Road Test

Early morning at Wimbledon Park on Sunday 11 April and the buzz was tangible as athletes lined up in their socially distance waves at the start of the HW Club 5K Road race, raring to race again. The format of this event was developed last October to meet Covid guidelines, but is proving to be so popular it may find itself a permanent place in the calendar of HW meetings. Chip timing and seeded waves set off at 1 minute intervals, designed to give everyone a competitive race, combined with the injection of camaraderie and motivation provided by the team element, has prompted athletes, team managers and officials to suggest that events like this could be the future of road racing.

Clubs were clamouring to be involved in the event, postponed from December, says HW Performance Director, coach and race organiser, Ben Noad, 'but obviously under Covid restrictions we could only allow a certain number of teams. It says something that serial national medallists Aldershot, Farnham & District and Highgate, along with a powerful women's squad from Herne Hill were desperate to be included'.

HW fielded two men’s teams and two women’s teams with many more Club athletes taking part in the Masters race, which HW were hosting for Vets AC.

First off at 8.30am was the Men's race (10 to a team). After winning the PB5K at Ardingly the previous weekend, AFD's Ellis Cross was first across the line in 14:33.7, while the HW A team was led in by Fred Slemeck (pictured below), finishing in 20th position in 15:20.4 – 'an excellent run from the team captain', noted Ben, 'especially as most senior judges reckon the course is worth 25 seconds on a flat/track race'. Richard McDowell (M40), warming up for his epic Centurion Running ultra race the following week (see below) was 22nd in 15:21.3, with Rhys Boorman 35th in 15:39.7. George and Ed Mallett who had also competed in the PB5K were 38th and 43rd in 15:41.1 and 15:52.7 respectively. Adam Blythe finished 44th in 15:54.3, Ross Murray was 55th in 16:08.1, with Howell Harrod (61st in 16:18.2), Max Lovell (75th in 16:34.8) and Joe Toomey (83rd in 16:46.1) completing the team which finished 4th of twelve, behind Highgate Harriers A (2:34:27), Guildford & Godalming AC (2:38:34) and Aldershot, Farnham & District AC (2:39:12).

In the Men's B team, which finished 11th, Robbie Hynes was first home in 66th in 16:26.0, with Dave Grima 89th in 16:52.9, Andrew Merry 91st in 16:52.9 and Joe Clark 98th in 17:10.9. U20 Hector Revill followed in 99th in 17:13.0, with George Longworth (101st in 17:27.7), Simon Wade (108th in 17:42.0), and Finn Johnson 109th in 17:43.0. Rob Tuer was 112th in 17:52.5a, and Saverio Mitrani 113th in 17:56.1.

Finn Johnson – only just easing back into training sessions after suffering from Plantar fascitius (pain in the heel and bottom of the foot) – summed up the general sense of elation at being back in a team again. 'We love to race and show our cards: how fit we are and what we've been working on, chipping away at our pace. Returning to racing this time I was really looking forward to the camaraderie and banter with the rival teams. And boy we got it. Highgate were flying, and many of the great names of the Surrey League/South London runners were there. The course gets pretty brutal on Church Hill, but post race you could tell everyone was buzzing with that Type 2 fun (the kind that doesn't feel like fun until its over). We went for a long slow warm down on the Common, 'bumping into' many of the other teams (at a social distance obviously), who were also enjoying what Wimbledon has to offer. I'm looking forward to a summer packed with racing and heckling from the side lines'.

'The HW performances', says Ben, 'showed what a tough job it will be selecting the road relay teams to compete in the Surrey Championships over the same course in September'.

'Stars of the show though', he goes on, 'were the women’s A team who finished an excellent third in the team race behind an experienced Kent AC and reigning South of England Road Relay champions Herne Hill Harriers. Even more encouraging was the youthful nature of the team, mixed with a sprinkling of experience. Watch out for these athletes over the summer and going into the next Cross country season'.

In the 6-to-a-team Women's race, the winner was Michelle Pearson of Belgrave, with U20 Ellen Weir finishing a fantastic fourth, and first home for HW in 17:57.0. She had spent lockdown running with dad (and athlete/coach) Andy, who reported that she was 'flying', and she duly confirmed that, clocking a super-fast 16:55 at the PB5K in Ardingly the previous weekend.

Ellen was followed in by Gina Galbraith (W40) in 22nd place in 19:09.4 and U20 Georgia Clarke in 25th in 19:11.2. Grace Batchelor, in only her second race for HW was 34th in 19:46.4. U17 Lulu Weisz followed in 39th in 19:55.3, with U20 Albane Fery completing the team in 40th in 19:59.0.

Unfortunately a late injury left the B team one woman down, however there were good performances from U20 Niamh Thompson in 35th in 19:46.9, U20 Eloise Davies, 38th in 19:53.9, U17 Millie Thorpe (57th in 20:40.3), Suzie Slemeck (75th in 22:05.5), and Marilena De Luca, 78th in 25:00.3.

Mighty Mac

Photograph by Stuart March Photography

A week after turning out for the team in the 5K road race, Richard McDowell took his running to the opposite extreme. Donning his homemade ultra bag in Hercules colours along with the Vaporfly 4% shoes he had had re-soled with a trail tread, he headed to the South Downs Way National Trail, for the SDW50, Centurion Running’s 50 mile race from Worthing to Eastbourne, where he took the victory in a time of 06:02:19, over 18 minutes ahead of the next athlete.

After going off extremely hard – his first 10 miles were run in 62 minutes and he made the marathon mark check point in 2:53 – he made the decision to back off and run more within himself, given that this was a mere warm up for 'the main event', Centurion Running's Thames Path 100 from Richmond to Oxford on May 8. The trail leads over a flat, fast path following the Thames, for which the men's course record is 14:09:54. Watch this space!

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Congratulations, too, to Alex Milne, on winning the Essex Marathon in Saffron Walden last weekend in 2:28:00