CHRISTIAN von Eitzen overcame illness to win a silver medal in the U20 800m at the German Youth Championships.

The 18-year-old, from Abingdon, was advised not to run at the championships in Jena due to a common cold, but decided to battle on.

Von Eitzen, who was born in Germany, advanced to the final by winning his heat in 1min 51.75secs.

In the final, the Abingdon School pupil, running for German club LC Rehlingen, bettered that time to cross in 1.50.43 – 1.26secs behind winner Marc Reuther.

Von Eitzen, who was a semi-finalist at last month’s European Junior Championships in Sweden, said: “I was happy to even be able to run.

“It would have been hard to win even if I had been fully fit and healthy.

“To come away with second is good for me and the form book.”

The success came a week after von Eitzen won gold in the U20 3x1500m at the Junior Relay Championships in Nuremberg.

  • OXFORD City AC’s David Bruce leads the way ahead of the fourth round of the Motavation Series at Combe, near Witney, tonight (7.30).

Bruce heads the senior men standings with two points, after winning the Charlton-on-Otmoor and Bletchingdon rounds.

Kieran White (Wimbledon Hercules) and Les Newell (Oxford City) round out the top three with four and five points respectively.

Woodstock Harriers’ Jessica Webb holds a two-point lead over Rebecca Campbell, of Headington Road Runners, in the senior ladies.

In the team competitions, defending champions Oxford City A and Headington A lead the way in the men’s and women’s respectively.

RESULTS MOTAVATION RACE SERIES

Individual (best two results out of three races) – Men – Senior: 1 D Bruce (Oxf) 2pts, 2 K White (Her) 4, 3 L Newell (Oxf) 5. U19: 1 C Richardson (Ayl) 2, 2 M Ray (Eyn) 4, 3= J Rhodes (Wit), T Gould (Bic) 7. Vet 40: 1= P Fernandez (Abn), J Bolton (Wds) 3, 2 J Richardson (Oxf) 4, 3 P Jegou (Whh) 7. Vet 50: 1 R Storey (Eyn) 2, 2= A Phelps (Hed), I Thomas (Che) 4, 3 M Lewy (Abn) 7. Vet 60: 1 P Gregory (Ayl) 2, 2 R Grant (Oxf) 3, 3 R Treadwell (Oxf) 5. Vet 70: 1 M Collins (Kid) 2, 2 N Lambert (Alc) 3, 3 J Abrams (Wit) 6. Team: 1 Oxford City A 242, 2 Headington RR A 457, 3 Vale of Aylesbury A 570.

Women – Senior: 1 J Webb (Wds) 2, 2 R Campbell (Hed) 4, 3 H Hale (Eyn) 5. U19: 1 H Greenwood (Kid) 2, 2 F Bunn (Abn) 3, 3 C Ridewood (Abn) 6. Vet 35: 1 S Carter (Bel) 2= L Barker (Hed), D Moore (Hed) 4, 3 S Rendell (Alc) 6. Vet 45: 1 A Hirst (Una) 2= M Bartlett (Ban), S Rees (HkN) 5, 3 C Kerr (Alc) 8. Vet 55: 1= G Hueter (Oxf), J Pinnock (Eyn) 3, 2 K Shaw (Che) 6, 3 S Douglas (Abn) 8. Team: 1 Headington RR A 42, 2 Alchester A 101, 3= Abingdon A, Headington RR B 150.

OTHER RESULTS

(all Abingdon AC)

WATFORD OPEN GRADED MEETING 1500m – Race 6: 1 A Ede (U15B) 4.55.65pb.

ABINGDON PARKRUN

2 P Fernandez (V40) 17.15, 7 M Lewy (V50) 18.55, 14 A Pennington (JM11-14) 20.16, 17 T Clarke (V45) 20.41, 25 J Oliver (V55) 21.16, 26 M Shepley (V50) 21.18, 58 G Pennington (JW15-17) 24.17, 59 J Pennington (LV45) 24.28, 68 G Lean 24.44, 74 E Woosey-Griffin (LV40) 25.25, 77 I Berry (JM10) 25.27pb, 84 C Penton (V50) 25.47, 85 E Twinn (JW11-14) 25.48pb, 96 P Wilson (LV55) 26.25, 109 S Walter (LV55) 27.13, 110 S Fabes (V55) 27.18, 113 C Onions (LV55) 27.30, 121 M Peace (JM10) 28.06pb, 126 A Moger (LV55) 28.19, 129 D Hunter (V50) 28.25, 143 K Lean (LV40,) 29.19, 145 O French (SW) 29.20, 157 N Titcombe (LV35) 30.03pb, 163 L Wilson (SW) 30.45, 167 L Hamilton (LV55) 31.07, 171 S Pomeroy (V50) 31.11, 172 B Evans (V65) 31.13, 180 J Worth (LV40) 31.52, 184 N-J Steinke (SW) 32.09, 185 S Trickey (SW) 32.11, 191 P Goddard 32.21, 195 L Astbury (LV45) 33.03, 229 H Bower (LV35) 36.29, 235 S Twinn (LV40) 37.44, 239 D Heller (LV70) 39.01, 240 E Heller (V75) 39.01, 246 B Compton (LV40) 40.39, 256 C Hutchings (SW) 47.18, 258 M Coates (LV45) 48.21.