A quiet week, perhaps the calm before the World Athletics Championships storm, but there were still high quality times over 5 and 10k despite some toasty conditions towards the end of the week, as well as plenty of action in the  local leagues and open meetings

Hot temps, hot times

It was either cool enough by the time the A races happened at Saturday’s  SOAR MK5000 PB Special  or the athletes were metaphorically on fire themselves as nine men ran under 14 minutes. MK’s own Charlie Wheeler ran a blistering 13:38.67 for the win, a stadium record and a PB of 13:38. Cameron Allan also PB’d, running 13:42.23. Jacob Alleb rounded out a fast podium, crossing the line with 13:46.17 on the clock. Herne Hill’s Gerogue Gregc took the women’s victory in a new best of 15:51.54. After running 15.46 on the “road” at the Podium 5k last week in cold and rainy conditions, Elle Twentyman mixed it up by taking on the heat and clocking 15:58.39 on the track for second place. Jennifer Walsh was third in 15:59.70.

Photo: SOAR MK5000 PB Special

The Wilmslow 10k was a little slower than we are used to seeing on the results list,no doubt affected by the temperatures on Sunday. Lily Partridge is becoming a regular at the top of the podium on shorter UK races at the moment, earning this week’s top spot in 33:48 ahead of 34:30 from Eleanor Bolton and 35:13 from Kirstey Longley. Nigel Martin was first over the line overall, running 30:27 and well clear of Tommy Power who followed him home in 31:00. Nicholas Barry was third in 31:09.

Photo: Run North West

Reports from the Asics London 10k also suggest that it was far from PB conditions, though Andrew Heyes got pretty darned close – just six seconds outside his 2018 best – racing to the line in 29:02. Dewi Griffth was a solis second in 29:16 and Daniel Jarvis next in 30:26. For the women,  V40 Olympian Kerry O’Flaherty (who ran a PB of 33:50 on 5th Jun this year) clocked 35:09 to beat Anya Culling’s 35:25 and Beata Popodiak’s 35:51. 

On the track away and at home

On Monday, George Mills was in action at the Meeting International de Sotteville where he ran 3:42.03 for 10th place over 1500m. The youngsters were in action out in Jerusalem at the European Athletics U18 Championships this week, where Annie Mann won her 1500m final in 4:23.41 and Jess Bailey was second in the 3000m in 9:32.74.

Midweek racing in Birmingham at the BMC Gold Standard Races hosted a small but perfectly formed field of four for the 5000m race. Not deterred, three ran sub-15 and three of set new bests.Ben Brown who won in 14:29.54, Lloyd Sheppard Brown took silver in 14:31.85(PB) and James Straw third in 15:54.61. An honouroable mention goes to Andrew Thomson in fourth with a new best of 15:10.45.

The University of Birmingham Track and Field Festival saw some fine results in the Monterrain Mile where seven men broke the four minute barrier. Ian Crowe-Wright took the victory in 3:57.96 from Ben MacMillan (3:58.30) and Scott Beattie (3:58.61) in 2nd and 3rd. The Monterrain Fifteen was won by Sabrina Sinha in a new PB of 4:12.80 from Alexandra Millard (4:13.98) and Maisie Grice (4:17.99).

9:31.7 earned Aedon Lydon the win over 3000m at the Corby AC Open Meeting with Bethany Wallis quickest woman on the night in 11:03.0. Jack Bradley ran away with the 5000m win at the Invicta East Kent AC Open Meeting, PBing to clock 16:53.70.  It was a small field in the 3000m at the Winchester and District Open but U17 Will Atkins made the most of it, setting a new best and a winning time of 9:10.50. U15 Emily Churcher also upgraded her best for the fastest women’s time of 11:04.81. Aldershot Farnham & District also held an Open Meeting where Jack Boswell ran a 9:00.18 fastest 3000 on the night, and one Steph Twell snuck in as fastest woman with 9:26.22

Local leagues and road races

At the Serpentine RC One Mile Club Championship the top three men dipped under five minutes, with Hugh Torry (V40) first in 4:53.20, Tim Powell second in 4:57.10 and Peter Wooldridge filling the final podium place in 4:58.30.Two women went sub-six  – Katy Casterton clocked 5:31.80 for the win and Sophie Anne Flanagan weas runner up inn5:47.10

Local lad took the honours at Bridges of the Tyne 5. Sam Hancox won for Morpeth Harriers in 23:46, confidently holding off a race for runner up by Gateshead’s Conrad Franks (25:30) and Sunderland’s Stephen Jackson (25:31). Elwick Harriers’ Imogen Bungay won the women’s race in 30:17 ahead of Kathryn Stevenson (30:32) and Tracy Millmore (30:45). In the latest editions of the Holme Pierrepont 5 mile at Nottingham University Dan Nugent won in 27:20 and Caitlin Bradbury in 33:59.

Also challenging over five miles was the Brig Bash 5 where the results were as follows: Callum Phillip 25:07, John Lenehan 25:30, Mark Ryan 27:26. Kate Mcintosh 31:20 Kerry Gibson 31:47, Alson McNeilly 32:35. Meanwhile in the East Midlands Grand Prix, Dominic Jones conquered the Blisworth 5  in 24:22 obliterating the competition. Runners up were Jack Chennel in 26:42 and Pete Northall in 27:15. Speed Midlands lady Alice Belcher continued her unbeaten win, racing home in 28:52 ahead of Rached Cooke (30:47) and Louise Balloch (31:30) Alice belcher.

Back to more traditional distances – Wavertree Mystery 5K had 16:20 on the clock when Jake Sache broke the tape for the win, but Anna Bracegirdle was hot on his tail, taking her victory in 16.20. Liam Brown completed the podium in 16:34. Second female was Jade Morgan in 18:02 and third, Andrea Bond in 19:35. Third male went to Joshia Makin in 16:40.

The Rochdale Harriers 10K was won by Joe Bailey, 33:31 and Sarah Carrol, 38:41. Frampton 10k honours went to Lee Stopford in 31:49, beating Ben Price (31:49) and Richard Dare (33:10) with Gemma Collier (37:22), Jenny Gardner (38:22) and Kimberley Newcombe (38:41) on the women’s podium.

Thomas Corrigan was fastest at Burnley’s Towneley Park 10k, topping the rankings in 33:41, with Laura Hesketh women’s winner in 38:04. At Run Bramham  the 10k was won by Paul Lyons (34:39) and Emma Winter (46:02) while the 5k win went to David Gossip (19:17) and Nicola Henderson (21:23). 

The York and District Summer 10K League at Wistow saw Becky Penty secure the win for York Knavesmire in 35:44 and James Tucker for City of York in 31:45. Runners up were Charlotte Mason (35:56) and Helen Cross (37:24), Jordan Howe (31:57) and Dan Tate (33:02). Charlotte currently tops the women’s league and Jordan Howe the men’s.

Oliver White and Fiona German won the latest in the  Run Exe Summer 5K series, with 16:40 and 18:36 on the clock.