METROPOLITAN LEAGUE

NEILSON HALL, the 2010 Southern Champion, had a comfortable victory with his second Metropolitan League win of the season reports Alastair Aitken   (1. Neilson Hall (Herts Phoenix) 25.45; 2 Glenn Watts (Shaftesbury Barnet) 26.21; 3. Paul Marteletti (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets) 26.31. 

    The three lap course at Alexandra Palace had one horrendous muddy hill in it, for each of the three laps, that had people slipping and sliding in the mud.

    On the first lap going down the hill Hall was moving quickly. He had a 40 metre advantage over a trio of Sean Collins, Glenn Watts and Paul Marteletti. At the end of the second lap Hall had increased his lead and was followed by Glenn Watts, Marteletti, Collins, Orlando Edwards and Henry Dodwell.

    Hall's ambition, after the first Met League, was to win the Abbey Dash 10k on the road, which he duly did and, as he goes so well on severe courses he hopes to have another good run in the Southern at Parliament Hill, on his diet of 70 miles a week.

    In the Metropolitan League where the number of women competitors have increased each season, the league as a whole, is arguably the largest in numbers in the UK. This season in the Men's three races the number of finishers have been 338, 375, and 345.

    The 12 to score in the Men's race has meant Woodford Green will have to work hard to hold off an 'Ever' improving Serpentine team in the last venue at Perivale on the 12th of February.

    Highgate Harriers women won their league for six years, till last year and, although they are likely to win the Vets section they will be hard pressed to overhaul Serpentine this year.

    Becky Penty made it 3 wins out of 3 by taking victory again in the Women's race. However Jess Sparke led fro the first half of the race but as she had only been training for two weeks since illness and had quite a few injury problems before that she felt she could not expect miracles. She just wanted to put herself on the line again and see what happened. (1 Becky Penty (Highgate Harriers) 21.01; 2 Jess Sparke (Woodford Green & EL) 21,16; 3 Becky Glover (Serpentine) 21.57.

    In the a the younger age groups there were convincing victories. Michael Calligari in the Under 17's, sped round the final muddy corner and went sprawling at the turn into the finish but immediately picked himself up to win well.

    16 year old, Lissie Bird, won all her three Under 17 Met League races. At Alexandra Place it was after sitting a mock GCE in the morning at Haileybury School. She looks back to her best performance as being third in the English Schools Intermediate 1500 Final. She is coached by Simon Doyle who is keen not to over-train his charges at an early age. He also coaches Liam Dee and his brother Jamie Dee. The latter won his second, Under 14, Met League at Alexandra Palace. Dee's Ex-International parents Billy Dee and Nicky Morris encourage their sons with their running but Doyle points out " I don't want them peeking too early. All our group start with 2 sessions then later progress to 3 before going on to do more."