Latest news with #personalbest
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eight Southampton swimmers to compete in national championships
Eight City of Southampton swimmers will compete in the British and English national championships next month, the most competitors the club has sent in more than a decade. It comes after a successful summer splash open meet at The Quays with 90 of the club's own swimmers competing. Advertisement Over the weekend, they took part in 514 swims with 421 personal best times, scoring 109 medals - 35 gold, 35 silver and 39 bronze. READ MORE: Bring your horse to your wedding at this stunning new woodland venue The fun open meet, one of three each year boosting club finances, gave lots of swimmers the opportunity to race, allowing younger swimmers to watch the more experienced swimmers race as they prepare for more big competitions this summer. Head coach Matt Heathcock said: "We are starting to see the new structure and training environment come together. "We will have a long way to go, but the change in less than three years has been great to watch and be a part of."
The Herald
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Elite Eastern Cape runners bag PBs at Comrades
It rained personal best times for a group of Eastern Cape elite runners in the 2025 Comrades Marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on Sunday. The first runner to cross the finish line with EC roots was the Xhorha-born star athlete, Sithembiso Mqhele of the Nedbank Running Club, who completed his race in 5:42:11, beating his 2024 time of 5:57:44. Mqhele said he had a good race this year compared to last year. 'I executed the plan as instructed by my coach, which was for me to run at the back of the leading bunch so that I could take on all those dropping back from the bunch. We reached all targets, even though I did not get into the top 10,' Mqhele said. Because he runs for a club affiliated with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, Mqhele was the second provincial athlete to finish the race after Bongumusa Mthembu. Having improved his time and overall position in the race from 38th on the up run to 13th on Sunday, Mqhele said he was thrilled to take home yet another Wally Hayward medal. Mthatha's Musa Zweni, who finished his race in 05:50:59, almost eight minutes better than his previous finish of 05:58:47, was the second most highly placed Eastern Cape athlete. 'I am very happy with my new personal best time. We have a three-year plan with the coach, so we have ticked one year and we continue with the plan,' Zweni said. Impala Marathon Club's Mthandazo Qhina from Qunu, who now lives in the Western Cape and has represented that province in several national competitions, completed his race in 5:56:46, an improved performance from his 6:01 time in 2024. 'I spent a lot of time at the back of the bunch, and that delayed me,' Qhina said. 'If I were in the front, the top 10 would not have been far. I could have made it because the people in the top 10 are the same people I was training with. 'Getting into the top 10 was not difficult for me, but the only problem was that the coach said I must be at the back with my other teammate who was in the top 10 before.' Another Nedbank Running Club athlete, Lulamile Danile, recorded his personal best with a 6:24:53, improving his previous finish of 6:17:40 in the race. Danile said he was excited to run his personal best time and will now focus on improving. Zwelonke Athletic Club's Thulani Sidziya hit the finish mat at the People's Park in Durban in 6:44:21, taking home another silver medal, in an improved time from his previous 7:16:43 in 2024. Sidziya said he planned to run an improved sub-7:00 for another silver medal. 'I came in at 6:44:21. I am very happy with this result because it is the result of a properly executed race plan,' Sidziya said. Hollywood Athletics Club's novice Owen Tshibo introduced himself with a 7:20:53 finish for his first run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, his first-ever ultra-marathon. Tshibo was pleased with his silver medal time. 'To be honest, this was not my target coming to Comrades. But I set a target for something I don't know, since this was my first race. 'I am very happy to be getting this silver medal because many people don't get silver in their first Comrades,' he said. — WATCH: We are the Champions news agency
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Chalmers targets World final after new personal best
Alastair Chalmers says he is targeting the 400m hurdles final at the World Championships in Tokyo after running a personal reigning British champion, 25, clocked 48.30 secs in Germany on Sunday, breaking his previous best by 0.24 seconds. Chalmers narrowly missed out on the finals at the European Championships last summer before falling in the semi-finals at the Olympic Games in Chalmers finish in the top two at the forthcoming British Championships, he will be guaranteed a place in Tokyo, having achieved the qualifying standard."So much can happen between now and then, I've just got to stay healthy," he told BBC Radio Guernsey. "I think on the day in Tokyo if I can execute a really good race and I'm healthy and in good shape then there is a good chance I could make that final."It's going to be hard, but that's the whole point of competition, you've got to turn up on the day and give if your all and not mess up."Chalmers has won the last five British titles and is in the form of his life, having improved his best time year on year."Running the fastest time of your life is always a lovely feeling," he added."When I crossed the line I was just very happy that I'd run that world qualifier, personal best, I think it was a meet record as well."I'm just in a great place physically and mentally and it just allows me to go out and run quick on the track against some really high quality athletes."The World Championships in Japan will take place from 13-21 September.
South China Morning Post
27-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Olympic star McColgan coaching Hong Kong runner to new heights
Four-time Olympian and multiple British track champion Eilish McColgan has helped a Hong Kong runner achieve a string of personal bests – by coaching her via WhatsApp. McColgan and fiancé Michael Rimmer, a two-time Olympian, launched their online coaching business about a decade ago, after being 'inundated with people from around the world asking how to get faster'. During a visit to Hong Kong this month, the pair met Phoebe Tsoi Yun-yue, who clocked a personal best of three hours, 10 minutes and 19 seconds in this year's Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, after following their guidance for two years. This season, Tsoi recorded a 1:27:34 half-marathon, and ended a long-standing quest to break 40 minutes over 10km, running 39:46. She said working with McColgan had 'made all the difference'. McColgan, who is targeting a fifth Olympics in 2028, after switching from track to road, said: 'Phoebe has a full-time job and child, and the majority of our runners are club level … they are people with other responsibilities. 'There are lots of moving parts, so we create a bespoke plan for every individual.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Silver medal for Luke at Leinster/Connacht Championships
Enniskillen swimmer Luke Lannon impressed at the Leinster/Connacht Regional Championships in Dublin last weekend, returning home with a silver medal and a series of personal bests that have earned his place at the Irish Youth and Senior Summer Nationals. 14-year-old Luke, a student at St Michael's College and a member of Longford Swim Club, is aged up to compete in the 15/16-year-old category, took on a demanding race schedule over three days at the National Aquatic Centre. The highlight for Luke was the 1500m freestyle, where he swam with control and determination to secure a well-deserved silver medal in one of the most gruelling events of the meet. In the 400m freestyle, Luke knocked almost two seconds off his personal best to post a time of 4:51.40, finishing second in his heat and ranking as the third-fastest 15-year-old overall, which also secured his fourth qualifying time for the Irish Summer Nationals. Luke continued his strong form with a 5th-place finish in both the 400m Individual Medley and the 200m Backstroke, and rounded out the weekend with an 8th-place finish in the 200m Individual Medley, setting another personal best of 2:39.50, a five-second improvement on his entry time. He now prepares to represent Longford Swim Club once again in mid and long-distance events at the summer national championships.
