Handicap scoring upgrades to include all distances up from 800m

Were you one of the 1970 finishers in the Bupa Westminster Mile event on Sunday? If so, you will be pleased to know that your results has been added to your handicap score!

Prior to this weekend, the handicap scoring system included all results from 3000m upwards but this has been extended to include all distances that are truly endurance, that is, 800m upwards.

First to cross the line, in the inaugral Bupa Westminster Mile, by winning the first of 22 waves was Jordan Wildrianne, who races predominantly in shorter distances and, more often than not, in races one mile and less. His handicap score dropped from MINUS 1.7 to MINUS 1.9 as a result of stopping the clock for the mile at 4:23.

The event comprised of ten mass-entry races for adults, three for families and children, and 12 British Athletics championship events for the country’s best athletes in all age groups from under-11s to seniors. Charlie Grice and Hannah England were crowned British Athletics senior road mile champions and both reduced their handicap scores as a result of their tremendous performances. Charlie went from MINUS 4.6 to MINUS 5.0 putting him 11th on the men's national ladder and Hannah went from MINUS 0.5 to MINUS 0.7 putting her 15th on the women's national ladder. Both Charlie and Hannah are middle distance specialists and so their performances for their specialist events, from the beginning of 2010, have now been uploaded making it possible for them to compete against their long distance counterpoints in the race to be top of the ladder!

Summer is the time for speed work so why not target some shorter, faster races; discover your fast twitch fibres and watch your handicap score fall!