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29th May, 2022, Alastair Aitken

So many athletes have benefited over the years due to the invention of the 'Night of the 10,000m PB's', which began in 2013 thanks to the originator Ben Pochee, once an international himself. One of Highgate Harriers’ foremost distance runners last year was London Cross Country Champion Seyed Taha Ghafari, who has been recovering from injury recently but hopes to be back in action fairly soon. His friend and fellow countryman, Mohammadreza Abootorabi, came to London, from where he is staying in Sweden, for the Men's 'Elite' 10k at the Parliament Hill track and in that race he ran 28:45.44, which was a personal best for him on the track. He told me, that evening on 14 May, "I ran 13:38 indoors in February in Sweden and 28:35 was my best 10k on the road.” He added “I was happy with that but, in order to improve my English for my psychology studies, I want to come to London for a year or two to do that.” He started running as a sport at high school in Iran and now in Sweden he enjoys running with his friends in training. Regarding did he have a coach? "I am 32 now. I did have a coach but I know my own body and I can coach myself now."