A BYRON Bay runner has cemented his status as the fastest U20s steeplechaser in the state.

Bailey Crabtree competed at the NSW Athletics Junior State Championships in Sydney at the weekend, testing his pace against the best in the state for U20 men's 3000m and 3000m steeplechase.

On the first day of the competition Bailey faced a strong field in the 3000m, and fought hard to the line to finish fourth with a new personal best of 8.49.

However, with his true pedigree in steeplechase, Bailey had to save the best to last, competing in finals for this event on Sunday.

Leading from the start, he increased the gap throughout the race, to finish 40m clear of the rest of the field, securing his title as the fastest U20 steeplechaser in NSW.

With this win, Bailey has become a double champion for the 2019-20 athletics season, as he also won the NSW all-schools event in October 2019.

Bailey is now in training for national championships in Sydney at the end of March.

He trains with Byron Bay Runners Senior Squad.

If you are interested in finding out more about our training groups (ages from 8-80 years, with weekly track, road and trail runs, and for everything from high performance to recreational to masters age runners), visit www.byronbayrunners.com for more information.