All the sprints on the Saturday had strong following (Plus) winds but in chilly conditions. However, on the Sunday it was quite different, with brilliant sunshine all day Alastair Aitken reports.
On the Saturday Christian Anuyagu ran a 10.43 100.(+3.8w). Gregg Thompson, always a class competitor in the field, threw the 2k discus 56.85.
On the Sunday, an enthraling 800 was run as the penultimate event on the track. Not since Peter Browne’s 12 County wins in the event and the record holder Seb Coe, has there been such an exciting 800. Malik Johnson looked set to win after 400, with the 1500 winner Basil Rock some 10 metres adrift. Coming up the home straight Rock worked hard and managed, in his last desperate effort to just get home first in 1:54.21. Racing a lot recently, without sprint work, Rock said “ I did think I would be a 1500 runner and not what looks like to me to be the 800.” Another very good run over that distance was by Adela Svihalkova (U17) who ran a CBP of 2:11.43 wiping off Charlotte Buckley’s CBP of 2:12.16 in 2017 and Adela would have run even quicker if she had not run a fast first lap.
In the Under 15’s Jojia March was keen to beat 2:15.as the CPB was 2:15.74. Leading all the way she did that in a time of 2:13.93.
Kesi Oludoyi lowered his best time of 21.09, when he won the senior 200 from lane 6 in a new PB of 20.88
11 year old Erykah-Monae Quartey ran a 200 U13’ in a time of 27.96 as well as winning the shot and 100m. In the senior women’s 200 Final Akesha Ellis showed she is gradually coming back to form, after a ruptured tendon, running 24.8. Her best 24.38. Senior pole vaulters were getting some practice, after very little competition and, Megan Bailey, in her 2nd competition of the season vaulted 3.60 and Jack Harris vaulted 4.60 but pointed out in his last competition indoors his pole snapped!