Weekend update
The weekend saw many outstanding performances from UK athletes around the world. Oliver Dustin was on fire in Nice with a 1:43.82 perfromance and at Eugene, Oregon, in the USA, Patrick Dever and Charles Hicks gave mouth watering performances over both 5000 and 10,000m in the NCAA Division 1 Championships.
At the Meeting International de Nice in France, Oliver Dustin (handicap -5.5) moved to sixth on the UK all-time list and to the top of the 2021 world list in the men’s 800m as he ran a phenomenal time of 1:43.82 for victory.
The 2019 European U20 champion produced an outstanding kick in the final 120 metres as he moved from third to a convincing winner and ran the Olympic qualifying standard in the process. The British Athletics Futures Academyathlete moves ahead of Martin Steele on the British all-time list.
In the same race, Elliot Giles (handicap -7.1) was third in 1:45.05 and Jake Heyward (handicap -6.4) was ninth in a PB of 1:47.25.
There was another PB for Revee Walcott-Nolan (handicap -1.7) as she was second in the women’s 1500m in a time of 4:06.28.
Elsewhere, in the men’s 5000m, Jonny Davies (handicap -6.3) improved his career best over the distance as he crossed the line in 13:21.56, whilst Mark Pearce (handicap -5.5) ran his quickest 3000m steeplechase in 8:25.43.
Eilish McColgan (handicap -3.4) ran inside the 5000m Olympic qualifying standard with a time of 14:55.79, her third Tokyo mark over a third different distance inside seven days.
At the NCAA Division 1 Championships in Eugene, USA, Patrick Dever (handicap -6.8) produced a sublime display of distance running as he claimed the NCAA 10,000m title in a fantastic time of 27:41.87. The Preston athlete surged away from his opponents in the final few metres to take the title for the first time.
Charles Hicks (handicap -6.8) was seventh in a time of 27:47.63 which was a European and British record for 19 and under.
Both athletes returned for the 5000m two days later and ran PBs; Dever was sixth in 13:19.85 while Hicks was 15th in 13:33.89.
In the men’s 800m, Finley Mclear (handicap -6.2) was fourth in a lifetime best of 1:45.80 while Yusuf Bizimana (handicap -6.0) was seventh in 1:46.76.
At the BMC Grand Prix in Watford, Erin Wallace (handicap -1.3) posted a PB in the women’s 1500m as she pipped Holly Archer (handicap -1.6) and Jess Judd (handicap -2.7) to victory in a time of 4:08.10. Archer was second in 4:09.13 and Judd, a week after her Tokyo qualifying performance over 10,000m, posted 4:12.29.
Andrew Butchart (handicap -7.0) posted an all-time BMC record over 3000m, with a time of 7:43.57.
Over in Finland at the Motonet GP, Josh Lay (handicap -6.0) was triumphant in the men’s 800m in a PB of 1:45.99.
At the Florence Diamond League in Italy,Laura Muir (handicap -3.6) was third in the women’s 1500m in 3:55.59, the second quickest time of her career.
In Marseille at the Meeting Pro Athlé Tour, Elliot Giles (handicap -7.1), Piers Copeland (handicap -6.4) and Jake Heyward (handicap -6.4) all ducked inside the Olympic qualifying standard in the men’s 1500m as they finished in the top seven. Giles was third and the first Briton in a PB of 3:33.80, while Copeland was sixth in 3:34.62 and Heyward seventh in 3:34.63. George Mills (handicap -6.2) also ran a PB of 3:36.31.
There was also a victory for Jemma Reekie (handicap -3.2) in the 800m with 1:58.41.
The Dublin AAI Games saw many Northern Ireland based runners making strong marks with the highlights being Roisin Flanagan (handicap -0.9) with a solo 3000m victory in 9:06.67 and Eilish Flanagan (handicap -0.8) winning the 2000m steeplechase in 6:13.50