START FITNESS METROPOLITAN LEAGUE Hillingdon (December 2019)
Hillingdon House Farm
7th December 2019
DYLAN EVANS, who was seventh in his only other Met League, at Claybury in October, won the third Start Fitness Met league of the season.
On the two lap course, which included a brook on each lap, some muddy corners and a wood, plus a hill to be negotiated and, fortunately a flat section, the first to hit the front, as the large field rounded a corner into a big field, was Mohamed Hashi and Abdi Abdulle.
At the half way stage, as they came back onto the main field a group of five runners had drawn clear. They were Abdi, Evans, Texas American, Austin Roth (3rd at Claybury) Thomas Butler and Alex Lepretre. In the last half mile or so Evans and Roth broke clear followed by Lepretre. Evans worked hard up the finishing straight to come away with a victory.
Evans was pleased with his 44th at Liverpool in the Cross Challenge & European Trials.
It was Lepretre’s highest position in the years he has done the Met League.
The first Under 20 runner was George Groom of Shaftesbury Barnet and, I can remember talking to him after he won his first Met League, as a youngster way back in 2012. He has progressed since then and has been studying at St Marys. That prolific racer Paul Martelletti was the first M40 in seventh place. Hillingdon's 80 year old, Doug Milsom came 457 in 53:38. 458 finsished. He has a pacemaker and it has been a boon serving him well.
For the second time running Liz Janes was the convincing winner in the women's race but after all, she was the National Senior winner back in 2006. Revee Walcott-Nolan was second again and had been running with Hannah Viner at the half distance.
Hannah was more pleased with her 21st place at Liverpool, which was ten places higher than last year. Liz Janes did point out, with three young children she had to pick her times to go out and do an hours training. She did an hour for six days a week.
London Hearthside and Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets are heading Highgate Harriers in the women's Division One events though, Highgate were first team at Hillingdon House Farm. However, Highgate Harriers men are in a commanding position at the top of the Men's, Division One table, while Woodford Green & Essex ladies, are in a strong winning position for the Junior Howard Williams Trophy and Shaftesbury in second place.
Two notable young athletes certainly are worth a mention here. Joanna Miranda from the strong Shaftesbury Under 17 team, won for the 2nd time consecutively and Asmaa Abdirrahman of Hillingdon, who won four or five Met Leagues since she started at 10 year old in the Under 11's and, has won at least 4 Met Leagues and has had quite few 2nd places and one third. It was in the Under 13's she was running at Hillingdon House Farm.