By Kieren Bushnell

ABINGDON Amblers' future is looking bright, if the form of young star Aaron Teall is anything to go by.

The 16-year-old has been setting the local athletics scene alight this season with some outstanding displays in the 400m - in his first season running this distance.

Teall, who has just finished his GCSEs at the John Mason School in Abingdon, only took up the 400m competitively at the start of this season.

A 100m and 200m sprint specialist last year, the youngster tried a 400m race "for a laugh", but quickly discovered he was a more than capable one-lap runner.

In just four competitive races this year, Teall has won each of them - with his times improving race by race.

In fact, he has already set his sights on a sub-50 second race, which would be an outstanding achievement for someone so young.

In the Oxfordshire Schools' Championships recently, Teall stormed to victory in 50.7 seconds, adding to his fine display at the Oxfordshire Track and Field in May.

He said: "I really started doing 400m for a laugh, and I found that I really enjoyed it.

"I remember in my first race, my opponents were all ahead of me at the 200m mark, but I came back really strongly in the second half of the race to win."

Teall's decision to run 400m came after criticism about his stronger events, the 100m and 200m.

Coach Colin Mitchell, said: "Aaron was losing races in the last 30 or so metres, and it was all about him dropping his arms, but in 400m, he seems physically more suited to it, and so far he hasn't lost one."

Teall added: "I just enjoy competing, but I think I have a better chance of success in the 400m than I do in the 100 and 200m.

"My real aim over the next few weeks is to do well in the English Schools' at Don Valley."

Mitchell, who coaches for Abingdon Amblers at Tilsley Park, said he has a number of other talented youngsters coming through the ranks, but he is mindful of not over-stretching them.

He said: "I try not to stick athletes into too many events. There is a real danger of burn-out, especially at such a young age.

"We see other clubs that push their young athletes too soon, and many of them disappear from the circuit. That certainly doesn't happen at Abingdon."

Other youngsters who have greatly improved this season include Matthew Nathanielz, who has recorded 12.1 secs in the under 15 100m this season, Jonny Lodowski and Rob Waterhouse.