Six PBs for England under 20 team at Cardiff 5k
Cardiff is known for putting on an excellent race, and this year’s did not disappoint. A gentle breeze and high-quality field made for a fast and exciting competition for the England Athletics selected under 20 team.
The event started at 7pm, with a beautiful rendition of the Italian aria Nessun Dorma setting the scene for what would be an unforgettable race. The athletes were chomping at the bit, ready to tackle the course and push themselves to the limit.
The high-quality field made for a competitive evening, with England’s U20 team hoping to make an early season statement. The weather was near perfect, and the team rose to the occasion, putting in an exceptional performance and achieving six personal bests.
First over the line for England was Ben Brown (club: Southampton, coach: Peter Haynes), running an impressive personal best time of 14.11. Next for England was James Knockton (Trafford, Richard Gooddard) in 14.42, closely followed by Jacob Deacon (Trafford ATC, Katie Hewison) in 14.43, and hot on his heels was Luke Birdseye (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow, Shireen Higgins) finishing strong, setting a personal best time of 14.47.
The women’s race was just as intense. First home for England was Isobelle Jones (Wolverhampton & Bilston), in 16.06, claiming a new personal best and 2nd place. Next home for England was Sophie Nicolls (Wells City, Simon Prior), claiming a new personal best in 16.32. Third home for England was Jasmine Wood (Durham), also claiming a personal best in 16.42, and the final England athlete to cross the line was Lily Neate (Winchester, Nick Anderson), in 17.01 shaving two seconds off her personal best time.
The atmosphere was electric as the runners pushed themselves to the limit, and a vocal crowd cheering them all the way. The Cardiff 5k did not disappoint, and we like to extend our thanks to the organisers for putting on such an incredible event.
Photo: Darren Reevell