Ken Harker tackles the World Masters Indoor Athletic Championships

One member of the Harriers, who has been particularly busy in recent weeks, is athlete Ken Harker, who has turned his ambitions to the World Masters Indoor Athletics Championships, which will be held in Linz, Austria from 15-20th March 2006. Ken decided to embark on the task in hand after joining the ranks of the masters this year and will be competing in the Male 35 category over 800m. He will fly out to Austria on 14th March and take part in the heats of the men’s 800m on 16th March. The finals take place the following day, which Ken hopes he will be very much part of.

Ken Harker at Loftus Poultry Run 2005

In preparation for the main event, Ken has entered into a busy 10-week schedule, which will incorporate track training, hill work, speed work and some long runs. This should see him in peak condition by mid March, while he has already competed in some outdoor races and indoor events on the track. His last outdoor appearance was at the Loftus Poultry Run on 18th December, where he placed an excellent 8th overall, although he admitted that it was cold on the day and he has a definite preference for the indoor climate.

The indoor open meetings got underway on Saturday 7th January at Sportcity, Manchester, where he competed in the 1000m and finished an admirable 4th in a time of 2.42. His next competition was the DM Hall Senior Indoor Championships, which took place at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow on Sunday 22nd January, covering his favoured distance of 800m. Ken placed 4th in his heat, finishing in a time of 2.04 and gaining the upper hand on one of his main rivals, who will also be in Austria. He felt this is was a solid performance and is aiming to be under the 2-minute mark by the time the championships come around in March. Fellow Harrier and training partner, James Wardman, also made the trip to Glasgow, finishing 3rd in his heat in an excellent time of 1.57.75.

Future events which Ken has planned, include the Northern Indoor Senior Championships at Sheffield on Sunday 29th January, along with a further two indoor meetings at Birmingham during February. We wish him all the best and will be reporting his ongoing achievements on a regular basis.