The 62nd Annual Alumni Race

The Annual Alumni Race requires competitors to take on a course that tests not only the legs, but more importantly the footwear that adorns the feet.

This year, the weather was bright and crisp, with a sharp wind that chilled the face at the start. The line-up was on a waterlogged playing field, but no matter, as , at the wave of a walking stick, we set off into the undergrowth of Wimbledon Common, where the path became a series of boggy foot grabbers. But with tight laces on our spiked shoes, we started to climb and spread out.

This year I am pleased to say that our six man team included not only Simon Pickles (M. 1971-76) and David Thomas (Rt. 1971-75), but also the “new blood”  of  Rupert Lougee (SH. 1988-93), Justin Jeffrey (SH. 1985-90) and brother Nick (SH. 1988-93). This year, Simon’s son, Sam, who had previously run as a guest, was taking photographs of our efforts, along with Rupert Chance (O. 1971-76), who also came to support us, as did the Pickles & Jeffrey wives too. All these extra faces attending, make a difference to us, especially at the finish, and thanks go out to them all. The Thames Hare & Hounds Running Club had marked the course well, with many encouraging marshals along the route, making this an excellent cross country event, with varying degrees of testing difficulty, for all age groups. Click here for full report.

 Unfortunately, TH&H had some difficulty with their stopwatches, so at the time of writing this report there were no timings available, but check their website for more results later, by going to www.thameshareandhounds.org.uk and look for Alumni 2014.