2023 Annual Review - Part 1
The first part of our annual review covers January to June with medals galore at the County Championship , more Met League success and superb performances across the Club
January 2023
Seyfu Jamaal finished 2nd in the Sepentine New Year 10km in Hyde Park
Lee Valley saw a host of new club records Sam Brown (U17B 400m), Gabriel Edwards (U13B 60m and 200m), Adrian Essex (V70 300m), Adrian Day (V60 300m) and Tony Killilea (V55 300m).
The Senior Women won the 4th Met League at a chaotic and muddy Welwyn Garden City with Rebecca Piggott first home in 6th place. Seyfu Jamaal was 2nd in the Senior Mens race with the team finishing 3rd. The Junior Women were 2nd with Amy Kirk the first home in 6th place and the U13 Girls 3rd.
At the Southern Indoor Championships there was a Silver for Gabriel Edwards (U13B 60m) and bronze for Magdeline Paitoo (U17W 200m) both in new club records with Sam Brown (U17M 400m) and Milli Bridgeman Athanasatos (U15G TJ) also setting new club records.
The Centenary Middlesex Cross Country Championships was held at a frozen Hampstead Heath and lots of medals for heathsiders . The Senior Men’s Team (Jamaal, Gurney, Young, Sevestre, Metcalf, Wheat) winning the title for the Club’s by one point from Thames Valley Harriers. The U13G team (Cormacain, Blustin, C Roberts) also won their title. The Senior Women, U15 Boys were 2nd while in 3rd were the U20 Men, U11 Girls and U15 Girls despite finishing level on points with Highgate. Individually no Champions but Seyfu (SM) and Thomas Archer (U20M) were both 2nd and in 3rd Hattie Munday (U17W) and Koppany Szentes (U15B).
At the Southern Championships at Beckenham Palace Park the U13 Girls were 11th, U13 Boys 19th, U15 Girls 16th, U15 Boys 19th, U17 Men 17th, U20 Men 6th Senior Women 9th and Senior Men 12th.
Suraya Frost set a new U15G 60mH record at the London Indoor Games
Liam Garrett set a new club mile record in the States of 4:14.08
February
Seyfu finished 1st and Raoul Metcalf 2nd at the Chingford League 60th Anniversary 5 mile race.
The Club Hosted the North West Young Athletes Cross Country meeting at Hampstead Heath Extension.
Cian O’Donnell finished 3rd in the 60m at the Scottish Indoor Championships.
The mud of Trent Park saw the Senior Women secure their 5th Consecutive Met League title and with the Men 2nd overall the Club won for the first time the Howard Williams Trophy for best overall Club. Seyfu was leading Senior Man and Rebecca Piggott 2nd Senior Woman overall.
At the National U17/U15 Indoor Championships 4 new club records were set with Magdeline Paitoo wining a bronze in the U17W 300m. Sam Brown (U17M 400m) and Malakai David McKenzie Callum (U15B 60mH) made their finals and Suraya Frost (U15G 60mH) the semi final.
Gavin Evans set a new Club V60 Half Marathon Record of 2:19:19 at the Watford Half.
Mark Lawrence won a Bronze in the V50 LJ at the British Masters Indoor Championships.
At the National Cross Country Championships in the grounds of Bolesworth Castle, Cheshire the U20 Men (Archer, O’Connor, Pike Mullins, Draskoczy) finished 6th, The U17 Women (Munday, I Watkins, E Watkins) were 8th, U15 Girls 15th and U15 Boys 18th. There were no complete Senior Teams.
March
Tanya Potiyenko and Monika Newton competed at the Tokyo Marathon.
Rob Shulman, Alex Sweet and Ed Boden took part in the Rasselback Back Yard Ultra.
The Club’s Young Athletes finished 2nd overall in the NWLL Cross Country League.
10 Heathsiders represented Middlesex at the Inter-Counties in Loughborough.
The Club hosted the Inter-Borough Challenge and mini marathon trials in Finsbury Park.
Eleven Gold medals were won at the Middlesex Indoor Championships along with 8 silver and 5 bronze medals.
Six Young Heathsiders took part in the English Schools Cross Country in Nottingham with Amy Kirk our highest finisher in 69th place. Kiara Corkin helped London secure 3rd place in the Junior Girls race.
Dan Collins was 7th in the Victoria Park Half Marathon.
George Gurney was 1st in the Orion 15 in Epping Forest while Tom Aldred was 4th in the Hillingdon 20 mile race.
April
Adrian Essex competed at the World Masters Championships in Poland making the final of the V70 400m and winning Gold in the GB 4x200m team in an European AG Record time of 1:54.14.
Kader Sayed made his marathon debut in Brighton finishing 7th in 2:37:36, Matt Wheat was 13th and Gordon Pearce 14th. Ed Boden ran 2:48:51 in the Paris Marathon while Martin Potter was 1st V60 at the Putney Half Marathon.
The London Marathon saw James Hurrell our first man home in 2:28:42 while Sarah Swinhoe with a time of 2:55.25 recorded the 2nd fastest time by a VW50 and a new club AG record by 50 minutes..
Heathsiders also ran Marathons in Berlin, Manchester and Boston.
The Senior Women finished 7th on the Southern Road Relays while the Men finished 14th.
Tom Aldred set a new club AG 5k record of 15:18 in the Battersea Park 5k
Olivia Desborough was first woman home in the Chase the Sun 10km in Battersea Park
Pete Crockford set a new Club V65 record of 21:15 in the Last Friday of the Month 5k in Hyde Park
On the track Elkie Baker set a new U15G club record of 31.98m in the Discus at the Highgate Harriers Open.
The Club’s U17/U20 athletes competed for the first time as the new composite team of Highgate Heathside in the UYDL at Stevenage. The U17 Girls 4x100m team (Jolly, E Burridge, Quamina, Paitoo) set a new Club overall record of 51.00s
May
The Coronation Weekend saw the first MYAL of the season with the club’s young athletes finishing 2nd
The Club finished 3rd overall on the medal table at the Middlesex County Championships with 33 medals won 13 of them gold. Gabriel Edwards set a new championship best in the U13B 60mH.
Liam Garrett broke the Club 1500m record twice in a week with the new best of 3:45.95.
The first Southern League Match of the season had to see us relocate from Finsbury Park to Lee Valley due to track repairs and saw the club finish 4th.
George Gurney and Seyfu Jamaal both set PB’s at the Night of the 10,000m PB at Parliament Hill.
Cian O’Donnell was 6th in the 100m at the Loughborough International.
Lenny Martin completed the Cape Wrath 400k Ultra.
Kader Seyed finished 5th at the Edinburgh Marathon with 2:28.42 a new club U20 record and ranking him UK U20 No1.
Thomas Archer set a new 5k PB of 14:58.14 while James Hurrell was 4th in the Last Friday 5k in Hyde Park.
14 Heathsiders took part in the first Southern Counties VAC League at Lee Valley
The 2nd UYDL meeting in Kingston saw Ella Burridge set a new U17W 300mH record of 37.74s and Magdeline Paitoo in the U17W 300m with 40.83s
June
Thomas Archer won silver in the Southern U20 1500m at Walton. Caitlin Mcilwain was 4th in the SW 5000m.
The 2nd MYAL at Harrow saw the Club again finish 2nd with 4 new club records set.
Mathew Wheat finished 1st in the Beat the Neighbour Race.
Alex Sweet competed in the Backyard Ultra, Suffolk.
Damien Lane ran the Comrades Marathon finishing 541st in 7 hours 14 minutes and 19 seconds.
Gareth Creagh won the June 2 mile race in Regents Park.
Seyfu Jamaal was 1st at the Speedy Steeds 5k in Battersea Park
This month saw the County Schools Championships where Heathsiders won 3 Gold, 2 silver and 2 Bronze medals at the Middelsex School Champs with Elkie Baker setting a new Championship best in the JG Discus of 33.83m. In the London School Championships Heathsiders won 4 Golds, 5 silver and 3 Bronze medals.
The Club finished 3rd in the 2nd SAL fixture in Hemel Hempstead.
Paul Collyer was 2nd in the V50 race at the Veterans AC 5000m at Tooting Bec.
Chiara Borg was 3rd woman to finish the Triffic Trail race in Trent Park. Tanya Addison was 1st VW50, Andrew Dawson 1st V60 and Caroline White 1st VW60.
The Club hosted the 3rd MYAL at a sweltering hot Finsbury Park again finishing 2nd behind Shaftesbury Barnet. Gabriel Edwards set a new League Best of 11.82s in the U13B 75mH.
Magdeline Paitoo set a new Club AG record in the U17W 300m of 40.75s at the UYDL in Guildford.
Malakai finished 12th in the South East Combined Events Championships.
James Hurrell was 1st in the Serpentine Last Friday of the Month with 15:35
Rebecca Marshall took part in the Kong Ultra in the Lake District.
written by Simon Baker