London Heathrow Games – Parliament Hill Fields, Hampstead - Saturday 23 November 2002

(Photos courtesy Terry Andrews)

Four team wins - in the under 13 and under 15 boys and girls categories - swept the Havering borough team to overall victory in the London Boroughs Championships at rain-soaked Parliament Hill yesterday. 

The course was already heavy from the recent wet weather but virtually non-stop rain from early morning turned it into a quagmire. With many of the Havering team coming from the local club (Havering Mayesbrook), the experienced athletes made the most of the conditions to the extent that team gold medals in the first four races went to Havering.

The u15 girls provided the most thrilling race of the day which ended in triumph for Katie Richardson who, just as in the recent Schools Cup event, came from behind to win. This time she claimed a major scalp as she surged through in the last 100m to overhaul Cathy Conway (Orion) who had won convincingly in the recent Essex League and had finished fifth in a top class field at Margate the previous week. Megan Foley also came past Conway in the closing strides to finish in the silver medal spot in her first race of the winter. The victorious Havering borough team was completed by Vicky Smith (5th) and Lauren Clark (10th) who secured the team gold, while Robyn Matson finished 7th for Barking & Dagenham. To complete Havering's dominance in this age group Charlotte Wood placed 11th, Alison Brown (13th), Georgina Clark 14th and Helen Roach 16th, with Lauren McVicar in 27th and sisters Hayley and Hannah Charman. Vicky Roper also ran well until having to pull out with breathing difficulties.  

The under 13 boys squad of Matt Watkins, Bradley & Scott Tungatt and Paul Adair (12th) were emphatic team winners. Matt Watkins showed his best form of the winter to claim individual bronze, beating team mate Bradley Tungatt for the first time in the process. Bradley finished in fifth, after running the race with twin brother Scott who ended up 7th. Paul Adair was a good 12th in his first cross country race this year. Other finishers included Joe Webster, Grant Twist, Matthew Read, Joe Evans and Matthew Pearce.

The Havering u13 girls team also took the honours.  Annie Dunn (Coopers' school and Chelmsford AC) ran well to place second, ran a tremendous race to take individual silver. Danielle Raymond (also Coopers) was close up in 5th, Francesca Clark in 12th and Hayley Thomas in 14th. This quartet took the team gold and were well supported by Ingrid Deane, Rachael Newman, Louise Wood, Lauren Andrews and Alex Watkins.

 There were also wins for the u15 boys team of Ross Clarke (5th), Aaron Churchhouse (6th), Paul Andrews (13th) & Andrew Luck (25th), while Ashley Reece, running for Barking & Dagenham did even better in 3rd. The successful quartet was well supported by David Nefs, Martyn Chambers, Jay Ryan and Christian Newton.  

The u17 girls were 2nd, with Caroline Smith starring in 8th, Katie Hegmann (Coopers) 16th, Jennifer Szantai 19th and Elizabeth Shrimpton (Coopers) 24th resulting in well earned team silver medals. Laura Moore also ran well for 32nd place.

The final race for u17 boys saw Andrew Meech take 11th place with Robert Howe 26th. They were well supported by Danny Skelt, Darren Neville, Andrew Feehan and John Leiser.  

Faye Fullerton improved after her low-key run at Margate, taking an early lead but eventually settling for 4th in the combined u20/senior race, and winning individual u20 gold.