Top class women's 3000m field set for Sainsbury's Indoor British Championships

The women’s 3000m is set to be one of the events of the weekend at the Sainsbury’s Indoor British Championships, which take place on 14-15 February.

With the prestigious honour of being crowned British champion and the added incentive of selection for the European Indoor Championships in Prague at stake, many of Great Britain & Northern Ireland’s top female distance athletes will line up at the Sheffield’s EIS.

2011 IAAF World Championships 1500m silver medallist Hannah England (handicap -0.8) will step up to the longer distance of 3000m where she will face the top two from last year’s Sainsbury’s Indoor British Championships; Charlene Thomas (handicap 2.3), who took gold in 2014 with 9:05.93, and Josephine Moultrie (handicap 0.2), who was runner-up with 9:09.02.

Another of the pre-race favourites is likely to be 21 year old Emelia Gorecka (handicap -1.2). The two-time European Cross Country champion is unbeaten in 2015 following an impressive win at the Great Edinburgh XCountry and last week’s BUCS Championships. She has a personal best of 8:55.11 and will have the European Indoor Championships qualifying time of 9:00.00 in her sights. Emelia currently has the highest position of the field on the National Ladder. She is in 3rd and will be looking to move closer to the top.

Former world junior 800m silver medallist Jessica Judd (handicap -0.6) will also move up in distance to compete in the event in which she won a bronze medal in 2013. The 20 year old has been in good form already during 2015, winning the 1500m for GB & NI at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow International Match in January, and will be looking to improve on her personal best of 9:00.06 set in 2013. Jess is in 14th on the ladder.

2008 world junior 1500m champion Stephanie Twell (handicap -1.1) is another in-form athlete having finished seventh at the European Cross Country Championships in December and fourth in the European Clubs Cross Country Championships last weekend, she will be hoping to convert her cross country form onto the indoor track and to move her ladder position up from 6th.

The handicap scoring system rewards runners for performances and also for regular racing and so, currently, the runners who have done a cross country season are higher up than those who haven't. Hannah England is currently in 9th position but this will be her first outing since September and so we expect to see her position jump, at least a few rungs.

It has also been confirmed that Vinco Sport will stream both days of the Sainsbury’s British Championships live, the stream will be available at http://www.vincosport.com.

To view a full list of competitors for the Sainsbury’s Indoor British Championships please visit http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/british-athletics-series/sainsburys-indoor-british-champs/athlete-information/

A limited number of tickets for the Sainsbury’s Indoor British Championships are available, please visit britishathletics.org.uk. Sainsbury’s is proud to be a long-term supporter of British Athletics and a champion of inclusive sport for all, from grassroots to elite level.