Weekend update
There were many great performances both home and abroad. Lizzie Bird went to number two on the all time list over 3000m steeplechase and also bagged an Olympic qualifier. Alex Bell won her 800m in the Belfast Irish Milers Meet to set the stadium alight with her 1:58 800m performance. Daniel Rowden did likewise in Doha.
At the Doha Diamond League, Daniel Rowden (handicap -6.8) achieved the Olympic standard in the 800m with 1:44.60,
At the Portland Track Festival, in the USA,Lizzie Bird (handicap -0.8) moved to second on the UK all-time list in the women’s 3000m steeplechase and went inside the Olympic qualifying standard with a time of 9:26.73. Charlie Da’Vall Grice (handicap -6.7) and Jake Heyward (handicap -5.9) both clocked Tokyo qualifying times in the men’s 1500m. Grice set a time of 3:33.81 for second in the race, while Heyward broke the 31-year-old Welsh record with a time of 3:33.91. In the women’s 1500m, European indoor silver medallist, Holly Archer (handicap -1.5), ran a PB with a time of 4:07.20.
At the Platinum PT Qualifier in Boston, USA, European Indoor champion Amy-Eloise Markovc (handicap -2.4) ran inside the Olympic qualifying standard for the 5000m with a time of 15:05.96.
After missing the 10,000m time by 0.91 seconds recently, this was an excellent response and sets her up well for next week’s European 10,000m Cup.
At the Irish Milers Meet, in Belfast, on one of the best Mondo tracks in the UK, Alex Bell (handicap -2.3) ran an Olympic qualifying standard in the women’s 800m. Alex ran a superb race to post a time of 1:58.52, which was a lifetime best. It is only the third time she has dipped under two minutes and her first time under the 1:59 barrier. Georgie Hartigan (handicap -1.5) ran a PB in second place with 2:00.18
At the BMC Grand Prix in Manchester, Oliver Dustin (handicap -4.9) produced one of the races of his career as the European U20 champion won the men’s 800m in a time of 1:45.71 which was a personal best. Dustin finished ahead of Commonwealth medallist Kyle Langford (handicap -6.4) who clocked a time of 1:46.32.
Jess Judd (handicap -2.7) warmed-up for next week’s Muller British Athletics 10,000m Championships and European 10,000m Cup with a win in the women’s 1500m in a time of 4:07.92. Lucy Robinson (handicap 1.0) ran a PB for second with a time of 4:17.52 and Gemma Kersey (handicap -0.8) was third with 4:17.67
In the men’s 1500 it was a PB-fest with the top five setting their best times. Max Wharton (handicap -5.6) took the win in 3:39.68 ahead of Remi Adebiyi (handicap -4.6) in 3:40.36 and Kane Elliott (handicap -4.4) in 3:40.65.
In the 5000m, Hugo Milner (handicap -2.5)was the winner in a PB of 13:52.63 ahead of Eoin Everard’s (handicap -3.3)13:58.47. Stephie Pennycook (handicap -0.1) ran a PB with 16:11.10 ahead of Lauren McNeil’s (handicap 0.4) 16:29.15 and Sally Ratcliffe’s (handicap 1.2)16:33.78.
At the NCAA East Preliminaries in Jacksonville, America, Finley Mclear (handicap-6.1) continued with his purple patch of performances when he won the 800m in 1:46.87. Katy-Ann McDonald (handicap -0.9) recorded a career best in the women’s 800m, her time 2:01.67 for second place.
For news of GB&NI’s bronze medal at the European Athletics Team Championships Super League see day one report / day two report.
UK runbritain rankings for endurance events and age groups
Other results from the weekend are on the following links: