Surrey League Division 1, Match 3, Beckenham Place Park

A cruising Nick Goolab (1st Bel, 1 point scored) secured our first individual first place in the Surrey League since 2017.

And gutsy performances throughout the scoring ten resulted in our best league score this season.

All that despite a handful of top-end casualties causing real pre-race worries for the TMs. The absence of Phil Wicks (ankle surgery), Andrius Jaksevicius (groin), Will Stockley (calf) and captain Nick Buckle (shin), all through injury, still leaves us wondering what might have been.

Goolab, fresh from a win at the Middlesex county champs a week ago, ran with the lead pack for much of the race before easing away with about half a mile to go.

Ever-present Paskar Owor (2, 9) enjoyed the firm course at Beckenham and ran well enough to finish ahead of rising star Callum Stewart (3, 17), who had pipped Paskar in the South of the Thames race in early December. Both finished ahead of some serious quality from rival sides.

Next home was marathon specialist Andrew Cumine (4, 45), who’s improved with every race this winter season. His surge on the final downhill meant he just pipped a returning Arne Dumez (5, 47), who we missed in the first two Surrey League fixtures this season while he prepared for a December marathon. Arne had been targeting his first ever top 50 Surrey League finish and that goal was comfortably achieved at the first time of asking.

Brad Courtney-Pinn (6, 58), banking some big marathon mileage in recent weeks, started the race at a very relaxed pace before giving in to his competitive instincts and moving through the positions in the second lap.

He just held off Steve Gardner (7, 60), back to racing after illness in December, who managed a decent finish on the final downhill to get back to within seconds of training partner Brad.

Conall McNally (8, 63) had another good run on the mud - probably not as well executed as his last two Surrey League outings - but valuable points gained and valuable strength built ahead of a promising track season.

Matt Edgar (9, 64) was only three seconds back from Conall and is another newcomer improving with every race. His Ironman strength and experience will only be a benefit come the longer ordeals of the Southern and National championships.

Alex Mills (10, 66) completed the scoring 10 and will be quietly chuffed at emerging on top of the reliably-present Mills-Hurley duel this time.

Just outside the scorers this time was Ben Hurley, who paid for a very sprightly downhill start with a less-than-enjoyable second lap.

Andrew Simpson was next home with and is proving a useful addition to the squad this season. Debutant David Walsh soon followed but was hampered by a troublesome hip that probably kept him out of the scoring squad this time.

Lawrence Burton improved on his position by some 41 places compared to Wimbledon’s match 3 so his challenge for the final fixture: do that again!

Ben Ireland followed but was another one troubled by niggles on the course.

Rob Norville, Alex Luce, Steven Jones and Terry O’Neil completed the nine of ten required for a full B-team but their performances alone were enough for a 7th place in the B-competition ahead of Guildford and Thames.

Results

All photos by Matt Welsh