The Kent Cross-Country League reached the halfway stage at Somerhill Schools, Tonbridge, with strong fields and a close finish, writes Alan Newman.

Defending champions M&M raced back to top form to nick the senior men’s team race by a point from Tonbridge AC. At twelve-to-score, M&M were rather more dominant with their dozen scoring runners inside the top hundred.

Mike Coleman (South Kent Harriers) showed his cross-country pedigree with a narrow victory over top junior Adam Wright (Cambridge Harriers), previous race winner Tom Collins (M&M) and Max Nicholls (under-20, Tonbridge). The result puts Coleman a point ahead of Collins in the league table.

Miranda Heathcote won the Kent Women’s League race by 46 seconds. Heathcote was well clear of under-20 Nicole Taylor (Tonbridge), who helped her club to success as W35 Alice Heather-Hayes (Tunbridge Wells Harriers) completed the podium.

Katie Murray finished sixth to lead Blackheath to second team place ahead of TWH. Tonbridge closed their top six inside 29 places to also take the six-to-score team from Blackheath and TWH. Overall there is now one league point between Blackheath, Tonbridge and Medway and Maidstone in both team categories with two matches left.

In the individual race for league positions, Heather-Hayes is in pole position followed by Clare Reeves (Bexley) and Emily McKane (Invicta East Kent). Heather-Hayes also tops the masters’ table from Sharon Hawkins (Invicta) and Jenny Fowler (Medway and Maidstone).