A Tale of Two Courses: Fulham RC's Men's and Women's Cross-Country Reports

This report covers the latest league action for both the women's team at Beckenham Place Park and the men's team at Hurst Green on Saturday 15 November.

🏃‍♀️ Women's Surrey League Cross-Country: Beckenham Place Park

(Fairy) lights, camera, action — it’s time for Round II at Beckenham Place Park.

While the men were soaking up the cheap booze and jovial atmosphere in Hurst Green, the ladies were confronted with the silently menacing grasslands of Beckenham. You only had to turn a corner to be met with a long, unexpected ascent. Sat uncomfortably at second from the bottom of the top division, it was time for Fulham to show teams like Belgrave that we meant business.

We could certainly rely on Alice R-W's rousing pre-race speech to Clare Cummings and Alice Malin in the car to spike heart rates, stir nerves, and get the team members’ heads in the game. We were delighted to welcome two new Sarahs—who may now be rivalling the Alices in the club—and we hope they will be joining us again for the third round. A distinct lack of engineering degrees among the squad somewhat prolonged the erection of the tent and flag, resulting in a hurried warm-up before trotting over to the start line. And then they were off.

Beckenham’s start can be likened to cross-country in American colleges—the dramatic rush forward was used as a key opportunity to stick elbows out and establish your position. The course classically featured undulating terrain, hazardous tree roots, and a 360 degree turn around a small tree, finishing with a sprint finish on a stretch of flat, open grass.

Special mention must go to Sarah Crockett, who collected valuable points for Fulham on her first cross-country with us, and Clare Cummings, who consistently runs a strong race. Contrary to popular belief, Clare did not permanently move back to Australia during her three-week visit (thank goodness!).

The team successfully finished 12th out of 15 for Round II. While we are sitting one position down overall, we should be incredibly proud of this result in the top division, competing against teams who field nationally competing athletes. And they simply cannot rival us in the V55 category, where we have our wonderful Alice R-W, who continues to top the league by a mile (or more).

The debate of whether we want to join the men or stay in the top league continues, but it’s all to play for in Round III at Mitcham Common. I hope to see you there!

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🏃‍♂️ Men's League Cross-Country: Hurst Green

A huge thank you to Trev, who was once again the backbone of the day, organising the marshals, coordinating the co-hosted event, and making the entire match possible. We truly could not have done it without him.

Thanks also to everyone who came out to marshal, help, and cheer the other runners around the course. Your support was massively appreciated on what was a long, muddy day.

As for the racing, Hurst Green delivered a wet, slippery field and a deceptively tough course. It was flat on paper but mentally brutal with its endless, exposed fields. It was not our strongest outing and we finished last overall, but everyone dug in and showed grit. Dan Mahoney led the way as our top scorer on a tough day out.

A few honourable mentions: Denny, who is in great form and steadily climbing the ranks, and Alex Vanstone, who looked properly back in shape and moving well. Marcus and Pavel also dug deep and put in strong runs in difficult conditions. And of course, Will Thompson’s moustache made its debut and definitely deserved a shout of its own.

Despite the tough racing, there was some solace in the hospitality from our hosts at Hurst Green, who kept spirits high with beers, burgers, and a great atmosphere.

We now look ahead: there are just under 50 days until our next match at Oxshott Woods, an iconic course to be braved in deep January. Plenty of time for Callum's blister to heal. Bring it on.

Written by Alice Malin & Jonty Bennett