Jack Higgins runs 1.45 for 800 metres in his last race of the season

Photo – Medal winners at the Kent Veterans Championships

Jack Higgins, Tonbridge Athletic Club’s GB international middle-distance runner, competed in Chorzow, Poland, on Friday evening in what was his final 800 metres race of the season. It was a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting, with the winner being Wyderka Maciej of Poland in 1.43.65. Less than 0.5 seconds covered the next six athletes, with Higgins 6^th in 1.45.11. This was just 0.3 seconds away from his Tonbridge AC club record set earlier this season.

The final Kent Championships of the season took place at Gillingham across the weekend, which featured the under 14, veterans and combined events. Laura Wrigley came away with three gold medals from wins in the under 14 girls’ Javelin, Hammer and Discus. James Tyrrell won the under 14 boys’ Long Jump and 800 metres, whilst in the same age group Freddie Keem won the 200 metres.

The Tonbridge veterans’ squad was out in force, winning plenty of medals. Both Diane Wright (over 50 women) and James Farmer (over 35 men) won sprint doubles over 100m and 200m. Other sprint wins came from Steve Tester and Steve Daly who won 200m titles in the over 40 and over 50 age groups, respectively. Richard Christian won the over 60 men’s 300m hurdles, whilst Lisa Knight and Matt Smith both had 1500m victories in the over 50 age group. Grazia Manzotti won the over 50 women’s 2000m walk.

In the veterans’ field events Nina Ridge took home three gold medals from the over 50 women’s Hammer, Discus and Shot Put.

On the roads, George Marshall ran a personal best of 31.56 when finishing 3^rd  at the Larkfield 10k and Ollie White was 2^nd at the Hospice in the Weald 10k, on a very hilly course at Tunbridge Wells.

There were two Tonbridge AC members competing for Kent in the English Schools Combined Events Championships. Harry Wrigley finished 5^th in the Inter Boys’ Octathlon, whilst Victor Watling was 2^nd in the Junior Boys Pentathlon. The latter performance will earns Watling an England Schools representation at the combined events international.