Commonwealth Games hopeful Sarah Astin made an excellent start to her season with an unexpected race opportunity in Newport, South Wales.

Raised in Onchan, the London-based Manx woman missed the entire cross-country season because of wholesale race cancellations.

But she received a late invitation from Welsh Athletics to contest a 10,000-metre track race in the Elite Winter 10km meeting the Saturday before last.

She received elite exemption, allowing her to travel for the day and race, but that was only finalised three days before the event.

There was a small but high-quality field of international athletes in the women’s race and, after running with the pack for the opening five laps, Sarah wisely let them go as the tempo was a little above her target pace.

After a strong and consistent run she crossed the finish line in a time of 34 minutes 25.35 seconds, which if ratified takes 37 seconds off the Isle of Man 10km track record set by Brenda Walker in 1989.

Rachael Franklin holds the road equivalent with 33m 24s, set at Ribble Valley in December 2019.

Sarah has already achieved the Commonwealth Games consideration time for the 5,000 metres, and her time in her first track 10,000 metres finish is only 55 seconds away from a consideration standard in that event also. She is well capable of achieving that goal to add a potential second string to her bow.

Sarah said afterwards: ’The race was pretty brutal. The other girls were aiming for Wales’s Commonwealth Games standard which is 32m 30s.

’I know I’m in good shape, but not quite that shape, so I went off with them. Five laps in I knew that if I continued at that pace I would not finish, and my main aim was to get round the 25 laps so next time won’t be my first.

’So it was a very lonely 20 laps, and I just switched off a bit too much I think. The time was OK but not what I know I’m capable of.

’I am unable to use the track at St Mary’s University at the moment because of restrictions, so I’ve only been able to get onto other tracks twice, and they were really muddy. It wasn’t ideal preparation, but I’m so grateful to have been able to finally race.’