European Masters Athletics Championships, Prescara, Italy – 21 September to 1st October
Club coach Nisha Desai celebrated thirty years in competitive athletics by bagging a silver medal at the European Masters Championships on Friday last. The coveted silver came in the 400m hurdles, her specialist event, which she first took up in 2005 having had a successful career up to that point over middle distance and cross-country.
Nisha is in her last year in the 35-39 masters age group and lined up for the race as defending champion having secured the title in 2019 when the championships were also held in Italy. It was a close call with Nisha leading up to the ninth hurdle when fellow GB team mate Emily Bonnett overhauled her in the final run in to take the gold medal in 61.22 seconds. Sonja Keil (Germany) took the bronze medal in a time of 62.02 seconds. Nisha was rewarded with a season’s best of 61.55 and had narrowed the gap on Bonnett when both athletes finishised in the same positions at the recent U.K. Masters event in Derby.
Nisha is in her last year in the 35-39 masters age group and lined up for the race as defending champion having secured the title in 2019 when the championships were also held in Italy. It was a close call with Nisha leading up to the ninth hurdle when fellow GB team mate Emily Bonnett overhauled her in the final run in to take the gold medal in 61.22 seconds. Sonja Keil (Germany) took the bronze medal in a time of 62.02 seconds. Nisha was rewarded with a season’s best of 61.55 and had narrowed the gap on Bonnett when both athletes finishised in the same positions at the recent U.K. Masters event in Derby.
Nisha has had a string of injuries this year and did well to make the start line. Nevertheless under the watchful eye of coach Bob Boyd, she managed to put together some good quality sessions over the past month in the lead up to the championships. She said: “This season has been tough, one of the toughest. Despite spending many months hobbling around and being told not to run or hurdle, this journey has been completed with a smile”
“It may not have been a win, but the silver on this occasion felt like gold to me and losing to such a lovely person who I’ve raced for many years and running my best time of the season was no downfall”
Achieving the silver was a great way to celebrate her thirty years in the sport. Having first taken up athletics in her native north east she joined Morpeth Harriers and still competes for them regularly in Northern League matches. She also competes for Trafford AC, Manchester in the National Premier League. Having attended the University of Nottingham and qualified as a Pharmacist, she settled in the Erewash area and thus became involved with AVEAC where she regularly assists in coaching with the club’s older athletes.
Nisha’s career has had many high points with a vast array of Nothern titles to her name over 400m, 800m and 400m hurdles. She is a former English Schools runner up in the senior 800m back in 2002 and has gone on to represent England at under 20 level on three occasions in the 800m and cross-country and at senior level twice over the 400m hurdles at the Manchester and Welsh International games. She has also competed in the UK Senior Championships on no less than fourteen occassions since 2005 and has ranked in the UK top ten during many of those years.
Next season Nisha will move into the 40-44 masters age category and her goal along with coach Bob, will be to do well at the 25th World Championships which will take place in Gothenberg, Sweden between 13-25 August. With a good solid block of winter training behind her, you would not rule her out on gaining another podium finish!
GEOFF RETAINS GOLDEN GATES GALLOP RACE
Elvaston Castle, Derby, 25 September
Another club coach and masters’s athlete in action last weekend was Geoff Lowry who took part in the Golden Gates Gallop 5 mile race around the grounds of Elvaston Castle. Geoff placed first in a time of 32:29 minutes to retain the title he won last year as well. He had over half a minute to spare on runner up Dominc Muskos.
On the Wednesday before the Elvaston run Geoff had also taken part in the first of the Derby Midweek road races at Raynesway. He finished tenth overall in the Men’s 5km and was the second placed finisher in the M60 class recording a time of 20:04 minutes.
Also taking part in the mid week event was AVEAC’s Isabelle Szczepanski who finished thirteenth overall and was the second fastest junior in a mixed mile race. Her time of 7:05 minutes was a new personal best!
Report – Joe McColgan
Photos – Nisha Desai and Geoff Lowry