On Saturday, 14th September, the annual Thames Hare & Hound Alumni Race took place on the scenic trails of Wimbledon Common. Runners were greeted with near-perfect weather for the five-mile cross country event, as 20-degree sunshine alongside a gentle breeze created ideal conditions for the race. However, the course was not without challenge as runners were met with particularly hard ground, stray brambles and low hanging branches – all in the name of testing endurance and adding an extra layer of grit to the popular race.
The race has been held annually since 1953, although Epsom only entered for the first time last year, with remarkable success, especially for a small team of five.
Our team this year consisted of Paul Newby, Holman-62, and James Bourne, Crawfurd-88 (both of whom also ran in the 2023 race). We had a great showing from the Thomas’ family, with three siblings, Nick, Forest-09, Izi, Wilson-14 and Andy, Forest-18 representing the College. Will Broad, Carr-11 and EC Computer Science teacher Rob Thornton made a final team of seven.
The undeniable driving force behind the Old Epsomian team has been Paul Newby, whose dedication and enthusiasm have been instrumental in leading the newly-formed team. At 80 years old, and despite battling a personal injury, Newby was eager to compete and not only did he place first in the Male 75 category, he took the time to share his wealth of experience with his fellow team members. His passion and leadership are hoped to inspire more keen runners to join the OE team in the coming years.
Nearly 300 runners arrived on Saturday to race for their respective schools, and we are incredibly proud of the fantastic efforts from our team. Andy Thomas, Forest-18, gave a stand out performance, securing an impressive third-place finish overall with a class time of 27:51. Epsom College won the Shrewsbury Cup, a category based on “the best age grades, age and gender adjusted, four to score per team”.
We are thrilled that the Hare & Hounds Alumni Race is now a firm fixture in our OE sporting calendar, and warmly encourage all OE runners, of any ability, to join us again next year for some healthy school competition and OE camaraderie.
