Athletes from Blackheath & Bromley have been in action in a variety of events recently although others have fallen foul of the weather.

Jennie Butler, the Club’s joint womens cross country team manager, finished 6th in the womens race at the South Of The Thames Junior Championships at Wimbledon. She was 110th overall. Ben Harding was the Club’s first male finisher in 8th place with under 17 Will Mercer finishing a very creditable 43rd against Senior opposition. At the other end of the age scale, old war horse Ken Daniel, an over 60, finished in 137th.

Young Will Mercer was back in action the following day as he finished in 4th place in the Club 10 mile cross country championship. Winner of the race was Dan Ryan who is better known as an 800 metre runner. He won in 64.09 on a course which is arguably one of the toughest in the country.

Second place went to Glen Turner in 64.38 with Nick Kinsey third in 64.45. First woman to finish was Elaine Murty who was 10th overall in a time of 70.03 despite turning her ankle. Jane Bradshaw was second and Julie Reynolds third.

The race incorporated the latest of the Bennett Handicap series of races and it was a clean sweep for the women with Annie McDonough winning from Sarah Elmqvist and Past President Anne Cilia third. The updated positions in the series appear on the Club website at www.bandbhac.org.uk Andrew Rayner risked life and limb in the Puma Hell Down South race at Longmoor Camp in Hampshire. He won in 1.03.36 but picked up a mass of cuts and grazes when, as leading runner, it was beholden upon him to break the ice across a stream. His injuries can be viewed on Facebook.

Russell Bentley was unscathed in winning the Beckenham Charity 10km in 33.57 and veteran Keith Ewing won the Cotswold 10km in 35.28.

Birmingham University student Jack Swallow ventured further north to finish 47th in the high standard Leeds Abbey Dash 10km in a time of 32.37 with over 50 Bill Foster 81st in 33.52.