Weekend update of racing records and outstanding UK performances
After the outstanding spectacle of the Diamond League from Monaco where Jake Wightman rose to number two on the runbritain all time rankings for 1500m ahead of the icons that are Coe, Cram and Ovett. Laura Muir ran the fastest ever 1000m by a UK woman and Laura Weightman moved to Number two on the runbritain all time rankings over 3000m. It was a wonderful night for British athletes with six setting personal bests at the Monaco Diamond League. Elsewhere there was a UK record for Lizzie Bird in the steeplechase and some tremendous junior performances.
European champion Laura Muir set a new British record and fellow world finalists Jake Wightman and Laura Weightman both impressively moved to second on the all-time UK lists on a fine night for British athletes with many personal bests at the Monaco Diamond League.
Laura Muir (handicap -2.2) fought back in a British battle with training partner Jemma Reekie (handicap -2.8) in the 1000m in Monaco, charging down the home straight to post 2:30.82 for second with both athletes bettering Dame Kelly Holmes’ previous mark. A fast finishing Ciara Mageean (handicap -2.0), from Northern Ireland, just pipped Jemma for third and took three seconds off Sonia O'Sullivan's Irish record with a time of 2:31.06. Jemma's time was 2:31.11.
Muir said: “It was so great to be back. I’ve raced once already, but it was a very small meet, so to come here to race in such a great field and the crowd’s response has been really, really nice.
“Jemma Reekie and I were working really hard out of lockdown and pushing one another really hard, so even though we didn’t have many competitions, we were still motivated to push each other on and run well and you’ve seen that in these last couple of races we’ve been running really well.
“Racing that time gives me a lot of confidence going into an Olympic year. To do that in my second run, to run a British record I’m really, really pleased with it and it’s just great to be back racing and am just excited for next year.”
Jake Wightman (handicap -6.2) stormed past British legends Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram in the 1500m rankings as he clocked 3:29.47 for third in a blistering 1500m, rising to second on the runbritain all-time UK rankings (behind Mo Farah), with a personal best of more than two seconds.
After three personal bests from his British teammates up to that point, the fourth from Wightman was arguably the most impressive as his blistering run in the 1500m pushed him from seventh on the all-time UK list to second.
Despite an extremely fast start thanks to the pacemakers, Wightman look cool and controlled all the way round and charged home to clock 3:29.47 for third in the race but leapfrogging the likes of Coe, Ovett and Cram in the British rankings.
Laura Weightman (handicap -1.8) took it to her rivals in the 5000m, digging deep and hanging in there with a fine race to overtake Jo Pavey in the runbritain all time rankings.to put her second behind Paula Radcliffe.
It was clearly going to be one of those nights as Weightman was the third British athlete in succession to hit career best heights.
After a fairly slow start, Weightman took to the front to push the pace on with six laps to go and was part of a breakaway four. The pace did increase though and Weightman’s chances of a top-three finish were boosted when double world champion Sifan Hassan stepped aside after 4000m.
Hellen Obiri and Letesenbet Gidey then pulled away from Weightman – the former winning in a world lead 14:22.12 – however the Brit stuck to her guns and hung in there to take almost ten seconds off her personal best.
Weightman clocked 14:35.44 for third, starting 2020 as she ended 2019 at the World Championships with a personal best and moving into second on the all-time UK list.
Meanwhile Kyle Langford (handicap -4.6) recorded 1:44.83 in the 800m. With American world champion Donavan Brazier leading the way, Kyle ran his own race and relied on his trademark kick down the home straight to clock a new personal best 1:44.83, taking 0.14 off, for fifth overall.
Meeting EACPA Open, Pontoise, France, 15 August
Lizzie Bird (handicap 0.4) smashed the British 2000m steeplechase best with a 6:11.79 performance in France, taking almost 10-seconds off the previous best time set in 2017.
Lennie Waite’s 6:21.31 was obliterated by Bird as she took on the distance for the first time in her career and built on a near two-second personal best over 1500m earlier in the week, having clocked 4:14.6 in Stretford. British compatriot Aimee Pratt (handicap 1.0) was also inside the previous British record with 6:18.48.
Puma Jump’n’Run, Dortmund, Germany
Over 1500m, the ever-improving Joshua Lay (handicap -5.3) shaved more than half a second off his personal best winning a 1500m race in 3:38.18, with Adam Clarke (handicap -5.7) running 3:40.53.
Over 5000m, Sol Sweeney (handicap -5.4) took sixth position in 13:54.52, ahead of European U23 10000m bronze medallist Emile Cairess (handicap -6.2) in 14:07.52.
Grand Prix Sopotu, Sopot, Poland
Alex Botterill (handicap -5.5) produced an impressive performance over 800m, clocking a personal best and holding off multiple global medallist Adam Kszczot (POL) in the process.
Botterill clocked an impressive 1:47.09. Fellow British Athletics Futures Programme athlete and European U20 Championship 800m gold medallist Oliver Dustin (handicap -3.3) recorded a season’s best of 1:48.16.
European Cross Country mixed relay gold medallist Alex Bell (handicap -0.3) clocked 2:43.28 in her first track 1000m of her career.
Memorial Wieslawa Maniaka, Szczecin, Poland
In her second of two meetings in a matter of days, Alex Bell (handicap -0.3) led a British one-two over 800m and moved fourth on the British 2020 rankings with a 2:00.28, with Adelle Tracey (handicap -1.7) second in 2:00.99.