Roger Alsop (19:49) took Herne Hil straight into the lead on lap one. Vic Maughn (20:33) only dropped to third place on lap 2. Keith Newton (19:33), who appears to be part of the winning team each time, took the team back into the lead. Keith Newton said "I went into the lead at half way. I ran the first of the two laps hard and did the damage.'
  'I have had six weeks of good training. Ian Lockett cried off on the Thursday before the event so, we have not had our best man and still won it!"
    Dave Robinson ran the final leg in 19:38 which was good enough to hold off the World Masters 5k, M45, Champion Ben Reynolds, who although running 19:18, was unlikely to have caught the experienced 45 year old Dave Robinson
    " I tried to hold back but still by the end of the first of the two laps I was quite tired'  said Dave.' Although I felt I was holding back it was not quite enough so the second lap was hard work. When I got to the top of the hill in Rushmoor Arena I realised I was OK then"
    Dave Robinson has not been racing on the track in the Summer but points out he is motivated to try and keep ahead of his son who has great potential " William will soon be 15 and won he Surrey Schools 800 in the Summer. He swims each day but only trains three times a week!"
    Regarding Herne Hill's seventh win Dave Robinson pointed out " We go into races expecting to do well. There is not always the same 4 or 6 as there is always someone ill or injured. We pull together and do the business.
 

 National 12 stage 2008..

ALDERSHOT FARNHAM & DISTRICT WON THE SOUTHERN SIX STAGE ON THE 27th OF OCTOBER IN 1:49:28 from Belgrave Harriers (1:50.30), and Newham & Essex Beagles (1:50.54). The latter team had the fastest lap done by Moumin Geele of 17.23. Except for Ben Whitby of Windsor Slough & Eton leading from Belgrave's Neil Speight on leg one, it was Aldershot followed by Belgrave and Newham on every other stage. Aldershot's fastest runner Andy Vernon took over on the last leg, well clear of Belgrave. That gave Belgraves' fastest man Phil Wicks little chance of getting near such an accomplished runner as Vernon reports Alastair Aitken
    Andy Vernon said " I wanted to run as hard as I could. I would not like the team to have worked so hard and I just used it as a tempo run. I wanted to do my best for the team and ran as well as I could'
    I pointed out that it was a pity that, as a UK Champion, he should have had the chance to be run in the World Championships, let alone for valuable experience. He modestly said " I don't know about that. It's the money isn't it!
However he pointed out ' I wish I had been able to run at Crystal Palace in a faster race. I don't know why they did not put me in it?'
    ' I did not run quite as fast over 5k that I wanted to do in the Summer. I ran really good at 10k at the end of the season'
    'I had a good cross country season. Things went pretty well. I won the English trials, World trials and Inter Counties'  
 I pointed out that he is a very strong looking runner " One of my strengths is my strength!.'
' I want to try and win the European Trials and my coach and I are aiming for top 10 in the European. I am 23 now and Nick Anderson has been coaching me since I was 17.'
    Regarding St Mary's College which he is still at " I am one of the older one's and it is hard to train with 18/10 year olds' but I still train with Chris Thompson and Scott Overall. Keith Gerrard is a big training partner of mine but is at an American University. There are a few good guys coming up to St Mary's this year.'
    Regarding the London Colleges League cross country races over the last few years, sometimes Andy Vernon  has won and sometimes been much further down the field but that is all in his plans!
    'The first and second years at College I had been injured and getting back and as it is not a big race so I used to use it as a tempo run. We liked to have a St Mary's winner so we would nominate a 'Lamb to the slaughter'."
     I remember Robin Dickson organising their teams and St Marys' runners winning well. Andy Vernon won one at Richmond, Chris Hart another clear victory at Hackney Marches and Matt Ashton won at Wimbledon, all when my son Andrew was running for Goldsmiths' College reasonably well up the field, so I was very familiar with what Andy said.
Andy Vernon goes on to mention " I might run a hard session on a Tuesday and a Thursday and just use that Colleges league as a tempo run on the Wednesday."