Photo – Jack Higgins
Jack Higgins, from Tonbridge Athletic Club, is due to race in the 1500 metres at the World Indoor Athletics Championships this week, with the heats taking place on Friday evening. The championships are being shown live on BBC 2, with the 1500 metres at 5.22pm.
Higgins goes into the championships ranked 20th on season’s best of the thirty competitors, who will contest the heats. Twelve are scheduled to make Sunday evening’s final.
Guy Bowers became the latest Tonbridge AC member to gain an international selection, when he placed 9th in the Junior Boys race at the English Schools Cross Country Championships, on Saturday. The championships were held at Sefton Park, Liverpool and although the first eight home gain automatic selection for the England Schools team, the next two home become part of the mixed relay for the home international, taking place at Bangor Wales, on Saturday.
Tonbridge AC had eleven representatives on the Kent Schools team at the championships, with Toby Bawtree being the next highest placing after Bowers, with his 24th in the senior boys race.
As the Spring season develops, more road races are appearing on the distance running calendar, with a variety taking place at the weekend. On Friday evening, several Tonbridge AC members raced in the 5k races, at Battersea, the fastest being Lewis Mills with 14.44 in the men’s event and Anna Sharp with 17.36 in the women’s.
On Saturday, the Podium 5k Festival took place at Leicester, where the highlights from a Tonbridge perspective were Jamie Macdonald’s 14.19 personal best and Charlotte Alexander’s 16.28.
On Sunday, Verity Hopkins had an excellent race at the Bath Half Marathon in her build up to the planned London Marathon. Hopkins finished as 4th woman, amongst several national class competitors in 72.29. Cole Gibbens, who had won at Paddock Wood the week before was 14th in the men’s race in 66.32.
Also on Sunday four Tonbridge AC members ran in the Essex 20 miles road race, at Saffron Walden. Mason Wills was 7thin 1.53.32, Ben Shearer 9th in 1.53.50 and Dan Bradley 11th in 1.54.35, whilst Maxine McInulty ran 2.23.18 in the women’s event.