Surrey Masters Cross Country Championships, Nonsuch Park, Cheam, Saturday 26/10/2024
Eighteen Herne Hill Veterans towed the starting lines for the Surrey Masters Cross Country Championships being held at Nonsuch Park, Cheam on Saturday 26th October 2024 on a strangely cloud covered humid windless day where the grass remained damp and the soil sodden throughout the events of the day.
Women and Men 65 plus initiated proceedings running two laps of the gently undulating twisty course. The race loop, starts near Nonsuch Mansion within open fields and meanders into the woods and along a slow rising track with muddy patches randomly dispersed along the way before returning to the start line to complete the lap.
Gaby Reynolds, our leading veteran lady, pushed at the front from the off, finishing third overall but first W40 by a clear margin to none other than our very own Sue Swain, second in the category. Fortune favoured our W35 to 44 team made up by a well deserving Jess Winfield in 9th place to pip South London Harriers by a single point. Alex Marginean W35, Mary Setyabule W55 and Sarah Allen W60 added to our women’s team success at the races.
The M65 men in the same 2 lap, 6.3km long, race also had the good fortune to close out an HHH ‘ancient’s team’ as sprightly Jak Stegner (8th M65) made an excellent return to racing after at least 20 years of ‘enforced retirement’ and led an HHH M65 team to a creditable 5th position for the first time. Valdis Pauzers took an unexpected 3rd individual place in the M70’s category despite 9 months of injury this calendar year, whilst Nigel Goodwin closed out this team and the race itself!
Shortly after the M35 to M64 event, consisting of three of those same described laps (9.3km.), began in a furious fashion with Phil Wicks (Belgrave), the eventual winner, and John Hutchins (Woking) breaking away from the start and keeping their distance all the way to the finish. Our leading man, M50 Ben Paviour, was up there with the rest, running a well-paced and diligent race to outwit the only M50 who could keep up that workrate, Epsom’s Steve Winder over the last 500 metres. Debutant Mike O’Brien ran strongly and enthusiastically for a fine paced run and 11th M45 overall, finding the cross country an interesting race variant! Sadly, we had no third man in that team category to close out an M45 team.
Along with Mike, we had an HHH bunch pulling each other around at the same pace for the first two laps. This resulted in a fabulous run as Graeme Moyse (3rd Individual M60 medallist) broke and headed for home. In his wake, the rest in their finishing order, consisted of Muhamed Haile (3rd individual M55 medallist), Norman Urquia (4th M55), Derek Lee (5th M55) and Joffah Ratcliffe (7th M55). Poor Joffah was struggling with overuse pains and soreness from his race the day before, rest and recovery is required! Andrew Simms (M55) was back to his usual form whilst (15th M60) Richard Stansfield closed out whilst doing a good training workout for his forthcoming marathon.
And so we had another Team Gold in the M55 Category with all that high quality back up for Graeme, with Muhamed and Norman being the worthy 2nd and 3rd team placers.
A successful day at the races, with eight medallists and top racing debut-returns from Jak Stegner and Mike O’Brien. Long may their racing and competitive spirit remain and be satiated in them there Red and Black Hoops!
Up the Hill,
Valdis Pauzers
HHH Masters Team Manager.