Having just about recovered from the insanity that was the Paris Diamond League, James Rhodes brings you the highlights from the track, roads and mountains.

Perfect Paris

It is impossible to start the round up anywhere other than Friday’s Paris Diamond League. It was a perfect advertisement for the sport. A packed out stadium, great weather and incredible performances. The highlights were Faith Kipyegon breaking the 5000m World Record (one week after doing the same in the 1500m), Lamecha Girma bettering the 3000m steeplechase World Record and Jakob Ingebrigtsen taking four seconds off Daniel Komen’s World Best for the two miles.

Photo: James Rhodes

There was plenty to enjoy from a British perspective also. In her season debut, Keely Hodgkinson clocked 1:55.77 over 800m to take an emphatic win and improve her own British Record. A masterclass in racing, particularly given her main rival Athing Mu was in the stadium watching. Her next race is in the equally glamourous Chelmsford, at the England Athletics U23 Championships.

Photo: James Rhodes

Laura Muir also competed, over 5000m. It was her first in over four years and first outdoors since the 2017 World Championships in London. She finished eleventh with 14:48.14, a PB.

What is better than one meeting in Paris? Two! A day later saw the Fast 5000 on the French capital’s outskirts. This year part of the inaugural On Track Nights series, a host of Brits made the trip in search of a quick race.

George Mills had the performance of the night, clocking 13:88.33 in his debut over the distance. It puts him 24th on the British all-time list. Ian Crowe Wright (13:50.07), James West (13:55.74) and Aimee Pratt (15:31.18) also raced.

Photo: James Rhodes

In earlier heats, Ellis Cross (13:45.07) and George Wheeler (13:47.26) set PBs. Elliot Giles (3:34.60) and Callum Elson (3:39.40 PB) raced over 1500m, as did Cari Hughes (4:38.26) in the mile.

Climbing High

Hosted over four days in Innsbruck, Austria, the World Mountain & Trail Running Championships have provided plenty of success for the British team. This is covered in excellent detail in individual articles on Fast Running.

credit: WMTRC 2023/Roast Media

Brilliant at the BMC

The second BMC Grand Prix of the season took place in Loughborough on Saturday. The evening provided wins for Ellie Wallace (16:03.84) and Alfie Manthorpe (14:00.07 PB) over 5000m. If only Alfie had found a slightly bigger lean! Jess Judd (4:09.49) and Archie Davies (3:41.28) won the fastest 1500m races.

Over 800m, there were good wins for Reece Sharman-Newell (1:45.60) ahead of Alex Botterill (1:46.31 PB), whilst Khai Mhalanga (2:00.87) improved her PB by over a second. Molly Hudson (2:04.51) continued her fine form with another PB in third.

Earlier in the week were BMC Gold Standard Races at the University of Birmingham.

Reece Sharman Newell gets a second mention thanks to his 1:45.54 PB in winning the 800m. Henry Fisher also improved his best (1:46.56). Fun fact – that time equals Sam Reardon’s Blackheath & Bromley Club Record, which he set just two weeks ago.

Issy Boffey (2:01.06) raced well on her home track to win the women’s 800m from Sarah McDonald (2:02.26). Alex Millard (4:11.87 PB) and James Dargan (3:44.47) won the fastest 1500m races, both gaining European U20 and U23 qualifying times respectively.

On Monday, BMC Regional Races in Leeds saw the quickest times over 1500m run by Lottie Langan (4:36.46) and Joshua Dickinson (3:46.18 PB). In the same race, Evan Grime set a new British U15 Record of 3:54.36 finishing fifth.

Stateside Racing

For many collegiate athletes based in the United States, this was the most important weekend of the season. The NCAA Division One Championships never fail to deliver exceptional performances, and this year’s edition in Austin, Texas was no different.

Some of the highlights from a British perspective included Charles Hicks taking second (14:09.03) and sixth (28:12.20) in the 5000m and 10000m respectively. Elise Thorner (9:42.95) finished fifth in the 3000m steeplechase, with Maisie Grice (10:11.62) twelfth.

Yusuf Bizimana (1:45.74 PB) finished second in the 800m, with Shannon Flockhart (4:10.78 PB) sixth in the 1500m.

Racing in Europe

The European track circuit has continued at pace. At the Meeting Iberoamericano in Huelva in Spain on Tuesday, Abbie Ives (2:00.82) recorded the second fastest 800m of her career.

Revee Walcott-Nolan (4:09.86) and Erin Wallace (4:10.52) raced over 1500m, whilst Will Battershill (8:26.72 PB) and Mark Pearce (8:35.21) went in the steeplechase. Johnny Davies (13:45.86) and James Young (3:39.38) ran the 5000m and 1500m respectively.

On the same day, the Memorial Irena Szewinska in Bydgoszcz in Poland saw Matt Stonier (3:34.43) in the 1500m. His time is the second fastest of his career behind last summer’s Commonwealth Games final.

Ben Pattison (1:45.80) won the 800m, with Guy Learmonth (1:46.78) recording his fastest season opener. Adelle Tracey (2:01.26) won the women’s race which also featured Ellie Baker (2:01.64) and Alex Bell (2:02.72)

Monday’s Memorial Josefa Odlozila in Prague saw Jenny Selman (2:08.59) and James West (3:39.02) race over 800m and 1500m respectively.

Eloise Walker (8:49.56) and Megan Keith (8:52.51) both set PBs over 3000m at Wednesday’s Copenhagen Athletics Games. Katie Snowden (2:00.43) and Lynsey Sharp (2:03.59) raced the 800m, the former winning in her second fastest ever time.

Lynsey Sharp (2:05.45) raced again at the AtletiCAGenève in Switzerland on Saturday, where Ethan Hussey (3:44.62) went in the 1500m.

On the Roads

The ever-fast course of Battersea Park hosted the Vets AC 5k Championships on Tuesday. In the men’s field M40 Peter Lightning (16:18) was quickest overall. The respective age categories went to Tom Hollis (16:26, M35), Ben Millar (16:58, M45), Simon Shaw (16:27, M50), Neil Danby (16:25, M55), Steve Corfield (17:51, M60), Merlin Allan (20:43, M65), Mike Forder (20:52, M70), Liam O’Hare (26:00, M75), Peter Torre (36:15, M80) and Joe Aspinall (36:06, M85).

Gabriel Carnwath (W40) was the fastest woman to race, crossing the line in 17:28. The remaining age groups were won by Natasha Sheel (18:26, W35), Caoimhe Nic Fhogartiagh (17:47, W45), Penny Pilbeam (21:18, W50), Susan Dixon (20:27, W55), Jacky Balfour (20:13, W60), Anna Garnier (24:18, W65), Jane Georghiou (26:04, W70) and Penny Elliot (29:02, W80).

Lily Partridge (33:15) finished 18th at the New York Mini 10k on Saturday.

Arun Dight (15:16) and Nicole Reece (18:20) won the Dunham Massey 5k in Altrincham, whilst Ffion Williams (18:42) and Michael Roderick (16:21) took the Run4All 5k Summer Series in Port Talbot.

Joe Morwood (31:06) and Caitlin Millar (39:44) were victorious at the Yateley 10k. The Rothley 10k went to Dan Hallam (32:27) and Amber Iester (38:13).

Daniel Saunders (35:32) and Jo Andrews (36:40) took race one of the Bungay Summer 10k Series.

Olivia Harris (40:49) and Alexander Mayne (34:42) crossed the finish line first at the Leicestershire Chase the Sun 10k at Prestwold Hall on Thursday.