Two personal bests for Carter on return
TEAM Bath AC sprinter Joe Carter took full advantage of the friendly conditions to record a double personal best at the Bill Whistlecroft Yeovil Spring Track & Throws Open meeting.
The temperatures may still have been a lot cooler than the speed merchants would like but a following wind is always helpful and Carter, newly moved up into the under-20 ranks, flew down the track in his first competition of the year – indeed, his first action since the end of September 2020.
In the 100m he clocked 11.09secs, shaving 0.02secs off his 2020 best, with a legal wind of just 0.6mps while in the 200m he scorched to a time of 22.34secs to clip 0.21secs off his previous best.
Unfortunately, in the 200m the wind assistance was over the legal limit at 2.4mps but notwithstanding that is a very encouraging start to the season for the youngster coached by Julie Alexander.
“For his first outing of the season that was a good start,” said Alexander.
“Joe did not have the nerves he used to and is looking a much mature athlete now. We are hoping by the end of the summer he’ll have a 10 something and 21 something to his name!”
Also in the 100m there were PBS for clubmates Ollie Jackson and Eleni Francis. Jackson, competing in the under-15s age group, made a bright debut for the club recording a time of 12.61secs into a headwind while Francis also suffered a headwind as she clocked 12.79secs.
Remarkably that was her first legal time under 13 seconds eclipsing a windy 12.91secs and easily beating her previous legal best of 13.12secs.
Francis was just edged out by Bristol & West’s Tamara Jackson as both girls were given the same time – putting them joint top of the South West Rankings for under-17 women at this early stage of the summer.
Francis also ran 26.30secs to win her heat of the 200m, which again was a big chunk off her previous PB of 26.72secs set in Swindon last October. It also gives her outright top spot in the South West rankings.
Talented all-rounder Alice Wilson returned to Yeovil for her second competition in a week and ran 27.97secs for the 200m, a solid 12.56secs on her debut in the under-17 women’s 80m hurdles and threw 9.42m in the shot.
Charlie Staddon made his debut in the under-15 boys’ 400m hurdles and can be pretty satisfied with his time of 62.97secs.
■ DAVE Coales finished 15th overall and top veteran over-50 in the Two Tunnels 10k trail race organised by Relish Running Races, covering the distance in a time of 42mins 28secs.
■ SHOWING tremendous dedication
and tenacity Tom Hutchison completed the Abbot Global Virtual Marathon challenge in a time of 3hrs 38mins 02secs.
Hutchison completed the 26.2 miles by running out and back along the Bath to Bristol cycle path as far as Bitton and his time is, so far, the fourth fastest in the masters over-65s age group.
■ BATH-BASED junior Max Davis, who competes for Avon Valley Runners, clocked 31mins 23secs to finish 36th in a high quality Speedwell 10k in Chepstow.
■ The athletics coverage in the Chron is sponsored by Running Bath