Metropolitan League, Alexandra Palace, 15 December 2012

In the third Metropolitan League fixture of the season, a lack of athletes cost Hillingdon AC’s Senior Men’s team dear as the A team finished eighth in Division 1 and the B team finished ninth in Division 3.

Robert Thompson was first scorer for the club in 19th in a high quality field and there was the welcome return of Ed Campbell from University as he finished 5th scorer for the club in 119th. However, with only 21 senior men competing for the club and missing seven athletes from the A team scoring twelve at the previous fixture at Stevenage the men recorded their worst team performance for the past two years.

The Senior Women also suffered from a lack of numbers as they finished fifth in Division 2, led home by Beth Young in 40th place whilst there was positive news in the Under 17 Men’s race as the team finished third with Ruben Vos in third place overall.

Full results may be found here.

In addition to Paul’s report there were a record amount of finishers in both the women’s and men’s race at this fixture. This amplified the negative affect our low turnout had on our results. There are 4 HAC men in the top 20 of the league points table yet we are only 7th in the league.

A reminder to whose mind it may have slipped that Hillingdon Athletic Club as the name implies is a competitive club and the Oxford English Dictionary definition of athletics is the sport of competing in track and field events, including running races and various competitions in jumping and throwing.

The Met League is run by a HAC member and sponsored by a HAC member which makes it all the more disappointing when members don’t compete at these fixtures.

Martin Bateman