Herne Hill Harriers
a Community Amateur Sports Club founded in 1889
based at Tooting Bec Athletics track
26/09/09 - Dave Peters excels in NYC 5th Avenue Mile race
Dave Peters, a HHH track star from the mid 1990s to the turn of the century rolled back the years to produce a stunning performance at the World class 5th Avenue road mile races in New York City on 26 September. Having made a notable late season return to the track this summer, Dave was keen to test himself in a quality race and was able to get himself a place in the semi pro race, where at the age of 38 Dave was giving the entire field at least 10 years in age as well as having one of (if not the) slowest PB.
Dave takes up the story: "I ran 4:14 yesterday in the Fifth Avenue Mile. I went through 1500m in 3:54/55 which is my quickest since 2000. I was in the semi-pro race so standard was very high (won in 4:01.8) but I was competitive the whole way and with a bit more training behind me could have finished 5th or 6th. As it was, I was very satisfied with 9th and it's great to be running fast again." (Geoff Jerwood)
Dave Peters, a HHH track star from the mid 1990s to the turn of the century rolled back the years to produce a stunning performance at the World class 5th Avenue road mile races in New York City on 26 September. Having made a notable late season return to the track this summer, Dave was keen to test himself in a quality race and was able to get himself a place in the semi pro race, where at the age of 38 Dave was giving the entire field at least 10 years in age as well as having one of (if not the) slowest PB.
Dave takes up the story: "I ran 4:14 yesterday in the Fifth Avenue Mile. I went through 1500m in 3:54/55 which is my quickest since 2000. I was in the semi-pro race so standard was very high (won in 4:01.8) but I was competitive the whole way and with a bit more training behind me could have finished 5th or 6th. As it was, I was very satisfied with 9th and it's great to be running fast again." (Geoff Jerwood)
27/09/09 - Fabulous vets make it a magnificent seven
The all-conquering veteran men's road relay team fought off a determined last lap charge from local rivals Thames Hare & Hounds to win the South of England 4-Stage M40 Road Relay Championship for the seventh consecutive in glorious sunshine at the Rushmoor Arena.Times: Roger Alsop - 19:49; Vic Maughn - 20:33; Keith Newton - 19:33; Dave Robinson - 19:38
B Team: Tony Harran - 21:21; Waldy Pauzers - 25:02; Andy Lea-Gerrard - 32:54; Waldy Pauzers - 26:40
In the senior men's 6-Stage race, the team put up a determined fight and ultimately placed 24th to qualify for the National 6-Stage relays in October after Chris Busaileh overtook 11 runs on the 4th leg and Jeff Cunningham ran the fastest leg on the final stage to move us into the top 25.
Times: Tim Elsey - 20:08; Jonny Henderson - 20:22; Simon Coombes - 20:16; Chris Busaileh - 19:41; Sam Knight - 20:59; Jeff Cunningham - 19:25
More news to follow. Click here to access the full results from these championships (hyperlink to Aldershot, Farnham & District website).
19/09/09 - Successful start on "Strictly" for Jade
Our senior women's long jump record holder, Jade Johnson, made a successful start to her campaign on Strictly Come Dancing, safely progressing to the next stage of the competition. Please follow her progress over the next few months!
19/09/09 - New signing Ayk leads HHH men to third in Blackheath XC relays
Ayk Meretzki from Germany, the newest member of the Lockett's Rockets training group and HHH was our fastest man in the Will Bolton Memorial relays organised by Blackheath & Bromley Harriers at Sparrow's Den. Our men's A team of Alan Barnes (13:08), Vic Maughn (14:34), Ayk Meretzki (12:57) and Keith Newton (13:18) placed third behind strong teams from the hosts and Tonbridge AC, while some sterling efforts also from Chris Busaileh (14:03 and 14:05) and Chris Peach (14:22 and 15:14) both help ensure we filled B and C teams. Andrew Aitken (14:50) and Tony Harran (14:58) also ran legs for our B team while our C team was led off by Nigel Panter (17:34) and Waldy Pauzers (17:28).
Our women were also represented with an A team of Debbie Jackson (17:58), Rebecca Barrow (18:18), Julia Wedmore (17:37) and Sarah Allen (19:56) placing 6th of the women's teams, while Penelope Fixter (19:29) started off an incomplete B team. (Geoff Jerwood)
9/09/09 - Sam Knight fastest in Yacht handicap despite finishing last!
Six hardy souls contested the annual 4 mile Yacht handicap over a testing course. The handicapper was clearly in benevolent mood as all but one finished inside their predicted time.
Andy Lea-Gerrard set off first and finished in 34:41. He was overtaken on route by Phillip Henwood who had started with a 1 minute handicap behind him as Phillip won the race to be the first man to reach the finish in 31:21. Paul Shiel started with an 8 minute handicap and recorded a time of 25:45, while Rob Jacobs had given ALG a 9 minute start and finished just seconds in front of him in 25:28. James Ward, starting with a 10 minute handicap, recorded 23:53 which wasn't quite fast enough to prevent Sam Knight recording the fastest time of the day of 23:08, having started 12 minutes after ALG. Such is the way with this handicap that Sam was actually the last man to finish despite being the fastest on the day! (James Ward)
12/09/09 - Vets win Surrey Road Relays as part of a HHH show of strength
Hot on the heels of our superb veterans track and field league victory, Herne Hill Harriers over 40s regained the Surrey Road Relay championship in September sunshine at Wimbledon Park. Tony Harran, Ed Barrow, Vic Maughn and Mike Boyle combined to see off the other M40 teams from the county by 39 seconds. Mike's very welcome return after almost a year of injury saw him overtake the long time race leaders on the anchor stage, although he had to give way to Vic when it came to the medal for the fastest individual time of the M40 race. Especially well done also to Ed, who won his first ever running medal. This win sets our M40s up for the defence of our Southern road relays and British Cross Country relays titles in the coming weeks.On a day when the club showed excellent strength in depth, we also had teams placed 2nd and 3rd in the senior men's championship and 4th in the senior women's race. Our senior men's A team were particularly unlucky to lose out at the end of a titanic battle with our perennial local rival Thames Hare & Hounds after leading for much of the race, as our first stage runner inadvertently added some extra distance to the course he ran while leading, in the absence of a marshal to point the way. This mishap - which may possibly have cost us the race - notwithstanding, HHH had 4 of the 7 fastest individual men on the day for a very encouraging start to our road and cross country season.
In the senior men's race we had 3 complete teams of 6 and another with 3 runners, while as well as our winning 4 man M40 team we also had a team for over 50s. Our 2nd placed senior A team was selected from runners who were qualified (by residence or birth) to compete in the Surrey championships while our B team contained 4 runners who were not, which effectively meant they were a guest team not eligible to claim the medals that would normally go to the 3rd team across the finish line. Our men's C team placed 12th, while our over 50's were 11th in the M50 race.
Gareth Price's relay debut for HHH didn't quite go to plan, as after a fast start up the long hill past the All England Tennis Club he then went off course and had to overtake a number of runners he had been some way ahead of before just about reclaiming the lead as he handed over to Rob Karn on stage 2. Gareth's time of 14:58 would of course have been rather faster without his detour, but still stood up as the 3rd fastest of the day. Rob kept our A team in contention on the 2nd leg, but was overtaken by our B team man, Cumbria qualified Jeff Cunningham, who ran into the lead superbly, clocking 14:57, the 2nd best overall time.
Iain Lockett (15:01), Jonathan Stead (15:27) and Iain Yates (15:22) ran the next 3 stages to give our A team a lead of 25 seconds going into the final leg, but with newly selected England mountain running international James McMullan (who competes for HHH on the track, but not road and cross country) lined up on the final stage for Thames we knew Alan Barnes was going to have his work cut out to hold onto this lead. James set off quickly and overhauled Alan with the fastest time of the day, but Alan's run was still a good one as he recorded 14:59 for the 4th best time overall. Alan was just on the wrong end of what was a thrilling finish for the neutrals to enjoy, but unfortunately HHH did not share the enjoyment as we had to settle for 2nd and 3rd team placings.
Our women fielded 3 complete teams of 4 runners each, the best of which placed 4th after leading at the halfway stage. Karen Ellison ran well on first leg to clock 17:20 and hand over to Ceri Diss in 3rd place. Ceri's 17:36 briefly took us into the lead, but with injuries and other unavailability depriving us of some of our fastest runners, young Julia Wedmore (20:09) and Virginia Grant (20:01) ran well to bring the team home in 4th place. Our women's B team finished a commendable 8th, the fastest team member being Debbie Jackson with 19:47, while Suzie Richards ran a fine 18:09 on first leg for our 13th placed C team. (Geoff Jerwood)
12/09/09 - Girls finish as runners-up in Lily B League final
Herne Hill Harriers narrowly failed to win the Lily B final when finishing an honourable second at Ewell Court.
Our U13 and U15 girls and U17 women were the only strong challengers to Guildford & Godlaming AC who had won the trophy for the past three seasons. Having only joined the league two years ago, we took a strong team to the final and contested the lead with Guildford throughout the afternoon. A point behind at the half way stage, we eventually finished 30 points behind them.
Injuries during the end of the afternoon and a disqualifation in the relays meant we lost ground in the final half hour, but to finish second was a good finish to the young athletes season as our team included a number of girls experiencing club athletics for the first time. Many had joined the club having attended the Star Track summer holiday sessions. (Steve Bosley)
Our U13 and U15 girls and U17 women were the only strong challengers to Guildford & Godlaming AC who had won the trophy for the past three seasons. Having only joined the league two years ago, we took a strong team to the final and contested the lead with Guildford throughout the afternoon. A point behind at the half way stage, we eventually finished 30 points behind them.
Injuries during the end of the afternoon and a disqualifation in the relays meant we lost ground in the final half hour, but to finish second was a good finish to the young athletes season as our team included a number of girls experiencing club athletics for the first time. Many had joined the club having attended the Star Track summer holiday sessions. (Steve Bosley)
Match result: Guildford & Godalming - 391.5; Herne Hill Harriers - 347.5; Bracknell AC - 289; Reigate Priory AC - 221; Aldershot,Farnham & District - 125; Walton AC - 108
06/09/09 - Julien Allwood wins UK Schools Games triple jump title
At the UK Schools Games in Cardiff, Julien Allwood completed a remarkable season in which he has won every major competition he has contested by winning the triple jump by a huge margin with a leap of 14.47m. Lewis Lloyd placed 5th in the 800m after running 1:59 in both his heat and the final.
06/09/09 - Thomas Ashby extends U20 men's club decathlon record
Thomas Ashby has extended his own U20 men's club decathlon record to 6,643 points. Representing England U20s he placed 2nd in the combined events home international match at Stoke. His latest record included two PBs - 11.40 for 100m and 14.43 for 110m Hurdles.
06/09/09 - Masterful veterans clinch league title
After several near misses in recent years the veteran men's track & field team finally fulfilled their destiny and proved themselves to be the masters of the Southern Counties Vets AC League in a keenly contested final at Ashford. Despite having won national titles in road and cross country events, team success on the track had proved elusive - until now. The close knit squad weaved together by the wile Dave Wilson took an early lead in the morning's events and never looked back despite the determined efforts of Enfield & Haringey and Blackheath & Bromley Harriers, allowing the team to savour the closing events knowing victory was as good as secured. Well done to all who competed on the day and throughout the season.
Match result: Herne Hill Harriers - 289; Blackheath & Bromley Harriers - 275; Enfield & Haringey AC - 244.5; Dartford Harriers - 239.5; Basingstoke & Mid Hants - 220; Epsom & Ewell Harriers - 117; Hastings AC - 57; Oxford City did not appear
06/09/09 - Youngsters enjoy success at Woking AC open
The annual open took place at Woking AC track on 6 September. This is one of the best organised open meetings anywhere with some 600 athletes taking part. There were quite a few former international athletes and coaches presenting the winners with their medals. Athletes finishing in first place were rewarded with a beautifully crafted Perspex momento with two figures of athletes breaking through the tape on the finish line. Athletes taking part in more major competitions at any level would have been more than happy to receive such an award. World Youth champion Jodie Williams made an appearance taking part in the U20 women's 100m. Our athletes picked up three wins and 1 third place.
Lascelles Hussey completed his track season with a masterful display of 800m front running, with a time of 2:21in the heats and a PB of 2:18.73 in the final ranking him 7th in his age group nationally. Katie Snowden (2:13) and Rachel Mayhew (13.05) won the U17 women’s 800m and 100m respectively. Fraser Hay won his first pole vault medal with a clearance of 2.00m. His sister Georgie qualified for the finals of the 800m after the earlier heats running a PB of 2:41 in the final. Eleanor Rodham Cooke was slightly under par in the high jump (in light of her 1.35m at the HHH Open) finishing in 4th place with a height of 1.26m. Kriselle Kendall-Morris took part in the U17 women's 200m finishing 3rd in her heat but did not qualify for the final. (James McDonald)
05/09/09 – Depleted Southern Women’s League team end season with spirited display
A Southern Women’s League team that was small in number but big in team spirit finished 3rd in their final fixture of the season in Harrow. Whilst Nene Valley and Enfield and Haringey fought it out for victory, HHH saw off the challenge of Bexley for third place by 70 points to 59. The whole squad chipped in with valuable points on a day that was warm at times but with cloud and a breeze never far away.
The throws were a good source of points for the team. Briony Phillips clocked up two individual wins in the A string shot and discus) as she went through the throws card. Despite her already busy day, Briony also showed great versatility with an excellent 9.50m for second place in the A string triple jump. Gabrielle Roseje was another athlete who scored well in the field in an afternoon that included a win in the B string discus. Barbara McAnas was also on hand to not only compete in the throws but to volunteer for the B string triple jump and take third place. It was perhaps this sort of attitude, which was prevalent amongst all of the team members, that was most impressive about the day where only the technical pole vault and hurdles events were left unfilled. Monique Davis and Rebecca Zelic took a double second in the long jump, with Rebecca also competing in the high jump and 4x100m relay despite feeling unwell. Sharon St Luce completed the high jump line up.
Monique’s afternoon extended to the track where she took on all of the sprint events available, 100m, 200m, a 59.9 400m and both relays. Alexandra Shamloll took an impressive 800m victory with a time of 2:33.4. Her B string compatriot Tamsin Cornelius followed suit to provide maximum points. Neither Alexandra nor Tamsin were finished for the day though as the former took on the 200m and 400m and the latter the 100m and 1500m.
As the cross country season approaches, the distance runners produced the sort of results they will hope to maintain throughout the winter. Sarah Allen not only placed second in the A string 3000m but was then happy to support the HHH cause by filling the vacant 1500m B string berth. Track debutant Penelope Fixter shook off some pre-race nerves to take first in the B string with 13:35.9 and lap all of her competitors.
The relays were not a huge source of points, but did exemplify the team spirit on display. The fact that any teams could be fielded was impressive in itself as so many of the members had completed their events, volunteered for ‘bonus’ events and then still found the energy and motivation to make themselves available.
Whilst the final result of 3rd place in the fixture was perhaps lower than we would have liked, the attitude and commitment of all those who made their way to north London could not be faulted. If a slightly larger squad can display the same qualities next year, this team should be very successful indeed. (Mike Cummings)
Match result: Nene Valley - 96; Enfield & Haringey AC - 92; Herne Hill Harriers - 70; Bexley - 59
