Middle-distance runners are stars of island show

THE island's strength in middle-distance running is making its way into the senior schools.

Four of the five individual records to fall at an entertaining annual island school sports day at Footes Lane yesterday went to 1,500m runners, the odd one out being the impressive javelin thrower Zoe Fitch.

At Year 10 level Danny Ray and Katie Rowe came to the same start line for their mixed 1,500 and both claimed the records in, for them, fairly leisurely fashion. Ray clocked 4-26.9 to strip four seconds off the mark which had stood for 30 years, while Rowe eased home in 4-53.2 to take seven seconds off the old record set by the current senior island women's champion, Sarah Mercier.

Meanwhile, at Year 9 level, Ed Mason set a new boys record with 4-38.8, finishing half a lap ahead of his nearest rival. In the same event, Indi Gallagher also took the record with 5-12.9 and another easy win.

In the javelin, the Year 10 girls' record had stood to Debbie Allen since 1985, but Fitch, who will be heading off to the NatWest Island Games next month, bettered the record by three-and-a-half metres with a mighty throw of 34.99.