Thames Men build early season momentum

The Thames Men are progressing into the 2018/19 cross country season with good results at two recent races. At the second round of the Surrey League the rain was so torrential that at times it was hard to see where you were going. It didn’t affect the quality of the running though with 27 minute 10k man Alex Yee winning the race for Kent and Thames recording a quality third team place behind Kent and the dominant Hercules Wimbledon. Jim Allchin continued his impressive improvement this season with an excellent 7^th followed by David Wilson in 17^th, Martin Alvarez-Espinar (who travelled over from Spain for the race) 33^rd, James McMullan 34^th, Paddy Roddy 37^th, Simon Wurr 42^nd (3^rd V40), Neil Chisholm 46^th, Martin Shore 58^th, Gordon Pearce 61^st and Richard Ollington 65^th. The B team was also third B team with James Chettle 70^th, Tom Greenwood 101^st, Nick Altmann 108^th, Joe Gale 116^th, Nic Gould 127^th, Charles Morris 128^th, John Bull 149^th, Richard Hewitt 164^th, Andy Lynch 182^nd and Andy Robinson 235^th. They were supported by Matt Beaney in 239^th. A great day of racing and it was followed by more encouraging results at the London Cross Country Championships the next weekend. At an unusually dry Parliament Hill Luuk Metselaar was a superb 6^th, Richard Ollington 42^nd, Gordon Pearce 61^st, Tom Greenwood 96^th (8^th team), James Meiklejohn 100^th, Joe Gale 101^st, John Bull 140^th, Edmund Gazeley 195^th and Thomas Westran 360^th.