Hercules Wimbledon's older athletes gained a bagful of medals at the annual Surrey Masters track and field championships at Ewell on Saturday.

Best of the bunch at the Surrey Masters Championships was former senior men's track and field team manager Dave Orchard who collected a bumper five gold medals in the over 50 category on his debut appearance in the championships.

Orchard also set a Hercules Wimbledon age group club record in winning the 100m hurdles in 17.9 seconds. His other successes came in the high jump, pole vault, long jump and triple jump. He also took silver in the discus with another club record-breaking effort of 35.05m and the hammer.

Hercules Wimbledon had a hat-trick of winners in the over 45 category with Rob Dinsdale taking gold in the shot and discus and Peter Lee in the 5000m.

Peter Giles was a double championship record-breaker in the over 65 800 and 1500m with times of 2:32.2 and 5:20.6. His 800m win was also a new Hercules Wimbledon club age record. John Webster was also a double winner in the over 70 category where he took the hammer with championship and Hercules Wimbledon records of 35.78m and the javelin.. Kevin Burnett was also a double winner in the over 70 shot and discus.

The Hercules Wimbledon title tally totalled 17 with Anna Garnier taking the women's over 55 800 and 1500m in 2:44.1, a championship record, and 5:42.8. She was also third in the 200m.

Burnett also took the silver medals in the over 70 hammer and javelin behind clubmate Webster as well as finishing runner-up in the 100m and 3000m walk. Giles was also second in the over 65 5000m. Stuart White gained a hat-trick of bronze medals in the over 45 100, 200 and 400m.

Orchard, Dinsdale and White warmed up for the Masters' championships with wins in the Southern Veterans League South West London division match at Ewell a few days earlier. Dinsdale won the over 40 shot and javelin, Orchard the over 50 pole vault, triple jump, shot and javelin while White won the over 40 200m. Webster was also in action taking second place in the over 60 javelin.

Ruth Clifton was Hercules Wimbledon's only winner in the second of this season's Rosenheim League East Division meetings at Croydon. She took the women's 3000m in 10:49.7.

The club's most talented middle-distance runner Liam White smashed the club's junior 1500m record at the British Milers' Club's Sports City Grand Prix meeting in Manchester. White, 17, clocked 3 minutes 51.39 seconds to erase the previous club best of 3:51.9 set more than four decades ago by Brian Slocombe in August 1969. White also took four seconds off his previous best time for the distance.

Hercules Wimbledon's Allessio Martello gained a double success in the Merton Schools Championships taking the intermediate boys high jump (1.65m) and 400m B race. Spencer Felix-Otoo was also a double winner in the 800m and 3000m B race.

Other Hercules Wimbledon athletes to post successes included Rechimial Miller (junior boys 200m B), Claire Rogers (junior girls 800m) and Amy Culleton (junior girls high jump B).

On the road, Rory McMahon clocked the fastest time for the distance by a Hercules Wimbledon runner this year by finishing ninth in the Edinburgh half-marathon in 1:14:15.

Stuart Fraser was 12th out of more than 200 runners in the Last Friday of the Month 5km road race in Hyde Park in 17:24. David Grima took a break from holidaying in the West Country to win the Killerton parkrun near Exeter in 17:42 to set a 30-34 age course record.

Meanwhile, Augustin Mallin was eighth out of more than 200 runners in the Wimbledon Common parkrun in 18:46 with Jeremy Purnell 17th (19:52), Charles Hampden-Smith 30th and first over 60 finisher (20:40) and James Sharpe 40th (21:07).

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon travel to Brighton for their third Southern Men's League match at Withdean Stadium on Saturday. On Sunday, the club's road runners will be in action in the Dorking 10 miles road race, which incorporates the Surrey championship. Next Wednesday (June 8th) Hercules Wimbledon stage the third of this season's Rosenheim League East Division matches at their Wimbledon Park headquarters, starting at 6.45pm.

* Hercules Wimbledon's track and field training sessions take place at Wimbledon Park athletics stadium on Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting at 6.30pm and Sunday mornings at 10.30am. Further details from coaching coordinator Maurice Sharp on 020 8337 8707.

* Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club hold mid-week road running training sessions for marathon, cross country and road runners from Lauriston Cottage, 6a Southside, Wimbledon Common, at the junction with Lauriston Road, every Wednesday evening from 7pm. Contact Pete Mulholland for more details.