A BRITISH Masters hurdling champion fears her training facilities could be “jeopardised” by the creation of an artificial pitch in the centre of the track.

Paula Owen won gold in the women’s over-35s 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles at the British championships in Birmingham last month and jetted off to the World Championships this week.

But the Abingdon athlete is worried her training regime will be threatened by plans to create a 3G rugby and football pitch at Tilsley Park in Abingdon, now managed by Abingdon School.

Mrs Owen trains four nights a week at the sports facility, twice with Radley Athletics Club and twice with her running group.

But the 35-year-old, who gave up full-time work to pursue hurdling at Masters level, thinks when the pitch is built in the middle of the track, runners will not be able to train.

She said: “They are putting it in the centre of the athletics track which means all the throwing areas will go and because it’s for football and rugby they will want to hire it out for those.

“So when that’s happening the track cannot be used. With balls bouncing over the edge, it’s dangerous.”

Mrs Owen began hurdling at the age of 11, and has been training at Tilsley Park since the mid-1990s. She gave up full-time work when she turned 35 to concentrate on training for the Masters.

She flew out with husband Ben, 35, to the World Masters Athletics Championships in Lyon, France, last week.

Mrs Owen is worried that if the track is not available during the evening she could have to go as far as Windsor to train.

Fences were put up at the sports facility, off Dunmore Road, three weeks ago, prompting concern from athletes they would lose facilities. But work was halted for last-minute talks between Abingdon School,Vale of White Horse District Council and Sport England.

Abingdon School’s director of finance and operations, Bruno Delacave, insisted there would be no disruption to training during the work and stressed matches would not take place while the track was in use.

He said: “We will be working with all interested parties to ensure that use of the two facilities is fair and reasonable for all sports.”