Hercules Wimbledon's top race walker Estle Viljoen is targeting the Commonwealth Games in India next summer. The former all-African race walking champion is hopeful she can make the English team for the event after reverting to race walking in earnest in the past few months.

In August, representing Surrey, she won the women's 3000m walk at the South of England senior inter-counties match at Chelmsford in 14 minutes 27.24 seconds. In September, the 39-year-old Mitcham schoolteacher won the British Masters 10km road walking championship at Leicester in 54:11 and also finished runner-up in the UK senior championship decided in conjunction with the event.

Representing the South of England in the inter-area match at Doncaster, she won the 5km walk by more than a minute in 26:50. Much earlier in the year she won two titles at the European Veterans Championships in Denmark in May. She took the 10km event in 55:43 and the 20km gold medal in 1:59:12.

Viljoen's ability to compete in walking events has been hampered by a series of injury problems. However, she said: "It is a great feeling to realize that I am gaining confidence again after a long period of constant injuries. I can race again with a competitive spirit."

Viljoen, who teaches at Haslemere Primary school, added: "I am so thankful to the Nuffield gym in Wimbledon who have been supporting me in my training. Competing in the 2010 Commonwealth Games has been a dream for me but I would like to make the dream come true or at least give it my best shot."

Her next walking competition is likely to be in the Belgrave open seven miles event in Wimbledon on November 28. She won the women’s event last year in just outside the hour.

Hercules Wimbledon's Mike Halman warmed up for a half-marathon in Cuba this weekend by taking second place out of more than 1500 competitors in the HellRunner multi-terrain 12 miles race in Cheshire. It was a pretty tough experience for Halman who is among a party of Hercules Wimbledon athletes in action in the Cuban capital, Havana, on Sunday.

Organisers of the Cheshire event warned those taking part to expect to get very wet - it is nature at its toughest - as the course included a variety of surfaces from running tracks to water-filled trails. Clubmate Rory McMahon, who is also in the Cuban party, finished 32nd.

Hercules Wimbledon athletes were in action in an inter-club match seven miles cross country match in Richmond Park on Saturday. They were led home by Chris Coles who finished third in 40:48 with Hugh Saxby first veteran over-55 10th (43:13) and David Grima 12th (44:13). Another veteran, Frank Wood was 15th in 46:31m and Fred Green 24th and first veteran over 60 in 54:00.

Over 50 veteran Martin O'Halloran competed in the Roundshaw parkrun where he was 10th out of 49 finishers in 20:28. His time chopped 38 seconds off his previous best for the course. Clubmate Stephen McDuell was in action in the Richmond Park event where he was eighth out of almost 200 finishers in 19:37.

Hercules Wimbledon's John Querstret was 20th out of more than 500 runners in the Bushy Park race in 18:42 with Andrew Davies sixth out of more than 150 competitors in the Wimbledon Common parkrun in 18:57.

This weekend, Hercules Wimbledon's runners are in action in the second of this season's Sweatshop Surrey cross country league meetings on Farthing Downs, Coulsdon, on Saturday. The young athletes' race starts at 2.30pm with the seniors due off half-an-hour later.