Richard Goodman, 15, began the track season in style, winning the Middlesex Under-17 800 metres title in 2:01.

The previous week the JFS pupil scored a fine double, coming first in the 800m and 1500m at the Southern League Premier Division in Hendon. The Stanmore runner won both events with personal bests of 2:00 and 4:11 respectively.

Now training with Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Goodman said: “I’ve been running competitively for just a year, since the tail-end of last year’s cross country season. I started running 800 metres for the club last year and reduced my time to 2:07. My first big cross-country race was the National Championships this year, and I was really pleased to finish fifth.”

The Stanmore runner came fifth in the Inter-Counties Championships, and second in the Inter-Boroughs mini-marathon Under 17 race. He hopes to “ break two minutes for 800m and run in the England Schools Championships and the UK Young Athletes League final.”