10 September 2010

England’s Commonwealth Games race walking representatives will be looking to put their final touches to their preparations, when they toe the line at the McCain UKA Race Walking Challenge Final incorporating the National 10km championships at Warwick University Business Park this weekend.

Following her fine tenth position at the European Championships in Barcelona, Jo Jackson (Andi Drake/Maureen Jackson) has been back in hard training and will be looking to get close to her British 10km record of 43.52 she set at the same venue in March. It will also give her a telling performance marker with Jackson currently ranked number one in the Commonwealth in 2010 over 20km. 

Also lining up in the women’s race will be Lisa Kehler (John Anderson) the triple Commonwealth Medallist who has been selected for her fifth Commonwealth Games. Jackson is currently well in the lead in the McCain UKA Race Walking Challenge Standings ahead of Kelher and Leicester Race Walking Club’s Fiona McGorum (Martin Bell).

In the Men’s race, the UK number one over 20km, Alex Wright (Belgrave Harriers/Leeds Met Carnegie: Andi Drake/Ray Hall) will be looking to better his personal best of 43.31 he set on the fast Coventry circuit in March in the Inter Counties.

He will be up against his England team mates Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake/Peters Selby) and Luke Finch (Martin Bell). They will be challenged by Leeds Met Student and Irishman Brendan Boyce of the host club Coventry Godiva Harriers, who set a personal best of 41.50 when winning the Inter Counties 10km on this course in March ahead of Wright and Bosworth.

In the McCain Challenge series standings, Wright currently has a narrow lead over Bosworth and Finch but points in the final carry a tariff of 1.5 so there is everything still to race for.

The action on the course, at the Science Park, Warwick University, Coventry (opposite Coventry Godiva Harriers Track, Warwick University, Kirby Corner Road, Coventry) gets under way with the Women’s Race at 1pm and the Men’s race at 2.15pm.

For latest McCain Race Walking Challenge standings please follow this link