3rd May 2022

WEEKEND ROUND-UP - 2022 MAY DAY BANK HOLIDAY

British Grand Prix of Race Walking, The Brownlee Centre, Leeds, Saturday 30 April 2022

Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake, Tonbridge) and Bethan Davies (andi Drake, Cardiff AC) regained their British 20km Titles and Heather Lewis set a new Welsh 10km Record at the British Grand Prix of Race Walking which also incorporated the trial for the World Athletics Championships.

Bosworth moved to the top of the UK Rankings for 2022 clocking 85.27, as he regained the title he last won in 2018. Meanwhile, Davies showed remarkable powers of recovery having set the British Record over 35km in Dudince last weekend of 2.58.48 to clock 98.49 over 20km just a week later.

Bosworth had the added bonus of clocking 40.53 at the 10km mark, well inside the England Commonwealth Games standard of 41.30.

In the men’s race, Bosworth set the early pace alongside Guy Thomas (Verity Snook, Tonbridge) and Leeds-based Chris Snook (Aldershot Farnham & District) who were also chasing the Welsh and English standard of 41.30 over 10km.

Bosworth put in 3.59 third kilometre to drop Snook and Thomas and passed the 5km mark in 20.21. Snook paid for a brave effort of trying to go with Bosworth and dropped out just after the 5km point, while Thomas was disqualified at the 7km point. Bosworth forged ahead to pass the 10km mark on 40.53. He backed off the pace in the second half with a 22.02 split between 10km and 15km and a final 5km split of 22.31 to bring him home in a finishing time of 85.27.

Bosworth said, “my main aim today was to get the England Commonwealth time at 10km and then use the second half to see where my fitness is at. I am racing over 10km in Madrid in two weeks’ time and will then chase the 20km qualifying time for the World and European Championship in La Coruna at the end of May”.

Cameron Corbishley (Andi Drake, Medway and Maidstone) improved his seasons best of 88.12 that he set in Podebrady to clock 88.02 to move to 2nd on the UK Rankings for 2022. Tom Partington (Manx Harriers) took the bronze medal in the British Championships in 96.09.

In the women’s 20km race Bethan Davies passed the halfway point in 48.43 before slowing slightly in the last 5km to clock 98.49 that puts her second on the UK Rankings for 2022.

Davies said, “I am keen to double up at major championships in the future and wanted to see how my body would react racing 20km so soon after the 35km”.

Abigail Jennings (Verity Snook, Aldershot Farnham & District) took the silver medal in a personal best of 1.48.57, improving on her debut performance of 1.49.29 set at Kew Gardens last year. She also took the England and RWA titles. Jacqueline Benson (Chris Hobbs, Ashford AC) took the bronze medal in the British Championships and Silver medal in the England and RWA Championship in a personal best of 1.57.14.

In the supporting 10km event, Heather Lewis (Pembroke Harriers: Chris Jones) set a brilliant new Welsh Record and the second fastest ever performance by a British woman over 10km with a 44.56 clocking. This is also importantly well inside the Welsh Commonwealth Games standard of 46.00.

She walked the first half of the race at consistent 1km laps of between 4.23 and 4.28 to go through the halfway mark in 22.15. In the second half she slowed slightly, but a last lap of 4.28, saw her break Bethan Davies Welsh Record by three seconds.

Christian Hopper (Noel Carmody, Cambridge Harriers) took the British Under 20 10km title in 50.12 and passed the halfway mark in 24.54. It was a golden double for the Hopper family, as his sister Hannah Hopper (Noel Carmody, Cambridge Harriers) took the British Under 20 Women’s 10km title in 52.34. In the 5km event Under 17 Gracie Griffiths (Pembrokeshire Harriers) set a personal best of 25.38.

2022 British GP of Race Walking Results

 

Vitality 10000, London, 2 May

Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall, Dundee Hawhill) set a Scottish record on her way to victory in the women’s 10000 race in London, Ellis Cross (Mick Woods, Aldershot Farnham and District) pipped Mo Farah (Gary Lough, Newham and Essex Beagles) to the win in the men’s contest, while Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins, Red Star) and Danny Sidbury (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District) were victorious in the wheelchair races on Bank Holiday Monday.

For McColgan, the time of 30:23 was just two seconds outside the British and European record, which is held by Paula Radcliffe. However, the new leading Scottish mark improved the best previously held by her mum, Liz.

The run was so impressive, the next finisher in the senior women’s race was over a minute behind with Jess Piasecki (Robert Hawkins, Stockport) bagging second in 31:28, while Samantha Harrison (Vince Wilson, Charnwood) completed the podium place with a time of 31:44.

Ellis Cross, GB & NI age group international, caused an upset as he bided his time before perfectly executing the final stages of the race to hold off Farah and win by four seconds in a time of 28:40. Mohamud Aadan (Paul Oppe, Thames Valley) completed the top three with a time of 28:48.

Paralympic medallist Kinghorn dominated the women’s wheelchair race as she finished in a time of 24:45, with Eden Rainbow-Cooper (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) and Shelly Woods (Peter Wyman, Blackpool Wyre & Fylde) second and third overall.

The ever-improving Sidbury was a comfortable winner of the men’s wheelchair race in a time of 21:23, over 25 seconds ahead of David Weir (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) and Johnboy Smith (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District) who rounded out the podium places.

Results

 

Payton Jordan Invitational, Stanford CA, USA, 29 Apr 22

There were two British U23 record in California for Charles Hicks (Shaftesbury Barnet) and Elise Thorner (James Butler, Wells City) who are both enjoying a solid spell of form.

Thorner improved her 3000m steeplechase best to 9:32.42 which was also inside both the European and Commonwealth Games qualifying standards, and also moved her to the top of the 2022 UK rankings.

As for Hicks, he improved Dave Bedford’s long-standing British U23 record in the 10,000m, clocking 27:40.16 which was well inside the European qualifying standard.

Elsewhere, there was an encouraging return to racing for Commonwealth and European medallist, Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Rob Denmark, Poole). After returning from injury she ran inside Wales’ Commonwealth standard over 5000m with a time of 15:25.90.

Results

 

UNF Invitational, Jacksonville FL, USA, 29-30 Apr 22

Lina Nielsen (Shaftesbury Barnet) ran inside the World Athletics Championships qualifying standard over 400m hurdles and secured a significant personal best of 54.76. It was the first time in her career that she has run over 55 seconds, and the time moves her to the top of the UK rankings for 2022.

Elsewhere, Andrew Pozzi (Stratford-upon-Avon) moved to the top of the UK rankings in the men’s 110m hurdles with a clocking of 13.28 (1.7) for third in the race behind Trey Cunningham (USA) [13.10] and Wilhem Belocian (FRA) [13.23]. Cameron Fillery (Benke Blomkvist, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) was fifth in 13.68.

Elsewhere, Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Petros Kyprianou, Liverpool) threw a season best of 38.68m in the javelin, and 12.68m in the shot put. She also jumped 6.33m in the long jump to finish second to compatriot, Abigail Irozuru (Aston Moore, Sale Harriers Mancheter) who jumped 6.39m.

Results

 

Be Fit Today Outdoor Series, Dagenham, 1 May 22

Alisha Rees (Leon Baptiste) revised the Scottish record in the women’s 100m with a time of 11.39 (1.3). The Edinburgh athlete moved top of the all-time rankings to improve the record with had stood for 48 years – Helen Golden’s 11.40. The time was also inside Scotland’s Commonwealth Games qualifying standards.

Results

 

PURE Athletics Global Invitational, Clermont FL, USA, 1 May 22

In her first competition since the Olympic Games last year, Morgan Lake (Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) opened her 2022 season with an impressive 1.93m clearance in the high jump.

Elsewhere, Ben Williams (Aston Moore, City of Stoke) posted a season best of 16.49m in the men’s triple jump, and Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman, City of Stoke) won the women’s long jump with a best of 6.32m.

Results

 

Multistars, Grosseto, 30 April-1 May

Lewis Church (David Hull, Tonbridge) secured an England qualifying standard in the men’s decathlon after a solid competition in Italy.

Personal bests in the long jump [7.27m], 400m [50.58], pole vault [4.55m] and 1500m [4:20.44] all contributed to an overall PB of 7773 points, an improvement by over 200 points.

Results

 

BUCS Athletics Championships, Chelmsford, 30 April-2 May

Loughborough Students won 46 medals at the event including Olympic medallist Holly Bradshaw’s (Scott Simpson) return to competition, and Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell) winning 100m and 200m gold in the ambulant races.

Bradshaw cleared 4.50m to win the women’s pole vault, while Young impressed in the 200m where he posted a PB of 23.08 (-2.0) to win.

The men’s 4x400m relay was also a happy hunting ground for the Loughborough team as the quartet of Charlie Dobson (Benke Blomkvist), Ben Higgins (Stewart Marshall), Chris O’Donnell (Blomkvist) and Alex Haydock-Wilson (Blomkvist) recorded a Championship record of 3:05.18.

Elsewhere, University of Birmingham’s Isabelle Boffey (Luke Gunn) won the women’s 800m in 2:05.17, while Cardiff Met’s Jeremiah Azu (Helen Patricia James) won the men’s 200m in a PB of 21.00 (0.2).

Results on the Roster App