Commonwealth Games-bound marathon runner Ben Moreau made a surprise appearance in the Geoff Moulden 10km road race in Wimbledon Park on Sunday.
But he was unable to repeat his victory in last season’s race, finishing fourth in 31 minutes, 34 seconds.
That was 24 seconds behind race winner Ryan McLeod, the 25-year-old son of former Olympic 10,000m silver medalist Mike McLeod.
Tooting-based Ben Wright (31:27), in only his second race since April after a summer dogged by injury and illness, finished strongly to overtake Belgrave Harriers’ Paskar Owor (31:31) and finish as runner-up.
First finisher for Hercules Wimbledon, who took second in the men’s team race, was Justin Kelly in 11th (35:14).
Other Hercules Wimbledon finishers: 13 Alex Urban 35.53, 19 Hugh Saxby (first over-55 veteran) 39.33, 27 Stewart Bond 42.23, 35 David harris 44.31, 48 Barry King 46.51, 84 Dennis Williams 55.17.
Woking’s Rose Nicholson led throughout to win the women’s race in a course record 38.57 ahead of Hercules Wimbledon’s Naomi Warner (40.24) and Claire Grims (42:22).
With Anna Garnier fourth (44:32), Michaela Knespl fifth (45.17) and Alison Purnell 10t (48:49), Hercules Wimbledon won the women’s team race.
Joe Clark was the fastest member of the Hercules Wimbledon U17 trio that competed in the Bruce Judd Surrey young athletes cross country relays at Stoke Park, Guildford, on Saturday. He clocked 7:47 in keeping the team in ninth place. Other members of the squad were Ed Saywell (7:54) and Ben Palmer (8:02).
Andrew Davies was the best of 10 Hercules Wimbledon runners in the Wimbledon Common parkrun on Saturday finishing fifth out of more than 200 runners in 18:30. David Grima (18:53) and over 45 veteran Jeremy Purnell (20:46) were ninth and 30th. Over at Bushy Park, over 40 veteran Stewart Bond was 44th out of 687 finishers in 19:11.
This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon are in action in the opening 2XU Surrey Men's and Surrey Ladies cross country leagues meetings. The men's Division One meeting is being staged on Wimbledon Common on Saturday. The young athletes race over 2.5 miles is at 2.30pm with the seniors, who race over five miles, due off half-an-hour later. The women's league meeting is also on Saturday in Richmond Park near Kingston Gate. The seniors start at 12noon and other age groups for under 15 and under 17's and under 13's follow at 1pm and 1.30pm.
* Hercules Wimbledon's track and field training sessions take place at Wimbledon Park athletics stadium on Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting at 6.30pm and Sunday morning at 10.30am. Further details from coaching coordinator Maurice Sharp on 020 8337 8707.
*Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club hold mid-week road running training sessions for marathon, cross country and road runners from Lauriston Cottage, 6a Southside, Wimbledon Common, at the junction with Lauriston Road, every Wednesday evening from 7pm. Contact Pete Mulholland on 020 8761 4308 for more details.
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