JAMES Donald gave himself a Valentine’s Day treat as he smashed his personal best to finish third in the Wiltshire 10-miles road race.

Donald, who works for the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in Swindon, staged a strong finish to make the podium in a time of 56 minutes 12 seconds.

“The race went well and the time was quite a nice surprise,” said Donald.

“The last proper 10-miles race I did was in 2007 when I was just starting out, so my fastest 10 was actually my split in the Bath half marathon last year when I ran 57 minutes something so it is nice to get an official PB.

“I dropped off the pace at one stage and had drifted back behind the first woman (Jenny Spink) and I only caught her again at nine miles as I got back into my running.

“I liked the race and thought it was a good course with a few bumps in it but nothing to really slow you down.”

Donald confirmed his major target for the spring will be the Wiltshire ultra-distance race the Imber 33-miles next month, having finished fourth and second in the first two editions of the race on Salisbury Plain.

“I have decided to run the Imber rather than the Bath half and I am really looking forward to it,” added Donald, who would dearly love to make it to top spot in the grueling event.

IN CONTRAST to Donald’s satisfaction at a job well done, Swindon Harrier Ciaran Cooper will be bitterly disappointed with his performance at the England Athletics Indoor Championships, in Sheffield.

The 19-year-old, from Lower Stratton, had targeted the event as one of his goals for the winter but he ran well below par to finish last in his heat in a time of 2:00:09 which is well outside his season’s best of 1:56:65.