City of Plymouth international Tank makes a strong start to her cross country season in Cardiff

CITY of Plymouth’s Poppy Tank made an impressive start to her cross country season with a top-five finish at the Cardiff Cross Challenge on Saturday.

The event, which is part of the UK Athletics Cross Challenge series and is a World Athletics Tour gold race, attracted a top field and Tank finished as second British athlete behind World Championships 10,000m finalist Megan Keith.

Tank paced the 6k race brilliantly. She opted not to go with the early pace set by teenage Kenyan sensation Synthia Chepkirui on the opening lap and then gradually closed the gap on the top four on the final lap.

Chepkirui took victory, with her team-mate Sheila Jebet second and Canada’s Ceili McCabe third, with Keith and Tank filling the top five placings.

In the same race, Tavistock’s under-20 athlete Charlotte Walker was 47^th and six in her age category, with under-20 athletes able to opt between running the senior distance or competing in the shorter junior girls’ event, which was won by Exeter’s Innes Fitzgerald.

Tank was not the only City of Plymouth athlete competing in Cardiff. The club took a number of their promising juniors to the event.

Evie Bolt made the podium in the under-11 girls’ race, finishing an impressive third overall.

And her team-mates Shara Ingleby and Elsie Penney were not far behind, coming home in 12^th and 15^th places respectively.

Jack Penney caught the eye in the under-11 boys’ race, finishing fourth in a race that also included his club colleague Dempsey Ingleby.

In the under-13 girls’ race, Olivia Walkerdine came home in 19^th spot, with team-mate Darcey Bacon in 25^th.

Ross Penney also competed in the senior men’s race, where he came 84^th overall and second male over-40.