Welsh Athletics – Track & Field Report 08/02
Middle Distance Runners into the Record Books
Over the years Newport Harriers have produced many top class middle distance runners. Steve Davies is currently the best known but be aware of some possible future stars from that club.
A year ago Daniel Chesworth ran a best time of 2:14.60 in the heat of the 2007 Indoor U15 800m Championships. During the summer he brought his time down to 2:03.08 and in addition notched up some creditable performances as a first year U15 with 2nd place in the Welsh U15 championships (2:05.46) and 4th in the English Athletics Open Championships (2:04.48).
This Indoor season started with a 4:33.76 for the 1500m followed by an 800m in the 2008 U15 Indoor Championships where he finished 2nd in 2:08.40.
On the 3rd February, representing Welsh Schools in the Celtic Schools International, Daniel finished 2nd, reducing his Indoor best to 2:04.61. This time is a new U15 Welsh Best Performance for 800m. It is also a UK leading performance so far this year.
So how is it he finished 2nd in the Celtic Schools and yet leads the UK rankings? – Daniel was beaten by an Irish lad. Incidentally the former holder of the Welsh U15 Boys Indoor 800m Best Performance was another Newport Harrier – Nicholas Johnson – with a time of 2:06.40 set in 2005
Another Newport middle distance runner with a promising future is Elliott Hardee. In 2007 Elliott finished 2nd in the Welsh Schools Championships (4:30.46) and had a seasonal best of 4:27.05. Elliott started the 2008 Indoor season on the 6th January with 1st place in the Welsh U15 Championships (4:28.19). The next weekend he won the Welsh U15 800m Championship (2:07.95) beating Daniel Chesworth.
Then on the 13th February he finished 2nd in the Celtic Schools International 1500m in a new U15 Welsh Best time of 4:15.61 (almost 11.5 seconds faster than his previous best time for the distance.), breaking the old time of 4:18.07 set in 2004 by Simon Lawson. Elliott’s time is also a UK leading performance so far this year. He too was beaten in the Schools International by an Irish athlete.
At the beginning of this Indoor season Brett Morse (Cardiff) set a new U20 Record of 16.48 using the 6kg shot. Brett is still breaking records. The latest one to fall is the U20 Shot using the 7.26kg implement. The old mark of 15.25 was set by Clayton Turner (Crawley) in 1987 at the old Indoor track at RAF St Athan. In the Welsh Senior Championships on the 26th January, Brett opened with a putt of 14.85. It was not until the 4th round that he began to threaten the record with a 15.22 putt and then on his 5th trial his effort landed well over the old mark at 15.56. His final effort of 15.26 also surpassed the old record.
So how good is that performance?
Brett enters the Welsh all-time list (Outdoors & Indoors combined) in =15th place ahead of people like Clive Longe (British & Welsh Decathlete of the late 60’s), coach Bill Kingsbury whose best of 15.32 was set back in 1951 and more recently ahead of Welsh International Andrew Turner (Bournemouth) whose best is 15:33 In.
Ken Bennett
Records Officer 8th February 2008
