The annual Hare and Hounds takeover of the Met league (Metropolitan cross country league) was bigger and better than ever this year with an impressive turnout of 70 athletes making the hour long train journey to tackle the undulating course at Welwyn Garden city and battle for selection for Varsity teams.

The competition was hot (perhaps it had to be just to outbalance the freezing conditions), and credit has to be given to everyone who fought through the hail, rain and mud in an epic test of their cross-country runners grit. It was truly was a selection of the toughest and fittest.

The girls were up first, racing over 6km in slightly more favourable conditions than the later guys race (although they still got a good dose of hail and a sprinkling of rain). Second year medic Nancy Scott set off with intent and produced a flying run, buoyed by the cheers of many supporting Hareys to finish an impressive 4th out of 266 (and first U20). The chasing pack split up in the last 800m having been neck-and-neck around the whole course, with Anna Hollingsworth, Fiona Bunn, Emily Sundquist and Florence Wiggins making up the top 5 Cambridge finishers, all within the top 10 overall.

The men's race was a sight to behold, with a stampede of over 500 runners setting off to the backdrop of a torrential downpour of rain. Credit must be given to the few warriors who completed the 8km course in ever-deteriorating conditions underfoot without spikes! Up front, George Gathercole, another of our speedy medics, put in the performance of the day to finish a solid second overall, leading in a stream of light blue vests (plus a few traitors running for their home clubs…) with Will-Ryle Hodges, Phil Crout, Joe Massingham, Norman Shreeve and MacGregor Cox making it 6 Hareys in the top 15.

Congratulations to all who ran, it was great to see such a good turnout, and particular well done to those who made the selected teams (see below). If you want to get involved, sign-up is still open for the Mob match at II-IV’s Varsity on 24th November (anyone can run in these open races and count against O*ford, whether you’re a regular attendee of Hare and Hounds training or have never run before. The bigger the team, the better!). Let’s make our home advantage count! #GDBO

Full results can be found here: http://www.metleague.co.uk/results. Sign up is on our website at https://cuhh.soc.srcf.net/ .

Ladies' Blues

Phoebe Barker

Niamh Bridson Hubbard

Fiona Bunn

Lauren Major

Julia Maxwell

Nancy Scott

Emily Sundquist

Florence Wiggins

Captain: Niamh Bridson Hubbard

Ladies' Seconds

Elizabeth Apsley

Philippa Chambers

Rebecca Frake

Anna Hollingsworth

Megan Humphreys

Rachel Longstaff

Emily Ruane

Joni Wildman

Captain: Rebecca Frake

Men's Blues

Paul Aste

MacGregor Cox

Phillip Crout

Oliver Fox

George Gathercole

Joseph Massingham

William Ryle-Hodges

Norman Shreeve

Captain: Su-Min Lee

Men's Seconds

Jacob Brockmann

James Coxon

Jeremy Dempsey

Luke Fisher

Jose Gray

Lawrence Hollom

Aidan Rigby

Daniel Slater

Captain: James Coxon

Men's Thirds

Peter Cameron

Iain Davies

Thomas Goulding

Thomas Kearns

Luke McCarron

Mark Poynting

Robert Waddy

Ryan Ward

Captain: Iain Davies