Finlay Sleeman, an under 17 runner, ran a personal best 800m time on the Harrow track on 24 September in an evening that saw 12 800m and 12 1500 m races. His time was 2:03.13 in 4th place in his 800 race, which took 3 seconds off his previous PB set at Harrow a month ago.
There were other good times by the Highgate young men. Roger Wilcox did a 4:59.88 1500m. Personal best times by other under 17 runners over 1500m included: Eddie Brown 4:31.23, Ross Doran 4:32.11 and Joe Collinge 4:23.26. Under 15 runner Luca Spaccatrosi also ran a PB with a time of 4:31.67.
HIGHGATE KEEPING SHARP WITHOUT STRICT COMPETITION
Besides the Highgate Strava racing leader board showing Alex Holley ahead again, with 162k for the week, with Sean Renfer next, with 145.5k, there has been some strong individual running in the 'Strava run segment' round the lower parts of Parliament Hill Fields. The course is a short Lido Lap of 1.43k.
The fastest runners so far over this course are: the good 3k/5k runner Roger Poolman at the front of the overall leader board with 3:06k/m pace in a time of 4min 27seconds; 2nd Alex Lepretre 3:11/km pace for a time of 4.34; and 3rd Mark Innocenti, 3:12/km pace in a time of 4:34; 4th, and the leading women, is Rebecca Johnson 3:14/km 4:38; 5th Rich Bayliss 3:15/km 4:39 and 6th Ben Wood 3:15/km 4.39. The next fastest were Russ Ashford, 4:42; Morgan Mitchell 4:42; Danny Russell 4:45 and Brahma Pochee 4:45.
It is noted that the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th fastest women are all 'class' runners in the Met League races, namely: Molly Renfer 5:02; Naomi Taschimowitz, 5:07; Ashley Scott Wilson, 5.26; and Emma Burgess 5:57. So far 258 people have attempted to run this special lap.
MET LEAGUE OUT OF THE WINDOW FOR 20/21 SEASON
Highgate Harriers’ most successful winter cross country fixture, over quite a few years now, is and was, the Metropolitan Cross Country League. However, the League Administrator Janice Bowman has sadly indicated that the format of the races and set up cannot meet the latest Covid guidelines, so the events for the League are cancelled for the 2020/21 season.