Sean Trott achieved his target with less than a second to spare when he completed the virtual World Athletics Half-Marathon in 1hr 14min 59sec on Saturday.

Trott opted to run the race in Bermuda and submit his time to the World Athletics rather than risk flying to Gdynia, Poland, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The championships featured the top runners from around the world and was dominated by Africans, who occupied the top seven places, with Jacob Kiplimo, of Uganda, winning in 58:49.

Trott managed to achieve the 1:15 target and credits the achievement to the support given by top runners such as Chris Estwanik and Dage Minors, who accompanied him on the route.

“I was very happy with it,” he said. “We started out in pretty cool but still humid temperatures and the sun really started to come out in the last five kilometres or so.

“It had been cool enough early on, where it wasn’t too much of an issue in the end. I had Chris and Dage out there helping me and it made it very easy to settle into a pace, as they knew the pace I was hoping to run.”

Trott added: “Another surprise was they had agreed to go eight miles and then drop out, but they actually stayed with me to the finish. We all basically ran the 1:14:58 together. It was good to have the company.

“It was probably the easiest-feeling 1:14 I’ve ever run! I had a few struggles at mile ten and I think they noticed it and just wanted to support me to the finish.”

Also out there for support were Rose Anna Hoey (1:26.37), Moses Mufandaedza (1:21.19), Seamus Fearon (1:23.31) and Alex Winfield (1:35.52).

Plans were in place from as early as February for Trott to be Bermuda’s lone representative at the World Championships which were set for March 29, involving some 20,000 runners from 61 countries. However, the pandemic forced the event to be postponed with only the elite runners participating in Poland on the weekend.

“Hopefully next time I’ll be able to go to the event, and that things change in the next two years,” Trott said.

“If it comes down to doing it like this with the changing times, I would do it again. I was very excited about going and at that point it was a big disappointment to not be able to do it. ”

Overall, all those who ran locally were pleased with their times, Trott pointed out.

“Rose Anna was looking to run around 1:30, but she ran 1:26 which I believe is her second-fastest time, at least locally,” Trott said. “I know she was very happy with it.

“Moses ran his quickest time locally for the half as well, and Seamus and Alex both ran what they were looking for with their fitness, so I think everybody is happy overall.”

At the event in Poland, the top ten finishers all broke the one-hour barrier, as just 56 seconds separated first from tenth. Kibiwott Kandie, of Kenya, was second in 58:54.

Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia all had two runners in the top six.