Getting out of their comfort zone
Athletes stepped out of their comfort zones to great effect in the latest round of the ActiveGsy Track & Field Series.
Sprinter Abi Galpin sent a 17 year old long jump record tumbling, while middle distance runner Chris Bain did a sprint double with some eye-catching times.
Meanwhile the strength in depth of women’s sprinting was evident – five out of six competitors in the 100m went under an Island Games qualifying standard.
There was a buzz about the Footes Lane stadium after an inspiring Q&A before the meeting with Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Alastair Chalmers reinforced just how far the sport can take you.
Chalmers was watching on as the 100m opened proceedings on the track.
Galpin led home the all-female field in the first senior race in 11.98s, with Rhiannon Dowinton, more usually seen over the sprint hurdles, following with a new PB and Island Games A-standard of 12.58s.
Emily Pike (12.85s), Amelia Hart (12.87s) and Tilly Beddow (13.01s) were all well under the B-standard.
The wind had picked up above legal levels by the time Bain stormed across the line in 11.29s, but it underlined the raw speed being built in an injury disrupted campaign.
The A-standard is 11.15s.
U17 athlete Archie Le Huray was second in 11.66s and Alexander Falla third in 11.87s.
Out in the field Sia Banbury launched a consistent series of hammer throws beyond 40m, her best was 41.48m, with James Bougourd hitting 36.69m in the men’s competition.
Bougourd later went on to win the discus with 35.77m.
Galpin has not competed in the long jump since 2019, but used what will be her last meeting of a season that has already included island records over 60m, 100m, 200m and 400m to set a new standard.
Her second round jump of 5.92m eclipsed Kimberly Goodall’s long-standing mark and pushed leading male jumper Dale Garland who twice recorded 6.12m.
In blustery conditions, it was a tough ask on the track for those front running.
Alex Rowe led as the stagger unwound in the 800m and was untroubled from there, winning with a 1:55.70 clocking, while Jack Le Tissier underlined his consistent form as the only other athlete under the magic two minute barrier (1:59.21).
U15 Darcey Hodgson was the clear winner in the women’s race in 2:19.81 having taken the lead just after the 300m mark. Rebecca Toll overhauled Emma Etheredge on the home straight for second.
The penultimate event was the 5000m, where in a lonely race at the front Richard Bartram had to call on all his mental strength.
He lapped the field up to second place and stopped the clock in 15:36.55 – although some 15 seconds shy of what he ran in the competitive hotbed of the Milton Keynes PB Special last month it was still below the Island Games A-standard thanks to a strong closing section of the race.
Toby Mann, Chris Gillman and Pete Amy all had a taste of running in second before they eventually finished in that order. It was a PB on the track for Mann (16:47.98).
Nix Petit was the strongest of the female runners (18:43.56), having been tracked closely for most of the race by Susie Armstrong, whose 18:53.64 was just shy of the Island Games B-standard.
In third, Laura Quayle knocked nearly half a minute off her best from two years ago with 20:01.89.
It was back to the sprinters to close out the meeting, this time over 200m.
Isabelle Lowe (26.04s) won the women’s race, with Hart setting a new PB of 26.25s and gaining an Games B-standard in reversing her earlier loss to Pike (26.94s) as they finished second and third.
Bain then completed a sprint double with a new PB of 22.79s, only a fraction outside the A-standard.
The event also saw U13 and U15 athletes continuing their Compete Against Yourself Series, where they are awarded points each time they set a new best in any event.
Indi Warren heads the U13 girls, Emil Friedrich the U13 boys, Laurne Gilchirst the U15 girls and Theo Le Tissier the U15 boys.
Entries are still open for the ActiveGsy 10,000m on Thursday night, here, and the last of the Track & Field Series, here.
For videos of the meeting, visit the Athletics Guernsey Youtube channel.
