The Hampshire Athletics Grand Prix races can be an excellent event for setting PB’s, this time however it didn’t look like it would help Robbie, with only two paced heats, one too fast and one too slow, there would be no real assistance from the pace makers for him. Race started well, Robbie running his own pace and letting everyone get on with it, often the right choice, but on this occasion it simply didn’t work out, leaving Robbie dead in the middle between two groups of runners, the main and faster group about 50m in front, the slower group about 20m behind. After 4 or 5 laps of running solo, and not really gaining on the leading group, the weather conditions and the solo run started to take their toll. Robbie’s pace slowed significantly, the chasing group split in two and the leading element stepped up, caught Robbie and went past him. AFD co-runner Bryn Smith ran an excellent race sat sweetly at the back of that chasing group and earning him not only a finishing place in front of Robbie but an excellent PB at the same time (U20M – 9:12.40).
U17 Men Results
1st Josh Shuter 9:09.42
2nd Robbie Coupland 9:17.24
3rd Kier Sullivan 9:37.98