20 September 2010

All eyes were on the north east of England as Ethiopia’s Haile Gebreselassie, one of the greatest distance runners of all time, triumphed in the 30th Great North Run (59.33). Andrew Lemoncello (coach: Greg McMillan), who will race over the half marathon distance when representing the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team in next month’s IAAF World Half Marathon Champiosnhips, was the first British athlete home in ninth as he continued his preparation for December’s Fukuoka Marathon. Elsewhere in the UK, the English Schools Combined Events Championships brought the domestic track and field season to a close. 

The BUPA Great North Run, September 19

In the 30th anniversary race of the World’s most famous half-marathon, the leading Britons were Andrew Lemoncello and Mara Yamauchi (coach: Shige Yamauchi),

Lemoncello, who already tops the men’s Power of 10 rankings with a mark of 63:11 in Japan earlier this year, finished ninth in 63:48. Phil Wicks (Matt Whiting) moved to third in the rankings courtesy of a 64:09 in 10th.

Yamauchi, who tops the women’s Po10 rankings from her 69:25 victory in New York in March, finished fifth with 70:39.

David Weir (Jenny Archer) and Shelly Woods (Pete Wyman) – who are expected to be named next week in the Aviva GB and NI team for the IPC Athletics World Championships (New Zealand, January 2011) – won the men’s and women’s wheelchair races in 44:49 and 52:59 respectively.

Results here: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=34192

BUPA Great North Games, September 18

England won the ‘Ashes’ match against Australia. There were wins for European 110mH champion Andy Turner (Lloyd Cowan), who won easily in a windy 13.40, and European Championships silver medallist Mark Lewis Francis (coach: Linford Christie) who clocked 10.12 in a fast but windy 100m. Luke Cutts (Trevor Fox) won a wind affected pole vault in 5.20m, beating Australia’s world champion Steve Hooker and UK number one and team mate Steve Lewis (Dan Pfaff).

Marlon Devonish (Tony Lester) won the rarely contested 150m in 14.88 to match his winning time – also a British best time – in 2009.

In the non scoring/invitational 100m, Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff), who was second in the long jump with 7.78m, smashed his PB with a 10.26 victory.

On the road, Hannah England (Bud Baldaro) won the women’s mile in 4:38, while Australia’s Craig Mottram and European Championships silver medallist Christ Thompson (John Nuttall) battled it out in the men’s two mile event, Mottram eventually taking the win by one second in 8:31.

Results here: http://www.greatcitygames.org/Events/Great-North-City-Games/2010Results.aspx

English Schools Combined Event Championships, Stoke, September 18/19

Jack Andrew (Chris Bartram) won the senior boys title with a score of 7128 while runner up Liam Ramsey (Mike Corden) set a PB of 6883 to move to fifth in the Po10 lists.

In the Intermediate Boys Octathlon, the three medalists all set PBs and went 1-2-3 in the Po10 rankings. Blade Ashby won with a score of 5031 from Jonathan Ketley (Andy Payne) and Tadgh Healy with scores of 4990 and 4885 respectively.

In the junior men’s Pentathlon, Nick Hunt – already top ranked – won with a score of 3062 while Brad Hill (Carol Williams) went second in the under-15 Po10 rankings with 2875 points.

In the Inter Girls Heptathlon, Tanisha Clayton (Bill Jewers) won with 4504 points, down on her 4720 best, but second placed Hannah Dunderdale (Ian Richards) set a PB 4466 to go third in the U17 Po10 rankings.

The Junior Girls Pentathlon was won easily by British record holder Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake) with a score of 3419.

Results here: http://www.thepowerof10.info/resultsfiles/2010/35315_10428_20092010082939_ES CE 2010.zip