Wimbledon Common, Roehampton on Saturday 24/02/1877 (Senior Men)

THE CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP

On Saturday afternoon last upwards of 30 members of the three leading metropolitan hare and hounds clubs mustered at the King's Head, Roehampton, to try conclusions over a 10 mile course for this title, and after hard struggle victory rested with the Thames Hare and Hounds.

The conditions were that the places of the first six in each club were to added together, the club presenting the smallest total to be the winner. The Thames Hare and Hounds won easily by 35 points against of the 50 of the South London Harriers; the Spartan Harriers, the other club which engaged in the competition, were never in it, their total being 94.

Directly the word "go" was given Fuller dashed off with the lead, which he, followed by Stenning, maintained up to the common. Here he gave way to Gibb, who made the pace very warm, and speedily placed a wide gap between himself and the rest of the field, who were having rare struggle for places. Fuller, Stenning, Laratte, Evitt, and Tyler each in turn occupying second position. This order was maintained for a little more than half the distance, when, turning into the Malden lane, Gibb unfortunately misdirected, and "went wrong," thus letting up Stenning and Fuller, who had been making a neck-and-neck race of it up to this point.

Fuller now pulled up to put Gibb right, and Stenning "stole away," securing a lead of about 50 yards, which he steadily increased, finally winning by about 300 yards from Fuller, who left Gibb half way across the common. Mason, who began to race about the time the others were thinking of leaving off, did the last half the distance quite as fast as Stenning, and finished a plucky third.