Greenock sprinter gears up for British title tilt with lifetime best 400m finish
Sprinter Simon Okiti recorded a time of 49.27 seconds as he triumphed in the 400-metre race at the Scottish National Athletics League's latest meeting in Grangemouth – stepping up his preparations for the UK Under-23 Championships later this summer.
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It was the latest eye-catching performance in an impressive season for the young runner, who began his season by winning gold and two silvers at the Scottish Students Sport University Track and Field Championships in Aberdeen in April.
Simon Okiti's impressive 2025 performances continued with a lifetime's best time over 400 metres in Grangemouth on Sunday. (Image: Supplied) This time around, in reasonably calm conditions (at least for Scotland), Simon took part in two races, contesting the 100m and 400m distances.
In the 100m, Simon's first race of the day, he started slightly behind his rivals, but an injection of pace mid-race saw him pull through the field to create a blanket finish alongside his competitors.
A photo was required to confirm Simon's third place finish, though in another season's best time.
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In the longer 400m sprint later in the day, Simon's natural speed provided him with a real advantage as he quickly pulled in the stagger of the athletes on his outside approaching the back straight.
Simon Okiti recorded a lifetime's best time of 49.27 seconds in the 400m race at Grangemouth on Sunday. (Image: Greenock Glenpark Harriers) Already with a lead as he powered through the 200m mark, Simon dug deep into his reserves to take the final bend and the home straight, holding his form to cross the line in a lifetime's best.
His impressive Grangemouth display came just a week after Simon represented the Glasgow Jaguars in the UK Athletic League's Premier Division in Eton, in which he'd recorded his previous season's best over 100m – a performance which earned him the task of anchoring the club's 4x100m relay squad later in the same event.
Next up on Simon's busy 2025 schedule is a trip to Cardiff for the British U23 Athletics Championships, taking place at the Cardiff International Sports Campus on June 28 and 29.
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The Cardiff event also serves as the trials for the European U23 Championships, which are being held in Bergen in Norway from July 17-20.
Simon is also aiming to build on an impressive 2024 campaign which saw him catch the eye in the UK National Athletic League and the Scottish National Senior Track and Field Championships, underlining his status as Inverclyde's fastest athlete.
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