ADAM Bowden continued his excellent start to the track season by smashing the Harrow Athletic Club 5000 metres record at the British Milers Club Grand Prix in Manchester on Saturday.
The 25-year-old is targeting the Olympic Games 3000 metres steeplechase qualifying time of 8.24.60, and he showed excellent speed endurance in this over-distance race.
He beat his previous best by a massive 16 seconds, and the previous record by six seconds, in clocking 13.50.86.
Running in the elite A race, against 5000 metres specialists, he was always in the leading group and finished in fifth place, just six seconds behind winner Andy Vernon, and only one second adrift of a trio of runners who were contesting second spot.
Richard Franzese finished third in the C race with a new personal best of 14.42.05.
That sliced nine seconds off his previous best time, set in the British Universities Championships earlier this year.
Peter Norris placed ninth in the same race with a big new personal best, clocking 15.13.15.
