Box Hill Results 2023

Update 26th Jan – final results, including correction of team results

Final Results

We are aware that a small number of runners inadvertently took a shortcut by following the old race route after the 3rd road crossing. However, we don’t believe this significantly affected overall or team results. Remember to always be on the lookout for the pink flags next year!

Individual Results

Interactive results – including splits

Individual results (all) – pdf

Results by age class – pdf

Team Results

Team results summary

Team results detailed – including counting runners

PositionMenWomen
1St George’s Hospital ACRanelagh Harriers
2Serpentine Running ClubWimbledon Windmilers
3Cambridge HarriersSt George’s Hospital AC & Thames H&H (joint)

Frosty conditions. Photo by Steve Clelland

Left: St George’s Men’s team (photo by Jack Dickenson). Right: Men’s winner Maximilian Nicholls (photo by Maximilian Nicholls)

Race Director’s Report

The 41st edition of one of the few FRA races in the South East saw a brand new course, with the start and finish both back on Box Hill’s iconic Burford Spur and with cold, crisp and sunny weather making for fantastic racing conditions. It was also great to return to return to a standard mass start after last year’s staggered start.

In the men’s competition, Kent AC’s Max Nicholls took an early lead and, while this was reduced somewhat mid-way through the race as St George’s Hospital’s Joseph Moorwood managed to close the gap, Max ultimately achieved a resounding win, finishing 25 seconds clear of Joseph. This marked Max’s second victory in a row, having won last year’s race, and his second course record.

In the women’s standings, Suzy Whatmore of Ranelagh Harriers and Tring RC’s Becky Raftery battled it out, with Suzy eventually winning by a 31 second margin. Like a handful of other competitors, both Suzy and Becky managed to take wrong turnings, meaning that they each ran around 500m less that competitors who followed the full route. However, their lead over other competitors was such that it was decided they would retain their race positions and times, although Suzy will not be credited with the women’s record for the new course; all to play for next year!

The men’s team competition was a hotly and tightly contested affair, with the top four teams separated by just 18 points (with a 50 point gap to the fifth placed team). In the end, Thames Hare and Hounds narrowly missed out on a top 3 finish on 68 points, with the top three made up of Cambridge Harriers in third on 62 points, Serpentine in second on 60 points and St George’s Hospital taking the top spot with a cumulative position score of 50 points.

In the women’s team competition, St George’s and Thames again featured but had to settle for a tie for third place on 54 points, with Wimbledon Windmilers in second on 48 and Ranelagh the clear winners on 30 points.

The organisers once again wish to express their gratitude to the National Trust for granting permission to use their land (and in particular for clearly fallen trees from the course!) and to the owners of the Stepping Stones pub and Ryka’s Café. We look forward to seeing new and returning runners for the 2024 race!

Harold Wyber

Photos

Some photos by Matt Haughton