Southern Track Champs 2010 Day 2

The 5000m was won by 'Raw Talent' 20 year old MEHRETAB SOLOMON of London Heathside in 14:40.31 The 20 year old made a mid race surge that took him well  away from the field and beat his previous best of14:43.6 but he declared afterwards " I had to run with a leg strain so I could have run faster. I want to do under 14 minutes this year!"
    The London CC Champion was followed in by MARK SANFORD of Basildon (15:02.6) and Neil Phillips, Aldershot & Farnham (15:07:16).
    Mark Sanford, now 32, has run 3:46.01/4:06.40/8:57.44- 1500/mile/3000 steeple) " When's Solomon went it was a long way out so I thought he would come back or I would settle for second'
        He continued ' The biggest influence on my athletics was Eamonn Martin from my club and Nick Wetheridge as well'
    'I have been doing the 5000 to get stronger for the shorter distances because at 30 to recently, I have wondered if I still have it, after having been in athletics since I was 13-14 which is a long time. My current coach Jeremy Freeman has been a great help in getting me back to thinking I can still perform. I was 3rd in the Inter-Counties and second in the Essex 5000, which was good, as the other three Southend boys had all run for Great Britain which included Adam Hickey who won."
    BOB SMITH, the Manager of the UK's top club Newham & Essex Beagles had some interesting comments regarding Mehretabe Solomon when like me he watched the race at Crystal Palace
     "He is hugely talented. He has the ability to go a long way. He put in a 66 with 4 1/2  laps to go and took 50 metres out of some club runners in 200m. Mark Stanford who was second is a good runner. He could not live with that!
Did he think Solomon needs a little honing and possibly training with a group of very fast runners to improve?
 "There is going to come a time when things have got to be harnessed. There is rawness about his running which is tremendously exciting. At some stage there needs to be a bit more structure about his racing and getting him into the right races."

Solomon - "A Raw talent". Xman 2010 
THE SENIOR AND UNDER 20 CHAMPIONSHIPS 3000 CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR WOMEN WERE COMBINED IN ONE RACE.
   The race was a very close battle between 'Under 20' runners Grace Nicholls and Hannah Walker till, Nicholls sprinted away in the final straight. In third place was the first senior Clare Elms, the Home International Masters cross country Champion who had broken the W45 BRITISH RECORD for 1500 the previous day (On the Saturday) with 4:33.27. The times in the 3k on the Sunday were Grace Nicholls of Tonbridge AC (9:37.03), Hannah Walker, Decorum & Tring (9:41.64) and Clare Elms of Cambridge Harriers (9:58.11).
    GRACE NICHOLLS " In the race you can usually tell how you are going, my legs felt quite good and I was able to go with 100m remaining. I thought I would stick with Hannah as long as possible and rely on my sprint finish'
    ' I missed the National cross country because I was ill then I got a foot injury. The English Schools was my last cross-country race (1st in the English schools Cross Country in Manchester).'

Nicholls in action at the Southerns xc. Xman photo 2010              ' I started  doing multi events at the age of 11. I probably started more seriously at athletics when I was 14. I was with Ashford AC before I moved on to Tonbridge AC. Stella and Peter Brenchley coached me and I have known Peter all those years and he still advises me.  Lisa Dobriskey was at Ashford so she was a hero of mine, as you always look  up to the older one's who inspire you'
    ' My brothers Maximillian (14, Currrently ranked 5th UK Under 15 at 3000) and Euan ( Ranked 6th Under 13 over 1500 in the UK) are younger than me but  they are catching me up!. My favourite events are the 1500 and 5000'
         HANNAH WALKER  " I was pleased with the run. It was only my second 3k of the season. I had some time off travelling so getting back my fitness. I ran in the World cross country this year for the first time which was amazing. Cross-country is probably my strength and the longer distances" ( She was 32nd in the World Cross in Poland in March 2010 and, 3rd in the World Trial and National).

Walker grabbed 2nd in the 3000m (9.41.64) behind Nicholls (9.37.03) 

Comments

[Emma]

Congratulations to Grace for competing in racing briefs, rather than shorts. IMO they look a lot more professional!