Fleet & Crookham AC Race Report – Autumn 2025

Season Overview

What a start to the autumn season! From hilly roads to muddy trails, our runners have shown grit, determination, and plenty of team spirit. Here’s a look back at the highlights from September through early November—and how these results set us up to achieve our season goals.

Overton 5 Mile – Sunday 7th September

The season kicked off with the Overton 5 Mile, a rarely raced distance that gave plenty of opportunities for PBs—but this was no easy course. After a downhill first kilometre, runners faced relentless undulations and even a mid-race downpour to cool things off. Despite the challenging conditions, our men’s team stormed to first place in the league with a combined score of 68 from four runners, while the women secured second with 186 points. A brilliant turnout of sixteen club runners set the tone for the season. This strong start in the Hampshire Road Race League puts us firmly on track for our goal of finishing in the top five overall.

SEAA Road Relay Championships – Saturday 20th September

Next came the SEAA Road Relay Championships, an iconic event that saw us competing against some of the most prestigious clubs in the South East. Our senior men’s team of Greg W, Stevyn M, Aaron W, Alex T, Ryan P, and Giorgio C, alongside our senior women—Penny A, Leanne K, Amy B, and Lindsay W—gave everything on the fast, competitive course. The vets men, featuring Mike H, Jonny B, Charles C, and Mickael H, even managed to beat local rivals Hart Road Runners, which was a huge highlight of the day. Racing against elite clubs left us feeling proud and a little awestruck, but it also showcased the depth and determination within our squads—qualities that will be vital for success in both cross-country leagues and the HRRL.

Bournemouth XC – Hampshire League – Saturday 11th October

Our first cross-country fixture of the season took us to Bournemouth, where dry conditions made the course feel almost like a road race. This led to one of the day’s funniest moments: Matt Hinshelwood confidently told his whole family to wear trail or road shoes, insisting spikes weren’t needed—before giving in to peer pressure and wearing spikes himself! Despite the unusual conditions, our men’s team finished an impressive sixth in Division 1 with a score of 219, a fantastic result in our debut season at this level. The vets men secured second place with 32 points, while the women finished eighth and the vets women ninth. With twelve men and nine women making the long trek, this was a brilliant turnout and a strong start toward our goal of keeping the men in Division 1 and pushing the women toward promotion.

Fleet 10km – Sunday 26th October

Our home race was a true celebration of Fleet & Crookham pride. Huge thanks go to Becky Hinshelwood for an outstanding debut as Race Director and to all the volunteers who gave up their chance to race to make the event a success. We had thirty-six runners in the 10km, including five men finishing in the top twenty, and thirty-eight runners in the 5km, including a fantastic showing from our juniors! While Fleet 10km isn’t part of the HRRL, it highlights the incredible depth of talent across our senior squads—and the juniors are hot on our heels. This event showed that Fleet & Crookham AC is thriving at every level.

Benyons Inclosure XC – Southern League – Sunday 2nd November

The first Southern League fixture brought drama and success in equal measure. Our top five men all went the wrong way after a confusing sign mishap, causing frustration and disappointment—but they recovered brilliantly to help the team finish third overall with a score of 64. The women’s team delivered a superb second-place finish with 45 points, and when the scores were combined, Fleet & Crookham AC finished joint first overall. With sixteen men and twelve women turning out, this was a fantastic display of commitment and resilience. Joint first in the opening Southern League fixture puts us in a brilliant position to achieve our goal of finishing in the top five overall.

Season Goals

• Hampshire League XC: Men to stay in Division 1; Women aim for promotion.

• Southern XC League: Finish in the top five overall.

• Hampshire Road Race League (HRRL): Finish in the top five overall.

  
  

  So far, we’re hitting the marks:

  
  

  ✓ Men holding sixth in Division 1 after Bournemouth.

  
  

  ✓ Women building momentum for promotion.

  
  

  ✓ HRRL results from Overton keep us competitive for top five.

  
  

  ✓ Joint first in Southern League after Benyons—dream start!

  
  

  ✓ Fleet 10km shows our depth and future strength with juniors coming through.

Shoutouts

• Jemima Hinshelwood & Aaron Webb for stepping up to senior racing.

• Giorgio Coppola for stellar performances (and those race vlogs!).

• Leanne Wright, Matt Hinshelwood, Aaron Webb, Lindsay Webb for making every XC and Road Race League fixture so far.

  
  

What’s Next

• Sun 16 Nov: Gosport Half Marathon (HRRL)

• Sun 23 Nov: Bourne Woods (Southern XC)

• Sun 7 Dec: Victory 5 Mile (HRRL)

• Sun 21 Dec: Lord Wandsworth (Southern XC)

  
  

  Let’s keep the momentum going—Fleet & Crookham AC is making waves this season! Keep training hard, keep supporting each other, and let’s smash those goals together.