Talbot gears up to take on sprint stars

Danny Talbot will go into his first international match of 2012 today with his confidence high after twice improving his personal best over 60 metres in the indoor season.

The 20-year-old Trowbridge Tornado sprinter has been selected to run the 200m for the Great Britain team in the Aviva Indoors International at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, where among his rivals will be legendary Caribbean sprinter Kim Collins and top-ranked American Calvin Smith.

"I cannot wait for the meeting," said Talbot. "A lot of Britain's top athletes will be there, like Mo Farah, Hannah England, Jenny Meadows and Mark Lewis-Francis and there is a sell-out crowd."

It will be Talbot's first 200m of the winter but he knows his training has been going well. He ran his quickest time yet in the 60m at the South of England Championships, in London, last weekend.

Talbot, who is currently studying at Bath University, went to the Lee Valley Stadium with a personal best of 6.90secs – admittedly three years old – and promptly improved to 6.74secs in the opening heat and then 6.73secs in the quarter-finals before calling it a day.

"I was feeling pretty tired after two rounds of the 60m so decided not to run the semi- finals," added Talbot. "The aim was just to get a bit of race practice ahead of Glasgow and I was very pleased with the way it went.

"It is always difficult to know where you are fitness- wise for the first race because there is a bit of rustiness there. The good thing is that I know I have a few things to work on and can definitely go quicker over 60 metres, but I have to be pleased with two PBs in my first meeting."

No doubt Talbot would love to challenge his indoor PB of 20.89secs, set last winter, but more importantly he will want to race well and if he can claim a few scalps then even better.

It is also worth recalling that Talbot clocked 21.39secs to finish third in this same meeting 12 months ago and within a month had soared to top of the UK Indoor Rankings.

Gloucestershire's Tom Purnell is in the England team to run the 3000m at the Celtic Cup Indoor Games in Cardiff tomorrow. Joining him in the squad is Wiltshire teenager Loren Bleaken (relay) and Bristol's Lucy Bryan (pole vault).

On Sunday (11am) entries will be taken on the day for the latest race in the Bath Skyline 10k multi terrain series with registration at Bath University. For further information see the website at: www.relishrunningraces.com

The Slaughterford 9 from Leafy Lane Playing Fields, Rudloe, near Corsham on Sunday (9.50am) is a 350-sell out so no entries will be taken on the day. Race details are available at: www.chippenhamharriers.co.uk

Entries are closed for the Hestercombe Humdinger 9.5 miles road race near Taunton. There is still room in the Hurtle 5k but check before travelling on the website at: www.hestercombehumdinger.co.uk

On the road Alby's Memorial Braunton 10 miler is the main event tomorrow (11am). See the website at: www.northdevonroadrunners.com

The next round of the Bridge Inn Winter 5k series from Shortwood, east Bristol, will be next Tuesday (January 31) at 7.30pm, with entries taken on the night.