Twenty three clubs lined up in chilly conditions for the final Metropolitan League Cross Country meeting over the Cockfosters course at Trent Park on 11th February, and Highgate Harriers senior men team finished first in Division One for the 10th consecutive year. To top it all Highgate Harrier's Jacob Allen came home a very clear first place for the club, Hannah Viner won the senior women's race and in the under 17 women’s race Lauren Russell also finished first.
Two days previously, at the Armagh International 5k road race, Jacob Allen was fifth in the swift personal best time of 13:47, and then won the Met League senior race in 23:53. The rest of the 12 scorers were; 8 the captain Robert Wilson 25:12; 10 Robel Bahelbi 25:22; 11 Charlie Haywood 25:26; 12 Roger Poolman 25:30; 15 Sean Renfer 25:46; 24 Lewis Greaves 26:28; 34 David Shepherd 27:07; 41 Grey Grierson 27:46; 73 William De Doncker 28:53; 78 Matt Greiger 28:59; and 82 Daniel Brewer 29:02.
Hannah Viner, who was fourth in the South of England Cross Country Championships the previous Saturday, went clear ahead of the Met League field at halfway and never looked like losing in the senior women’s race. Her time 29:02; 16 Emily Young 32:02; 37 Sabina Russell 33:40; 39 Louise Faherty 33:50; 51 Ellen Kerr 34:54; and 77 Natasha Cendrowicz 37:26. London Heathside won the Division One senior women team award, and Highgate Harriers women finished fifth.
Highgate Harrier Lauren Russell finished first again in the under 17 women’s race in 14:48 ahead of 'class' junior Abigail Reid 14:59 of Woodford Green & Essex Ladies, and Gabrielle Kennedy finished 30th in 18:43. Felix Cha-Kent was fourth in the under 17 men’s race in 13:59 and Worumi Nicholl was 20th out of the 59 runners in 15:00. In the under 13’s girls, Emily Lowe finished 26th and u11's boys had one Highgate runner, James Cobbold, who was 11th of the 50 who ran.
Now for the 1st Division senior men’s clubs and the total points for the season; 1 Highgate Harriers 6996; 2 Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets 6533; 3 London Heathside 5907; 4 Harrow 4773; 5 Thames Valley Harriers 4582; 6 Woodford Green & Essex Ladies 3838; 7 Highgate Harriers' B' 3345; 8 Serpentine RC 2661; 9 Hillingdon 2553; 10 London Heathside 'B' 2379; 11 Ealing Southall & Middx 2326; and 12 Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets 'B' 2228.
The senior women Division One League club totals are as follows; 1 London Heathside 1622; 2 Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets 1528; 3 Thames Valley Harriers 1449; 4 Serpentine RC 1025; 5 Highgate Harriers 929; 6 Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets 'B' 914; 7 Hillingdon 869; 8 London Heathside 'B' 647; 9 Ealing, Southall and Middlesex 598; 10 Woodford Green & Essex Ladies 577; 11 Ealing Eagles 575; 12 Trent Park RC 460.