Sebastian Rodger from Eastbourne made a cracking start to his track season at the Loughborough International meeting on Sunday in the 400 metres hurdles.
In recent seasons Rodger has been chasing the standard for major championships until well into the season but with a fluid run in good conditions on Sunday the Eastbourne runner hit the “European Standard” with an impressive 49.80s.
Rodger said “It’s nice to run sub 50 seconds, I know it should be normal, but to achieve the European Standard so early in the season makes me very happy.”
The programme is a bit of a mismatch with an International match being incorporated with a series of Guest races makes things a little complicated but by and large the Sussex athletes who were in action had a good afternoon.
That is apart from the Amber Anning (Brighton & Hove) who was competing for the GB Junior team but unfortunately pulled a hamstring and bravely limped across the finishing line for last place in the 200 metres. On the other hand the other Sussex member of the team Crawley’s Scott Staples topped the sixty metre mark in the javelin event in eighth place, but was second Under 20 athlete, with 63.44m.
There was a second place for Cameron Fillery (Loughborough) in his 110 m hurdles in 14.20s while in another high hurdles race former Sussex champion Matt Hewitt finished third in 15.39s.
Another Loughborough/Brighton & Hove athlete Katie Garland set a season’s best of 1.73m for third place in the high jump.
There were also third places and season bests for Crawley athletes Holly Turner and Orla Brothers.
Turner clocked 55.32s in the 400m flat while Brothers ducked inside 60 seconds in the 400m hurdles clocking 59.58s.
Bronze for Evans:
Making his debut in the Trail World Championships in Spain Tom Evans from Lewes clocked 8:49:35 a great run for a comparative rookie to take the bronze medal. Next month Evans is travelling to Poland for the World Mountain Running Long Distance Championship.
Highgate 10,000 metres:
Newly crowned Sussex 5.000 metre champion Paul Navesey from Crawley was the fastest Sussex runner at the Highgate Festival of 10,000m at Parliament Hill on Saturday, which incorporated the British Championships.
Crawley’s James Westlake raced in the “C” race finishing 18th in 31:08.91s but it was club mate, Paul Navesey was seeded in race “D” who finished eighth in 30:57.81s just one second outside his personal best.
In the same race Brighton & Hove’s James Turner clocked 31:30.45s in 16th place and club mate Kevin Moore 21st in 31:48.84s.
In the Women’s races Crowborough’s Nicole Taylor finished tenth in the “B” race in a personal best time of 33:53.34s.
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