HRRL Race 3 & SCCL Race 1 - New Forest 10 and Benyon's Inclosure
Fifty-Five Alton Runners Bravely Tackle Stormy Weekend Double
It was a bumper weekend for Alton Runners, with 55 club members taking on two scoring events: the Hampshire Road Race League (HRRL) fixture at the New Forest 10 and the Southern Cross Country League (SCCL) season opener at Benyon’s Inclosure. Considering the onslaught of Storm Austen and the heavy rainfall Hampshire endured in the lead-up, it was a real credit to the organisers that both fixtures went ahead safely.
HRRL New Forest 10
27 Alton Runners gathered at New Park in Brockenhurst to collect their race numbers and take on the 10-mile course through the heart of the New Forest. Hosted by New Forest Runners, this was the third fixture of the HRRL season. While always a popular fixture on the calendar, the multi-terrain course is largely made up of woodland trails. These were made all the tougher this year by strong gusts and a chilly surprise in the shape of a deep ford crossing, which had sat completely dry in previous years.
Steph Erskine summed up the run: "The course is wonderful, definitely more trail than road, especially the almost thigh-high ford to run through. Loved it, but the headwind was so strong in parts I felt I was running on the spot."
Out of 27 starters, 26 Alton Runners crossed the line alongside one DNF. Among a large field of 574 finishers, Rich Webley led the Alton men home, finishing 19th overall and taking an impressive 2nd place in the VM40 category. Men’s Captain Steve Drysdale followed closely in 3rd for VM40, with Christian Coles and Harry Boulter completing the men’s scoring A team. It was a superb outing for Harry, who marked his club debut with a personal best.
For the women, Debbie Rhodes led the way for Alton, placing 2nd in the VF65 category. She was followed home by Jenni Forbes, Mal Byrne, and Di Byrne. Special mention goes to Mal, who made a fine return to racing in club colours and set a new 10-mile PB.
Strong individual runs came right across the squad. Darren Mansfield had a fantastic morning, taking over seven minutes off his 10-mile personal best. An ecstatic Darren said: "10 miles is a long way, and all the Alton runners smashed it. I couldn't be more proud of our running club and all our runners. Roll on 15th November, when I'm due to tackle the Gosport Half [in the HRRL]!"
Archie Wright enjoyed a great debut for the club as well, stepping up beyond 10km for the very first time, whilst both George Watson and Zoe Blackman picked up excellent PBs. Meanwhile, Richard Bacon earned a well-deserved spot on the podium, finishing 3rd in the VM70 category. Every finisher picked up the event's traditional horse brass, which featured a dragonfly this year, capping off a great morning of racing.
SCCL Cross Country: Benyon's Inclosure
Meanwhile, over near Silchester, an equally strong turnout of 28 Alton Runners tackled the opening fixture of the 2026/27 cross-country season at Benyon’s Inclosure, with several members trying the format for the first time. The team at Basingstoke and Mid Hants AC did a brilliant job sorting the logistics at short notice after the main parking field flooded, wisely moving cars into the forest so the event could proceed.
The 8.4km circuit through woodland and heath was a proper test, serving up steep climbs followed by quick descents before heading straight back up. While conditions underfoot held up surprisingly well, the strong wind out on the exposed sections made hard work of it. As Jane Scrase put it, staying upright was a challenge at times, despite the bright autumn sunshine.
Lee Ellis was the first Alton man across the line, followed closely by Jamie Kilner Smith in second, Cross Country Captain Darren Burgess in third, and Paul Pettifer in fourth. First home for the Alton women was Sarah Lewington, who took an excellent 13th female overall. Her effort was made even more impressive by the fact she pedalled 20 miles to the venue, ran the race, and then rode all the way home again. She was followed by Samara Jacobs in second, Nicola Fitzpatrick in third, and Wendy Hall in fourth.
In the provisional standings, the combined Alton cross-country squad finished a very solid 7th overall (out of 22 clubs), which is no mean feat with the club split across two separate events on the same day. The ladies' team deserve a special mention after securing a fantastic 3rd place overall.
Reflecting on the day, Wendy H was quick to praise the squad's spirit: "I feel our camaraderie is next level, I could hear my name being shouted on the final 200m… it really makes a difference, especially after ‘that hill’ at Benyon's when your legs feel drained."
Looking ahead, there will be no clash for the next round, with the SCCL heading to Alice Holt in Farnham on 22nd November. Anyone keen to pull on an Alton vest for the road or cross-country leagues should get it touch.