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Tonbridge AC race walker Tom Bosworth gets helping hand - on track and off - to break national 5,000m record at British Athletics Championships

Tom Bosworth celebrates his success
Tom Bosworth celebrates his success

Tonbridge AC race walker Tom Bosworth admitted nothing was going to stop him smashing the national 5,000m record at the British Athletics Championships.

Bosworth, 24, clocked 19min16.82sec to beat the British record by an impressive 11 seconds and his own PB by 13 seconds on his way to finishing second in Birmingham.

He said: “I can tell you that I was really hurting with 1,200m to go. But the crowd got behind me and that worked wonders. You forget about it (the pain) and get stronger and even more determined.

“I completed the last kilometre in 3.46 – the fastest of the race – so there is no doubt they (the crowd) helped inspire me.”

Bosworth said the man who won the race, Australian guest Dane Bird-Smith, who took the British Allcomers’ record with 19.14.53, also deserved credit.

Bosworth, whose previous PB was in the same event in 2011, said Bird-Smith helped his cause.

He said: “We discussed the record before the race – he knew I wanted it and was happy to help. Dane’s a quality athlete and we went together for the first three kilometres.

“He then took off and I dropped back a bit but I got going again and finished strongly, not far behind him. I gave him a hug after and said thanks for the help – I might even buy him a couple of beers.”

Sainsbury’s is proud to support British Athletics through its involvement in the Summer Series and beyond. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.sainsburys-live-well-for-less.co.uk/occasions/anniversary-games

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