South of the Thames CC Championship, Wimbledon Common (Roehampton Vale)
Mixed fortunes on the Common: Wicksy wins but Wardy hit by injury
Being the last race before Christmas it was inevitable that Joker 'Wardy' would turn up in festive mood and sure enough he was wearing a Father Christmas hat that had his team mates smiling as he joined the throng at the flag. Phil Wicks had had a worrying week after Emily pulled out soon after the start of the previous weekend's European Cross with a severe pain in her chest that turned out to be a collapsed lung; but he too couldn't help smiling as the two of them set out for a warm up in preparation for spearheading the team to a tilt at the championship.
Sharp on 2pm the race got under way and it was immediately obvious that Wicksy meant business. Splashing through the puddles on the playing fields he was clear after a couple of hundred metres and as the chase disappeared up into the woods only Gilbert (Kent) and Lacy (Cambridge) showed any intention of trying to hang on. Sure enough Phil had a substantial lead over the other two after the first lap and then came a huge gap to fourth - so large a break that some watchers felt that the bulk of the field must have gone off course and run an extra kilometre somewhere.
Where was Richard Ward? He was expected to be taking a forward placing but it was Richard Stannard through next with Will Cockerell not too far behind. Something had obviously happened to our man and with his disappearance our championship hopes also collapsed.
Soon Phil was dropping back from the woods onto the playing fields to take a great individual win which he later said had "cleared his head and given his body a bit of a test." Next up for him will be place in the GB & NI team for the Great Edinburgh International against USA and European teams on 7 January.
A cracking run came from Richard Stannard who had gone out hard and held on well to place 11th with Will in 24th. And now it became apparent that Wardy, who had limped back to the start, had suffered a recurrence of a hamstring problem that took him out during the summer. In fact there was no way we could have handled a rampant Herne Hill who had a terrific team in action but we might, just might, have sneaked a set of silver medals but for that misfortune.
Photo: a great run came from World
Aquathlon Champion Richard Stannard
in 11th place.
Men 12k. 1 P Wicks 37:42; 2 D Lacey (Camb H) 38:13; 3 J Gilbert Kent AC) 38:17; 11 R Stannard 41:14; 24 W Cockerell 42:18; 44 D Mason 44:25; 45 L Eguia 44:31; 81 B Barton M45 47:48; 83 M Byansi 48:17; 92 R Norville 49:16; 99 P Carstairs M50 50:24; 138 N Dilley 52:45; 154 finished; dnf R Ward, W Lynch.
Teams 6 to score: 1 Herne Hill H 69; 2 Hercules Wimbledon 131; 3 Kent AC 150; ... 5 Belgrave H 206; 12 teams closed in.
Teams: 12 to score: 1 Herne Hill H 209; 2 Kent AC 549; 3 Hercules Wimbledon 647.
Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.