With weather conditions more appropriate for the winter cross-country season than a summer track event the strong winds and ever-present rain showers were not conducive to personal best performances. However, Chiltern Harriers athletes had a very productive day picking up 9 County titles as well as 7 silver medal and 6 bronze medal positions at last Saturday’s Championships.
The middle-distance training group coached by Gary Howells had an outstanding day winning 6 gold medals, 3 silvers and 2 bronzes and several fourth placers.
The young male athletes led the way with U13’s Dan Barraclough winning the 800m final and first year Michael Goddard taking the 1500m title. In the U15 age group Alex Watson was too strong for the rest of the field over the final 400m to claim the 1500m gold and first year Sonny Harvey finished 4th. With the outstanding favourite Peter Devaney from Bedford & County taking the U15 800m title, Dan Loach and Robert Smith had their own battle for the silver and bronze medals. Robert produced a fine finish to earn silver in a new Pb 2 mins 17.1 secs with Dan close behind in 3rd place.
In the U17 1500m fifteen-year-old Alex Shelley, who has been enduring a rehabilitation process over the past 5 months for hamstring pain associated with growing, was very pleased with his run into the silver medal position. His time of 4 mins 26.4s in the conditions shows he is coming back to the form that placed him 16th in the UK for 1500m last summer as an U15. The Fastbreak of Chesham sponsored athlete was only bettered on the day by an athlete ranked higher in the UK last summer.
U20 Matthew Bennett was in good form on Saturday winning both the 800m and 1500m titles in fine style. He was only disappointed that the weather conditions ruled out any chance of a personal best time for the 800m. Fabian Downs finished 4th in a very tight finish to the Senior Men’s 800m final.
The oldest member of the training group Judith Orr, making a return to track athletics this summer after some years, was pleased with her run in the Senior Women’s 1500m final clocking 5 mins 18.5s and had the added bonus of winning the Vet35 gold medal. Fiona Calder placed 3rd in the Senior women’s 1500m and 2nd in the 3000m.
Patrick Wallace won the Senior men’s 5000m title.
Peter Griffiths sprint group was also enjoying a successful afternoon despite two potential gold medallists Tom Evans and Joel Williams both unable to compete at this event. Cameron Holloway won bronze medals in the U13 Boys 100m and Long Jump finals. In the U15 age group Ross Wilson and Zac Underwood picked up the silver and bronze medals respectively in the 100m final. First year U17 Sam Rogers was pleased with his performances in the 400m. After successfully qualifying from his heat, and despite the poor weather conditions, he produced a personal best run clocking 55.25s but was pipped for 3rd place by a fraction of a second.
The wind was always blowing into the faces of the sprinters in the finishing straight so times were severely affected but it didn’t stop Clarice Underwood powering to victory in the 100m. However, the English Schools Junior Girls 100m champion had to settle for silver in the 200m final but that was no disgrace as she was beaten by the English Schools Junior Girls 200m bronze medallist Cath Hawkes running for Vale of Aylesbury. Clarice wound up her afternoon by taking silver in the Triple Jump.
Gary Howells
Coach
Chiltern Harriers AC