This Thursday meet, which concluded with Footes Lane’s only 10,000m of the season, provided pleasant conditions for both spectators and racers with moderately warm temperatures and manageable wind.
In the first major senior track event, the 100m, U18 Theo Le Tissier came within the finest margin of his personal best with his winning effort of 10.95.
In the same age group, but representing Invicta East Kent, Luke Martin followed in 11.41, with emerging Guernsey U16 Killian McHugh taking third another 0.27sec. behind.
The contest for female honours had followed a similar story as U18 Joselyn Ford claimed a valuable victory in 13.14, being run closest by Wimborne 14-year-old Nicola Minina, who finished 0.20sec. down with a new PB. Guernsey U16 Indi Warren managed her own PB of 13.49.
Over 1,500m, Jack Le Tissier had passed the two-lap marker on track for a rare local sub-4min. time.
But in a very solo effort with no pacemaker, he ultimately dropped off to a hair outside the Island Games B standard with 4-06.10.
It had been a question of who would take second as a trio of athletes clumped together behind him.
Relatively new to serious athletics but with no shortage of talent in his family, UK-based Alex Scholes ultimately put in the strongest finish to claim that runner-up spot in 4-19.50.
Mikey Ingrouille managed a marginal PB behind him, running 4-21.46, while veteran Toby Mann followed 1.08sec. later.
Alex’s sister Eloise Scholes ran a relatively lonely race for top woman and fifth overall in 4-36.49, well outside her best but still well within the Island Games A standard.
U16 girl Grace King finished as the second female athlete in 5-06.17.
Gian-Luca Robilliard put in a commendable solo effort in the 400m, producing a B standard of 50.98 having not previously raced the distance this season.
The only other competitor in the race, Herne Hill Harriers veteran Alexandra Shamloll, followed more distantly in 73.50.
This small longer sprints programme also included U16 Warren striding solo to a big 300m PB of 44.38.
Steve Dawes and Nix Dobson claimed winning honours in the concluding 25-lap epic.
In quite possibly his last race before turning 45 later this month, Dawes returned to action after entering late as an alternative to his planned tempo run.
His relatively controlled effort initially seemed a good fit for Mark Jeffreys, who latched onto him in the early stages.
But before too long the veteran dropped his only attempted challenger, going on to win solo in 34-45.96.
Jamie Ingrouille moved into second approaching halfway and held on for a PB of 35-50.87, finishing 1-38 ahead of a struggling Jeffreys.
After an 11-lap pacemaking stint from Scholes, Dobson pushed onwards to claim fourth overall in a women’s Games A standard of 38-11.23.
She also moved up to seventh on the women’s all-time list, as she used her characteristically strong finish to dip a single second below former Games athlete Janette Shepherd’s time from 1994.
This followed a late overtake of evergreen Graham Merfield, whose own run – where he posted 38-23.59 – puts him second in this year’s British V60 rankings.
A previous local resident now living in West Sussex, V50 Paul Hewitt completed a small field for this arduous race in running 40-34.15.
