Weekend update
Two British records were achieved this weekend along with many other European Indoor Championship and Olympic qualifying standards as UK athletes took to the indoor tracks of New York, Val-de-Reuilin (France) and Manchester. Charlie Da’Vall Grice (handicap -6.4) and Amy-Eloise Markovc (handicap -2.1) were the new British indoor record breakers.
At the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in New York, Charlie Da’Vall Grice (handicap -6.4) and Amy-Eloise Markovc (handicap -2.1) set British indoor records whilst Jake Wightman (handicap -7.1) improved the Scottish 1500m indoor record.
Charlie Da'Vall Grice (handicap-6.4) beat Wightman’s 1000m best, which he set at the same event last year. With Bryce Hoppel (USA) setting a ferocious pace in the early stages, the Briton stayed with it until the closing stages, and despite the fast-finishing Marco Arop (CAN) moving him into third in the final few strides, Da’Vall Grice held on for a time of 2:17.20.
Amy-Eloise Markovc (handicap -2.1) claimed the British indoor record over the rarely run women’s two-mile race. Not only did she improve Jo Pavey’s previous best to 9:30.69, but she also improved her outright 3000m PB within the race, to 8:54.11.
In the men’s 1500m, Jake Wightman (handicap -7.1) improved Josh Kerr’s (handicap -6.6) Scottish 1500m indoor record with a time of 3:34.48. Thom Keen (handicap -5.0) was 11th in 3:46.40.
There was another indoor 800m PB for Jamie Webb (handicap -4.8). He was second in 1:46.26. Meanwhile, in the women’s contest, Isabelle Boffey (handicap -1.4) ran inside the European indoor qualifying standard as she clocked 2:02.45 for third, whilst Adelle Tracey (handicap -2.2) followed in seventh with a time of 2:04.28.
At the Bryggen Sports Invitational meeting in Manchester, Verity Ockenden (handicap -1.6) and Phil Sesemann (handicap -6.1) claimed commanding victories in the 3000m races. Both finished inside the European Indoor Championship qualifying standards.
In the women’s event, Verity Ockenden (handicap -1.6), improved her indoor best by 17 seconds, setting a time of 8:51.63, which was comfortably within the qualifying standard of 9:00. Second-placed Charlotte Arter (handicap -2.4) enjoyed a rare outing indoors, as she ran 9:00.78, with British 3000m steeplechase champion Aimee Pratt (handicap -1.1) next in third.
For Phil Sesemann (handicap -6.1) it was an outright PB of 7:51.27, with Ross Millington (handicap -5.7) next across the line in 7:55.28.
In the women’s 1500m, 2020 British Indoor champion Holly Archer (handicap-1.0) and Katie Snowden (handicap-1.6) ran inside the European standard. Cambridge and Coleridge’s Archer clocked an outright PB of 4:10.03 to take victory ahead of Snowden who posted a time of 4:10.43.
A sub-27 second final lap from Piers Copeland (handicap -6.4) paved the way for an indoor 1500m PB of 3:38.55 in the men’s contest. It was another impressive display from the Wimborne athlete who improved his outright PB to 3:35.32 that he set at the Doha Diamond League last year. Andrew Butchart (handicap -6.7) finished second in 3:40.82.
Ellie Baker (handicap -1.3) won the women’s 800m race in an indoor PB of 2:02.73, which was inside the Torun qualifying standard, while Kyle Langford (handicap -5.9) won the men’s race in 1:48.91, ahead of Ben Pattison (handicap -2.4) in 1:49.04 and George Mills (handicap -6.1) who recorded an indoor PB of 1:49.09.
At the Meeting de l’Eure, Val-de-Reuilin France, Elliot Giles (handicap -7.0) was third in a high quality 1500m setting an outright PB of 3:36.90. In a race won by Getnet Wale (ETH) in 3:35.54, the Briton continued his excellent run of form which has seen him win both World Indoor Tour Gold events over 800m so far in 2021.
UK runbritain rankings for endurance events and age groups
Other results from the weekend are on the following links: