ELLERY Cole is this week celebrating a landmark achievement by breaking two minutes for the 800m for the first time in the British Milers Club PB Classic meeting at Milton Keynes, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The Chippenham teenager may also have breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw the official time as he edged under the barrier by the narrowest margin imaginable – with 1min 59.99secs.

That momentous time carved a huge 3.57secs off Cole’s previous best set at the Bill Whistlecroft meeting in Yeovil on April 22nd and lifted him to third in the South West rankings for U17 men.

The latest result continues a fine season for Cole as the teenager, who this summer has switched from Chippenham Harriers to Team Bath AC, has also posted personal bests over 400m, 1500m and the 400m hurdles.

At the recent Wiltshire Track & Field Championships Cole won two gold medals winning the U17 men’s 800m and 400 hurdles event.

Also in action at Milton Keynes was Max Davis, of Avon Valley Runners.

Davis was also in personal best form as he clocked 8mins 50.31secs over 3000m to lift him to fourth in the South West rankings for U20 men.

“That took almost five seconds off my previous best (set last year) so I am very pleased with that,” said Davis, who finished 10th in the race.

“It was a very fast race from the start and I dropped off a bit in the middle before finishing very strongly in the last 1k.”

Davis will be back in action this weekend at the county schools’ championships and needs to run 8mins 36secs to qualify for the nationals.

“The qualifying time for the English Schools’ may be out of my reach this summer but next year I’ll be looking to get that,” added Davis.