Laura has an uphill task at Snowdon
Last updated 11:46, Thursday, 14 August 2008
TEENAGE sensation Laura Park is aiming to hit the heights on the punishing peaks of Snowdon in trials for the World Trophy mountain championship on Sunday.
But after by-passing fell racing for eight months while focusing on track success, the Ellenborough AC prodigy knows she must pull out all the stops to win a place in the finals in Switzerland next month.
The gruelling three-mile course in Wales is entirely uphill, with the 16-year-old facing older girls in the under-20 section.
“I started off fell running but haven’t raced for eight months, so I don’t know how I’ll do,” he said. “There’s an unbelievable difference between the track and the fells. Obviously, the track is a lot shorter and faster.
“I’ve still been training quite hard and had a few fell runs over the last few weeks. I won the trial last year by over a minute-and-a-half, but obviously I was doing fell racing then.
“The top two at the weekend will automatically go to the finals, and a third will be picked on performance.
“Obviously they can’t pick me on performance so I’ll have to win it outright or finish second.”
The Dearham-based youngster travelled to Switzerland for the Trophy finals last year but faced a rare disappointment.
“I wasn’t in the right frame of mind and dropped out of the race,” she said.
Laura warmed up for her return to the fells with track success in the Club National championship at Birmingham last weekend.
She seized the early initiative in the Under-17 girls’ 3,000m and was five seconds ahead at the finish line.
Last month Laura claimed her fifth British or national title of the year in the intermediate girls’ 3,000m at the English Schools championship at Gateshead International Stadium.
