Chiltern Harriers held its annual Herbert's Hole Cross-Country Challenge on Sunday 21 November. As usual the race started and finished in Lowndes Park, Chesham and worked its way through 10 kilometres up and then back down Herbert's Hole, the picturesque valley that leads up to Pednor village. This year the race was run 'the other way round' - that is clockwise round the loop, rather than anti-clockwise as in the past. But the usual mix of terrain - from grass to tarmac to mud to gravel, steep uphills and slippery descents were all present as in previous races.
308 runners started - a good turn-out in spite of the cold, wet conditions. The winner, as in previous years, was the unstoppable Andrew Gardiner of Windsor, Slough Eton and Hounslow A.C. finishing in 36m:28s, more than ninety seconds in front of the next runner. Andrew said that he had run the Bucks, Berks and Oxford cross-country champs just the day before (coming second) and in the week before that had run ninety-five miles in training. This did not seem to have slowed him down at all.
In second place was Alex Bowden of Milton Keynes AC, in 37m:55s. Alex was last years Bucks County 1500m champion. He just beat Chiltern Harriers' Owain Jones, who finished third. 'Owain is a very strong runner' said Alex 'but I was fairly sure that if I could stay with him to the finish I could beat him in a final sprint', and so he did, winning a dramatic sprint down the steepy and slippery Lowndes Park hill.
Paul Gregory, the well-known Vale of Aylesbury runner, finished fourth and won the male vet 40s title, as he has done before, proving that he is not slowing down as he gets older.
Chiltern Harriers took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the junior men's (under 20) title. That was Stuart Ellerby, running a brilliant race for 8th place in 41m:52s, followed by Fabian Downs, 10th in 42m:15, and Tom Beedell, 13th in 42m:28s.
Chiltern Harriers also took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the women's race. Sandra Reynolds was first in the excellent time of 46m:48s. Debbie Wenman was second in 50 minutes and also took the women's vet 35 title. Laura Butt was third in 50m:16s.
Margaret Chew of Stopsley Striders in Luton has been a stalwart runner of the Herbert's Hole Challenge, from fifteen years ago when it was a half-marathon and this year ran brilliantly to finish fourth in the women's rae and take the womens vet 55 title.
As usual, all finishers got a Herbert's Hole tee-shirt and prize-giving was held in the Chesham United Football Club bar. Prizes were donated by Fox’s of Amersham, the outdoor sports shop.