JOSH Birmingham clocked the fastest 5k by a Bury AC runner in more than 25 years at the Mid Cheshire 5k in Kingsley.

Birmingham, who smashed his personal best time to finish 11th with a brilliant 14.32, was one of 17 club runners to take part – 13 of them setting new personal bests.

Lawrence Fairclough also set a massive new PB of 15.02 to take 27th place and looks set to dip below 15 minutes in the near future.

Another PB went to Andy Mellor whose 15.40 secured him 16th place. Team captain Byron Edwards just missed out on a new best with 15.55, the third time he has dipped under 16 minutes this month.

The time secured him 85th place and fourth in the V45 category.

Young Sam Smyth continued his excellent improvement with a PB of 16.12 for 104th place, two places and one second ahead of Luke Harreld.

Next Bury finisher was Jack Griffiths in 143rd in a time of 16.34 followed by Matt Garside who continues to show improvement with a new best of 16.44 for 162nd place.

Hot on Matt’s heels was Dominic Nabb, also setting a new best of 16.49 to finish 168th.

Hannah Price set another PB of 17.10 to take 12th place in the women’s race. Ian Warrington was next home in a new best of 17.20, followed by Paul Johnston in 17.25.

Jordan Harreld is another athlete who is showing solid improvement and his time of 17.39 was also a new PB.

Craig Sykes ducked under 18 minutes with a new best of 17.47 for sixth in the MV50 category. Sarah Thomas took 31st place in the women’s race with a new lifetime best of 18.22. The other Bury finishers were Matt Grice (18.49 PB); Giles Bennett (19.01); Richard Anderson (19.23 PB) and Anthony Hallahan (19.25).

On Saturday, six junior athletes competed in the Trafford Open meeting and all produced personal best performances.

In the under 11s 600m Lucy Dent broke the two-minute barrier by the finest of margins to take second place with a new best of 1.59.98.

Also in the under 11s Gabriella Idoko made her club debut running 12.35 in the 75m (second) and 24.69 in the 150m (third).

In the under 13s Evie Elliott ran an excellent new best of 10.81 to take fourth in the 75m and also set a new best of 12.44 to win the 70m hurdles. Faye Gribbin set a new best of 2.34.64 to take sixth in the 800m and made it a double best in the 150m taking fifth in 22.58. Oliver Cooper had a busy afternoon taking fourth in the 75m in 11.41 (PB), third in the 150m (22.95 PB) and then took eighth in the long jump where he has just outside his best with 3.67m.

Blessing Idoko was Bury’s only under 15 competitor taking fourth in the 100m in a new PB of 13.40. She had a fine victory in the 200m dipping at the line to set a new best of 27.75 before competing in the high jump where she secured another victory, clearing the bar at 1.30, just 2cm below her personal best.

Coach Alison Dale was delighted with the quality of the performances of the young athletes and their attitude to competition.

On Sunday, Byron Edwards returned to his native Leicestershire to compete in the Prestwold Hall 5k in Loughborough.

The wind into the finishing straight on the old airstrip thwarted his ambitions of a particularly fast time, however he crossed the line in 12th place to record 16.09, good enough for second in the MV40 category.