A HOOK athlete has hit top form just ahead of the Commonwealth Games by improving his personal best.

Ben Pattison scored a convincing win in 800m at the Trafford British Milers Club Grand Prix.

The Basingstoke and Mid Hants AC athlete dominated the race and registered a clear-cut victory with a winning time of 1:44.60s – a new personal best.

READ MORE: Hook athlete to represent Team England at Commonwealth Games

This moves him up to second in the UK rankings for this season. 

Ben, who is travelling to Birmingham in a few days for the Commonwealth Games, was over a second clear of Jammie Webb, who recorded 1:46.02s.

Third was Thomas Keen with 1:46.18, while fourth was another International, Elliot Giles, with 1:46.19.

Commenting on Ben's race, his coach Dave Ragan said: “Ben finally hit the kind of time we have known was in the locker for a while.

"Great prep 10 days out from the Commonwealth Games heats.” 

Also in the race was club colleague Thomas Staines who finished sixth in 1:51.17. 

Earlier, the tone for the evening was set by Stefan O'Loughnane, who, after a heavy trip at the bell, managed to get it together to get back involved and then ran away from the field to win the 800m G race in a time of 1:53.08.

He was just .05s outside of his best.

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While in the Women's 1500m A race, Maddie Deadman ran a PB of  4:21.13.

Following on from cheering the Basingstoke athletes, coach Dave Ragan then ran the 5000m and recorded a time of 14:47.50.

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