There was a trip down memory lane for Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow AC on Saturday.

The Apex Sports Chiltern Cross Country League meeting at Wing, Bedfordshire, marked the 50th anniversary of the league's formation in 1959.

All competitors who took part received a special commemorative medal.

Bob Graham, who is now a running coach at WSEH, was one of only two athletes who took part in the first meeting 50 years ago to also compete on Saturday.

Back in 1959, a sprightly Graham came ninth. But 50 years on he settled for 151st.

Running alongside Graham for what was then Windsor & Eton AC in that first meeting was the likes of Stan Eldon MBE, who won the senior men's race. Already the European Cross Country Champion, Eldon went on to set new UK track records at both three miles and six miles too.

Hot on his heels were Don Collins in second, junior cross country international Dave Bignall in fourth and Henry Birdseye in fifth, but the club still only finished second.

At the time, a few miles down the road, Feltham AC wasjust three years old.

It was another 19 years before they became an international force as Borough of Hounslow AC, and a further 23 years before it joined forces with Windsor, Slough & Eton AC to become WSEH.

Saturday's anniversary race suffered a clash with the Surrey Cross Country Championships, and the only non-veteran finisher in the senior mens race was Alex Tovey, still an U20 runner, who came fifth.

The best male finisher was Keiran Wye, who came third in the U13 race, while Kathryn Ditton was the best of the girls, with second place in the U11 race.

Although numbers were short at Wing, there was at least the consolation of some good results at the Surrey Championships.

Jack Rowe won the U13 race after tracking his nearest rival before powering past him at the death, and helping WSEH to team silver.

WSEH's U11s also won team gold.

Anna does it again

ANNA CRITCHLOW continued her dominance of the women's race at the Richmond Park Time Trial on Saturday.

Critchlow, of Chiswick-based West 4 Harriers, won for the 13th time in 16 attempts in 18:36 mins.

West 4 team-mate Matt Holden came third in the men's race in 17:52, but the honours went to Noel Stoddart, of St Mary's Richmond AC,who won in 17:32.

Over at Bushy Park,it was no surprise that Beijing Olympics 1500m finalist Andrew Baddeley took the honours.

The Harrow AC runner's time of 14:23 was just 23 seconds outside of Craig Mottram's all-time course record.

However, the record Sonia O'Sullivan set in the women's race three years ago fell.

Some 200 races after it was set, Katrina Wootton, of Bedford & County AC,lowered O'Sullivan's mark by two seconds to 16:20.

Mini-marathon time

SPORTY youngsters are being encouraged to shed those festive extra pounds by trimming up for the Hounslow Mini-Marathon.

The event, which combined a fun run with trials for the borough's places in the London Mini-Marathon, takes place at Lampton Sports Centre on Sunday, February 1.

It is open to all youngsters who either live or go to school in the borough and will be aged between 11 and 17 on April 26.

The top eight runners from each age group in the Hounslow Mini Marathon will go on to represent the borough in the London Mini-Marathon, which takes in the last 5km of the London Marathon course.

Registration forms are available in schools and leisure centres across the borough.