Witham runner Graham Hedman is getting faster and faster this season.

And the 400 metres runner’s aim is to hit top form in time for next month’s all-important Aviva World Trials and UK Championships.

Hedman, who is now based at Loughborough University, has been steadily improving with every race this summer.

The 30-year-old clocked a season’s best time of 46.48 seconds at his last meeting, the Gouden Spike event in Leiden, Netherlands.

It has been a busy time of late for the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies runner, who has also competed at meetings in Switzerland and Greece over recent weeks.

But Hedman is just happy to be injury free, after hamstring and calf problems hindered over the past two seasons.

He is pleased with his performances so far – and hopes to put all of his hard work to good use at the Trials in Birmingham, which start on July 10.

Hedman told the Gazette: “I’ve taken my time to get back into competition.

“I want to make sure that I’m ready for when I go on the track at the Trials.

“The good thing is that there are no injury niggles at all.

“Last year I had a calf injury and that meant that I over-compensated with my style.

“But I was pleased with the run I had in Holland, especially as I’d done a lot of travelling, prior to the meeting.”

Hedman is determined to run well at next month’s Trials.

His main aim is to take on some of the best runners on the planet at the World Championships, which take place in Berlin in August.

Hedman, who won silver for Great Britain at the European Championships in 2006, is the oldest of the current crop of British 400m runners.

He feels his experience will stand him in good stead for the challenge that lies ahead.

“Being more experienced has helped me to plan more for what I want to do,” said Hedman, who earlier this year travelled to Los Angeles for the second successive year for warm weather training.

“Last year I put a lot of pressure on myself but this year I’ve taken my time – you learn more every year. I’ve been around a long time now. My experience is that the younger guys don’t always come through.

“I’m the oldest guy in my group but the younger guys sometimes get injuries because they’re pushing too hard and they’re not conditioned enough.

“Last year, I just about made the final. But I know what I have to do and I won’t run silly in the first round.”

Hedman will return to the Netherlands this weekend for his next meeting, where he will compete in both the 200m and 400m.