Herne Hill Harriers’ Phoebe Anderson travelled to Valencia to run her first race since being crowned as European under 23 women’s cross-country champion in December and produced an impressive performance in her road 10km debut on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Putney resident finished an excellent 18th in a world class women’s field at the Castellon 10km, clocking a fast 32:23. Her time has only so far been bettered by one other Harriers female athlete, being club record holder and New Zealand international Georgie Grgec.
Frustratingly for Anderson her time in Spain was just three seconds outside the qualifying mark for consideration for the Great Britain team for the European Road Running Championships in Belgium in April.
She will now be looking to get that standard at the trial at the Pulford 10km in Cheshire on 23rd March and her training will now be geared towards this target.
Other Herne Hill athletes were in road racing action locally in Battersea Park on Saturday morning, where the RunThrough 5km and 10km and the more elite Top Flight 10km were all staged, with a number recording personal best times.
In the Top Flight 10km Lewis Laylee was a good 26th with a PB 30:45, Tom Austin 42nd with 31:29, Ross Brown 84th with a PB 33:05 and Ryan Willmott 92nd with a PB 33:37.
Chloe Wright finished third female in the RunThrough 5km with a PB 19:00, tantalisingly close to her sub 19 minutes target.
In the RunThrough 10km a time of 34:50 saw Elevedin Bektic place 15th in a big field of runners.
Geoff Jerwood