Herne Hill Harriers round-up: Dante Clarke wins bronze medal at national championship

Dante Clarke brought home a national championship bronze medal in his event at the England Athletics Age Group Indoor Championships in Sheffield, writes Geoff Jerwood.

A talented combined events athlete, Clarke focused on the U17 men’s long jump and produced a PB of 6.45m to place third.

This performance also ranks him third in the UK U17 men’s list for the year and rewards the hard work put in by Clarke and his coach Anthony Mayhew.

Jordan Ebanks and Luca Anderson – both U15 sprinters -experienced major championship heats and semi-finals on Saturday. Both ran PBs for 60m and Ebanks placed eighth in the final (7.71).

No doubt tired in his third race of the day, Ebanks had run faster in his semi-final to qualify for the final, clocking a PB of 7.62. Curiously Anderson ran faster in his semi-final, but his 7.59 did not see him advance as he was in the stronger of these two semis. Anderson nevertheless moves into the top 20 in the UK for 2022.

There were also promising performances at the Surrey Indoor Championship at Carshalton at the weekend.

On day one there were gold medals for Amelia Simon in the U13 girls long jump (4.08m) and Joseph Johnson-Cole in the U15 boys 60m (7.59). Johnson-Cole ran a fast 7.48 in his heat and 7.49 in his semi-final, his heat time ranking him eighth in the country in his age group.

Ella Rennie won a silver medal in the U15 girls 60m (8.19) and also a bronze in the long jump (4.36m). Dylan Taylor was also a double medallist, placing second in the U15 boys long jump (5.29m) and third in the 60m hurdles (9.79). Also in this age group James Brookes was third in the high jump (1.45m). James Marshall won a bronze long jump medal (5.35m) in the U17 men’s event and Leon Smith a silver in the senior men (5.65m).

Harriers had a number of PBs at the Podium Under the Lights road races in Battersea Park.

Lewis Laylee was the fastest in Herne Hill’s red-and-black with a superb time of 14:39. He was followed by Australian Brandon Dewar (14:58), Dan Shaw (15:00), Andrew Warburton (15:25), Carl Delaney (16:03) and Ross Brown (16:07) .

Sophie Harris clocked 17:08 to place 27th in the elite women’s race.

British junior international Phoebe Anderson ran a big PB of 9:23.54 for an indoor 3,000m track race in New York on Saturday.

Nick Dewar, twin brother of Brandon, ran a PB for 5,000m (14:35.58) at the New South Wales track and field championship in Sydney.

Alex Brown ran 17:38 for a 5km leg for her Oxford University team at the Hyde Park Relays Saturday.

John Kettle finished 16th at the Valentine’s 10km road race in Chessington in 33:13 on Sunday.

His first M45 position should see him selected to race for England Masters later this year.

Not far behind was Bryn Reynolds (18th in 33:23). Simon Wade clocked 36.06, M50 Jonathan Ratcliffe timed 36:51 with Jenni Nandi crossing the finish line in 46.32.

Eoin Brady was sixth in Sunday’s RunThrough Victoria Park half marathon in 77:34 as he builds up for a marathon debut.