Bury athletes quite literally sprang out of the blocks as competition resumed last weekend. It was very apparent that club members had been training hard in isolation as dozens of personal best performances were produced.

On Saturday evening the conditions were perfect for the Podium 5k races up in Barrowford. The stand-out performance came from Shaftesbury Barnet’s Beth Potter who set a new world best performance of 14.41.

Sadly it is unlikely to be ratified as a world record as the all the conditions required by World Athletics were not met at the venue. Bury’s Josh Birmingham crossed the line with Potter and recorded the same time, taking a massive 35 seconds off his previous best.

Ian McBride set a new best time 15.07 while men’s captain Byron Edwards crossed the line in 15.49, his first time under the 16 minute barrier a time that ranks him second in the UK in the M45 category.

There were also new PBs for Sam Smyth (16.18), Jack Griffiths (16.23), Hannah Price (17.18 placing her 12th in the UK) and Matthew Garside (17.34). Ian Warrington set a season’s best of 17.39.

Earlier on in the day at the Trafford Open event at Stretford, there was a string of superb performances from Bury athletes.

Anna Gisbourne dominated the field in the U15 girls 800m, crossing the line in a new best of 2.16.33, currently the fastest time in the UK in her age group. In the under 11s, Lucy Dent set new bests in the 150m (second in 25.67) and 600m (third in 2.02.23).

In the under 13s, Faye Gribbin set new bests in the 150m (fourth in 22.89) and 800m (first in 2.38.71) while Lucy Hill set a new best of 20.71 to win the hammer event.

It was a productive afternoon for Oliver Cooper with new bests in the 800m (fourth in 2.57.28) and javelin (first in 22.76) and a season’s best of 3.76 to win the long jump.

For the under 15s, Corrine Newton set a season’s best in the 800m taking third in 2.48.62. Chloe Ardin set a new best in the 1,500m taking third in 5.02.36 with Lola Potts eighth in a season’s best of 5.46.14 before she set a new best of 21.70 to win the javelin.

Jemima Miles set new bests in the 75m hurdles (third in 13.57) and shot (second in 7.55). In the under 17s, Freya Potts was second in the 1,500m in 4.56.05. Nicole Palmer set PBs in the high jump (third with 1.25) and long jump (fourth with 4.03).

Andrew Mellor was ninth in the senior men’s 3,000m in a PB 9.20.53 while Lewis Major was eighth in the 800m in 3.19.15.

Coach Alison Dale was delighted with the performances of her young athletes and celebrated the successes by winning the hammer in a new best of 15.25.

The club resumed hosting training sessions on March 30, with 76 athletes training with nine coaches in a Covid-secure environment.

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