IT IS a big month for the region’s top athletes.
This weekend, City of Plymouth hurdler David King and Erme Valley Harriers triple jumper Sam Trigg, both 21, will be hoping for success at the British Championships in Birmingham.
England Under-23 champion Trigg, who set a new personal best and an Oxford University record of 15.74m this week, will compete on Saturday, with King lined up to run the 110m hurdles on Sunday at Alexander Stadium.
The following week, King has the European Under-23 Championships to look forward to in Tallinn, Estonia.
Meanwhile, Erme Valley steeplechaser Will Battershill and City of Plymouth sprinter James Arnott have world events coming up.
Battershill, 17, will compete for Great Britain at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Colombia between July 15-19, where he will come up against the best Kenya and Ethiopia have to offer, while Paralympic hopeful Arnott, 18, heads to Holland this weekend to compete at the IWAS World Junior Games.
Arnott will be looking for glory in the T46 100m and 200m in Stadskanaal, having won two bronze medals at the event last year.
The region will also be well represented at the English Schools’ Track and Field Championships in Gateshead on July 10/11.
Sammie Harris (Ivybridge CC), Jenny Milburn (Plymouth High SG), Mia O’Daly (Ivybridge CC), Lilly Mills (Plymouth College), Victoria Weir (Plymstock), Jade Simson (Plymstock), Poppy Tank (Plymouth College) and Ethan Hardie (Eggbuckland) will all represent Devon at the event. Harris and Weir both have top five UK rankings in events this year.
Great Britain international King believes it is good for the city to have so many athletes doing well, especially considering the lack of facilities the region has compared to others.
“It is nice to fly the flag for Plymouth,” said King.
“Facilities are so tired now that it is hard to become a top level athlete in Plymouth, so to have people doing it is great. Hopefully, it can help develop the sport in the city.”
King has been studying at Bath University, where they have some of the best facilities in the country.
“When I am back in Plymouth it is so hard to train because the facilities are not really want you need to be a full-time athlete,” he said. “Hopefully, this success can help develop athletics in Plymouth.”
Meanwhile, two of the most popular local running events on the calendar take place this week.
On Friday, the Erme Valley Relays are held at Ivybridge Rugby Club (7pm).
The event involves four athletes separately running 2.5 miles. Last year an impressive 94 teams took part, with Torbay AC winning, but organisers are hoping for an even bigger turnout on Friday. For details click HERE
Meanwhile on Sunday, Plymouth Harriers host their annual Six Moor Miles race (10.30am).
The run starts and finishes on Dartmoor at the Leg O’Mutton Corner, near Yelverton, and involves a moorland route around the picturesque Maristow Estate.
Entries on the day are accepted. Details of that race can be found HERE
The day before city athletes will be in action at the Southern Athletics League at Winchester.
A team made up of City of Plymouth, Erme Valley and Tavistock will head to the fourth match of the season aiming to keep the pressure on towards the top of Division Two West.
Plymouth currently sit third, level on points with second-placed Woking and just two points behind leaders Harrow.