Racing into the season
- secretary8485
- Apr 4
- 2 min read
Start Lines and First Times: Inclusive Athletics Takes Centre Stage in Portsmouth
The 2025 track and field season commenced with great enthusiasm on Saturday, 29th March, as City of Portsmouth Athletic Club hosted its first Open Meet of the year at the Mountbatten Centre.
Despite a brisk, cold wind, the sun shone brightly throughout the day, creating a lively and energetic atmosphere both on and off the track.
Over 450 athletes participated across 19 different events, including Pole Vault, seated throws, and, for the first time, frame running—making this one of the club’s most inclusive events to date. Competitors travelled from across the South of England, with some journeying from as far afield as Kettering, Jersey, Devon, and Somerset to take part.
Among the many successes of the day were standout performances from City of Portsmouth's own Harvey Beckles who took on the long jump for the first time in competition, leaping to an impressive 6.59m. Charlotte Pabari, got her season off to a great start with a throw of 12.06m in the shot put, whilst U13 Monty Rowland from Brighton & Hove threw an outstanding 42.39m in the Javelin achieving a personal best.
Other standout performances included Ronnie Faunch and Eva Jones who completed the 75m in 10.293 and 10.463 respectively; Vojtech Berger who sped his way to a fantastic 10.952 in the 100m; Scott Harris posting a rapid 21.961 and Fola Odofin clocking a swift 25.374 in the 200m.
One entrant said "We all had a great day. We enjoyed watching events that we have not seen at other meets such Pole Vault but especially being all inclusive. We have not seen that anywhere else."
So congratulations and thank you and all the others involved in running such an enjoyable meet. The meet also saw the successful introduction of electronic registration and automatic seeding, which helped streamline the day and keep the action running smoothly.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the volunteers who contributed their time and effort on the day—from officials, coaches, and committee members to parent helpers. Special thanks to Tom Stevens, Chris Spinks, and Ann Hayter, who dedicated countless hours planning the event behind the scenes, and to Janet White, who led the field officials on the day despite challenges with low official numbers. Additionally, we appreciate the efforts of our club photographer, Paul Smith OBE, who meticulously documented the day with over 6,000 images.
As the season progresses, we encourage more volunteers to come forward and train as officials. Your involvement is crucial to the continued success of our events and the development of athletes at all levels.
We’re proud to have kicked off the season with such a well-attended and smoothly run event. Thank you to all the athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and supporters who made the day such a success—we look forward to seeing you all again at our next competition!
Opmerkingen