WALLSEND middle-distance runner Ross Murray has vowed to take his revision frustration out on the track when he makes the trip to the European Junior Championships trials this weekend.
The 18-year-old’s blossoming athletics career has taken a back seat in recent months as he completed his A-Levels at St Thomas More High School.
But despite burying his head in his books, Murray, who is ranked third in the UK for 1,500m, has still found time to produce the goods in competition.
He took almost three seconds off his personal best at the BMC Nike Grand Prix in Watford a fortnight ago and insists he will go for broke in Bedford for a place on the plane to Serbia.
“I’ve had a massive weight lifted off my mind and I can’t wait to get to the trials now,”
said the Gateshead Harrier, whose run of 3.43:93 minutes was well within the qualifying time needed to go to Serbia.
“I was doing the same amount of training but it was all from home instead of at the club and mentally I was really flat from the stress of the exams.
“I ran the PB in Watford but I should really have run a bit quicker and that’s something to build on.
“I’m probably the underdog going into the race as Niall Brooks and Simon Horsfield has been running well, but I know I can match them.”
Morpeth’s Laura Weightman has yet to reach the qualifying time for the European juniors but is convinced she will follow Murray’s lead and do the business in Bedford.
The 1500m starlet will head to the trials in Bedford knowing she must run under 4.20 minutes to gain an automatic place for Serbia.
The 17-year-old was within sight of the time in Manchester last month and said: “I’m feeling really confident and things have gone well leading up to the trials. The only downside is that I haven’t got the qualifying time yet.
“I’ve got to win and get the qualification time over the weekend to gain automatic qualification.”
Impressive 400m hurdler Niall Flannery has already achieved his qualifying time for Serbia with a personal best of 51.32 but is taking nothing for granted at the trials.
Rivals Jack Green and Michael Baker aren’t far behind and the Gateshead Harriers know he will have to be at his best to see them off.
“I have been running well recently.
I went out to Germany as part of an under-20 British team and managed to set a personal best, which has given me a huge boost,” said Flannery.
“But the job for the Europeans is only half done with the time – I’ve got to win the race in Bedford and that won’t be easy. The equation is simple for me and everybody else – winning is all that matters.”
■ New Marske teenager Russell Best won his club’s annual midweek Summer 5K road race in a PB 15 mins 9 secs.
The 18-year-old, who won the 1500m bronze medal in the Northern Under-20 Championships at Sports City, Manchester, the previous weekend, beat clubmate Mark Shaw, also a junior, by 43 seconds, with another New Marske Harrier, Shaun O’Grady, third in 16 mins 11 secs.
Middlesbrough and Cleveland’s in-form Carolyn Summersgill, who won the previous Sunday’s Newton Aycliffe 10K, registered a hat-trick of victories in the Redcar event, beating Hartlepool Burn Road veteran Tracey Waller by over a minute. It was Summersgill’s tenth road race success this year.
Results – Men: 1 R Best (New Marske) 15 mins 9 secs; 2 M Shaw (NM) 15.52; 3 S O’- Grady (NM) 16.11; 4 A Chadfield (Billingham Marsh House) 16.34; 5 P Wilson (Hartlepool Burn Road) 16.51; 6 M Gamble-Thompson (NM M40) 16.53; 7 J Askew (Newton Aycliffe) 16.56; 8 J Skidmore (North York Moors) 17.06; 9 D Moore (NYM) 17.21; 10 B Astill (HBR) 17.31.
Women: 1 C Summersgill (Middlesbrough and Cleveland) 17.03; 2 T Waller (HBR W35) 18.15; 3 D Richardson (Quakers W35) 18.47.
■ Birtley’s Lee Millmore won the annual Beamish Museum Beat the Tram 9K multi-terrain race in 32 minutes, beating Michael Grimes (Durham City) by seven seconds, with Sunderland veteran Paul Redman third in 33.03.
The women’s title was retained by Chesterle- Street’s Tracy Laws (36.05), who beat Blackhill Bounder Sarah Lister by over two minutes.
■ UKA Heroes project sponsored by Original Source is a successful initiative which offers financial support to talented young athletes who are working towards the 2012 and 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
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