Sarah Waldron (1289) returned to the track after a 12-month absence

Herefordshire athlete Sarah Waldron hopes her return to the track will mark an upturn in her fortunes after recording a new personal best.

Recent injuries have frustrated the Puddleston distance runner but she admitted her first race back, in Manchester, could not have gone better.

"I was pleased as I ran my first 5,000 metres on the track for 12 months," she told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"I came out with a new personal best time of 16.25 so I was really happy."

Waldron is still targeting a place in either the 2012 or 2016 Olympic Games but she knows she is facing a long road back from the niggling injuries that have frustrated her over the past 12 months.

"It's always a bit nerve-wracking when you haven't run on the track for a while but my coach gave me an aim," she said.

"I had that in the back of my mind although I went off fairly cautiously in the race and then sort of picked people off towards the end.

"But I was so surprised to run a time that ranks me 11th in the UK senior rankings this year," she added.

Waldron is well aware that after missing much of the past year due to her injuries, time is running out if she is to make the Great Britain squad for the London Games.

"London 2012 is still a goal and I don't think anyone can say it is unachievable as I do believe even the impossible can happen," she said.

"I am very much of the view that it is open to anyone and I am just going to give my best over the next few years to get there.

"If I don't succeed in getting to 2012 then I want to get to 2016 and I am going to keep trying until I get to an Olympic Games."

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