Wimbledon Windmilers kept up their challenge for promotion from Division Two of the 2XU Surrey Cross-Country League with a third place finish on Wimbledon Common on Saturday.

The performance means that, after two of four rounds, the Windmilers are second overall, just 58 points behind leaders Croydon Harriers.

Windmilers were led home by Keith Macintosh in 11th, clocking 28 minutes 54 seconds, ahead of Hamish MacLean (19th, 29:28), Steven Hurley (20th, 29:31), Matthew Nutt (26th, 30:07) and Huw Arthur (34th, 30:38).

Mark Haworth, Mark Bridges, Nathan Andrews, David Murray and John Foley completed the scoring 10.

Elsewhere, Hercules Wimbledon’s Oscar White showed a dramatic improvement in form over 2.5 miles in winning the Surrey Cross-Country Division One boys’ U13 race on Mitcham Common.

Making his league debut and competing in his first cross-country race of the winter, White covered the course in 15:05 to cross the finishing line 15 seconds clear of his nearest rival.

He almost led Hercules Wimbledon to the individual and team double, but the club missed out by just one point on taking the team honours.

Peter Riches was fourth in 16:08, Alexander Abraham sixth in 16:33, Zac Purnell 10th in 17:08 and Daniel Illis 13th in 17:51, to complete the team which finished runners-up.

Showing his best form after a long-term injury, Alex Robinson led Hercules Wimbledon’s senior men home finishing 13th out of almost 200 runners in 29:39.

With their scoring 10 in the top 80, Hercules Wimbledon were fourth in the team contest, an improvement on their fifth place in the opening match.

Your Local Guardian:

They're off: The Men's Surrey Cross-Country Division Two meeting gets under way