Ranelagh Harriers came out victorious on Saturday in their annual mob match against Blackheath & Bromley Harriers. The idea of mob matches is that each club fields as many runners as they can and all count towards the final result. This particular fixture dates back to 1906 and the two clubs alternate as hosts: This year the race was on Ranelagh's two-lap seven and a half miles course in Richmond Park.

Over fifty Ranelagh blue vests lined up at the start, well outnumbering the opposition. This gave the home team a clear advantage, but Blackheath were determined not to make it too easy for them. Three Ranelagh runners - Peter Haarer, Phil Killingley and Wendy Nicholls - quickly established themselves at the front, but Blackheath started to pack in well just behind, and the overall result looked to be far from clear-cut.

Haarer ran strongly to win by almost three-quarters of a minute in 44.57, with Killingley and Cirencester-based Nicholls taking the minor places. Ed Barker fought through to 5th place in 47.30, a minute clear of Andy Bickerstaff and David Wright in 8th and 9th. This gave Ranelagh six of the first nine home, but the 'heathens fought back and the count at 20th place was ten finishers from each club. Thereafter Ranelagh's weight of numbers began to tell, and scoring 31 a side they came out on top by 920 points to 1047.

The race doubled as the Ranelagh club championship and the club men's veterans championships. Peter Haarer won the overall championship and put his name on the Wynne Cup for the sixth time. Andy Bickerstaff won the Hastings Cup for the leading over 40 and David Wright took the McDowell Salver as the top over 50. The Maslin Mug for the over 60s went to Clive Beauvais, who finished in 32nd place in 54.13. There was also a sealed handicap which was won by 64 year-old former club Captain Jim Forrest who ran a time of 62.40, while the silver and bronze medals went to husband and wife team Jonny and Rachel Rowan, who ran in together in 52.32.