Plenty gained from international debut

Cross-country runner Jake Berry had an international debut to remember. At 18, Berry was the youngest member of a four-man England team selected for a meeting in Caceres in western Spain. But the Medway & Maidstone athlete excelled, finishing fourth over 7.2km. Berry, who lives in Bearsted, said: “It was kind of a development meeting to get us used to running internationally. “It was really good and I learned a lot about how to deal with the travelling and things like that. “You’ve been on a two-hour flight, then you’ve got a two-hour coach ride and you have to adjust to the conditions and the time difference. “It’s quite a challenge and you have to adapt fast. “I was pretty pleased with fourth place for my first international outing, particularly as I was at the bottom end of the age range for the under-20s. “I’d love to get more international experience and step up to British and then European championship level.” Berry, a sixth-former at Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, took up running just over five years ago. He credits his parents and coach Steve Fury for much of his success. He said: “My parents are a great support and I’ve made good progress with Steve Fury. “He used to be an international runner himself but I’m the first athlete he’s coached. “He’s doing his coaching courses and moving up in the coaching world, so we’re learning and moving up together.”