Addressing Parliament (Hill)

The Senior Women's team (above) finished an excellent tenth in the London Cross Country Championships on Parliament Hill, on a day which also saw 34 HW youngsters competing mainly for Wandsworth and Merton in the London Youth Games (marked W or M in the results below).

‘It was great to be back racing on Parliament Hill', says Women's team Captain Claire Grima, who finished 29th of 288 runners – 'just managed to sneak into the top 30, which is OK', says Claire, who is still returning to her best after a long time out due to injury. U20s Albane Fery (41st), Niamh Thompson (62nd) and Kiara Valkenburg (77th), along with Grace Batchelor (114th) completed the team.

'It was a great team performance in a big field', says Claire. 'The hills were tough as always, but conditions were good, the atmosphere was great and it was nice to see the Hercules juniors racing in the Youth Games'.

Two U20 Men were also in action: Edward Newton 126th, Christopher Ellis and 270th, of 432 runners


Youth Games results:

Poppy Guest (W) was 4th U11 of 154 runners in the Girls race, while for the U11 Boys, Theo Creed (M) was 6th of 153 runners, Cyrus Sheikh (W) 15th, and Alex Hughes (W) 30th.

Of the U13 Girls Ava McAndie (W) was 8th of 205 runners, with Isabella Harrison (W) 17th, Josie Hughes (W) 25th, Iona Alexander (W) 46th, Mae Losson (W) 68th, Vivienne Jonczyk (Kingston) 83rd, and Martha Eminson (M) 107th.

In the U13 Boys race (206 runners), Harry Allen (W) was 41st, Sammy Hobden (W) 47th, Sam Dyson (W) 50th, Zach Elliot (W) 51st, William Moret (M) 93rd and Luca Grima (W) 121st .

Of the U15 Girls (177 runners): Sophie Conway (M) was 45th with twin sister Charlotte (M) 49th, Ariana Shala (M) 66th, Elena Hernandez (W) 82nd, Sophia Anderson (W) 85th, Charlotte Gurney (M) 91st, and Elisabeth Thompson (M) 112th.

In the U15 Boys race (180 runners): Oliver Holden (W) was 23rd, Jack Hobden (W) 42nd, Matthew Young (W) 53rd, Hugo Kelly (W) 71st, Michael Banks (M) 98th, and Tom Davies (W) 123rd.

For the U17 Women (96 runners): Millie Thorpe (W) was 14th, Emily Grey (M) 17th, Lulu Weisz (M) 22nd, Abigail Grey (M) 26th, Georgia Winter (W) 31st, and Charlotte Lam (W) 50th.

Will Taylor (M) was 14th U17M of 117 runners.

Full results

Down and Up

In the first of the 4-match series in the Epsom Downs Junior Cross Country League Match on 7 November, the U11 Girls began the defence of their 2019/20 title with a victory. Poppy Guest was the first home for the Club in 4th, followed by Enoki Calvert-Ansari in 5th, Tilly Crome (10th), Freia Harper-Tee (11th), Blanka Domsodi (13th), Ariane Freemantle (24th), and Alexa Aumuller (31st) The U13 Girls were also victorious, thanks to winner Isabella Harrison, 4th-placed Mae Losson, Josie Hughes (7th), Iona Alexander (10th) and Isabella Sparkes in 19th.

The U11 boys are currently in second place, with Max Harrison (Isabella's younger brother) finishing 3rd, Cyrus Sheikh in 7th, Thomas Hennigan (9th), and Jasper Grima in 37th.

The U13 Boys are in 5th place so far. 'Unfortunately Thomas Whorton pulled a calf muscle when in the lead', says coach and team manager Andrew Davies. 'He bravely finished the race, when really he should have stopped, but ended up 35th'. Harry Allen was 6th, Olly Mealor 13th, and William Moret 18th.