Oct-Dec 06

October 2006		November 2006		December 2006
	30/10/06		27/11/06		22/12/06
	23/10/06		20/11/06		18/12/06
	16/10/06		13/11/06		11/12/06
	9/10/06		6/11/06		4/12/06

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club stage their final race of the year on Saturday when they hold their annual seven miles road race in conjunction with Lauriston Runners' Club.

The race starts from the corner of West Side and The Causeway at 2pm and involves a three laps course on Wimbledon Common alongside Parkside and Windmill Road, past the Windmill and then along the dirt track to Camp Road.

Runners from Kingston and Polytechnic and Thames Hare and Hounds are also among those expected to take part. Last year's winner was Tom Kingsnorth from Thames Hare and Hounds in 36 minutes 58 seconds. He finished well clear of Herne Hill veteran Vic Maughn (37:55 with Hercules Wimbledon's Jamie Helmer third in 39:23. Hercules Wimbledon's Gary Blesson was first veteran finisher in 2005 in 39:41 with Steve Sinnott first over 45 in 43:10 and Hugh Saxby, also from Hercules Wimbledon, first over 50 in 43:17. Martin Miller was first over 55 in 46:39 with Anthony Eady from Thames Hare and Hounds first over 65.

Twelve-year-old Jose Costa has celebrated his first competitive season with Hercules Wimbledon by getting ranked in the top 10 for the pentathlon in the initial UK performance lists for 2006.

Costa won the bronze medal on his pentathlon debut in taking the bronze medal at the Surrey combined events championships at Crawley in September. His score of 1754 points for the five disciplines has placed him 10th in the UK rankings for the event in 2006.

Hercules Wimbledon's track and field training at their Wimbledon Park track headquarters will resume next Tuesday (January 2) starting at 6.30pm after a break for Christmas.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's Richard Xerri enjoyed a good run in his final race before the Christmas break when he turned out in the annual South of the Thames cross country championship over seven-and-a-half miles of a testing, hilly and muddy course at Brockwell Park.

Xerri finished 17th out of around 150 runners in 44 minutes 11 seconds, less than five minutes behind the winner. He led the Hercules Wimbledon team home. Veteran marathon man Peter Lee was 64th in 48:57 with High Saxby the first over 50 veteran in the race taking 72md place in 49:39 with Phil Glynn 78th in 50:46 and Ben Saxby 87th in 52:06. Another veteran, Steve Sinnott, was 88th in 52:30.

Across the channel, teenager Alex Bruce-Littlewood had a fine run in the IAAF Permit Lotto Cross Cup meeting in Brussels. He finished eighth out of 56 runners from Germany, Holland and Belgium in the 4000m race in 14:58, just 53 seconds behind the race winner. He was the second British runner to cross the line.

Hercules Wimbledon's Pete Giles was among more than 300 runners in action in the Surrey Classic 10 kilometres road race at Horton Country Park, Epsom. He was the first runner in the over 60 category finishing 62nd in 40:53. He was almost four minutes clear of the second over 60-year-old.

Hercules Wimbledon's Dan Bodin was first Hercules Wimbledon runner in the Bushy Park five kilometres time trial finishing 10th out of more than 250 finishers in 17:57. He was also the first veteran to finish. Fifteen-year-old William Spooner was 61st in 20:40 with his Hercules Wimbledon clubmate Fred Green first in the over 60 category in 22:45 before going off to manage the cross country team competing in the South of the Thames championship at Brockwell Park later in the day.

Hercules Hercules Wimbledon runners will be taking part in the annual Christmas Day Lauriston Runners Club 30-minute paarlauf on Monday starting on Wimbledon Common opposite the corner of South Side and Lauriston Road at 11am. Runners need to report by 10.30am so they can be put into appropriate pairs. Pairs of runners share 30 minutes of running and the winners are the pair which covers the most distance. Seasonal food and mulled wine will be available after the event. There is a £1 entry fee for each runner.

The following Saturday, December 30, sees the staging of the Hercules Wimbledon and Lauriston Runners Club seven miles road race starting from near the Fox and Grapes pub on Wimbledon Common at 2pm. The flat three lap course takes is alongside Parkside and on the mainly 'dirt track' road from the Windmill to Camp Road. No entry fee for this one and numbers can be collected at either Lauriston Cottage or at the start at The Causeway.

Hercules Wimbledon's Tuesday and Thursday evening track training at their Wimbledon Park athletics track headquarters has been suspended over the season period. It will resume on Tuesday, January 2 at 6.30pm.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's Adam battled through wind and mud to win a team silver medal when he represented Surrey in the South of England inter-counties cross country championships at the notoriously testing Parliament Hill Fields on Saturday.

Przedrymirski was the second Surrey finisher in the championship taking 15th place in the race and covering the tough 10 kilometres in 37 minutes. But, he admitted it was a struggle all the way.

"I had an awful race," said Przedrymirski. "I got there quite late, then found the team manager and then when I started running I was dying on the hills and overtaking on the flat and downhill. I only really got going in the last three kilometres. I nearly pulled out but I stuck with it in the end."

Another Hercules Wimbledon runner in action for Surrey was Neil Fraser who finished down the field in 48th place.

Teenager Alex-Bruce Littlewood was the second finisher for the Kent team which won a set of bronze medals in the men's under 17 championship. He was 11th, just over a minute behind the winner covering the five kilometres in 17:23.

Hercules Wimbledon's Richard Xerri was also in action at Parliament Hill Fields as the club's sole representative in the London Championships. He finished 28th in the London championship in 37:10, just 10 seconds slower than Przedrymirski.

Other Hercules Wimbledon runners were in action in an inter-club five miles cross country match on Wimbledon Common, which also incorporated the club five miles championship.

It proved a winning debut for Deon Coetzee who gained a comfortable win in the title race in 30:53 beating Arnaud Claverie (31:07) and veteran Dan Bodin (31:16). Alex Skelton was the first under 20 finisher in the club championship in 33:52.

Martin O'Halloran was the first over 50 veteran in the Hercules Wimbledon championship in 34:14, ahead of the first over 55 finisher Martin Miller (34:26). Miller also won the Lauriston Runners' Club championship. Maurice Sharp, who finished third in the Lauriston Championship was also the first over 60 finisher in the Hercules Wimbledon contest in 36:18.

Steph Robson was a runaway winner of the women's club championship in 32:42 ahead of Annemarie Seymour (42:47) and Kristina Moore (45:53). There was a seasonal prize of a Christmas pudding for each of the title winners.

Another Hercules Wimbledon runner, Simon Ingall, was in action at the other end of Wimbledon Common in the Thames Hare and Hounds Alumni (formerly inter old boys) race over five miles. Ingall was the first runner to finish in the over 50 category, clocking 31:36 and crossing the line more than 40 seconds ahead of the second runner in his age group.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon runners compete in the South of the Thames championship race over seven-and-a-half miles in Brockwell Park on Saturday, starting at 2pm.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's Richard Xerri led the senior men's team to a good third place in the annual Ellis Trophy cross country race over 5.53 miles of testing terrain in Richmond Park on Saturday.

Xerri, who the previous weekend had started some four minutes behind the main field when he arrived late at the start of the South of the Thames five miles team race on Epsom Downs, made certain he got to the start on time and ran strongly to finish third in 30 minutes 51 seconds.

It was a 10 to score competition which tested Hercules Wimbledon's strength but the squad which also consisted of a blend of teenagers and veterans ran well to secure third team place.

Teenager Alex Bruce-Littlewood, one of the youngest runners in the race at 16, was the second Hercules Wimbledon finisher taking seventh place in 31:22 with another teenager, Luke Jones, having his first race of the winter, finishing 14th in 32:45.

Gary Blesson was first veteran taking 16th place in 33:05 with Deon Coetzee 19th in 33:27, and Hugh Saxby first veteran over 50 in 34:44 just ahead of his Hercules Wimbledon clubmate John Querstret (34:54). Teenager Alex Smelton was 32nd in 36:43, over 55 veterans Martin Miller and Dave Betts 35th and 36th in 38:02 and 38:37, and over 50 veteran Barry King completing the team in 69th place (39:50).

Hercules Wimbledon also closed in a team in the women's Dysart Cup 4.1 miles race with Clare Cann leading team home finishing a solid eighth in 27:05. Teenager Amandine King was 31st in 31:59, Ann Seymour 41st in 33:45, veteran Marina Knespl 42nd in 33:53, Rowena Hornshaw 54th in 37:00 and Kerry Bonsall 57th in 38:23.

Hercules Wimbledon had a good contingent of athletes in the opening Surrey Sportshall League meeting at Guildford's Spectrum Leisure Centre on Sunday afternoon with a five-strong under 13 girls team.

Ed Saywell and Jose Costa produced a good showing in the boys under 13 match while Jose’s elder brother Luis was the best Hercules Wimbledon athlete in the under 15 match.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon stage an inter-club five miles match on Wimbledon Common on Saturday starting at 2pm from near the Thatched Cottage. Hercules Wimbledon will also have some runners in the Surrey teams competing in the South of England inter-counties cross country championships at Parliament Hill Fields on Saturday.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's top teenage athlete Amelia Richards lifted the Welsh indoor girls under 15 pentathlon title at the National Indoor Arena, Cardiff, on Sunday.

Just one month past her 14th birthday, Amelia was not far off her best performance for the five discipline event as she won with 2700 points. Her lifetime best of 2784 points was set when she lifted the Surrey girls under 15 pentathlon title at Crawley in September.

She had a good series of performances although she was disappointed with her long jump effort of 4.51 metres, some way below the tremendous 5.35 metres leap she achieved when lifting the junior girls long jump bronze medal on her English schools championships debut at Gateshead in July.

In contrast she achieved a personal best shot putt throw of 7.17 metres which bettered her 6.86 metres during the Surrey championships at Crawley. She opened up with a useful 9.74 seconds 60m hurdles, high jumped 1.41 metres, slightly below her best, and was also slightly outside her best time in covering the last of the five disciplines, the 800m in 2:34.0.

Hercules Wimbledon's international duathlete Richard Xerri knew he faced an uphill struggle over the famous Derby course at Epsom in the South of the Thames five miles team race on Saturday after he turned up more than four minutes after the runners had set off. He raced up on his bike, dismounted and then ran through the start 4:22 behind the leaders.

He managed to soon catch the tail-enders and was working his way through the field at the half-way point. But, it proved too much of an obstacle as he fell over in the mud and walked for part of the course. He finished 127th in 41:52 and even failed to make the Hercules Wimbledon scoring team. Had he been at the start on time there is no doubt he would have been in the top 50 and led the Hercules Wimbledon runners in.

"I was rubbish. I fell over in the mud then walked for a bit and hardly moved so I just jogged the rest of the course," said a frustrated Xerri.

It was not a good day for the Hercules Wimbledon squad as their leading runner Phil Glynn dropped out after the opening lap leaving John Querstret first finisher in 67th place (35:46) with veteran Martin O'Halloran 99th (38:43), Dominic Getting 107th (39:11) and Barry King 120th (41:08).

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon athletes are in action in Richmond Park and Guildford. The senior men and women contest the Ellis Trophy and Dysart Cup in Richmond Park on Saturday with the women off at 2pm and the men starting half-an-hour later. The races start and finish near the Pembroke Lodge car park. Hercules Wimbledon's youngsters are competing in the first this this winter's Surrey Sportshall League meetings at Guildford's Spectrum Leisure Centre on Sunday starting at 1pm.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club's top women's cross country runner Claire Cann enjoyed a good run in the second of this season's Surrey Ladies cross country league at Lightwater Country Park, Bagshot.

She finished fourth in the senior women's race in 26 minutes 11 seconds just 40 seconds behind the race winner.

Hercules Wimbledon also had a squad of runners in action in the young athletes race. Jennifer Fernando finished seventh in the under 17 section in 18:09 with her twin sister Rosemary taking ninth place in 18:46. The twins led Hercules Wimbledon to third team place.

Michaela Knespl was 17th in the under 15 race in 18:45 with Gaby Heaney 20th in 19:10 and Sophie Greenwood 32nd in 19:18. The team finished sixth.

Hercules Wimbledon veteran Dennis Williams had a busy weekend. He was in action in the Bushy Park five kilometres race at Hampton Court on Saturday where he was first veteran over 60 in 21:15 and then on Sunday he turned out in the Brighton open 10km road race on the South Coast where he was third veteran over 60 in 41:15. His Hercules Wimbledon clubmate Maurice Sharp was second in the over 60 section in 40:41.

Another Hercules Wimbledon runner in action at Brighton was Richard Xerri who finished 43rd out of more than 3000 runners in 34:15.

Another Hercules Wimbledon runner in the Bushy Park race was Peter Lee who was first veteran finishing 16th out of more than 270 finishers in 18:41.

Martin Miller was the third finisher in the over 50 category in Veteran Athletic Club's 5.5 miles cross country race on Wimbledon Common on Saturday. He was fifth overall in 37:42.

Hercules Wimbledon runners will be in action in France as well as on Epsom Downs this weekend.

Club official Maurice Sharp is leading a club party to Bolbec, France, to compete in an international cross country meeting organised by the local club here. It will be the first time since 2002 that Hercules Wimbledon has sent a group to Normandy for this meeting although the exchanges date back to 1981. The French club, Groupement Athletique de la Basse-Seine, has also visited London to take part in international club promotions staged by the Wimbledon Park-based club.

The main club focus on Saturday will be the South of the Thames five miles championship which is being held on Epsom Downs, starting at 2pm.

Teenager Adam Przedrzymirski followed up a fine third place in the second of this season's London Colleges League races in Richmond Park by leading his Hercules Wimbledon team-mates to their best team performance for years in the second of this season's Sweatshop Surrey cross country league races on Wimbledon Common on Saturday.

Przedrzymirski, who missed the opening league race, made a good start as he chased the leading runners in the two lap five miles race on a mild, autumn afternoon. He was fourth at the end of the opening lap and managed to move up a place to finish third in 26 minutes 21 seconds, just 24 seconds behind the race winner.

Hercules Wimbledon runners were packing behind him with Richard Xerri finishing eighth in 28:10, Ian Horrocks 11th in 28:55, Justin Kelly 20th in 29:26 and Keiran White 21st in 29:34. There was just a brief gap before Arnaud Claverie and Leo Cox finished 27th and 28th in 29:44 and 29:47 with Gervase King 32nd in 30:01 and veterans Peter Lee and Steve Sinnott 38th and 40th in 30:26 and 30:31 completing the scoring 10 runners. More than 160 runners completed the course.

Despite missing Aidan Hogan, who was sixth in the opening league race in Richmond Park and Jamie Helmer who was 15th, Hercules Wimbledon's 10 scoring runners finished well ahead of their rivals. None of the other eight teams had more than four runners in the top 40.

The win enabled Hercules Wimbledon to win by almost 200 points and half-way through the season are set for promotion to Division One with an overall lead of almost 150 points.

There was good backing from Hercules Wimbledon's leading non-scorers with Phil Glynn 42nd in 30:33 and Deon Coetzee 44th in 30:34. A little further back teenager Neil Fraser was 70th in 31:47 with over 50 veteran Hugh Saxby 71st in 31:52, newcomer Steve Allen 84th in 32:29 and Tim Bartley 95th in 33:35, just one second ahead of clubmate Barry White.:25 leading the team to second place.

Match result: 1 Hercules Wimbledon 228; 2 Wimbledon Windmilers 413; 3 Striders of Croydon 424; 4 Epsom & Ewell H 432; 5 Dorking & Mole Valley 432; 6 Sutton Runners 462; 7 Kingston & Polytechnic H 492; 8 Croydon H 588; 9 Walton 609.

Standings after two matches: 1 Hercules Wimbledon 627; 2 Wimbledon Windmilers 773; 3= Epsom and Ewell and Striders of Croydon 843; 5 Dorking & Mole Valley 928; 6 Kingston and Polytechnic 935; 7 Sutton Runners 1121.

Despite the absence of the club's top teenage cross country runner Jonathan Burgess through injury, Hercules Wimbledon's youngsters also won the team honours. Charlie Carrington led the way home for his Hercules Wimbledon clubmates in the joint under 15 and under 17 race finishing fifth in 15:03.

The remaining five Hercules Wimbledon runners packed well finishing in a line with James Green was seventh in 15:27, Khalid Belhaj eighth and first under 15 in 15:34 and Liam White ninth and second under 15 in 15:37, Deyan Knespl 10th in 15:45 and Will Spooner 11th in 16:26.

Match result: 1 Hercules Wimbledon 39; 2 Epsom and Ewell 80; 3 Dorking and Mole Valley 102; 4 Walton 110; 5 Croydon 122; 6 Kingston and Polytechnic 132.

Hercules Wimbledon's Edward Saywell was runner-up in the under 13 race in 16:05.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club runners made an impressive winning start to their East Surrey League programme when they romped away with the team title in the five miles cross country race at Lloyd Park, Croydon.

The team was led in by steeplechaser Aidan Hogan who finished fourth in 30 minutes 13 seconds with Phil,Glynn 11th in 32:40, Peter Lee 12th and first veteran in 32:42, Deon Coetzee 18th in 33:26 and supervet Hugh Saxby 26th in 34:01.

Other Hercules Wimbledon runners in action were John Querstret 32nd in 34;35, Andy Waites 39th in 35:29 and over 60 veteran Dennis Williams 56th in 38:29.

Hercules Wimbledon teenager Joe Toomey was third boys under 15 finisher in the young athletes two-and-a-half miles race in 12:25 leading the team to second place.

At the other end of the age scale, Hercules Wimbledon’s Peter Giles was first veteran over 60 in the Ron Hill Surrey Classic 10 kilometres road race at Oxshott in 39:07.

Another Hercules Wimbledon veteran in winning form was John Thomas who took the men’s over 65 prize for the second year in succession in the BUPA Great South Run 10 miles road race in Portsmouth in 1:10:46.

Hercules Wimbledon's Dan Bodin was first veteran in the Busdhy Park five kilometres race where he finished eighth in 17:50. He finished just ahead of Hercules Wimbledon teenager Deyan Knespl who was 10th in 17:58.

Two other Hercules Wimbledon teenagers were also in action in Bushy Park with Laim White, 14 last month, making his debut in the event, outsprinting another 14-year-old Joe Toomey as they finished 21st and 22nd out of almost 250 runners in 19:09 and 19:10, respectovely.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon host the second of this season’s Sweatshop Surrey Men’s Cross Country League Division Two matches on Wimbledon Common. The races start and finish near the Thatched Cottage with the young athletes off at 2.30pm and the seniors at 3pm.

The club’s women will be in action in the second of this season’s Surrey Ladies Cross Country League meetings at Lightwater Country Park, Bagshot.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club runners will once again be crossing the channel at the end of the month to resume the club's long running link with the French international cross country meeting in Bolbec, France.

The French connection is being resumed after a four year break although Hercules Wimbledon have been sending teams to the Normandy town most years since 1981 to take part in cross country events promoted by the club, Groupement Athletique de la Basse-Seine. The French club have also visited London to take part in international club promotions staged by the Wimbledon Park-based club.

Maurice Sharp, who has been instrumental in fostering the club's international links, organising trips to Cuba, the Czech Republic, Poland, Norway as well as France, is once again in charge of this venture.

The trip is across the weekend of November 25 and 26. They will travel to France on Friday night and return to London early on Monday morning. There are races for all age groups from youngsters to veterans.

Hercules Wimbledon's veterans over 50 squad were in medal winning form back in 2002 when they turned out in the 42nd international Bolbec meeting. The Hercules Wimbledon team winning effort was led home by Peter Giles who finished 45th in the veterans race. Marco Ciglia was 49th, Martin Miller 61st, trip organiser Maurice Sharp 65th and Dave Mitchell 80th.

One of Hercules Wimbledon's most talented young runners has suffered a major setback after breaking his leg in two places while playing football. The injury means that teenager Jonathan Burgess, who will celebrate his 14th birthday on November 11 on crutches, will miss the who of the winter cross country season.

Following the accident during a kick-about in Roehampton, young Burgess was rushed to Kingston Hospital where he underwent a two hour operation during which a six inch plate was screwed to his broken shin bones. He also had 10 screws inserted into the plate. He spent two nights in hospital but is now back at his home in Southfields.

"He handled the pain and op well and the doctors say he should make a full recovery but it will take a lot of time and physiotherapy before he is running again," said his father David. "He'll need a lot of physiotherapy and other treatment over the next six months. It'll probably be at least eight months before he starts running again."

During the summer, Burgess won the Surrey under 15 3000m bronze medal at Kingsmeadow. Last winter, he finished third in the Surrey boys under 13 cross country championship at Croydon, fourth overall in the nationwide UK Cross Challenge event for his age group. He was also sixth in the UK Inter-Counties championships at Nottingham in March.

"It will be a big disappointment for him that he can't race but I'll try to get him along to as many races as possible to keep him involved. But, he will find not being able to take part very frustrating," said Mr Burgess.

Hercules Wimbledon's top race walker Estle Viljoen has been invited to participate in Britain's first ever Race Walk Research Squad Camp at Leeds Metropolitan University over the weekend (October 26 to 29) and is in line to represent Britain in next year's European Walking Cup.

One of the aims of the camp which is being funded by the university and the British Athletics Foundation is to launch a concerted attempt to restore British race walking to the status it last enjoyed in the 1960's.

Don Thompson, who died recently, won the Olympic 50km walk in Rome in 1960. Four years later in Tokyo, Ken Matthews won the 20km walk and Paul Nihill was second in the 50km walk. Over the years British walkers have won 15 Olympic medals.

Estle, now 36, who teaches at Haslemere Primary School, Mitcham, and has established herself as one of the top women's race walkers in Britain, was delighted with her call-up for the training squad. " I really feel honoured to be considered as possibly one of the contenders to make the UK team," she said. In 2003 she won the All African title competing for her native South Africa.

The invitation was made to her "in recognition of your current standing in the event from performances done in the past year."

The invitation added: "The focus of the camp and the wider programme through 2006-7 is about raising performance levels through empowering athletes and coaches with the skills and abilities required to develop towards their full potential. This camp will combine the squads from the UK Athletics National and Regional programmes, together with a number of senior athletes whose performances suggest they could make Britain's European Race Walking Cup Team in 2007.

Hercules Wimbledon's Adam Przedrzymirski made a useful debut in the London Colleges cross country league when he finished seventh out of almost 100 runners in the opening race of the season over a testing five miles circuit of Parliament Hill Fields. Przedrzymirski led the Essex University team in covering the course in 27 minutes 53 seconds.

Top duathlete Richard Xerri made a welcome return to racing when he also finished seventh in the Bushy Park five kilometres time trial at Hampton Court. Xerri, making his debut in the event, clocked 17:50. Three other Hercules Wimbledon runners in the event were veterans Dan Bodin and Peter Lee who finished 15th and 20th, respectively in 18:15 and 18:34, and Dennis Williams, who was first over 60 veteran in 20:05. Lee took 28 seconds off the time he posted on his debut in the event a few weeks earlier.

Hercules Wimbledon are competing in the opening East Surrey League cross country meeting at Lloyd Park, Croydon, on Saturday. The young athletes race over two-and-a-half miles starts at 2.30pm with the senior race over double the distance off at 3pm.

Hercules Wimbledon's veteran cross country runners enjoyed their best ever year in the annual Surrey Veterans cross country championships in Richmond Park returning with a hat-trick of both individual and team medals.

Former marathon international Steve Badgery led the club's trio to a set of silver medals in the over 50 category as he finished 28th overall in 39 minutes 20 seconds. He also took the individual silver medal in the over 55 category, just eight seconds behind the gold medallist. Just behind him came Simon Ingall, having his first cross country race for several seasons, who ran well to clock 39:24 with Hugh Saxby, continuing his return from injury, completing the medal-winning trio in 39:37.

Another Hercules Wimbledon runner making a return to cross country running after a long absence was international walker Estle Viljoen. Viljoen, the All African 20k walking champion in 2003 managed to pick up a bronze medal running in her first cross country race for four years as she covered the women's race six kilometres in 24:50.

Hercules Wimbledon runners also took the team silver medals in the over 60 category. They were led in by Dennis Williams who was fourth in his age group in 41:46 with schoolteacher Maurice Sharp, sixth in the over 60 category in 44:43 and John Thomas, second in the over 65 category in 45:42, making up the medal winning team.

The third set of team medals was won in the over 40 age group where the club's runners managed to clinch a set of bronze medals. They were led in by triathlete Gary Blesson who was seventh in 36:18 with Steve Sinnott 16th in 37:55and Peter Lee 23rd in 38:59.

Marathon man Badgery completed a hectic weekend when he turned out in the Cabbage Patch 10 miles road race in Twickenham on Sunday. He was sixth in the over 50 category finishing 94 overall out of almost 1400 finishers in 1:03:16.

Hercules Wimbledon's Dan Bodin finished ninth out of more than 230 runners in the weekly Bushy Park five kilometres race at Hampton Court in 18:12. He was the first veteran to finish. His Hercules Wimbledon clubmate Fred Green was the top over 60 finisher crossing the line in 23:07.

Hercules Wimbledon teenager Amelia Richards picked up a hat-trick of gold medals in the Croydon Youth Games on Sunday. She won the girls under 15 100m and long jump and was also a member of the winning sprint relay team. She also gained a bronze medal in the 4x200m relay.

A few days earlier, TV cameras were at Wimbledon Park to interview her and film her training as part of a programme on prospective contenders for the London 2012 Olympics. Highlight of her summer was winning the bronze medal in the English schools junior girls long championship at Gateshead in July. with a personal best leap of 5.35m.

Hercules Wimbledon's youngsters made an impressive start to their Sweatshop Surrey cross country league programme when they dominated their races in Richmond Park on a sunny, autumn Saturday afternoon.

Yellow and scarlet vested Hercules Wimbledon runners filled four of the top six places in the under 15 and under 17 race with Jonathan Burgess running away from the field to win by more than 200m in covering the undulating two-and-a-half miles course in 14 minutes 52 seconds.

Clubmates Khalid Belhaj and Liam White were third and fourth in 15:50 and 16:42 with Will Spooner sixth in 16:56. Hercules Wimbledon easily took the team honours.

Hercules Wimbledon also took the team prize in the under 13 race with Edward Saywell heading the winning team finishing in fifth place.

The club's senior men also made a solid start to their programme, narrowly being pipped for the winning spot with Aidan Hogan the top Hercules Wimbledon runner finishing in sixth place after a solid run. Justin Kelly, Jamie Helmer and Phil Glynn also ran well to finish 13th, 15th and 19th.

Over on Epsom Downs, Hercules Wimbledon's Steph Robson won the opening Surrey Ladies League Division Two race in 20:17 with Claire Cann finishing fourth in 21:06, helping the team to seventh place.

Jennifer Fernando, finishing in third place, led the under 17 team to second spot with Serena Brotherton in fifth place.

Hercules Wimbledon's Adam Przedrzymirski was among almost 30000 runners in action in the Nike Run London 10km race in Hyde Park on Sunday finishing sixth in his race in 33:41 and taking almost two minutes off his previous best time for the distance. "I am pretty happy with that. It was quite inspiring being so close to Paula Radcliffe and Seb Coe at the start. I was in a pack with Sonia O'Sullivan (the Irish Olympic 5000m silver medallist) until two kilometres but it broke up and I was basically on my own, but I finished strongly" said Adam afterwards.

Hercules Wimbledon's Steve Badgery took more than half-a-minute off his previous best time for the course when he competed in the Bushy Park time trial second birthday race at Hampton Court. He was the second over 55 finisher in 18:36. First Hercules Wimbledon finisher was Dan Bodin in 18:00.

Walking international Estle Viljoen also improved on her best time for the circuit as first woman over 40 in 19:40, improving by 19 seconds. Dennis Williams was first veteran over 60 in 20:33.

Hercules Wimbledon's youngsters made a medal-winning start to their winter cross country programme in the Surrey Young Athletes Relays at Guildford. The under 15 boys team of Joe Toomey (6:06), Khalid Belhaj (6:17) and Jonathan Burgess (5:58) managed to clinch the bronze medals. Burgess also clocked the equal fourth best time of the day.

Hercules Wimbledon teenager Alex Bruce-Littlewood finished a superb fifth in an inter-club match in Richmond Park. Alex, who was the second youngest runner in the 50-strong field clocked 28:28 for the undulating five miles finishing just 28 seconds behind another teenager Adam Przedrzymirski, who led the Hercules Wimbledon team in.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon are sending teams to compete in the Surrey Veterans cross country championships in Richmond Park. Last year the men took the bronze team medals in the over 50 category with Maurice Sharp taking the individual over 60 silver medal. Mel Jones was second in the women's over 50 championship.

Runners in the triandrun 46th Geoff Moulden Wimbledon open 10 miles road race on Sunday were lucky with the weather. It poured with rain before the race and organisers feared conditions would add to the testing, hilly, course.

But, while the competitors were pounding their way round the sodden course, which was ankle deep in water in places, the rain abated and, at one point, the sun actually shone.

British Olympic marathon runner Mark Steinle who was the firm favourite to take the event went to the front of the field at the start of the race and by the time he had completed the two laps of the track before heading out for the roads already had a sizeable lead. He stretched his advantage with almost every stride and won the race by almost five minute returning to the Wimbledon Park track to cross the finishing line in 49 minutes 54 seconds, the first time the winner has clocked inside 50 minutes for the full 10 mile course for many years.

However, he was still some way off the impressive course record of 48:10 set by Hercules Wimbledon's own Olympic athlete Bob Holt back in 1974.

In his third race of the year and his first outing for six months, Steinle admitted his surprise that he was so far off the course record despite the fact that he is Britain's fastest marathon runner of the decade with his 2:09:17 in the 2002 Flora London Marathon.

He explained his racing programme has been severely restricted by continuing Achilles tendon problems which have consistently hampered his running career. "I felt a slight twinge during the race but overall I am pleased with my run," he said after receiving his winning prize from Claire Moulden, the widow of one of the race's founders, Geoff Moulden, who died suddenly in February last year. Doug Mobsby, founder secretary of Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club in 1967, also made some of the awards after watching his son in law Brandon Parkes finish 25th. This year's race was sponsored by triandrun, the new specialist running and triathlon store in Wimbledon Hill Road.

Aldershot's Ed Barnett was runner-up in 54:37 with Serpentine Running Club's Eion O'Connell third in 56:13. First Hercules Wimbledon finisher was veteran Peter Lee who was 15th in 1:03:21.

Hercules Wimbledon's Claire Cann led the club's trio to team success in the women's race where she finished fourth in 1hr 6 min 10 sec behind Lucy Hasell of Bristol and West who crossed the finishing line in 57:35, Helen Fines, also from Bristol and West (1:02:33) and Lisa Jacobs from Team Wombat (1:05:55). Other members of the winning Hercules Wimbledon team were Annmarie Seymour and Kirstina Moore.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon open their league programme with the men in action in the Sweatshop Surrey League race in Richmond Park, near the Kingston Gate entrance, starting at 2.30pm, and the women in the first Surrey Ladies League fixture of the season on Epsom Downs, starting at 12.30pm.

Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club - NEWS