Region’s athletes produce encouraging performances at indoors and cross country national championships

ATHLETES from the region impressed at national championships both indoors and at cross country over the weekend.

City of Plymouth’s 17-year-old hurdler Adam Dingley competed at his first senior UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham on Saturday.

Despite his young age, Dingley finished third in his heat and came 14^th overall in the men’s 60m hurdles in a time of 8.34 seconds.

Also competing in that event was Henry Curtis, who came fourth in his heat and 20^th overall in 8.51 seconds.

In the para 60m sprint, City of Plymouth’s James Arnott came third overall and first T46 athlete in 7.53 seconds.

Another City of Plymouth athlete competing in Birmingham was Jacob Lamboll. He came 19^th overall in the men’s 400m in a time of 49.07 seconds.

Ethan Glyde, who is ranked in the UK’s top 10 high jumpers, was not able to compete this year due to his commitments in America, where he won the Iowa Open at the weekend with a height of 2.08m.

At the English National Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill, there was a strong run from Tavistock Run Project’s Oliver Smart, who finished eighth in a quality senior men’s race that took place on a very muddy course.

Former Erme Valley Harriers steeplechase star Will Battershill, who was fourth at the delayed 2024 championships in September, was 15^th but led Bristol & West to the team title.

Battershill had just returned from America where he had run a 5,000m PB of 13:39.59 at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational, which ranks him sixth in the early UK rankings.

There was a strong run on the muddy London course by Tavistock’s Charlotte Walker, who came 25^th in the junior women’s race.

Erme Valley Harriers’ Matthew Gilvear and City of Plymouth’s Annabel Arnold both finish inside the top 50. Arnold finished 40th in the senior women’s race, while Gilvear was 46^th in the junior men’s race.