Both the Mens and Ladies Barnes Runners teams ran a full season of matches in the Surrey League this season, in divisions 3 and 2 respectively.

The Mens team battled with some much larger clubs on each match to maintain their position in division 3 for the second season running. Whilst we ended up in the lower reaches of the table, we were not ever in real danger of going down, though things can change very quickly at this level of competition, and we were grateful for a strong turn out in nearly every match. Delighted to see some new debutants such as Barnaby Simpson dip their toe in the XC water, and likewise to see some returning old faces (NB Ol Evans) come back into the fray. A special shout to XC stalwart Ian Roots for celebrating his 60th birthday with 3 laps of Oxshott woods. The Barnes Runners pack was headed back in every match by Conrad Steyn, often fueled by steak and south african wine, with Marco Perinelli, Thomas Mutton and Ben Barber fighting for the next few spots. However, the secret of our relative success is the strong middle order, alongside a magnificent team spirit, exemplified by several hours of rehydration and post match analysis after each event.

The ladies team struggled to get full numbers out for each event due to a number of injuries to key players, though hopefully we can get a few confirmed over the summer season and come back stronger next year. Many thanks as ever to all for taking part, and a big shout out to the dedication of captain Annabel Hagon for her long distance commuting and resolve.

Onwards and upwards for 23/24 season. Onto the road races