Dominic Smith improved on his personal best of 15:59.71, that he achieved in the Southern League at Parliament Hill earlier in the summer, when, at Wimbledon in the Hercules 5000m Festival on Wednesday 7 August, he did a personal best of 15:32.00; that time placed Dominic 9th of 18 finishers. That was done in race 4 of the 7 races, organised by Highgate Harrier Ben Noad and Hercules Wimbledon AC.  The impressive thing is that in 2016 and 2017 Dominic Smith was out of club athletics, helping his wife to raise a family. In the same race were two other Highgate runners: Jonathan Laybourn ran 15:45.86 and Henry Murdoch did 15:52.04.

Highgate’s fastest harrier on the night was Charlie Haywood, who was in the elite race 7. He ran 14:51.10, not far outside his personal best of 14:49.9. He was 14th of 18 finishers but, had he run in race 6 his time would have given him second place! Alex Crossland also ran in race 7 finishing in 5:14.52.

In race 3, Highgate Harrier Peter Hawkings ran 16:06.31. In race 2, Henry Porcas did a personal best of 16:59.56 and, veteran ‘Over 55’ Alex Davidson ran 17:17.14.

In race 1, Ashley Scott-Wilson ran 18:25.01 and Rebecca Johnson continued her good form in race 2 with a time of 17:10.30.

On the 17th of August at Parliament Hill the final Southern League Division 3 North match of the season takes place and it will be all hands to the pump to get a good score. Hopefully, James Rossiter will be over his injury and can run, jump and throw.
 

ASHFORD KEEPS BURNING BRIGHTLY
 
Russ Ashford goes on improving. In last month’s ‘Last Friday in the Month 5k race’ in Hyde park, organised by Serpentine RC (26 July) he ran his best 5k road time of 16:27 to place 7^th out of 234 finishers.  He beat his position and time in the June event, when he finished 17^th and ran 17:22. In the July race, Leon Cerrone finished 29^th in 17:22, Justine Bere was 56th in 18:32 and Dave Gilbert finished 63^rd in 18:50.  

Roger Poolman, Highgate’s ‘Star’ middle distance runner (considering his amazing improvement in one year) has been suffering with an injury. When it is dealt with he should not find too much difficulty in getting back to his best again.  For example, when I was in my early ‘50’s’ I had a hernia operation on the 26th of January and then ran the London Marathon on the 13th of April the same year, so that tells me he could be back in ‘Good Form’ for the first Metropolitan League in early October and maybe the Southern & National road relays. Good luck Roger!
 

CREDITABLE 5000m TIMES BY HIGHGATE HARRIERS
 
At Eltham, on the 20th of July, Highgate Harrier, Charley Haywood, who studies at UCL, and has run under 15 minutes for the 5000m a few times, did 14:58.8 in the BMC Grand Prix race at Eltham.

Also at Eltham but, on the 17th of July, in the BMC Regional races and in the ‘A’ race Fergal Smithwick was 4th in te 500m A race in 15:17.6; and Dominic Smith ran a personal best time of 15:34.9 in 6th place. Jonathan Laybourn ran 15:46.4 for 9^th and Darryl Davidson ran 16:28.2 to finish 14^th. for 5000m in the same race. Ellen Donald, as an under 17, ran 5:08.3 in the women’s 1500m.

On the 21st of July Molly Renfer was back in action finishing as the 2nd woman home in 36:59 in the Elmbridge road 10k at Walton.

At Luton on Saturday 13 July Highgate Harriers Track & Field team were in their penultimate Southern League Division 3 North of the season and held their position in mid table overall.
This was due to the reasonably strong women’s team, but with a rather depleted Men’s team.

The results were 1st Luton AC 325; 2 Thurrock Harriers 292; 3 Peterborough AC 234; 4 Highgate Harriers & Mornington Chasers 155; 5 West Norfolk AC 98; 6 Chiltern Harriers 11pts. Highgate Harriers are bound to have a stronger all-round team when they compete in the last Southern League of this season, which takes place on the 17th of August at Parliament Hill Fields.

The individual winners at Luton were Emma Macalister Hall, 2:16.2 in the 800m and 4:48.0 in the 1500m; Lauren Longhurst, 1.40 pole vault; Amy Rutherford in the ‘non scoring’ 200m in 28.5; and 
Christian Pugley in the men’s long jump with 5.93m and in the 200 ‘A’, 23.8.

I would like to point out two second places were achieved by Franziska Broker in the 400m hurdles and B 200m respectively. 

In the 2019 Bridges Relay road race in Westminster (20 June), run around that area, Chris Rainsford, running for Standard Charter, did the fastest lap time of the day with 11:25.

On Wednesday 10 July at Watford in the BMC track races, Highgate ace runners ran well. Yet again, Rebecca Johnson ran a personal best time – this time for 1500m. She ran 4:23.60; and Hannah Viner was very close to her best time with 4:23.91 in the same race.

“In the warm conditions on Saturday (6th July) at Parliament Hill track, the standard of I0,000m track running, was higher in the earlier races and more electrifying than before” said HH Press Secretary Alastair Aitken.
 
The obvious support of the Highgate Harriers’ officials & athletes, turning their hands to helping under the organiser and founder, Ben Pochee, made it all a success again. This was considerably helped by the fact that two of Highgate’s ‘A’ team athletes, Chris Rainsford and Hannah Viner, set out a colourful printed programme again.

Paul Maskell, the North London, Leisure & Events Manager and communicator for Hampstead Heath remarked: “I have worked for the City of London Corporation for 23 years and this is undoubtedly the best event we have ever had. The National cross-country was brilliant but the event at Parliament Hill today has got it all. It has got the razzmatazz, the style, the booze and the food.” He added, “Having the European Cup here and having Tim Hutchings, Liz McColgan and Andy Vernon speaking is great.”

Dave Bedford, the last British runner to hold a 10,000m world record said, “This event tells you that in the sport something had been missing - to think, there will be 4,000 to 5,000 people here tonight.”

The men’s European Cup race, incorporating the British World Championship Trials, was won by Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy in 27:49.79 from Amanal Petros (Germany) 27:52.25 and Ben Connor of GB in 27:57.60 (which was a lot quicker than his recent best of 28:14). Crippa was 3rd last year in the European Cup at the same venue. The women’s European Cup race, and British World Championship Trials, was won in spectacular fashion in the last three laps by Stephanie Twell of Aldershot Farnham & District in 31:08.13, a new PB. Last year’s winner, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter of Israel, was second in 31:15.78 with Eilish McColgan of GB third in 31:16.76.
 

Highgate Harrier Alex Lepretre, running in the highest standard race 9 of the Hercules Wimbledon Night of 3000m racing on the 26th of June, challenged the winner, Kent AC’s Owen Hind (8:21.00), for much of the race before coming second to him. Alex finished in a season’s best of 8:22.59, not very far off his best time
of 8:21.62. Lepretre recently won the Barnet & District’s ‘Golden Stag’ Mile race in 4:13, on the 21st of June.
In the same race at the Wimbledon on Wednesday (26^th) Chris Rainsford ran a season’s best of 8:27.79 in 7th place of the 16 finishers.

In Race 8 Niki Faulkner was 4th and Charlie Haywood 7th of 13. Their times respectively were ‘personal bests’ of 8:29.50 & 8:32:10. Terry Fawden ran 8:51.74 in the same race.

In Race 5 two Highgate harriers achieved personal two best times. Henry Murdoch 9:04.41 and Barnaby Walker who ran 9:14.11. 
                                                
THIRD PERSONAL BEST CONSECUTIVELY FOR REBECCA
 
In race 3 Rebecca Johnson ran a personal best time of 9:31.79, as first woman and the 3rd woman was our outstanding cross-country and road runner Hannah Viner, in 9:43.30. In race 2 Yasmin Goater was 4^th woman in 10:01.30.

It was good for the supporters to see the race one winner, who was Highgate Harrier, Megan Zoe Wilson, in a personal best time of 9:55.59. Her previous best indoors last year was 10:34.16 and in fact her fastest outdoors time was 12 minutes plus so, it this raced showed tremendous improvement!

All this success and excitement and we still have Ben Pochee’s Night of the 10,000m PBs coming up on Saturday 6^th July at Parliament Hill. It has been six years now of good 10k running that I have enjoyed reported on!