COLCHESTER Harriers sprinter Charlie Dobson finished a memorable season on a high at the Great North City Games.

He finished an impressive second in the A string 150 metres final, despite being drawn in an outside lane.

Dobson said: "It was a good atmosphere, I didn't really feel nervous, just excited.

"The race felt a lot longer because there was no bend in the track which I am used to running plus I was more aware of the other runners because the track was so loud, as it was built up on a platform.

"I really enjoyed the whole experience, staying in the same hotel and warming up alongside the elite athletes."

Competing on the same bill as world-class athletes, Dobson was invited to attend the Great North City Games as part of a team of under-19 athletes who finished in the top-four places in the Senior 100m and 200m finals at this summer's English Schools Championships in Birmingham.

For this year’s spectacle, Great North Run/City Games founder and chair Brendan Foster was keen to invite representatives of the next generation to gain further competition experience and approached the English Schools Athletics Association to provide a team.

Many of Great Britain's best athletes competed at English Schools events on their journey to becoming international athletes.

All the English Schools athletes competed in a time trial over the unusual and rarely run 150m, to select the competitors for the A and B finals.

Dobson ran a strong heat, recording 15.89 seconds and with it a place in the A string final.

After being drawn in an outside lane, the Harriers sprinter was inches from the crowds and TV cameras.

But he maintained his composure to run a confident race to finish in a good second place, beaten once again by his English Schools rival Romell Glave, of Surrey.

A quartet of Harriers ladies competed the Southern Inter Counties U15 and U20 match at Horspath, in Oxford.

They joined athletes from 16 counties to compete in their last Track and Field outing of what has been a busy season.

After a two-hour delay due to a serious injury in the warm-up, the under-15 girls pole vault competition finally got underway.

Olivia Simon, who only received the call up a week ago and is still an under-13 athlete, represented Essex for the first time.

She did well to clear 2.40 metres in wet and blustery conditions, finishing in a creditable sixth place and gaining valuable experience.

Fellow under-15 competitor Eliza Betts took part in the long jump and was ninth on her Suffolk debut.

She achieved and a new personal best (PB) with a jump of 4.74m, showing a marked improvement in her jumping technique.

Despite an early morning start and facing stiff competition from girls who were jumping over 5m, she took it all in her considerable stride and enjoyed the high intensity competition.

The experience will prove invaluable to her continuing development.

Rebecca Jeggo, competing in her last 200m of the season, executed the race well in cold and wet conditions.

Coming off the bend in second place to the Oxfordshire athlete, she accelerated down the home straight to cheers from her Essex team-mates and took the inter counties title in a season’s best time of 24.77s to finish the season in style.

Harriers' Philippa Davenall also competed for Essex as an under-20 athlete.

She finished seventh in the shot putt with 10.02m and second in the Hammer with a throw of 50.53m, ending a long season blighted by injury.