It was a busy weekend for the island’s racewalkers with a special development session on Saturday and the second round of the Up and Running Winter Walking League on Sunday.

Action on day one was a coaching session at the NSC track headed by Britain’s top race walker of the new millennium, Tom Bosworth, who holds world records and many titles. Bosworth also claimed a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and finished sixth in the Rio Olympics in 2016.

He travelled with his Merseyside group of young athletes alongside former international racewalker Vanity Snook and her group from Aldershot and an almost regular visitor Great Britain international Cameron Corbishley from Medway in Kent. The latter has competed in the 35km world champs since his last visit to the island.

Bosworth described the trip on social media as a: ‘Seriously incredible weekend.’

Bright and early on Sunday morning the walkers assembled at the Manx Harriers headquarters at the National Sports Centre for their various age group races.

First away was the league senior 10 km race where Corbishley gave a great display of speed walking despite being in hard training, which included a 15km walk before the race. He clocked a time of 42 minutes 20 seconds.

There were good performances from Michelle Turner with an age group record of 56:43.

Northern AC’s Erika Kelly was back on form with sub-50 minute walk, while there was another strong 10km from Neil Wade (47:50).

Bryony Barron won the sealed handicap with Turner and Kelly taking second and third places.

Next to start was the senior 5km race which was controlled from the start by Lillee Fletcher and another junior Holly Salter.

Fletcher walked a mature race to finish with not only a personal best of 26:44, but an age-group record that had been held for 23 years by Joanne Clarke the island’s first female British international.

There were fine performances behind Fletcher from Holly Slater (28:26) and Marie Jackson (30:10) who has had a great year which included gold at the world veterans championships in Sweden.

Robbie Lambie made a rare return to racewalking and took the record for his age group from fellow Commonwealth Games athlete Allan Callow with a walk of 43:47.

The younger juniors raced over a 500m loop and put on a fine display.

Merseyside visitor Travis Carragher of the Warriors Club won from Onnee Thomas and Leo Taylor.

At 1km, Ellis Jones from Wrexham was first home ahead of Tafara Nyoni of Aldershot with Manx walker Charlie Fletcher third.

The next race was the 2km in which Manx Harriers’ Jack Davies was a clear winner from Malissa Morley of Aldershot and Ameka Eardley of Warriers.

In the 3km, Tim Perry of Northern AC was dominant, finishing more than a minute clear the impressive Spencer Jones of Wrexham. JJ Fletcher of Manx Harriers was third.

The third round of the series will take place on Sunday, December 7 once again at the NSC’s Sir Mark Cavendish Raceway.