1500m Island Games qualification race hots up
It was the turn of the middle distance runners to headline the latest installment of the Guernsey Athletics’ ActiveGsy series and they did not disappoint.
Just 24 hours earlier in Watford Alex Rowe had ignited the race for the men’s Island Games spots as he became the first Guernsey athlete to record an A-standard with a scintillating 3:56.71, grabbing a 1.5 second PB in the process.
At Footes Lane on Thursday night James Priest and Jack Le Tissier went about chasing the B-standard with the help of Gian-Luca Robilliard setting the pace, having himself run a new 200m PB just half an hour earlier.
Nix Petit was on the hunt for the women’s A-standard further back in the pack.
While they were all talking down their expectations before the gun fired, once the race was under way the intent was clear.
Priest and Le Tissier tucked in behind Robilliard who ticked off his laps on pace.
The action lit up as he stepped aside after 1km with Priest pushing on hard from the front and gapping his younger competitor down the back straight.
A strong final 100m saw him stop the clock in 4:06.28, knocking two-and-a-half seconds off his PB from two years ago and claiming the B-standard.
Le Tissier broke the line with a big new best of 4:09.25, taking 10 seconds off what he ran earlier this month.
There was more to cheer as Petit, running off a fast opening lap, went all in on the last 100m for a new PB of 4:48.16, her first time breaking the 4:50.00 barrier and showing all the form to get under the A-standard of 4:47.00.
Action continued down the field where a good veterans battle unfolded between Paul Hewitt and visiting runner Stewart Fountain. Hewitt took that by just over half a second in 5:07.61.
As that race unravelled, the discus competition topped the billing in the field with 11 athletes competing from under 13s through to the seniors.
Visiting Isle of Man thrower Tazmin Fayle won the women’s competition with her opening throw of 33.89m. Tom Brierley topped the male standings with 32.12m, thrown in the fifth.
The triple jump had opened the evening.
Sofia Mella led with her best jump on Guernsey soil so far this year of 10.67m.
Holly Drake’s leading effort came in the first round, her 10.53m meant she has improved in every ActiveGsy meeting this year and gave her the B-standard for the first time.
A total of 30 sprinters ran over 200m across five heats.
Josh Allaway went across the line in 23.09s to lead the feature race from Robilliard, who added his 200m PB (23.28s) to a collection of bests already this season over 400m and 800m.
Dale Garland made a rare appearance to take third in 23.76s, a time that ranks him sixth in the V40 category across the UK so far this year.
Abi Galpin’s 23.93s was marginally outside her best this season.
For the full results visit here.
To enter round eight on Sunday 10 July visit here.
