Fine performance at Hampstead Heath

Cross country was making a return to the competition programme for Europe’s largest annual youth sports event and over 700 youngsters from 29 London boroughs competed on the iconic Parliament Hill course.

The event was the first of 60 scoring competitions for next year’s London Youth Games season and means Barnet are second in the Jubilee Trophy standings heading into 2011 behind Richmond.

Barnet placed 18th overall in the 2010 Balfour Beatty London Youth Games.

Barnet Sports Development team took 42 runners to Hampstead Heath, including Molly Patch, who won the previous week’s Lord Mayor’s Mile, and most of the Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers U17 team, who won the Barnet Junior Team of the Year award at Barnet’s Celebrating Sport Awards 2010.

Saturday’s highlights were an individual victory for Michael Callegari in the boys' U17 race, also leading the U17 boys' team to victory in their age group, plus third-place finishes for both the U15 boys' team and U15 girls' team.

At the end of six races for under 13s, under 15s and under 17s boys and girls, Barnet came out as runners-up and afterwards team manager Gemma Thompson, Barnet Sport Development officer, said: “It’s a fantastic result for us. We knew that our under 17 boys' team, including Michael Callegari, would do well, but there were others like Molly Patch who did brilliantly.

“She was stepping up an age group, but still got a great result. We have two very good clubs in the borough, so we were hoping to do well, but didn’t quite expect to be second overall. It was a tough course, quite hilly, but I think the team enjoyed it.”

Callegari said: “It feels good to win, it’s a special win. I’m glad I got through the course as it’s quite muddy and hilly. I’ve represented Barnet in the mini marathon, but I’ve never done the London Youth Games before, and I’ve really enjoyed it and want to come back next year to regain my title."