Peter Giles was the first veteran over 55 finishing 25th out of more than 300 runners in 39min 4sec.

Two other Hercules Wimbledon runners in the race were supervet Stu Littlewood who was 40th and fourth veteran over 50 in 41min 5sec and Ian Isherwood who was 161st in 48min 9sec.

Giles also had a good run in the Woking monthly three miles road race where he was first veteran over 55 in 17min 18sec.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledons cross country runners are competing in the South of England veteterans cross country championships at Margate on Sunday. A scheduled cross country match against Veterans Athletic Club due to be staged on Wimbledon Common on Saturday has been cancelled.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's Emily Martin gained a hat-trick of wins when she competed in the opening Surrey Sportshall indoor meeting at Guildford's Spectrum Leisure Centre.

In one of her final appearances in the under 15 age group, the Burntwood School, Tooting, pupil triumphed in her speciality, the long jump, in which she won a bronze medal at the AAA under 15 championships during the summer, the speed bounce and the four lap race.

Her Hercules Wimbledon clubmate Lucy England won her two-lap race, was in the top three in the vertical jump, and finished eighth in the speed bounce. Then, Lucy and Emily linked up to triumph in the eight-lap paarlauf.

A third Hercules Wimbledon athlete in the girls under 15 section was Serena Brotherton who was runner-up in the speed bounce and third in the four lap race.

Twins Jennifer and Rosemary Fernando, showed good form in the girls under 13 section. Jennifer won her four lap race and was highly placed in the vertical jump. Rosemary was second in her six lap race and the twins then linked up to take third place in their eight-lap paarlauf race. A third member of the Fernando family, older sister Hannah, was well placed in the under 17 speed bounce, long jump and four lap race.

Two Hercules Wimbledon athletes, Richard Hadley and John Blomeley competed in the boys events. Hadley won his boys under 13 six lap heat and also competed in the long jump while Blomeley was well placed in the boys under 15 speed bounce and four lap race.

The clash with the school half-term meant quite a few Hercules Wimbledon athletes were missing from the squad that took part in the first meeting at Guildford but team manager John Dennis would be interested to hear from any youngsters interested in joining Hercules Wimbledon's expanding team for the fun Sportshall competitions. Youngsters need to be between 11 and 15. The next competition is being held at Guildford on Sunday, December 7. John can be contacted on 020 8946 9989.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon's cross country runners are competing in the annual South of the Thames "Junior" five miles race at Farthing Downs, Coulsdon, on Saturday.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club athletes will be in action in the opening Surrey Sportshall meeting being staged at the Spectrum Leisure Centre, Guildford, on Sunday.

Last season, Hercules Wimbledon's AAA girls under 15 championships long jump bronze medallist Emily Martin was the outstanding athlete in her age group and she will be leading the club squad again this weekend along with Serena Brotherton and Lucy England, who were also in last season's successful Sportshall teams.

Sportshall athletics is a lot of fun for those taking part with bouncing ball and standing vertical and long jump competitions as well as relays among the events on the four hour programme. Sunday's meeting kicks off on Sunday and anyone - boys and girls - between the ages of 12 and 14 interested in taking part should contact Hercules Wimbledon's John Dennis on 020 8946 9989.

Hercules Wimbledon runners did well in the second of this season's East Surrey League meetings taking second place in the senior, the joint men's under 17 and boys under 15 and the boys under 13 sections.

Best placed Hercules Wimbledon athlete was Jonathan Burgess who finished third in the boys under 13 race with Harry Wignall seventh, Richard Hadley ninth and Charlie Carrington 10th. Ben Saxby was fourth in the joint under 15 and under 17 race with Michael O'Halloran seventh and Dominik Leeson 15th.

Francis Staunton just failed to finish in the frame in the senior five miles race in which he was fourth with Kieran White ninth, Andy Cunningham 14th, fellow veteran Eric Blackmore 16th, Hugh Saxby 18th, Martin O'Halloran 27th, Stu Littlewood 45 and Dennis Williams 48 out of the 84 runners who finished.

Hercules Wimbledon runners have also been showing good form in various road races. Chris Coles finished just outside the frame in the Croydon 10 kilometres road race. He was fourth in 36min 27sec. New member Roy Burgess finished fifth in the Blenheim 10 kilometres road race in 34min 33sec and was also 10th in the Wilmington 10 kilometres in Kent in a slightly slower 34min 46sec while Kieran White finished 25th out of more than 500 runners in the Cabbage Patch 10 miles road race in Twickenham in 59min 8sec. He was also 79th in the BUPA Great South Run 10 miles road race in Portsmouth in 59min 22sec.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club athletes have been in good form at home and abroad - in Nigeria, Holland, on Wimbledon Common and in Richmond Park.

The club's ace woman road walker, Estle Viljoen, who holds numerous Surrey, South of England and UK titles, made an outstanding international debut for her native South Africa when she won the women's 20 kilometres road walk at the All African Games in Abuja, Nigeria.

Her victory is being celebrated by her pupils at Haslemere Primary School, Mitcham, her fellow trainers at the Cannons Health and Leisure Centre in Wimbledon as well as her Hercules Wimbledon clubmates. Viljoen, 32, was way ahead of the rest of the field as she crossed the finishing line in a fine time of 1hr 44min 29sec.

Also abroad, Hercules Wimbledon's Adrian Marriott made an impressive marathon debut when he finished 16th and third Briton in the Amsterdam Marathon in Holland. Marriott, who took a year off work to prepare for his debut over the gruelling 26.2 miles marathon distance, including altitude training in Kenya, was delighted with his run which puts him eighth on the Hercules Wimbledon all-time marathon list and is the 11th best by a British athlete this summer.

After making a cautious start in blustery conditions, he began to move through the field and reckons he reached the half-way mark in about 72 minutes. As he continued to move through, he completed the second half of the race two minutes faster than the first half. "It was quite windy so I set off slowly," said Marriott. "I ran the whole way on my own but really enjoyed it and I can't wait for the next one."

Meanwhile, Hercules Wimbledon's youngsters were seeing off their rivals in their opening Sweatshop Surrey cross country league meeting of the season on Wimbledon Common.

Teenagers Alex Bodin and Damien Robertson led the field home in the boys under 15 race in 11min 57sec and 12min 29sec, respectively, with Robertson also taking the under 15 event. With Richard Vanderpuije seventh in 13min 23sec, Michael O'Halloran eighth two seconds later and Neil Fraser ninth in 13min 32sec, Hercules Wimbledon easily took the team honours in that age group.

Jonathan Burgess also led Hercules Wimbledon to the individual and team double in the boys udner 13 race in which he gained a narrow victory in 13min 25sec. With Fergus Stoddart fifth in 14min 9sec, Jonathan O'Halloran sixth in 14min 18sec, Tom Saniford eighth in 14min 30sec and Harry Wignall 11th in 15min 1sec, Hercules Wimbledon again triumphed in the team contest.

Hercules Wimbledon's seniors took first places in two of the veterans categories with cross country captain Steve Sinnott leading the Hercules Wimbledon contingent as first veteran in 27min 6sec and Grenville Tuck first veteran over 50 in 28min 46sec.

Hercules Wimbledon's Stephanie Robson made an impressive debut in the Surrey Ladies cross country league meeting in Richmond Park. She finished runner-up in her race in 22min 38sec while Amy Fraser was the placed of the club's younger athletes finishing 10th in the junior women's race.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon compete in the East Surrey League cross country meeting in Lloyd Park, Croydon, on Saturday.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club runners took their fair share of the medals in the annual Surrey Veterans cross country championships in Richmond Park returning with two sets of team medals and one individual title.

It was the club's former marathon international Steve Badgery, now 56, who took the individual gold medal in the men's over 55 category covering the undulating 10 kilometres course in 38min 11sec to win the title by just four seconds.

His individual win helped Hercules Wimbledon take the team silver medals in the over 50 category with Peter Gilbey finishing fourth in the over 50 category in 37min 19sec and Marco Ciglia finishing fourth in the over 55 category in 39min 4sec making up the medal-winning trio. Other runners in the over 55 section were Martin Miller, eighth in 40min 4sec and Maurice Sharp ninth in 42min 4sec while Andy Cunningham and Keith Hyland were eighth and 17th, respectively, in the over 50 category in 39min 40sec and 40min 41sec.

Cross country captain Steve Sinnott had a good run in the veterans over 40 section leading the Hercules Wimbledon team to aset of bronze medals and finishing eighth in 37min 5sec. The other members of the team were Andy Waites, 12th in 37min 22sec and Eric Blackmore 14th in 38min 47sec.

Hugh Saxby was 11th and Tom Morris 16th in the over 45 race in 39min 56sec and 41min 4sec, respectively.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon runners are in action on Wimbledon Common in their opening Sweatshop Surrey cross country league race of the winter. The races start and finish in the middle of the common near the Thatched Cottage. The young athletes race over two-and-a-half miles starts at 2.30pm with the seniors five miles race starting at 3pm.

Herman Mulder from London Irish was no match for the opposition when he raced away with the 43rd annual Wimbledon open 10 miles around the roads of Southfields and Wimbledon Park.

Mulder, winner of the event last year, lost no time in taking the lead and was already well of the near 200-strong field as he emerged from Wimbledon Park and headed for the testing, undulating three lap course which went past the All England tennis club. Mulder stretched his lead with almost every stride and eventually returned to Wimbledon Park track more than three minutes clear of his nearest challenger.

Mulder clocked 52 minutes 39 seconds, 12 seconds faster than his winning time last year, but well outside the course record effort of Hercules Wimbledon's Bob Holt of 48 min 10sec set in 1974. Holt was once again at the finish, handing out medals to the competitors along with Geoff Moulden who launched the Wimbledon 10 mile series in back in 1961, long before most of the runners taking part in this year's race were even born.

Runner-up was South African Ewoud Grobler, based in North West London, with Matt Lynas of Thames Hare and Hounds third in 55min 43sec, just ahead of Hercules Wimbledon's Francis Staunton (55min 57sec).

Hercules Wimbledon runners also got among the prizes with Steve Sinnott first veteran in 57min 17sec, Andy Waites second veteran in 60min 26sec, Peter Giles first veteran over 55 in 61min 24sec and John Thomas first veteran over 60 in 66min 42sec.

Fourth Hercules Wimbledon runner to finish was Matthew Amoils who was 17th in 60min 56sec, with Jonty Summers 22nd in 61min 44sec and Ramon Benitez 46th in 65min 22sec.

Hercules Wimbledon's Grenville Tuck, a past winner of the Wimbledon open 10 miles road race, gave this year's promotion a miss and instead competed in the opening Veterans Athletic Club cross country race on Wimbledon Common. He gained a comfortable victory in the nine kilometres race which he won by 26 seconds in 34min 21sec.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon runners, including Tuck, are in action in the Surrey Veterans cross country championships which are being staged in Richmond Park on Saturday.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club - NEWS