Tobin beats two Olympians to win Grand Prix (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Tobin beats two Olympians to win Grand Prix

8:00am Saturday 12th September 2009

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BASINGSTOKE athlete Robert Tobin picked up his first Grand Prix win in Italy on Sunday – beating a field including two Olympic medallists.

The 400m runner, who is 25 and lives in Old Basing, recorded a time of 45.30sec to win the event in Ricti.

The field included 2008 Olympic bronze medallist David Neville and Angelo Taylor, who won the 400m hurdles in Beijing, as well as Tobin’s British rival Martyn Rooney.

Tobin said: “It was good to get my first grand prix win, especially as I was up against such a good field. I just paced it right. I ran the first 100m well, had caught Rooney by 200m and came home strong as well.”

Another north Hampshire athlete producing a good performance last weekend was Hook distance runner Charlie Purdue, who finished fourth in the Great Yorkshire Run, claiming the English 10km road championship in the process.

The 18-year-old stayed with the leaders for more than half the race before dropping off to finish on her own in a time of 33min 7sec, just 39sec behind the winner.

Purdue said: “I was pleased with the race overall and delighted to be English champion. I thought I might be able to get in the top five and I did that.”

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