Sprinter Meghan Pilley has made a strong start to her indoor season, which has included her first experience of European competition last weekend.

The Manx Harriers athlete – who represented the island at last year’s Island Games in Orkney - began her campaign a fortnight ago at the London Indoor Games at Lee Valley, easing herself back into competition following a couple of recent injuries.

At that meeting she clocked 25.90 seconds in the 200 metres and followed that with times of 7.91s and 7.92s in her two 60 metres races.

Last weekend she travelled to Belgium for her first taste of racing on the European circuit, competing at a World Athletics Indoor Tour Bronze event in Ghent.

In the meeting she ran 7.86 seconds in the 60 metres, before recording 25.88 in the 200 metres.

Speaking afterwards, Meghan commented: ‘The injuries just before Christmas set me back and my training has been unsettled.

‘But, thanks to my coach Tom Riley, we’ve adapted sessions and I’ve still been able to train and compete, both at the London Indoor Games two weeks ago and this weekend in Ghent.

‘I’d also like to thank my gym coach Ben Carling - we’ve changed some exercises in the gym to help support my recovery.

‘Ghent was an amazing experience and one I am extremely grateful to have had. I am slowly progressing week by week and now have two weeks to put in some more hard work in training before I compete at the British Indoor Championships in Birmingham, where I’ve been invited to compete in the 60 metres.’

The British champs will take place later this month over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, February 14 and 15.

Another island athlete to excel in an indoor competition was fellow Manx Harrier Regan Corrin who travelled to Lee Valley in London last weekend to compete in the ynder-20 men's category at the South of England Indoor Championships.

Regan was in brilliant form in his season's opener on Saturday, jumping 7.31 metres in the long jump to set a new indoor personal best and overall Isle of Man indoor record, also equalling the outdoor pb he set last year. He finished second in the competition.

On Sunday he competed in the high jump and won the competition with a best clearance of 2.08 metres, exceeding all the heights he achieved last season.

A very encouraging start to another big year for this promising athlete.

DAVID GRIFFITHS

Also in record-breaking form recently was Finlay Taggart who competed at the Sale Harriers Indoor meet at the Etihad Sportcity campus in Manchester.

In what was only his second indoor meet to date, he started the day off with a runner-up place in the under-17s 60m in a new personal best and new Manx record (subject to ratification).

He then won the under-17s 200m in a new Manx record time of 22.89 seconds in his indoor debut over 200 (again subject to ratification).

That time improves his own outdoor 200m pb, which is a rarity due to the nature of the track and its tight bends.