CAMBRIDGE Harriers runner Joe Durrant competed in his first England international at the weekend in Bratislava, where he clocked an indoor personal best time of 3m49.22s in the 1,500m.

Up on the leader’s shoulder for most of the way and passing 800m in a relatively slow 2m04s, Durrant got caught out with 250m to go as a break was made.

And although he ran the last 400m in 59 seconds, it was just not enough and the Cambridge Harrier had to settle for fourth place in a very close finish.

Durrant’s next proposed race is this weekend in Sheffield’s city challenge before returning to the Steel City a week later for the national championships/world trials.

Elsewhere, there was another successful meeting for the club’s middle distance athletes at the London indoor games.

In the U17 men’s age group, Stephen Ball front ran a superb 800m by covering the first lap in 27 seconds and the first 400m in under a minute before easily winning in 2m03.6s.

Sophie Parkes ran her first indoor race in the girls’ event and looked very comfortable.

Running in the A race she covered the first 400m in 66s before finishing third in 2m22.02s.

The following race saw Lucy Daniel running a fine even paced race, coming second in 2m30.66s and smashing her outdoor pb by more than five seconds.

Both girls now intend to compete in the Kent indoor championships later in the month.

At the southern county schools’ cross country championships, Sabrina Sinha ran for the junior Kent schools’ team (Year 8 & 9) at Gloucester Park, Basildon‏.

She was the first Kent runner home, finishing seventh overall after the gruelling 3.6 k race and helping her team take fourth place.

Sinha started off well and was in the leading pack for the whole race but just didn't have enough left in her legs for the final sprint to the finish running with girls a year older than her.

Her next race will be the nationals at the end of the month.

At the club 10-mile cross country championships Dean Lacy was almost exactly four minutes ahead of the rest of the field and added the 10-mile contest to the seven-and-a-half mile title he won just after Christmas.

In the battle for the minor medals, Mark Penny pulled clear to gain the silver while Gavin Hows, back in club colours, just held off new father Joe Mckevitt for the bronze.

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