Surrey CC League Division 1, Race 4, Farthing Downs

Spen our third individual winner - Bels third in the league

Since a period around Christmas when an injured back set Spencer Barden back a few weeks, he has made good progress, and choosing the final Surrey League race to try himself out found himself lined up in a start that included an increasingly confident Kevin Nash, a blast from the past in the form of international Adrian Passey, John Downes and Dave Taylor from Herne Hill, Sam Haughian in an unfamiliar (for him) Aldershot vest - and all the normal crowd. It was a classy line-up.

It was decidedly fresh on the top of Farthing Downs with huge and occasionally threatening cloud formations sent scudding across an otherwise blue sky by a fierce and cold wind. A mile out, at the top of the first climb with the wind battering the runners, the field was beginning to string out and already Spen was in control - his only problem being the avoidance of grazing cattle who became increasingly panicked by the mob of runners. Downes and Passey were close, with Kevin Nash just a little way back in about 6th.

Heading towards the end of the lap the Belgrave man was winding it up and only Downes was now offering resistance with Kevin Nash looking stronger as the race went on and gradually picking off the men ahead. In the team race, with Herne Hill and Thames only narrowly separated, it looked as if it would go down to the wire.

Up at the top and going past the tea-rooms the order had become established. Both the Belgrave men looked to be in fine fettle and it will be interesting to see how they go in the National in a fortnight's time.

Further down the field Will Cockerell was tanned from a spot of warm weather training but still looking for that streak of top form; Knut Hegvold was as solid as ever and new man James Beech showed us that he will have a lot to offer when the relays come around. Will now looks unbeatable in the Plate competition with Warren Lynch looking increasingly sure of the silver medal.

And as for the team competition: Thames just held off a huge Herne Hill challenge and once again have their hands on the league title.

1 S.Barden (Belgrave) 27:26; 2 J.Downes (Herne Hill) 27:44; 3 K.Nash (Belgrave) 28:06; 4 E.Robinson (Aldershot F&D) 28:16; 5 D.Taylor (Herne Hill) 28:19; 6 A.Moses (Reigate Priory) 28:22; 7 A.Passey (Belgrave gst) 28:24; 8 M.Norminton (Herne Hill) 28:37; 9 M.Shore (Thames H&H) 28:35; 10 B.Reynolds (Thames H&H) 28:58; 27 W.Cockerell 30:12; 31 K.Hegvold M40 30:25; 32 J.Beech 30:27; 33 R.Alsop 30:31; 45 W.Lynch 31:12; 53 T.Hadfield 31:56; 57 C.Axe 32:03; 63 M.Humphrey U20 32:20; 71 C.Dickinson M55 32:52; 77 R.Marcus 33:11; 104 C.Smith 35:20; 105 S.Connor 35:24; 123 S.Baxendale 37:45; 124 H.Corbett 37:48; 136 finished.

Teams and final league positions:

1 Thames H&H (8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 23, 29, 37, 39) 197 - 1st with 833 points overall

2 Herne Hill H (2, 5, 7, 18, 19, 22, 25, 28, 35, 38) 199 - 2nd 864

3 Belgrave H ( 1, 3, 26, 30, 31, 32, 41, 45, 48, 54) 311 - 3rd 1395

4 Aldershot F&D (4, 21, 34, 40, 43, 51, 58, 62, 66, 78) 457 - 4th 1577

5 South London H (13, 17, 24, 55, 57, 60, 61, 64, 65, 70) 486 - 5th 1910

6 Ranelagh H (16, 20, 33, 47, 50, 52, 59, 67, 71, 80) 495 - 6th 1945

7 Reigate Priory AC (6, 27, 42, 46, 49, 53, 56, 73, 74, 76) 502 - 7th 2136

8 Stragglers (36, 44, 63, 72, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 85) 703 - 8th 2690

9 Boxhill R (10, 68, 69, 75, 83, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90) 745 - 9th 3030

Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.