Our winter cross country and road squad has established itself as one of the strongest in the country, based on its winning of regional and national medals. It is great to welcome two new members this month, Charlotte Alexander and Olivia Stillman, who will improve further our already strong U15 and U17 female sections respectively.
Charlotte is relatively new to running, having contested her first races via her school in the 2014/15 winter. Coming from a strong swimming background, Charlotte has made a big impression on the track and cross country scene. After finish second in the 15/16 surrey schools cross country, Charlotte went on to finish an amazing 5th in the English Schools Cross Country championships at Nottingham, and then ran for England finishing 5th in the home international, SIAB, meeting. Charlotte has since translated her great form to the track, where she has run PBs of 2.17.9, 4.36.89 and 9.57.2. Charlotte was third in the English Schools 1500m, and her 3000m time ranks her first U15 in the UK.
Olivia also has an excellent record on all surfaces, track, road and cross country. Like Charlotte she finished 2nd in the surrey schools cross country last winter behind Claudia Lance Jones and ahead of some very strong athletes, and Olivia has placed in top 25 in regional and top 50 in national level cross country championships. One of her best performances was her 17.31 in the three mile London Mini Marathon, 2016, where she was 13th finisher in her age group. Olivia has PBs of 2.19.07, 4.43.4 and 10.16.36.
Charlotte and Olivia are members of the increasingly successful satellite training group led by Wayne Vinton. Further details of this group, which trains at venues that include Wimbledon and Richmond and embraces athletes from a range of clubs, are at:
http://www.hernehillharriers.org/satellite-training-group-in-sw-londonsurrey/
A big Herne Hill welcome to Charlotte and Olivia!
Keith Newton, 1/10/16