At the age of 18, Brandon Martin joined the SWEAT team on the 9th of January this year and has since improved his times by considerable amounts.
On the 23rd January, Brandon Martin headed to the NSW Country Athletics Championships, where he competed in the U20’s 3000m steeplechase running a time of 10:36 with a brilliant front running performance, placing 1st. Brandon then backed up later that day to compete in the U20’s 1500m event, where again he proved his strength by leading and winning the race in a time of 4:21.
The next race for Brandon was the U20’s 3000m Steeplechase at the NSW Junior Championship on the 6th of February. He paced himself well in the endurance based event and managed to place 2nd with a PB of 10:06. This performance qualified Brandon for the Australian Juniors to be held at Perth.
Brandon then raced on the 26th of February at the NSW Opens Athletics in the 1500m. Again improving on another time, with a PB of 4:09 in the event.
The race that Brandon Martin had set his sights on for many years had come. It was the Australian Junior Athletic Championships. Martins U20’s 3000m Steeplechase was on the 9th of March on a warm Perth night. Martin had finished 11th in a massive PB of 9:54. However, after a stack over the last water jump, it was deemed he had placed a foot outside the cones, and was later disqualified.
Cross Country season had started off on the 26th of June with the NSW Cross Country Championships held at Nowra’s notorious Willandra course. Brandon raced in the U20’s 8000m event where he placed 6th NSW person in a time of 27:52.
After recent performances confidence was building for Martin and so at the NSW All Schools 18 year’s event on the 22nd of July in the 8000m event. Brandon had a tremendous race placing 4th overall and 2nd in the CHS category with a time of 28:28. This race was enough to qualify Brandon for the U20’s Australian Cross Country to be held at Stromlo in ACT.