Weekend update
This weekend, 22 year old Jake Smith won the Cheshire Elite Marathon after starting as pacemaker and going on to finish in 2:11:00. Callan Moody closed in 38 seconds behind. Samantha Harrison and Calum Johnson were impressive over the half marathon distance with 63 and 69 minutes runs. There were also great runs from Laura Muir and Dundee club-mate, Eilish McColgan as they both won in the Eugene Grand Prix over 1500m and 5000m respectively. Adelle Tracey was winning too getting the better of Jemma Reekie in a close 800m finish.
At the renamed Cheshire Elite Marathon after the original Wrexham venue was changed for Covid regulations, anticipation was high. The event was expected to be the highest quality event in the UK and so it proved with three Olympic qualifying times recorded and 28 runners running below 2:30.
Over the Marathon distance, 22 year old, Jake Smith (handicap -6.5) was due to pace to 25km at just under 2:11 pace having raced on the track four days earlier with a 3:50 1500m and an 8:25 3000m. But on Sunday he was feeling fine and the race rabbit just carried on and on to win! This 2:11:00 debut at the marathon distance was 30 seconds under the Tokyo Olympic standard. The future is looking bright for endurance running in the UK!
London based New Zealander Callan Moody (handicap -4.9) was second in 2:11:38 and Australian, Reece Edwards (handicap -3.5) set a big PB of 2:14:43 for third.
At the Pulford venue, Aoife Cooke from Ireland won the women’s race in 2:28:36. Importantly, she and the second place finisher Maor Tiyouri from Israel were inside the Olympic marathon qualification mark of 2:29:30. It was a four minute improvement on her previous PB. Ann Marie McGlynn (handicap -1.4) from Northern Ireland finished third in a new Northern Irish record of 2:29:34, but an agonising four seconds outside the Olympic qualification time. She will hope to get another opportunity before the qualification closes and when recovered.
In the supporting Cheshire Elite Half Marathon there were quality victories for Samantha Harrison (handicap -1.7) in a 69:48 PB and Calum Johnson (handicap -6.5) with an eye catching 63:45 debut.
At the USATF Grand Prix in Oregon there were victories for a trio of British women at the Oregon Relays. Laura Muir, Adelle Tracey and Eilish McColgan all claimed wins.
Muir (handicap -3.6) opened her outdoor season with a commanding performance to win by a significant margin over 1500m. Her time of 4:01.54 was nearly three seconds ahead of the American, Helen Schlachtenhaufe.
There was a battle of the Brits in the women’s 800m as Adelle Tracey (handicap -2.2) pipped Jemma Reekie (handicap -3.2) to the line. There was just 0.01 seconds in it as Tracey sealed number one spot in 2:03.25.
McColgan produced a dominant display to win the 5000m by a margin ahead of the American, Abbey Cooper, and fellow Brit, Amy-Eloise Markovc (handicap -2.3). McColgan (handicap -3.4) won in 14:52.44 while European Indoors 3000m champion, Markovc, posted a time of 15:17.13.
Euan Makepeace (handicap -5.7) had an impressive run over 5000m with 13:30.55 and Jonathan Shields (handicap -4.8) was the best of the UK men over 1500m with a 3:44.24 PB.
At the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Adam Fogg (handicap -5.9) impressed with a 3:38.79 1500m run as did Aimee Pratt (handicap -1.2) who was second in the women’s 3000m steeplechase. Lizzie Bird ran 9:38.25 with Eilish Flanagan (9:52.70) and Elise Thorner 9:52.90.
UK runbritain rankings for endurance events and age groups
Other results from the weekend are on the following links: