Surrey Masters XC Championships – Nonsuch Park – Saturday 25th October 2025. Words: Mark Tennyson, Photos: Laura Hales
It was another fantastic outing for Guildford & Godalming at the Surrey Masters Cross Country Championships, held in chilly & blustery conditions at a firm and dry Nonsuch Park in Cheam. It was gold for the m55’s, silver for the w45’s & bronze for the m45’s and there were individual gold medals for Terry (m55-1) & David (m60-1).
The format is two races with all women and men over 65 in race 1; followed by the men over 35 in race 2. Individual awards are presented in 5 year bands (v35-39, v40-44…) and teams in 10 year bands (v35-44, v45-54…).
Twenty-seven Gees participated at this event which is a brilliant turnout and this did not go unnoticed by some of the teams more local to the venue.
Race 1 (w35 & m65) – 2 laps (6.2k)
Nici Cahusac (w50-3) led the women to silver team medals in the w45+ age group as well as collecting an individual bronze medal. Nici was ably supported by Christine Robinson (w45-5) and Karen Bryant (w50-5) who completed the three-to-score team.
Susanna Harrison (w60-3) – who has amassed a sizable collection of Surrey medals – had to be content with an individual bronze on this occasion. Regular racer Laura Hales (w55-5) finished fifth w55, but lacked another teammate to complete the w55 team.
The G’s were also one member short in the w35 age group, with Zoe Rowe (w40-6) and Michelle Collins (w40-11) both doing well. It was a shame because only one club completed a team in this category.
Graham Duffill (m65-9) – who was a bronze medallist at the Surrey Team relays at this venue in September – was the G’s only representative on this occasion, finishing in 9th position.
It was an unfortunate afternoon for Epsom & Ewell’s Robert Rickard. He mistakenly ran in the first race of the day with the men over 65, instead of race 2 with the rest of his age group rivals in the m50 category.
Race 2 (m35-64) – 3 laps (9.3k)
The men do an extra lap of the 3.1k course and first home for the G’s was Terry Booth (m55-1) who finished two minutes ahead of the silver medallist in this category. This was Terry’s fourth consecutive m55 title at this venue atop of a silver medal here in 2021 in the m50 category. Terry, David Williams (m60-1) and Mark Tennyson (m60-2) who were first and second in the m60 race, combined magnificently to take the m55 team prize with the lowest possible score of six points (1-2-3).
The m45’s also battled well for the m45 team silver with Nick Tearle (m50-4), James Adams (m45-6) and debutant Roger Barr (m45-14). Roger only narrowly held off teammate Lee Lintern (m45-15) by five seconds in the m45 category.
The other G’s from their huge turnout of twenty seven were Kit Hawtin, Mo Ansari on his debut, Ian Davies, Charlie Alger, Guy Holcroft who recently completed the Amsterdam Marathon, Philip Pryke, Jonathan Monk, Robin Boon, Rob Bate, Gavin Everson, Martin Newman and Brian O’Kane.
Twenty-one years ago Brian was part of the m40 gold winning team when the event was known as the Surrey Veterans (now Masters) XC Champs, staged in Richmond Park. The m60 silver medallist at this latest edition of the event – Mark T was the overall winner of the race all those years ago, taking the m40 title.
This time Phil Wicks (m40-1) of Belgrave Harriers was the newly crowned champion and ahead of all the m35’s who can now participate at this event since the introduction of this new age category at the 2023 event.
