Agency by William Gibson 
Twelve-year-old super sprinter Charlie Smith is catching his breath after a summer of success.
Not only did the Sandbach School pupil become the 800m Cheshire and Northern champion, he also smashed records at his athletics club.
Earlier in the track season, he triumphed in the 800m finals race at the Cheshire County Championships in Macclesfield, which earned him a place at the Northern Championships in Derby last month, where again he ran to victory.
His next goal is to qualify for the English Schools Championships.
Charlie, who recently started year eight at Sandbach School, also became the year seven Cheshire schools champion in the 1,500m in 2024.
He has trained with Crewe and Nantwich Athletics Club for the last three years where he is a rising star, having smashed its 800m record for his age category by two-and-a-half seconds. He also set a new 1,200m record for the club’s under-13 runners.
Proud dad Jamie said: “We don’t want to get Charlie’s hopes up too much but he’s got a lot of potential and hopefully he can qualify for the English Schools Championships. Winning the Northern Championships was a big deal.”
(Photo: Jamie Smith).
