Three Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club runners will be in action for Surrey in the South of England inter-counties cross-country championships at Shuttleworth Park, Biggleswade, on Saturday.

One of the trio, Claire Grima, warmed up for her appearance in the senior women's race with an impressive run in the second of this season's Max Sports Surrey Ladies League cross-country meetings at Farthing Downs, Coulsdon, on Saturday.

Grima, 37, finished a good fifth out of more than 150 runners in the Division One race and was top veteran woman over 35 runner as she completed the testing 6km course in 24 minutes 41 seconds, less than a minute behind the race winner.

Fellow veteran Lisa Thomas, making her Hercules Wimbledon and league debut, in her second race of the day (three hours earlier she competed in the Wimbledon Common parkrun), was 47th in 27:40, ahead of another seasoned marathon runner, Fran Clarke, who was 52nd in 28:18.

Gina Galbraith, also a veteran, was 55th in 28:26 with over 50 veteran Alison Purnell 60th in 28:33. Monika Crouse was 68th in 29:00 and another newcomer Charlotte Taverner 73rd in 29:16.

Zoe Illis, a reserve for the Surrey women's U17 team had a good run in the women's U17 race where she was fifth in 17:58.

Also running at Biggleswade is teenager Cassian Hyde who competes for Surrey in the men's U17 championship and Oscar White, fresh from victory in an inter-club match on Wimbledon Common at the end of last month, who runs for Surrey in the boys U13 championship.

Hercules Wimbledon's Matthew Gibbons, one of the reserves for the Surrey U17 team showed good form in the Wimbledon Common parkrun on Saturday when he finished sixth out of almost 300 runners in a personal best time of 17:54.

He was the top U20 finisher as he sliced eight seconds off his previous best time set at the end of April.

Over 40 veteran Peter Collins was eighth and second over 40 finisher in 18:02 with Adam Harwood 13th in 18:39 and Felix Allen 17th in 18:59.

Over 45 veteran Tom Cheetham was 32nd in 19:55 with over 50 veterans Adam Fenton 34th in 20:02 and Charles Hampden-Smith 45th in 20:35.

Lisa Thomas, who later ran in the Surrey Ladies League meeting at Coulsdon, was fourth woman and first veteran over 45 in 21:46.

Two Hercules Wimbledon runners won their parkrun races on Saturday. Jonathan Cornish beat almost 300 runners to win in Richmond Park in 16:54, while Matt Sharp led home more than 10 runners in Dulwich park in 15:54 finishing more than 30 seconds ahead of the second runner.

Hercules Wimbledon stage their annual seasonal Christmas Cracker relay at their Wimbledon Park track headquarters on Tuesday evening, December 17, starting at 7pm.

Hercules Wimbledon's track and field training sessions take place at Wimbledon Park athletics stadium on Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting at 6.30pm and Sunday mornings at 10.30am. Further details from coaching coordinator Maurice Sharp on 020 8337 8707.