Claybury Postscript .............. with thanks to Miles Mussobini
Jake Shelley
No change to the outrageously dangerous start area - best comment yet from organisers: 'we are aware of the problem so moved the start 50 metres further back'. Problem is it didn't change the fact that the runners would have been given 50 more metres to get up speed before the 'no change' three - four abreast congestion at the bottom of the hill after 200 metres!? It's never easy to plan a fair start when the course is on public land and the summer paths have been clearly defined but with Hillingdon offering a similarly crazy start at Ruislip and last year's debacle at Stevenage where there is plenty of room for arguably the best start/fnish area of any course in the country athletes/coaches may be forgiven for believing that this type of start is a precondition for Met League hosts. Ah, but you all know the score so you've got to devise a plan.
Enough criticism ...... as ever, this was a well organised meeting though c0ompetitively the sharp end was much thinner than I had expected.
To be continued
Enough criticism ...... as ever, this was a well organised meeting though c0ompetitively the sharp end was much thinner than I had expected.
To be continued
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Last Year's Races at Claybury
Becky Penty (Highgate) decimated the Womens' Race field (130 finishers) with a 'gun to finish line blast'. Her first lap surge broke up the field early on - fellow Harrier Esther Evans (first W35 home) paid for her brave start by fading to 5th by the end as Becky won by over 20 seconds to open the season with her customary Met League win in what was to prove an unbeaten league series and most importantly a prelude to a successful winter following a big breakthrough summer culminating in 17th in the Berlin Marathon with a huge pb of 2hrs36mins 19secs not to mention further personal bests throughout the longer distances and Half Marathon victories in Edinburgh, Watford and Newark. Ever cnsistent Sylie Lloyd of Serpentine led the chase with a group of Nick Anderson coached athletes led home by Lorna Russell and Dee Allen just gettng the better of Esther Evans. At U20 level Shaftesbury's Georgia Bell had a comfortable 30 secs cushion over Lauren MacGregor who was returning from injury. W50 Fiona Kennedy (ESM) got the better of old rival W40 Bernie Prichett (WGExL) in the 'real vets'.
Highgate just held off Serpentine to wn the team:-
1 Highgate Harriers 277pts
2 Serpentine 258pts
3. WGExL 222pts
4. London Heathside 165pts
5. Shaftesbury 136pts
The 355 strong Mens' Race was a big breakthrough day for two talented U20s. Eventual Somalian winner Mohamud Aadan (TVH) had no real previous form in this league or at this level but he surprised some of the 'old guard' with his strong start and only Nathan White (Met Police) and newly recruited Woodie Haran Abdi went out with him. White was to fade to a brave 7th and as the usual culprits began to reel in the leaders it was another U20 Niall Fleming (SBH/Birmingham Uni) who was to win the battle for second place just in front of Abdi and Nick Torry (Serpies). Fleming was to go on to become Southern U20 Champion while Aadan's season was disappointingly blighted by niggling injury though he did win the Middlesex U20 title and is certainly a name for the future in what we all hope is a resurgent period for TVH. Ben Pochee (Highgate) led home the veterans in 9th almost 40secs in front of Hendrik Zietsman of Serpentine. Woodford were to win the team race by almost 80pts from Serpentine with Highgate a further 200+ pts behind. Hillingdon, London Heathside and Shaftesbury had a battle with the Woodies 'B' team as the home team lay down the guantlet for the season's honours.
The Younger age groups were well supported with Shaftesbury gaining an U17 Mens' 1-2 through Mike Callegari and Phil Crout while the talented U15 Asgoodom twins of Enfield & Haringey were within 20 secs. The Humbugs won the team race with their usual depth and had the winner in the U17 Women's race as U15 Natalie Connor got the better of Amelia Barratt (WGExL) and they both had a large time cushion over the 3rd placer who was yet another U15 - Hannah Novakovic (St Mary's Runners). Herts Pheonix had a clear victory in the team race as most teams failed to field teams tryly representative of the talent at their disposal.
Canaan Solomon(WGExL) looked a class apart in the U13 Boys race winning comfortably from Herts Pheonix's Jamie Philpott. Shaftesbury bagged the team prize from a pleasingly resurgent TVH squad and then Herts Pheonix. In a very poorly supported U13 Girls race Rosie Poole won convincingly to lead her Woodford Team to victory.
FULL RESULTS CAN BE DOWNLOADED BELOW:-
Highgate just held off Serpentine to wn the team:-
1 Highgate Harriers 277pts
2 Serpentine 258pts
3. WGExL 222pts
4. London Heathside 165pts
5. Shaftesbury 136pts
The 355 strong Mens' Race was a big breakthrough day for two talented U20s. Eventual Somalian winner Mohamud Aadan (TVH) had no real previous form in this league or at this level but he surprised some of the 'old guard' with his strong start and only Nathan White (Met Police) and newly recruited Woodie Haran Abdi went out with him. White was to fade to a brave 7th and as the usual culprits began to reel in the leaders it was another U20 Niall Fleming (SBH/Birmingham Uni) who was to win the battle for second place just in front of Abdi and Nick Torry (Serpies). Fleming was to go on to become Southern U20 Champion while Aadan's season was disappointingly blighted by niggling injury though he did win the Middlesex U20 title and is certainly a name for the future in what we all hope is a resurgent period for TVH. Ben Pochee (Highgate) led home the veterans in 9th almost 40secs in front of Hendrik Zietsman of Serpentine. Woodford were to win the team race by almost 80pts from Serpentine with Highgate a further 200+ pts behind. Hillingdon, London Heathside and Shaftesbury had a battle with the Woodies 'B' team as the home team lay down the guantlet for the season's honours.
The Younger age groups were well supported with Shaftesbury gaining an U17 Mens' 1-2 through Mike Callegari and Phil Crout while the talented U15 Asgoodom twins of Enfield & Haringey were within 20 secs. The Humbugs won the team race with their usual depth and had the winner in the U17 Women's race as U15 Natalie Connor got the better of Amelia Barratt (WGExL) and they both had a large time cushion over the 3rd placer who was yet another U15 - Hannah Novakovic (St Mary's Runners). Herts Pheonix had a clear victory in the team race as most teams failed to field teams tryly representative of the talent at their disposal.
Canaan Solomon(WGExL) looked a class apart in the U13 Boys race winning comfortably from Herts Pheonix's Jamie Philpott. Shaftesbury bagged the team prize from a pleasingly resurgent TVH squad and then Herts Pheonix. In a very poorly supported U13 Girls race Rosie Poole won convincingly to lead her Woodford Team to victory.
FULL RESULTS CAN BE DOWNLOADED BELOW:-
copy_of_metleaguerace1claybury08-10-11published.xls | |
File Size: | 595 kb |
File Type: | xls |