A masters athlete from Bedford and County Athletics Club is celebrating this week after picking up two silver medals at the World Masters Indoor Championships, held in Florida.
Tenny James, who continues to set records on the track well into his seventh decade, won silver in the M65-69 200 metres in a time of 26.90 seconds and followed it up with a time of 9.65 seconds in the 60 metre hurdles final, again to claim silver.
The World Masters Athletics Championships Indoor Championships (WMACi) are held biennially, and is open only to men and women who are aged 35 years and over.
James also qualified for the final of the 400m with a time of 61.22 seconds, but with the final shortly before the 60m hurdles final, that took priority with a decision that paid dividends with his second silver medal of the meeting.
Junior success at road relay championships
There was also a successful weekend for the Club’s junior distance runners at the SEAA Road Relay Championships and the Under 15 and Under 17 5k Championships in Milton Keynes.
The stand out performance came from the Under 17 Men 5k runners who won team gold at the championships, and there was also a bronze medal for the Senior Women ‘A’ team in the 6-stage relay.
Rebecca Murray won the award for the fastest 2nd leg runner for the Senior Women, while there was an individual bronze for Mackenzie Kotrys in the Under 17 Men’s 5k team, on top of the gold he won as part of the race-winning group, with a time of 15:35.
Theo Beale also came 4th in the same race in a time of 15:41 to cap a great afternoon for the Under 17’s.
Another gold went to the ever-consistent, Ethan Gibbs as part of the Under 13 Boys 3k team.
More club records fall
There’s also been Masters success in the field for Bedford and County Athletes at the beginning of March at the British Masters Athletics Federation’s (BMAF) Winter Throws Championships, held in Oxford.
Glen Kerr set a new Bedford and County club record in the M50 Hammer throw, winning gold with a distance of 53.80m, alongside a silver medal in the shot put.
Namesake, Darren Kerr also set a new club record in the M55 Hammer throw with a distance of 47.19m; also good enough to win gold while he picked up a bronze medal in the discus.
Graeme Packman picked up two gold medals in the M70 class, in the discus and shot put, along with breaking three club records, while Oriana Johnson picked up a silver in the discus W60 event with a distance of 15.50m.
This Saturday (5 April) sees the Bedfordshire AAA Open Meeting, held at Bedford International Athletics Stadium before a number of the club’s athletes compete at the London Marathon, due to take place on 27 April.
Update 2nd April 2025 : 13:55 – This article was originally published before news of Tenny James’ third medal at the World Masters Indoor Championships, which was a gold medal in the M65 4x200m.
