Highgate Harriers put their marker down by being top of the 32 clubs in the first annual, Fitness First Metropolitan League cross county. Held at Claybury, Woodford on Saturday, the 14th of October. Their 12 senior scoring men finished in the first 41 places out of 390 runners! Top 4 teams Highgate Harriers 1649; 2 Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets 1567; London Heathside 1396 and Woodford Green 1244.
The bonus was that, the first three runners were all from Highgate Harriers. Tall, blond, Physics teacher, Roger Poolman, who last won a Met League race, at Wormwood Scrubs in 2019, was in that sort of form to win the race at Claybury. Looking good early on Roger, went on to win in 24:59.52 with Terry Fawden, now studying at Cambridge University just holding off his clubmate Alex Lepretre, to come in just ahead of him in 25:05.70 to Alex ran 25:06.24. Then came the Captain, Robert Wilson 6th in 26:01.7. The rest of the 12 were 11th Flurry Grierson; l4 Sean Renfer; 15 Pete Chambers;18 Jack Mc Vann; 25 James Ross; 30 Harry Allan 33 Grey Grierson 41 Louis Greaves.
London Heathside lead the women's senior League with 354 and Highgate Harriers are in 4th place 306 points, not too far behind. The winner of the womens' race was ex-international Liz Janes of Herts Phoenix in 29:09;4; from Rebecca Piggot of London Heathside, who ran round in 31:33:11 but in 3rd place running her best ever Met League, was Highgate Harrier Yasmin Goater, who did 31:45.054. It was good to see Ashley Scott-Wilson out again coming in 21st in the large field. Other Highgate runners included 27 Sabina Rrussell (1st 55), 28 Lisa Wenninger; 29 Louis Faherty; 37 Ross Kiran and 42 Natgasha Cendrowicz
Felix Kent was 3rd in the Under Junior15-17 race out of 113 finishers.