Endurance runners rewarded with membership opportunity to 2021 Futures Academy Academy
British Athletics has recently announced the names of athletes who have been offered membership to the Olympic Futures Academy programmes for 2021, which is supported by Nike, the Official Partner of the Futures Academy Programme.
Due to the challenging circumstances brought by the Covid-19 pandemic this year, and the impact this has had on our athletes, British Athletics has retained all athletes from the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Futures Academy Programme for the year ahead. Additional athletes have also been brought onto the programme including half marathon under 23 record holder Jake Smith (running handicap -6.5).
Jake Smith lowered the British U23 Half Marathon record in phenomenal style at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, in October. His time of 60:31 also saw him move to third on the UK all-time list behind Sir Mo Farah (handicap -7.1) and Callum Hawkins (handicap -6.9).
Other additions to the Programme include; 2020 British 1500m champion (indoors and outdoors), George Mills (handicap -6.1), Piers Copeland (handicap -6.4), Thom Keen (handicap -5.0), Khahisa Mhlanga (handicap -1.2) and Josh Lay (handicap -5.9).
Among those retained on the Programme are British 800m champion, Keely Hodgkinson (handicap -1.8) and Max Burgin (handicap -5.6), who lowered his 800m PB to 1:44.75 this season
Other breakthrough endurance runners include:
Alex Botterill (handicap -6.0), Oliver Dustin (handicap -4.4), Ben Pattison (handicap -2.4), Isabelle Boffey (handicap -1.4) and Erin Wallace (handicap -0.9).
Please click on the links for more information on the Olympic Pathway and Paralympic Pathway.