Maisie Mullett, from Balderton, wins gold with a personal best time in the Under-15 girls 800m at the England Indoor National Championships in Sheffield

Balderton athlete Maisie Mullett took gold at the England Indoor National Championships in Sheffield.

Mullett, 14, won the Under-15 girls 800m in a personal best time of 2min13.37sec.

Qualifying for the final after winning her heat, she hit the front of the field at the start and didn’t look back.

Her success means she is ranked No.1 in the UK with a full outdoor season ahead of her.

“Maisie hadn’t really trained for indoor but she enjoys track, so she decided to enter,” said mum Louise Munton-Mullett.

“She got through to the final and then just took it on from the front.

“It was a nice surprise when she won, especially with an indoor PB as well. She was made up.

“She loved the little England lion they get as well.

“That’s what she wanted to prove she’s got an England title.”

Mullett got the taste for running after taking part in junior parkrun, a weekly 2km event for youngsters.

“She really enjoyed that and just went from there, really,” said Louise. “She’s done quite a lot already.”

Mullett joined Newark Athletic Club, aged 10, and now competes for Wreake and Soar Valley.

The dedicated schoolgirl trains five times a week and is also a talented cross-country athlete.

She has the Inter-Counties Championships coming up in Nottingham, followed by the English Schools in West Sussex, where she will run for Lincolnshire.

“Maisie’s hoping to get an international England vest,” said mum. “You have to come in the top 10. She does set herself high targets.

“She’s a good chance but there’s lots of good girls who go to these events.

“You’ve just got to work your way through the field. If you can get a good start, you never know what might happen.

“Maisie’s very driven and works very hard in training, too. The main part is she enjoys what she’s doing.

“Because she’s gone up to Under-15s and it’s 4k cross-country, I think she prefers track now but she does cross-country because it helps her endurance through the track season.

“She’s hoping to go all the way and compete at the Olympics. That’s what she’s aiming to do.”

Mullett followed her success in Sheffield by running a 14-second PB in a one-mile race at Lee Valley.

“That’s a big personal best,” her mum added. “As she’s growing older, she’s getting stronger and I think she’s determined to push herself more.

“She believes in herself more.”