Hannah England admitted to being gutted after having to settle for second place in the Aviva International Match at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow on Saturday, writes STUART WEIR.

Representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the 24-year-old Oxford City athlete ran in the middle of a bunched field in the 1500m against runners from USA, Germany, Russia and the Commonwealth before taking the lead with 600 metres to go. And she held on until the last few metres when Germany’s Denise Krebs passed her.

The winner’s time of 4mins 25.09secs – with England recording 4.25.11 – was more than 20 seconds slower than the UK record.

Russia’s Irina Maracheva was third with Britain’s Charlene Thomas, running for the Commonwealth, finished fourth.

England said: “Today was a lot of fun, but I was gutted not to win. “I felt I had the talent to win, but you never know what is going to happen in races.

“I had a race plan and I didn’t intend to go that early, but I had to because that’s how the race was going. I was pleased with how I responded to what the other girls were doing. “I found myself too far back and had to get past the girls and then try to hold them off, which is perhaps a bit outside my comfort zone. “That is not how I usually race. I usually hang back a bit, so it was good to try something different, being at the front trying to hold on.”

Having just returned from altitude training in Kenya, England felt that she lacked sharpness, having not done any speed work as yet.

She also commented that it seemed a long time since she had run a race.

England will run the other two races in the Aviva Indoor series, but is not looking for selection for the World Indoor Championships in March, opting instead to train for the summer.

“Next for me is the 3000m at the Aviva UK Indoor Trials and Championships in two weeks in Sheffield, so it’s going to be fun to get some good track work in before that, as well as a 1500m at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham on February 18.

“I’m looking to be as fast and sharp as possible for them.”