ALISON Leonard says she can’t wait to feel the breeze again after she brought the curtain down on her indoor season at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old has had a solid spell on the indoor tracks of late after taking silver in the 1,500m at last weekend’s British Championships.

MORE TOP STORIES:

It was a different story in Birmingham however as she competed in the women’s one mile and went up against a tough field that included rising Ethiopian star Axumawit Embaye.

In the end Leonard finished in ninth and clocked a personal best time at the distance after crossing the line in 4:38.37 – a result she says she was happy with.

“It was a weird race. It was a mile race but I was trying to aim for the 1,500m split, and I think I just missed it. I got a bit confused with how long I had to go to be honest,” said Leonard.

“It was going OK, I was running well, I was maybe a little bit off the pace I wanted so I had to try and pick it up at the end and I am not sure I managed it.

“It was a really good race, there were people around all the time, so it was very competitive.

“I am pretty pleased with the day but it is certainly something to build on moving forward in the year.”

While she might have finished with a 1,500m silver at the national championships, Leonard says she is excited to get back to 800m running.

“I am really pleased with the season so far, I have been running a little bit faster than last year, so I am progressing. Indoor has always been a marker, so it is more about seeing where I am, and that is going well this season,” she added.

“I normally run 800, but 1,500m helps with training your stamina, so I think it has helped this year. Now I will go away, get training again pre-pare for the outdoor 800m.”

n Sainsbury’s is a proud partner of British Athletics. The partnership reflects Sainsbury’s wider commitment to inspiring healthy lifestyles for all, and complements grassroots campaigns such as Active Kids and the Sainsbury’s School Games