Clarke of the Course

Before it became clear that the country was headed for a new national lockdown, Matt Kiernan of Croydon Harriers, with help from the community of local clubs, staged a successful test cross country event at Lloyd Park. The East Surrey League races for seniors and young athletes proved way more competitive than they often do in 'normal' times, as athletes starved of races were hungry to compete. In line with COVID-19 guidelines athletes were set off in seeded waves of ten at 3-minute intervals.

For one athlete in particular it was a winning return to a course that holds happy memories. In the momentous 2018/19 season Georgie Clarke led the U15 Girls to the Surrey Cross Country League team title and clinched the overall individual title, winning the final race of the season at Lloyd Park by 11 seconds.

For Georgie, now an U17, the East Surrey League race was a chance to compete over the country for the first time since turning out for Surrey in the Inter-County Championships at Loughborough in March. ‘It felt so good to be racing cross country with everyone again and on one of my favourite courses’, says Georgie. ‘We all felt so strong and really happy to be back at Lloyd Park. We were lucky with the weather as the rain held off. It was just a bit windy on the way back, then as soon as we stopped it turned drizzly and misty’.

So what is it about Lloyd Park that brings out the best in her performances? ‘I like the way the course starts off quite flat, and is undulating rather than hilly’, says Georgie. ‘There are only really two small hills, so you can push on and catch up or get past people.’

In the team competitions, with 4 to score in each case, the U13-U17 Girls won convincingly with Georgie coming home as the overall winner over the 4K course in 16:11, followed by fellow U17s Ellen Weir (16:30), Albane Fery (16:33) and Lulu Weisz (17:09).

Many of the winning Senior Men's A team were also re-visiting the scene of their own famous triumph in that 2018/19 season, when they won the final match at Lloyd Park to clinch the overall Surrey League title for the first time since Hercules Wimbledon was formed in 1967. On this occasion Fred Slemeck finished in second place over the 5K course behind Croydon's Dominic Nolan, in 17:02, with M40 Richard McDowell following in 17:07. Ed Mallett (fifth in 17:31) and Tom Drayton (equal sixth in 17:40) completed the winning team.

Fred Slemeck leads the winning HW Senior Men's team home, with Richard McDowell following him in.

The U13-U17 Boys were runners-up, with Adam Hammadi, the first U17 home, finishing in 15:27, followed in by U15 Ibrahim Achchi (4th in his age category in 16:02), U15 Ronan McArdle (16:11) and Oliver Warbey, also U15 (16:23); while the Senior Women, led in by U20 Niamh Thompson, making her senior debut, finished third. W55 Lisa Thomas (22:25), W50 Estle Viljoen (23:35) and Helen Davies, also W50 (23:40) completed the team.

PBs and Pumpkins
By popular request Herne Hill Harriers put on one last track meeting for distance runners on October 31. The Herne Hill Harriers Halloween Endurance Meeting at Battersea Park gave HW athletes from U11 to vets a late opportunity to try a new event, or post a PB or season's best over 800m, 1500m or 3000m.

Results

Saturday 24 October: East Surrey League, Lloyd Park, Croydon. Full results Power of Ten (for team results click on external results)
Saturday 31 October: Herne Hill Harriers Halloween Endurance Meeting, Battersea Park Full results