It was a standout weekend for Manx distance running as Ollie Lockley produced a superb performance at the Valencia 10km.
Not only securing a Commonwealth Games standard time, he clocked a personal best time of 28:29 against a world-class field.
Lockley finished 70th among more than 17,000 runners, taking an impressive 32 seconds off his previous best, which he had only set a few weeks ago in Leeds.
Games Standard
The performance also carried major significance, as his time was 31 seconds inside the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games consideration standard for this year’s Games in Glasgow. In Leeds, he had narrowly missed the mark by just one second.
Although the Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres is a track event, road times are believed to be taken into account, raising the exciting prospect of Lockley lining up alongside fellow Manx athlete David Mullarkey in Isle of Man colours at the Games.
Lockley’s Valencia run continues a period of consistently strong form in recent months and marks a well-deserved milestone in his career.