Goodman and Viner take Metropolitan League victories

Richard Goodman, 24, and Hannah Viner, 21, beat huge fields to win the men's and women's races in the Metropolitan Cross Country League at Wormwood Scrubs. It was Viner's first ever win in a league whose every race attracts hundreds of competitors from London and the Home Counties. By contrast, Goodman’s Metropolitan outing simply maintained a long winning streak.

"Wormwood Scrubs is a flat course and the ground was not too muddy, so I realised it would be a fast start", Viner reported. "I kept to my plan of sitting in the lead group for the first third of the 6 km race and then taking the lead. With 2 km to go I stretched out further, and had the speed and strength to reach the line first. It's a nice confidence booster for the British Universities Championships next month".

A niggling injury had meant that Goodman was unsure about entering the 8 km race. "I picked up a hamstring strain a few weeks ago and lost training and fitness", he said. "I only decided to run five minutes before the start, and wanted to run conservatively. So I sat in with the lead group and only pushed the pace over the final kilometre. I was challenged in a sprint finish over the last hundred metres, for my closest ever win".

Eden Davis, 18, placed fourth in the South of England indoor U20 60m championship at Lee Valley. His time of 6.86 was his third personal best of the day, having improved through the heats and semi-final. "It couldn't have been a better start to the year", Eden commented. "I feel strong and ready for the season ahead".

Idan Gal-Shohet, 17, took fourth place in the long jump in the South of England U20 Championships, setting an indoor personal best of 6.57m. "I didn't have enough speed on the runway", he commented, "and the performance didn't really reflect my current form in training. I do believe everything will come together soon".

Good season openers for youngsters over cross country and indoors

Gilad Nachshen, 14, jumped straight to the top of the U15 indoor national rankings by recording 55.86 for 400m in the Lee Valley New Year Open. The Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier followed this by taking the South of England U15 800m indoor championship in 2:15.03. "The 800 was a tactical race rather than a time trial", Nachshen said, "and altogether it has been a really good start to the year".

Lia Radus, 16, set an 800m personal best of 2:18.70 at the Lee Valley New Year Open and placed second in the Middlesex U20 cross country Championships. She commented, “I was very happy with my solid start to the season in the 800. I don't enjoy cross-country so much, and could perhaps have performed slightly better in the Middlesex race, but I was mentally tired from my GCSE preparations". Younger sister Maayan, 13, recorded 2:31.83 for the New Year’s Day 800m and placed fifth in the Middlesex U15 Cross Country despite illness earlier in the week.

London Heathside athlete Jack Davis-Black also placed fifth in the Middlesex U15 boys Cross Country championship, while Bini Bloom, 14, produced an excellent time of 18:18 in the St Albans parkrun.

Parkrun personal bests for Hannah Viner and Bini Bloom

Hannah Viner, 21, and Bini Bloom, 14, braved the winter winds to set massive parkrun personal bests over the holiday period. Viner was beaten by just one man at Hampstead Heath, her time of 17:23 placing her 8th in the UK U23 rankings. Bloom recorded 18:51 at Oak Hill, to win the junior event and place fourth overall.