Herne Hill Harriers

Click here to view the full results (hyperlink to www.race-results.co.uk).

The best team in London, the best team of all? Everybody knows us, we're called Herne Hill. Well, maybe not quite.

London came calling at a cold, wind-swept but paradoxically bright Parliament Hill and what followed was a clash between two sets of Harriers hailing from both north and south of the river. Frustratingly, in the London championships (incorporated into the English Cross Country Series event) the Herne Hill Harriers senior men's team was a couple of rounds of ammunition short of the firepower needed to overthrow defending champions Highgate Harriers in their own backyard and not for the first time this season (this was in fact the fourth occasion) had to settle for second place in a cross country fixture and another set of silver medals. Surely the team hasn't become allergic to winning?

Recent rain had suggested that the home of English cross country running might pose a stern challenge, favouring nimble-footed mudlarks over raw-speed brutes, but the cold, biting atmosphere contrived a course that would ultimately disappoint those who came praying for mud. Arguably, this wasn't a true "Battle of Parli Hill" for while the weather might not have watered the course, the race distance had been watered-down from the 9 mile real deal that every cross country runner secretly craves to the metric 10 kilometres. Yes, sometimes change is not good.

It was an afternoon when the men in Dennis the Menace kit hunted packs; just 28 seconds separated our first scorer, Tim Elsey, placing a fine 8th in 33:22, from Brian Wilder, unable to reproduce his very best form but still strong and fast enough to claim 16th position in 33:50. In between them, the difference between Ben Paviour and Keith Newton was a soliary second as Ben placed 10th in 33:30 and Keith 11th in 33:31, a performance which ensured he comfortably finished as the leading vet by over 2 minutes. On a different day, this might have been sufficient to take the team title, but this was always going to be an uphill task (when is it ever not at Parli Hill) after Highgate claimed 2 of the first 4 scoring berths and closed their team a position sooner in 15th.

With many of our local and not so local rivals choosing not to field their strongest teams, if at all, there was at least another opportunity for the the red and black hooped ones to demonstrate their strength in depth. Our "B" team was one again the first "B" team from any club to finish in placing 5th and its members would have walked into any other team placing 3rd or lower. In another close inter-HHH battle, Jeff Cunninhgam placed 19th in 34:04, just 14 seconds behind Brian Wilder, James Jarvis followed him in 29th in 34:45 before Jonathan Stead, 33rd in 35:03, just got the better of Simon Coombes who finished 34th in 35:08.

Further down the field, just 38 seconds separated the members of our "C" team who traded places with regularity throughout the contest, ultimately finishing 17th in the team standings. Despite establishing an advantage of 20 yards early in the race, Basil Wallace was ultimately caught on the last lap by both Simon Phillips and Sarwar Khan, both of whom had enjoyed a titantic tussle with James Ward, who left his own vest and recent improving form at home. Simon's measured and controlled run saw him deservedly come out on top in this particular battle to place 83rd in 37:30 while Sarwar's final lap charge saw him surge past Basil with the finish in sight to claim 86th spot in 37:37 to Basil's 87th in 37:41. In an emphatic role reverseal of recent Tooting Tuesdays, James was left trailing home in 99th in 38:08, simply grateful that he'd been able to borrow a vest.

By now, the mob mentality had become contagious and the desire to outwit and outhink one's clubmates infected the motly crue in our "D" team members who combined to take 33rd place overall. Ben Hallifax's continuing improvement was again evident as he claimed 144th place in 40:39 while Ed Barrow beat Paul Shiel to the line by the narrowest of margins to finish 150th in 41:02 to Paul's 151st in 41:03. Clinging to their coat-tails was Tim Ridley, a few places behind in 159th place in 41:20.

Club President Waldy Pauzers meanwhile defied these mob tactics to finish 202nd in 44:41 to become the only man not to finish within 90 seconds of at least one of his HHH team mates. Roland Woodbridge was 245th in 55:45, a few places ahead of Andy Lea-Gerrard, 248th in 56:53.

In the earlier women's race contested over 6 kilometres, Karen Ellison finished 9th in 21:52, followed by Clare Pauzers 30th in 23:32, Helen Sharp 39th in 23:55. Rebecca Barrow outsprinted Katie Le Ruez in the finishing straight to claim the final berth in the women's 5th placed scoring team in 64th place in 25:31 over Katie's 65th place in 25:34, while Sue Swaine placed 72nd in 25:46, Carolyn Grainger 80th in 26:23, Sarah Allen 97th in 27:26, the season's only ever-present runner Penelope Fixter was 111th in 28:22, Amanda Du Rand was 113th in 28:25 and last season's most-improved athlete Monica Lobefaro made a welcome return to finish 141st in 31:43. 

(N.B. - The positions stated above are London championship rather than overall race placings.)