A HUGE turnout of 41 Farnham Runners helped the club secure an amazing set of team results at the Alton 10, the ninth of 12 Hampshire League races.

Each of the six teams took top spot in their respective divisions, which must be extremely rare for any club in the league. The ladies’ A team were first in A Division One for the first time. Four from the club were among the prize winners, while ten gained top-ten age group positions, even some for whom this was their debut at the distance.

Sunny and warm conditions enhanced the scenic but challenging and hilly route which wends its way out from Alton through Holybourne to Binstead and Blacknest before returning along more country lanes via Isington.

Fifteenth of almost 500 finishers was star Farnham runner James Clarke, ninth senior man in one hour two minutes 17 seconds. Second M50 in an impressive 1.04.15 was Matt Saker, who only just got the better of fellow prize winner and third M50 Andrew Ellison in 1.04.19. They were 30th and 31st overall. David Roy was delighted with a personal best by five minutes in 1.05.15 as final scorer for the A team. This team now has a 12-point lead over second-placed Andover Runners and promotion to the top flight for next season is almost guaranteed.

Comfortable in B Division One is Farnham’s B squad, lying tenth of 15 clubs.

At Alton, the B team was led in by Charlie Hill-Venning in 1.05.19, placing him 14th in the M40 category. Not far back was Harvey Wickham in 1.05.59 for 16th M40. Newcomer Simon Carson-Jones made a valuable contribution in 1.08.17, while Mark Maxwell ran a new personal best by eight minutes in 1.09.02.

John Hill-Venning headed the C quartet in 1.09.13, followed by Charles Ashby in 1.10.47, Neil Ambrose in 1.11.40 and Mike Taylor in 1.12.01. This ranks them seventh of 19 clubs in B Division Two. New member Phil Hames, in 1.12.16 in his first ten-miler, and men’s captain John Phillips, in 1.12.31, were not far behind.

The ladies were over the moon about their success in Division One. One club, hosts Alton Runners, scored even better but they are in Division Two. It was Louise Granell’s first ten-miler and yet she came in as ninth lady and fourth in the senior lady category in 1.14.10. Sarah McCulloch gained a new personal best of 1.16.43 to take the second F50 prize while Linda Tyler, just two weeks after the London marathon and four weeks after Boston, clinched the first F55 prize in 1.18.08.

Again, two weeks after running in London was Emma Pearson who led in the B trio in 1.19.16 as sixth F45 while Emma Russ and Eloise Stradling clocked 1.21.41 and 1.22.14 respectively. They boosted the B team, placing up two to tenth.

Jane Georghiou clocked 1.22.18 as second F65, followed by sixth F55, Kay Copeland, in 1.30.25 and Vicky Goodluck, who was final scorer in a new personal best of 1.35.17 just one week after her Southampton marathon. Farnham C ladies lie tenth of 15 in B Division Two.

With such a good set of results many runners had to settle for non-scoring places this time, but most notable was third M75 Douglas Blyth, who recorded 1.47.34 in his first attempt at the distance.

Other finishers were Steve Bailey in 1.13.34, Ali Hardaway in 1.14.30, Tim Cummins in 1.15.06, Chris Cramp in 1.16.22, Damian Probett in 1.19.22 (debut), Craig Tate-Grimes in 1.19.57, Steve Murphy in 1.20.13, Paul Tucker in 1.30.05 (debut), Steve Payne in 1.31.30, Helen Bracey in 1.36.05 (personal best), Keith Toms in 1.37.21, Tina Harrison in 1.38.28, Clair Bailey in 1.40.57, Jane Probett in 1.45.55 (debut), Julia Tagg in 1.47.46, Jackie Wilkinson in 1.54.35, and Nicola O’Connor in 2.08.38.

On the same day, some Farnham Runners, including many who started with the club as absolute beginners, chose the Woodland Woggle 10k.

This is a one-lap, undulating trail race in the beautiful Hampton Estate and over Puttenham Common.

The Farnham runners were Justin Clarke, Geoff Brown, Richard Denby, Shirley Perrett, Debbie Whitehead, Robert Drummond, Emma Campbell, Hannah Bence, Clive Frostick, Sally Kerr, Kathy Brown, Jacquie Browne, Shereen Atkinson and Tracy Holmes.