CROSS-country starlet Tom Carson saved his best performance for last with a second place in the Home Nations Championships. Representing England, the 15-year-old Bolton Harrier, produced a stunning show to beat all but one of the best runners in his age group from Great Britain. Tom was part of an eight-man England team competing against Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales in the race at Perth last Saturday. He qualified for the team when he finished second in the English Schools Championships last month. On Saturday, he beat the English boy who had beaten him in that race - by a large margin of 20 metres - and was only beaten by Scot, Callum Hawkins.The race was the latest stunning achievement in a successful winter season in which the Horwich teenager has made incredible progress. And the races just keep getting bigger, his next date being the World Schools' Cross Country Championships in the Czech Republic on April 22 when he will again be representing England. His achievements in the last fortnight have seen him make a big name for himself on the national athletics scene and he admits even he has been surprised by the improvement he has made.
"At the start of the season I wasn't looking to win anything or do any internationals this year," he said.
"Everything has just happened in one big go.
The St Joseph's High School student, who is coached by former Great Britain 10,000m record holder Mike Freary, is also making his mark against older runners in the under-17s age group in which he still has another year after this. He finished seventh in the Northern championships and 10th in the National Championships, placings he will have every reason to expect to turn into gold medal positions next season.
His sights will be on the track season when he returns home from the Czech Republic. His preferred distances are 800m and 1,500m and the strength he has built up during the cross-country season will stand him in good stead. Saturday's race in Scotland was over 6km and Tom was on course for a possible victory until being overtaken by Hawkins.
He said. "It's been a good cross-country season for me and now I'm confident for the track season."