At the midland track & field senior & u20 championships this week, Harrier Lewis Hayes made history - and then did it again.
Lewis, running in the 400m for the first time as sprint training for his 800m event, started his heat slowly but used his endurance strength to push through in the last 150m to win the heat in 50.19s thereby smashing A Burton's 50.7 from 1969.
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Lewis in lane 2 on his way to victory in his heat.
Lewis then ran in the final and this race again followed the same pattern with his final 100m taking him from 6th to an eventual 3rd place in an improved 49.89s thereby breaking his own record from 2 hours earlier. Lewis ended up with a silver medal as the race winner was disqualified for non competing in another event.
Other Harriers in action at the weekend were also members of the middle distance squad. On the Saturday, Jess Gordon found the going hard so soon after racing in Watford on Wednesday night and finished 10 seconds off her Wednesday1500m time. On the Sunday, Fran Ashworth & Abigail Coleman were in action in the u20 800m race. Abigail, racing in her first 800m of the season was just two seconds off her PB while Fran finished in the midfield.
There was also action in the County Schools with 8 of the squad securing qualification through to the Mason Trophy, many for the first time will be tasting action at high level at Birmingham Alexander stadium. Hannah Winstone was impressive in winning her IG 800m with a strong second lap, and also winning by leading from gun to tape in the JB 800m was Jake Trent who won his race with ease. Rebecca Hughes ran well to finish runner up in the JG 800m just behind Poppy Carmichael, with Amy Robinson running well but failing to qualify, and in the 3000m Edward Cannell finished runner up in the IB race with a solid run. Ethan Mehmet will join Jack Hope in the 1500m steeple chase with a solo victory in the race, while Jack won the IB 1500m with ease. Claudia Nevett was just outside of the automatic qualifying spot in the IG 1500m running just outside of her best, but has the option of running the 3000m at the Mason Trophy, and Chloe Hearne and Sophie Moss ran well in the JG 1500m but failed to qualify.