Prestigious Silver medal for Steve Gardner at European Masters Champs - plus a new PB and a new Welsh track record!

*Steve Gardner is pictured (*above left) on the podium at the European Masters event.

Prestigious Silver medal for Steve Gardner at European Masters Champs...plus a new PB and a new Welsh track record!

Report by Don Hale. 

donhaleblog.blogspot.com/2025

 

Welsh Master Steve Gardner came home with a prestigious silver medal after competing in the European Masters Athletics Championships in Madeira last week and said that competing successfully at this level had been like a dream come true.

The North Wales Road Runner was representing Great Britain once again in the 2000m steeplechase event, and he finished second following a highly competitive encounter against some of the world’s top track athletes, yet he recorded a great new PB and claimed a new Welsh Masters record!

Veteran Steve was one of 4,200 masters athletes from 33 European countries at this top Euro Masters track championship event, and he praised his North Wales endurance coach John Mussum for his help in reaching such a high standard this season following previous recent experiences on the track in other steeplechase championships races, and with wearing the GB vest.

Steve (*pictured right) confirmed: “The championships were staged between 9th to 19th October, with my race held on 11th October. After winning the British Championships V60 2000m steeplechase a few weeks ago in a new Welsh V60 record, I was hoping that my form would hold for the European Masters champs, which had been my goal for this season.

“Angel Lebrero Suarez (Spain) set off at a blistering pace followed by Peter Mijsberg (Netherlands) several metres behind, and then myself and Alexe Lulica (Roumania), several metres further back.

“I tried to hang on for as long as possible, maintaining 3rd place for most of the race, as Angel Suarez started to tire towards the latter stages of the race, and Peter Misjberg took the lead and I moved into 2nd place, but was unable to close in on the leader. 

“Peter won in a time of 7.15.01, with me 2nd in 7.17.09 (and a new PB by 20 seconds), with Angel 3rd in 7.18.83. I suspect my time will be ratified as a new Welsh Masters record, and it may be the 3rd fastest all-time performance by a UK V60. 

“With the help of John Messum – my North Wales Endurance Coach, we have focused my training this season to try to run as close as possible to 7 mins 20 secs at the European Masters Championships, which has worked out perfectly. 

“This has probably been the most successful season of my life, on top of winning the V60 Welsh Sprint Duathlon Championships in April, I now hold 4 Welsh V60 track records at the following distances - 800m, 1000m, 1500m steeplechase and 2000m steeplechase.

“It really has been a dream come true, I'm over the moon, and the stadium in Madeira was great and located in a fantastic setting.”