With the track season beginning to get into full flow the KTH Middle Distance squad have been putting in some terrific performances in the last week, and going through the gears and posting some fantastic new PB’s and all-important English Schools Qualifying standards.
U15 Peyton Almond, fresh from her brilliant double county championship Gold in the 800m & 300m, showed her impressive range by smashing her 1500m PB by over 7 seconds and record a time well within the English qualifying standard with a superb run at Watford. Almond attacked the race from the start and cruised through to a brilliant time of 4:46.37 which ranks her 43rd in the UK. Almond has improved immensely since joining the Harriers squad with a 16 second improvement from 2023 in her 1500m time and she followed up 3 days later with another PB in the 800m and a 3 second improvement to run 2:21.91 at the BMC PB Classic in Loughborough. Almond will stay with the 800m to try a secure a sub 2:18.00 clocking for an 800m English Schools qualifier, and on her current form this looks possible in the next few weeks.
Peyton Almond with a superb English Qualifer in the 1500m running 4:46.37 and UK ranked 43rd
Also flying at the moment is bottom year U17 Jemima Davey, running brand new PB’s in the 400m (59.18) and 200m (27.01) midweek at the Loughborough open, she was also in action in the PB Classic a few days later and sliced over 1 second from her 800m PB with an excellent run in 2:15.87 and an all-important English Schools qualifying time. Davey if selected will represent Somerset Schools and she will be keen to keep up her third appearance at England top athletics Championships.
Jemima Davey (79) running a superb new PB and english Schools Qualifier in the 800m with 2:15.87
U13 Joshua Spavins enjoyed a brilliant run at the Loughborough PB classic to slice almost 5 seconds off his 800m PB with brilliant run to record 2:18.93 and storm to 12th in the UK rankings. Spavins is also UK ranked 30th in the 1500m and is enjoying a fine start to the season.
U13 Joshua Spavins with a 5 second PB in the 800m with 2:18.93 and a uk ranking of 12th.
There were a cluster of PB’s for the fast improving U15G squad who are all working hard in training and pushing each other on, with now 4 girls under the significant bench mark of Sub 5:00 minute clocking. Running a fine race for her first sub 5 clocking was Millie Sharp who ran hugely impressive run at the Loughborough PB Classic. The race was being paced at 5:00 but Sharp was full of running as she surged by the pacemaker at 700m and she then produced a splendid last lap with a real injection of pace to run a 8 second PB with 4:55.70 suggesting there is much more to come from the bottom year athlete as the season progresses.
Millie Sharp a super run in the 1500m and an 8 second PB with 4:55.70
Bottom year Clara Booth went sub 5 in the midweek Watford open with a spectacular 14 second improvement over 1500m running 4:57.89, and she ran an almost identical time 3 days latter at Loughborough PB classic with another clocking sub 5 clocking of 4:58.40. Booth has improved by 26 seconds from her best in 2023.
Clara Booth, two sub 5 minute clockings and a 26 second improvement so far this season in the 1500m
U17 Dylan Ransom is also making huge improvements, and following on from his impressive opening 1500m a few weeks earlier her ran a superb 3000m at the Loughborough PB Classic, his first ever tack 3k, to record a superb time of 9:07.02 and a top 50 UK ranking.
Dylan Ransom superb debut at 3000m with a top 50 UK ranking with 9:07.02
U15 Harlee Hooker, also running at the PB Classic at Loughborough, sliced 5 seconds off his 1500m PB with a fine run to record 4:38.09. Tracking the pacemaker for two laps Hooker found himself leading the race at the bell and was just overhauled by some of the older U17 athletes.
Fine 5 second PB for Harlee Hooker in the 1500m running 4:38.09
Bottom year U15 Tiggy Guthrie-Brown sliced 2 seconds off her 1500m PB at the midweek Watford open with a strong run for 5:01.92 and she is fast closing in on her first sub 5 clocking. Guthrie Brown dropped down to 800m at the PB Classic and run a SB time of 2:27.53 to close in on her 2023 PB. Also running her first 800m of the season was Chelsie Locker who ran 2:23.15
U17 Maggie Gancheva is also coming into good form, building on her opening 1500m a few week earlier, ran a midweek open at Loughborough to run her fastest 800m in two years with 2:19.19, Gancheva also ran a few days later to run a respectable 2:20.50 clocking.
Bottom year U15 Sabina Lawton was not able to build on her sub 5 1500m clocking from a few weeks earlier, but ran a solid race with 5:04.13.
With County Schools the next race for most, the Harriers athletes will be keen to secure a top 2 position to progress to the prestigious Inter-County Area Championships the following week, and hopefully impress the schools selectors.
Well done to everyone wo competed.