CITY of Plymouth athletes Poppy Tank and Adam Dingley both set new personal bests at the University of Birmingham Track & Field Series meeting on Wednesday night.
Great Britain cross country international Tank set a new 3,000m PB as she finished third in a stacked BMC race.
She clocked 9:07.16 minutes for the seven-and-a-half lap race, which is shorter than the distances she has been running. She was only beaten by fellow GB international Megan Keith and Isle of Man Commonwealth Games runner Sarah Astin. Tank did hold off the challenge of Exeter’s GB under-20 star Innes Fitzgerald.
Dingley set his PB in a competitive under-18 110m hurdles race. A number of special under-18 110m hurdles events have been put on to allow first-year under-20s and under-17 athletes to try and achieve the Commonwealth Youth Games qualifying time.
Dingley clocked a legal 14.38 seconds in a final that saw three athletes separated by just 0.07 of a second.
Charlie Staddon won in 13.93, but it was a photo finish for Cheyne West, Joshua Taylor and Dingley for the other places, with the City of Plymouth athlete just missing out on the line.
Also at Birmingham, Tavistock Run Project’s Oliver Smart made his first appearance of 2023 by clocking 8:20.84 in a strong men’s BMC 3,000m.
Wednesday night also saw the running of May’s Armada Summer 5k Series run at Saltram House.
Plymouth Musketeers’ Ross Macdonald, fresh from running the Saltash Half Marathon on Sunday, was first home in 17.39 minutes.
Erme Valley’s Matthew Gilvear took second in 18.21 minutes, with Royston’s Peter Allen third in 18.41, just one second ahead of Chris Chapman, with Scott Mansfield (Plymouth Musketeers) fifth in 18.46.
Zoe Chapman was first female in 22.06 minutes, ahead of Erme Valley’s Sarah Markwick (22.29) and Plymouth Musketeers’ Leila Matthews (24.17).
Full results can be found HERE. (Gallery at the bottom of the page)
Meanwhile, Tamar Trotters’ Jacob Landers and Tavistock’s Nikki Kelly both smashed their PBs with impressive runs at the Bideford 10k on Sunday.
Kelly finished as first woman in a new club record time of 35.55 minutes. That beat Jo Meek’s club record that had stood for 13 years.
Landers also set a new best, clocking 31.07 minutes to finish fourth in a top-class field.
Olympic steeplechaser Phil Norman won in 30.35, with Bideford’s Shaun Antell and Ronnie Richmond second and third in 30.39 and 31.05 respectively.
Plymouth Harriers’ Ami Peyton-Jones finished as third F40 and also came in the top 10 woman.
Bideford 10k results can be found HERE.
All pictures are low resolution and are protected by copyright so should not be used without permission.