Two talented teenage athletes have spurred each other on to new records.

Parmiter’s pupil Ralph Williams, 15, and 14-year-old St Joan of Arc student Marli Jessop have been friends and club-mates ever since they met at a Lee Valley minithon five years ago.

They share the same hurdles coach, Brian Hopkins, and regularly train and compete together.

Last year Williams and Jessop broke their event club record seven times and although January is not over yet, the teenagers have both already broken their respective Dacorum and Tring club records a further three times.

In the Under-17 60m hurdles, Jessop is currently ranked sixth in the UK with her blistering 8.80 time and Williams is ranked eighth in the UK with 8.56 - their latest times raced at the London Indoor Games which was held at Lee Valley over the weekend.

The results are particularly impressive considering in their first outing of the indoor season last month at the Lee Valley Open they both qualified for the England Championships which will be held at the Sheffield Arena next month. Jessop posted a time of 8.96 with Williams clocking 8.75.

The indoor season is strong preparation for outdoor hurdling where Williams will move up to 100m hurdles with Jessop racing over 80m hurdles with both athletes’ sights firmly set on selection for English Schools representing Hertfordshire.