A long-distance runner made a winning start when she took part in a fitness event - and now has her sights set on breaking a world record.

Imogen Amos competed in her maiden HYROX competition at Olympia Events in London last month, earning a first-placed finish in the 16-24 age category and qualified for this month’s World Championships in Nice, France.

But after winning in her class and coming fourth in the Open ladies’ category, timing 1hr04min21sec - already not far off the world record - Amos from Wye, near Ashford, has decided to give the Worlds a miss with a different goal in mind.

The World Championships are held in the “Pro” category, designed for experienced racers, and Amos explained: “I want to have time to train properly for that, so I can smash it.

“I kind of have another goal in mind of doing an Open later in the year but attempting to break the world record for my age group.

“I’m about three minutes off - this girl (Lucy Procter) has been doing it for two years - so I feel like, if I work on a few things, I could get that world record.

“Then, hopefully, I can do a Pro doubles with someone else and get used to the weight. Next year, I can do the World Championships if I qualify again.

“I just feel like, after the London race (and before the World Championships), there’s not enough time between the two for new people that are getting into it.”

In Amos’ debut HYROX competition, 1k runs were interspersed with ski ergs, sled pushes, sled pulls, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmer’s carries, sandbag lunges and wall ball workouts, testing strength, as well as fitness.

Explaining how she first got interested in the fitness competitions, Tonbridge AC athlete Amos said: “I’m originally a long-distance runner.

"I have trained with Tonbridge AC and in Canterbury with a group. I saw it (HYROX) somewhere and everyone seems to be getting into it.

“For me, it’s a mix of both - the gym and running. I just love the combination.

"I always love the gym and I just feel that running can burn you out a lot - if you do a lot of it.”

Amos works at The Hub - a coffee shop in Wye - but travels to Rochester to train with Matthew Grimshaw at SISU Fitness on the Medway City Estate.

“For me, it’s so worth it,” the 22-year-old said on the travelling.

“I get to go to a proper gym, where everyone has the same mentality. Getting to train with those types of people is definitely better for me.

"I would rather train with other people than on my own, so I just need to get the travelling done, really.”

Amos also spoke of the “inspiring and motivating” atmosphere at her first HYROX competition.

She said: “When I walked in there, I thought ‘Wow, this is awesome! This is so cool’.

“The spectators are all upstairs, around the perimeter, all looking down at the equipment laid out.

“You have so much support for everyone. There’s music going really loud.

"It’s, basically, like one big gym workout but in a race.”

Amos had been fairly open-minded on how she would do in London but admitted she did want to finish on the podium.

She said: “I feel like people underestimate me.

“They look at me and think ‘Oh, you’re a runner - you won’t be able to lift those weights’.

“But I’ve always gone to the gym and trained quite hard.

“I wasn’t expecting too much but I did kind of want to get on to the podium because it was 60% running.

“With my strong background of doing half-marathons, I felt that I should be able to do decently.

"But I wasn’t expecting to win.”