20 December 2007

Blue Haywood (Lincoln Wellington AC) is claiming a UK Under 18 Women’s 5km road best after winning a senior women’s race at Derby last night in 16 minutes 24 seconds.

It is six seconds faster than the previous best, recorded by former GB Junior cross country and mountain running international Karrie Hawitt (Warrington AC) at Oswestry in 2003. Others at the top of the age group all-time rankings are Charlotte Dale (Invicta East Kent), who clocked 16:38 in London’s Hyde Park in 2001 on her way to winning the European Junior Cross Country title, and Charlotte Moore (Bournemouth AC), who also clocked 16:38 at Boscombe in December 2002, a few months after reaching the Commonwealth Games 2002 final.

“Wow!” exclaimed 16-year-old Blue, winner of the Under 17 Women’s race at the opening UK Cross Challenge meeting of the season at Gateshead, when told of the illustrious list she was now topping.

The Tuxford Comprehensive School pupil, who is on the England Athletics East Midlands Regional Event Development Programme, added: “I never thought I would run that quick. I ran 16:54 in May and just wanted to see how much I’ve improved since then. It was a very nice course – flat, and out-and-back alongside a cycle track. And there were plenty of men for company.”

The electrifying effort places Blue equal seventh in the Power of 10 senior rankings for the year behind Jo Pavey (Exeter Harriers) 15:29; Kate Reed (Bristol and West AC) 15:36, Liz Yelling (Bedford and County AC) 15:41, Mara Yamauchi (Harrow AC) 15:52, Felicity Milton (Durham City Harriers) 16:07 and Alyson Dixon (Chester le Street AC) 16:10, and alongside Wendy Nicholls (Cirencester AC).

Blue, who is coached by Bob Ashwood, Chair of the UK Athletics Event Management Group for Endurance, will now head for the next stage of the UK Cross Challenge at the Belfast International on Saturday 5 January, determined to improve on her 11^th place among the Under 20 and Under 17 Women in last month’s meeting, which incorporated the European Trials, at Liverpool.