ATHLETES from Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club achieved a record medal haul at the annual Surrey track and field championships at Kingston over the weekend.

A record of more than 100 Hercules Wimbledon athletes took part in the two-day meeting, picking up more than 20 medals. Busiest of the Hercules Wimbledon contingent was all-rounder Mark Andrews who gained a quartet of individual medals and competed in six events across the two days.

He gained silver medals in the long and triple jumps and bronze in the high jump and javelin and finished in fourth place in the shot and discus.

Freddie Arkell, who goes to St Cecilia’s School, Southfields was one of six Hercules Wimbledon title winners. He raced to victory in the Under-20 men’s 200m in a personal best of 21.91 seconds after winning his heat in 22.10, the fastest of the eight qualifiers. His time improved on the 21.96 he clocked at Dagenham at the beginning of the month, the first time he had got inside 22 seconds. He was also fourth in the 100m in 11.08.

Hannah Bell, who like Arkell is coached by former Surrey 100m champion Paul Miller, also posted a lifetime best of 12.25 in winning the senior women’s 100m gold medal. It improved on the 12.36 wind-assisted time she posted in finishing second at the Dagenham meeting. She also took the silver medal in the 200m in 25.82.

Elliott Turbin twice improved on his personal best of 38.84 in winning his boys Under-15 300m heat in 37.66 and then the final in 37.24, finishing 0.24 seconds ahead of the silver medallist. Thomas Wharton won the Under-15 boys 800m by the thickness of his vest in a personal a best of 2:18.00, the same time as the runner-up. Teenagers Millie Thorpe and George Johnson took the Under-20 women’s 800m (2:18.00) and Under-17 men’s javelin titles (46.15m).

Hercules Wimbledon athletes picked up 12 silver medals. Christer Hagberg was second in the senior men’s discus (41.59m). Other silver medallists were Albane Fery (Under-20 women’s 1,500m), Heather Letley (senior women’s sprint hurdles), Tom Street (Under-20 400m hurdles), Bryn Cann (Under-20 triple jump), Conor Kelly (Under-17 200m), Mabel-Rose Scales (Under-17 women’s high jump), Oliver Mealor (Under-13 boys long jump) and Isabella Harrison (Under-13 girls 800m).

In his first race since August last year, international Dwayne Cowan, who helped Britain to bronze medals in the 2017 World and 2018 European 4x400m relay championships, took the senior men’s 100m bronze medal in 10.85.

Helena Bhattacharya took the Under-20 women’s 3,000m bronze medal in 12:30.00, the first time she has raced over the distance while Sam Dyson was third in the Under-13 boys 1500m in 4:47.00.

Hercules Wimbledon runners gained a hat-trick of wins in Saturday’s 5km parkruns. Rosemary Fernando made a winning debut in the country’s biggest parkrun in Bushy Park where she finished 14th out of 140 runners to take the women’s event in 18:21.

Alex Milne headed home a 198-strong field to win the Panshangar event in 15:43, his 15th win there since making his first appearance there on Christmas Day, 2014. His time was also his fastest since posting his personal best of 15:37 for the course in October 2015.

Nearer home,Will Woodcock headed home a 708-strong field on Clapham Common in 17:06 to post his second victory there since his first appearance in the event in July 2021.