Murray Strain, who always makes the Highgate Harriers ‘A’ teen, was 10th in the top ‘A’ race over 10,000 at the Ladywell Arena, Catford on the 2nd of September with a time of 32:01.87. There were 7 races on the track. Strain has the unique distinction of being a Scottish International runner on the mountains, a good fell runner, cross-country and road man. A few years back he was on the anchor leg when Highgate Harriers won the National 12 Stage road relay at Sutton Coldfield. Also in the race and just ahead of Strain in 9th, was Highgate’s cross-country Captain Rob Wilson in 31:55.08.

IMPRESSIVE RUN BY SLEEMAN

In the Regents Park 10k on Sunday 2 September, Alistair Sleeman, an under 20 runner for Highgate, was 16th of 515 in a personal best time of 37:41.  The other Highgate Harrier in the large field was 38th Nadi Jahangiri, the first over 55 in the race, in 39:47.

The first ‘Beacon’ race at the very start of the Autumn/Winter season will be on the 23rd of September, at Crystal Palace, where Highgate Harriers look to have a reasonably strong team in the Southern Areas Championships six stage road relay, which they won last year. The National Six stage will be at Sutton Coldfield on the 6th of October and Highgate, could feature in that too.

Highgate Harrier, Brendan Donnelly, who comes from Northern Ireland, was 13th of 202 runners in the Last Friday in the Month Serpentine 5k in 17:28 on 31 August. The other Highgate Harriers to feature highly in the results was Justin Bere, an over 55 athlete, who ran only 4 seconds outside his personal best when doing 18:06 in 21st place plus being the first over 50 runner in the race.

The other Highgate men were 24 David Kelly an M45 in 18:19, &, 53rd Richard Stewart, who has been plagued with injuries over the last couple of years. He is an over 45 runner and ran round in 19:40. In 108th was Luca Spaccatrosi, an Under 13 year old, in 21:48.

LETHAL AT 70 & BRILLIANT AT 69!

Highgate Harrier, Tony Richards, who is 69 this year and 70 next year, is brilliant in the throwing events and next year he will be a strong contender for British age category Gold medals, in the older age group.
In atrocious weather, at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, on the 25 of August, Richards, was a close 2nd in the 65-69 javelin competition with 32.74 and was only beaten narrowly by very experienced, 65-year old, Paul Oakes, who threw 32:81.  Oakes had been competing at veteran athletics since he was 40. Richards also came 3rd in the discus with 35.33 and 2nd in the shot (26 August) with 10.48.

Dominic Ogbechie, coached by Marius Guei, was in good form again, at his speciality the high jump on Saturday, 25 August. He won the Under 17 England Championship High jump at Bedford. He achieved a height of 2.18 and was well clear of the second athlete Sam Brereton of Newquay, who did 2.11. Although Dominic has jumped even higher this year, with 2:22, it was a good performance as the next four athletes behind him in the final did personal best performances. Dominic also won the long jump with a distance of 7.30 m.

On Wednesday, 22nd of August in the Watford Open meeting Emma Burgess, while coming 11th in a graded race, improved massively on her 3000m personal best time of 10:31.26 of last year by running 10:12.38. In the same race Yasmin Goater ran a PB of 9:58.26 to finish 5th.

The same evening at Watford, Alex Crossland, came 3rd in his 1500 race in a personal best time of 3:58.60. Also at Watford, James Millett ran 4:02.24 and Terry Fawden 4:06.98 for 1500m.

On Saturday 25 August in the Inter-club challenge races as Hendon, Alima Diabate, the club President and a prolific racer, ran 13.68 for 100m; and two youngsters performed well. ‘Under 13’ Luca Spaccatrosi ran 5:37.60 for 1500 and a new name, ‘Under 13’ runner Gabrielle Johnson, ran 2:46.67 for 800 which is a good time for an under 13.

Although Highgate Harriers were fifth of five clubs in their Southern League Division 3 North match, at the Millennium Stadium, Battersea on Saturday 18 August they gained enough points overall, to end up in a mid-table position. The top club Basildon obtained 1,650 Match points. Highgate Harriers were 11th of the 23 clubs with 1,179 match points. The team that comprised of men & women combined, was a composite team with Mornington Chasers.

The Southern Athletics League is a vital part of the network of athletics as, it gives almost any standard athlete the chance to do events and improve on their performances. Take one amazing character, Alex Davidson, who at 56 became the 3rd fastest ‘‘over 55’ 5000m runner in GB in 2018. He ran 17:05.1 for 4th non-scoring place.

The winner of the ‘A’ race was 2014 Commonwealth Marathon runner for GB, Nick Torry of Serpentine, who ran 15:46.9 but in second place was, someone who will be good in the future. He was Highgate’s, 19 years old, Louis Griffin. He did a personal best of16:23.9, after leading early on.

In the 1500m and 3000m steeplechase Highgate had no runners and there were also no Highgate men or women hurdlers or pole vaulters competing for the club.
Maybe some were on their Summer Holidays. However, there were some impressive athletes competing for the club to eye for the future. That of course would be thanks to club coaches Marius Guei & Juliet Kavanagh.

One of those was Under 17 athlete, Emmanuel Anyabuine, who did 11.86 for third in the ‘A’ triple jump, having never previously competed before in a senior competition.

In the men’s 4x100 relay Highgate came 4th and Dominic Vure, an Under 20 man, with his impressive stride and white head band, was the lead-off man. Alexander Evelegh also looked impressive in the relay. He finished faster than anyone and nearly caught the first three teams on the line. It was ever so close between the first 4 clubs at the finish. The other two on the relay team were Emmanuel Anyabuine and Mornington Chaser, William Fulton, whose non-scoring win over 400m was in 59.2.
The 4x100 team were timed at 47.9

Dominic Vure was also 3rd in the high jump ‘A’ with 1.65, plus 4th in the ‘A’ 200 in 24.9. Another Highgate sprinter for the future is Isayah Boers, an under 20, who was 2nd in the 100 ‘A’ in 11.2

Alexander Evelegh, despite recent injuries, won the 400 ‘B’ in 52.0, which was faster than the ‘A’ winner from Wycombe. Evelegh also was 2nd in the ‘A’ 200 in 23.5.

Highgate Harriers’ President, Alima Diabate, always supports the League events. She was 2nd in the woman’s 100m ‘A’ in 13.3 and 2nd in the 200 ‘A’ in 28.2.

Jenny Holmes, another supporter of the League, was 3rd in the ‘B’ 200 in 29.9.  A personal best was achieved by under 17 runner Isabella Millet who was 4th in the ‘B’ 400 in 72.6 and her brother James Millett did a personal best 400 in 55.5 for 4th in the Men’s 400m ‘A’.

Catherine Airey was 4th in a personal best in the 800 ‘A’ in 2:35.8 and in the ‘B’ Kani Hinshelwood ran a personal best of 2:41.5. Hishelwood was also 3rd in personal best of 11:36.0, when winning the non-scoring 3000m, and Catherine Airey ran another personal best coming 3rd in the ‘A’ with 11:18.2.

Jonny Payne won the javelin ‘A’ with 47.83. On the women’s side Megan Greenfield (under 20) won the 4k shot put ‘A’ with a personal best of 9.97.

Regarding outstanding results from Mornington Chasers, one must mention Lauren Longhurst who did a PB in the in the discus with 14.02 in 4th place, won the ‘B’ 3000m in a personal best of 11.22.6 and was also 3rd in the triple jump ‘A’ with 8.89.