Chris Goodwin was recently invited to spend a day training with Great Britain 800m runner Michael Rimmer.The West Cheshire AC distance-running ace took part in an Aviva UKA Academy training session at Edge Hill University in Ormskirk.
The Aviva UKA Academy initiative is a fresh new approach to grassroots sport, designed to give every child in the UK the opportunity to get involved in athletics by 2012.
Chris learned a lot from the session and took the extra motivation with him to a recent British Milers Club event at Longford Park, Trafford, in Manchester.
Chris was aiming to beat the West Cheshire AC under 17 boys 1500m record of four minutes 9.40 seconds.
In a thrilling race that saw him knock nearly three seconds off his personal best time, he was agonisingly close in a time of 4:09.64.
But with renewed determination and a few weeks of the season remaining, he is hoping next time he can find the extra quarter of a second to beat the existing record.

Photo at https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/images/usrimg/trackfield/chris_goodwin.JPG

Tom Booth and Alice Jennings have clinched North West Open titles.The West Cheshire AC duo won in their respective age group categories at the North West Combined Events Open held at Sport City, Manchester.
Tom scored a AAA grade four points total of 4,008 in the under 17 men’s octathlon, which consisted of a new best time of 14.83 seconds in the 100m hurdles, a new long jump best of 5.74m, a put of 8.81m in the shot, and a 400m time of 53.36 seconds.
He claimed a throw of 19.05m in the discus, a new high jump best of 1-67m, a throw of 24.61m in the javelin, and a new 1500m best time of four minutes 38.46 seconds.
Alice landed the under 15 girls pentathlon title with a AAA grade two score of 2,580 points.
She long jumped 4.15m, clocked 12.51 seconds in the 75m hurdles, hit 7.69m in the shot, high jumped 1-52m, and posted 2:38.01 in the 800m.
Full Report at https://www.westcheshireac.co.uk/docs/load.php?id=960

Chester youngster Matthew Pagan enjoyed a dream athletics masterclass with British Olympian and fourtime UK Champion Michael Rimmer after winning a place on the Aviva UKA Academy regional training session programme.Matthew, 11, from Overleigh St Mary’s Primary School, was one of a handful of youngsters in attendance as Rimmer passed on tips, advice and ran a live session at Edge Hill University.
The Aviva UKA Academy is a fresh new approach to grassroots sports, designed to give every child in the country the opportunity to get involved in athletics by London 2012.
And Rimmer, who spent individual tuition-time with Matthew and each of the other children in attendance, is convinced the Aviva-funded scheme could help to uncover a future British Olympian.
“I want to try and just get kids like Matthew excited about the sport and getting them fit and healthy and basically introducing them to athletics,” said Rimmer. “When I was their age I didn’t have a clue what athletics was about – I didn’t know what to do and it wasn’t until I had a few sessions that I did.
“But once I did I really enjoyed it. Other sports take up so much of the talent that from an athletics point of view you have to go out and find it. And you don’t know who you are going to find until you go out and look for it.”
The training sessions are designed to allow children of all ages and abilities the chance to try athletics and find something that they enjoy.
And Matthew, who turned his hand to sprinting, long jump and a variety of other activities, is adamant he’d like to follow in the footsteps of Rimmer and represent his country at an Olympic Games.
“Michael was a real inspiration and he was telling us how to breathe properly when we are running and how to train,” said Matthew – who runs for West Cheshire AC.
“It was a really enjoyable day – I really enjoyed the sprinting and long jump and I hope I can make the most of it when I get back competing.
The Aviva UKA Academy is a fresh new approach to grassroots sport, designed to give every child in the country the opportunity to get involved in athletics by 2012. For more information go to www.aviva.co.uk/athletics

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Danielle Erskine and Dave McKay have posted new West Cheshire AC track and field club records.But the duo failed to steer their Chester and Ellesmere Port-based club to a title-winning display at the final round of the Northern Track and Field League Division Two West match staged at Blackpool’s Stanley Park Stadium.
Danielle clocked a new women’s 100m hurdles club record time of 17.4 seconds to finish second in her race, and added more points from her third-placed finish in the 400m hurdles (75.7 seconds).
Dave smashed his existing club record in the men’s hammer, and prompted a round of applause from his fellow competitors after hitting a winning mark of 47.78m.
Dave was joined by his brother, Andrew, in the hammer event who claimed maximum points from the B competition with a throw of 39.17m.
Niamh Reilly unleashed a winning throw of 34.80m in the javelin alongside Danielle Erskine who secured second position in the B event with 20.02m.
And Niamh added victory in the B shot (7.78m), second B in the hammer (17.10m), third B in the discus (17.54m)
Sian Kelman secured victory in the long jump with 5.50m and second spot in the 100m (12.6), and Emily Clarke finished second in the B long jump with 4.26m, fifth in the hammer (17.64m), and second in the triple jump with 10.28m, alongside Victoria Anderson (9.82m).
Victoria cleared 1-60m in the high jump for second position and spun the discus 25.39m for second spot, while Ruth Pritchard was third in the B high jump with 1-35m, third in the shot (8.12m), and finished second B in the 400m hurdles with 77.2 seconds.
Tom Booth clocked 62.9 seconds for second spot in the 400m hurdles, while Dave McKay was second in the 110m hurdles (47.78m), and Gemma Hale was second in the B 100m hurdles with 18.1 seconds.
Bryony Potter finished the B 100m in second spot (12.7) and added second position in the 200m (25.9).
Nicola Bird rounded the 3,000m in second spot with a time of 10:20.5, and finished fifth with 5:03.8 in the 1500m.
Richard Stocker (third with 35.68m) and Andy McKay (second B with 27.46m) competed in the discus, while Andrew Gore (fourth with 39.22m) and John Manning (third B with 32.15m) participated in the javelin.
Richard Stocker (fourth with 9.65m) and Andy McKay (third B with 9.62m) rubbed shoulders with Great Britain international Carl Myerscough in the shot who claimed a World Championship qualifying distance and new league record of 20.33m.
John Manning finished third in the long jump (5.97m), third B in the triple jump (10.82m), sixth in the high jump (1-65m), and second B in the pole vault (3-10m), while Andrew Gore cleared 3-20m for third spot in the vault.
Aamir Walwyn claimed fourth position in the triple jump with 11.56m, while Aidan Stoakley (fifth in 11.6) and Stephen Jones (fourth B in 12.0) competed in the 100m.
Robbie Dagnall (fifth in 23.6) and Aamir Walwyn (fifth in 24.0) completed the 200m, while Tom Walley (fifth in 53.4) and David Donkin (fifth in 56.5) finished in the 400m.
Tom Booth (sixth in 4:48.4) and Andrew Clague (fifth in 4:55.3) paired up in the 1500m, and Andrew completed the 3,000m steeplechase in 11:01.0 for fourth position.
The quartet of Danielle Erskine, Bryony Potter, Gemma Hale, and Emily Clarke clocked 53.4 seconds for third place in the 4x100m relay, while Robbie Dagnall, Stephen Jones, Andrew Whitton, and Aidan Stoakley posted 45.7 seconds for fifth place in the 4x100m relay, and the foursome of Tom Walley, Aidan Stoakley, Aamir Walwyn, and David Donkin teamed up for third place in a time of 3:43.5 in the 4x400m relay.
Fourth Round: 1 Blackpool Wyre and Fylde 433 points; 2 Liverpool Pembroke Sefton 401.5; 3 St Helens Sutton 359; 4 Southport Waterloo 319.5; 5 West Cheshire 300; 6 Manx 207.
Final Positions 1 Blackpool Wyre and Fylde 22 points (1609); 2 West Cheshire 19 (1505); 3 Liverpool Pembroke Sefton 14 (1398.5); 4 St Helens Sutton 13 (1337); 5 Southport Waterloo 12 (1283.5); 6 Manx 4 (805).