Photo – Jack Higgins in Glasgow
Jack Higgins, from Tonbridge Athletic Club, ran the fastest indoor 1500 metres by a UK athlete this year on Sunday, when he competed in the Scottish Athletics Invitational Meeting, at Glasgow.
A series of races were organised to help some UK athletes achieve the qualifying standard for the World Championships, that take place in Poland, later this month. Although Higgins won in a time of 3.35.60, which is inside the 3.36 qualifying mark, plus he won the recent UK Indoor Championships, his place on the GB team is still subject to a selection panel decision.
Higgins went into the race with a personal best of 3.38.12, from when winning the UK Championships, in February. However, he knew that this was outside the qualifying time and was also slower than the time achieved by the top 30 athletes in the World, who could be invited. So, this race was a last chance opportunity to put himself in with a realistic opportunity for selection.
A Scottish pacemaker was lined up to help keep the race on target pace, but Ted Higgins, Jack’s brother, also entered the race, with the aim of helping to keep the pace fast for longer. This was crucial, since the pacemaker pulled to the side after 800 metres, whilst Ted Higgins took up the lead and pushed hard for another 500 metres. At that point, with just a lap of the 200 metres track remaining, Jack Higgins hit the front, with James McMurray, runner-up at the UK Championships, chasing. The order remained the same to the finish, with Higgins winning by less than half a second.
The winning time of 3.35.60 set a new Tonbridge AC indoors record and moved Higgins into the top ten fastest times ever recorded indoors by a UK athlete. He now has to wait for the selection meeting and team announcement, taking place this week.
On Friday evening, several from Tonbridge AC competed in the 5k road races at Battersea Park. Verity Hopkins and Charlotte Alexander finished 7th and 8th respectively in the elite women’s race, in 16.14.4 and 16.22.9. Cole Gibbens was the first of the Tonbridge men home in the equivalent men’s race in 14.29.5.
Congratulation to Tonbridge team, for the selection of Jack Higgins.