04 January 2009

New Year Honours

Athletics was well presented in the recent New Year’s Honours lists with several key officials receiving recognition for their work following nomination by UKA.

Chris Cohen – UKMC member and high level official received a CBE for services to sport, whist David Littlewood and Jean Pickering received MBEs for voluntary services and services to athletics respectively.

The honour marked a double success story for Jean Pickering who has seen the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund finalise the financial grant awards made for 2010 in recent weeks and reach a major milestone of its own. The  £51,000 awarded to the recipients for this year means the fund has given away more than £1,000,000 to deserving young athletes since it was started following the death Ron Pickering in 1991.  Having set a goal of reaching the £1million target by London 2012, the trustees are delighted to have been able to achieve this ahead of schedule. 

Main Festive Results:

Reebok Manchester Open Indoor Meeting 3 January 2010

Jack Meredith (Liverpool) opened his winter account with a victory over 60m hurdles in a time of 8.24 while Katie Read (Liverpool) was also a winner with 8.58. Andy Robertson (Sale Harriers Manchester) took the 60m in 6.81 with Bernice Wilson (Birchfield) taking the women’s event in 7.53 from Shaunna Thompson (Sale Harriers Manchester U20) 7.60.

BOclassic 5K/10K, Bolzano, Italy, 31 December

IN the final race of the year on New Year’s Eve, Mohammed Farah (Newham & Essex Beagles) finished in third place in the 10k event in a time of 28:48.3 behind the African pair of Edwin Soi, Kennya 28.44.3 and Imanemerga Jida, Ethiopia 28:45.3 with Michael Skinner (Blackheath & Bromley) finishing in tenth place 30:23.3.

THE women’s event held over 5k saw the European Cross Country Champion, Hayley Yelling-Higham (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow V35) finish in seventh place in a time of 16:39.6 with Sule Ultura from Ethiopia taking the victory in 16:11.4 from Sonja Roman, Slovenia 16:13.9 and Christelle Daunay, France 16:17.1.

Rotational Throws, Norwich, 28 December

In the U20 Men’s hammer Joe Bloomfield (Ipswich) threw a fine 62.62m which was less than a metre behind his second place ranking in the PofTen from the summer 63.52m). Callum Brown (Norwich U17) threw a pb of 59.19m to win the U17 event which takes him to seventh in the PofTen rankings.

The women’s events saw Sarah Holt (Sale Harriers Manchester) throw 63.74m which was an excellent effort behind her 65.33m from the summer which elevated her to third place in the PofTen rankings. Jenna Cannell (Norwich U20) threw 38.86m for a pb while Gemma Vickery threw a pb of 29.26m in the U15 event.

Ribble Valley 10k Road Race, Clitheroe, Lancashire, 26 December

Tom Lancashire (Bolton) worked off his Christmas indulgences and proved his winter preparations are going to plan with victory in 29:21, a time which takes him to equal eighth in the PofTen rankings. Runner-up was Ben Fish (Blackburn) 29:38 with Jonny Mellor (Liverpool) taking the third spot with 29:39. Encouragingly there were eight men inside 30 minutes. Helen Clitheroe (Preston) took the ladies title in 32:53 which takes her to fifth in the PofTen rankings. Runner-up was Katie Ingram (Horwich RMI) 33:51 with Victoria Wilkinson (Bingley) taking third place with 34:54.