24 February 2014

English National Cross Country Championships, Wollaton Park, Nottingham, February 22

In the senior men’s race, Stockport Harrier Steve Vernon (coach: Dave Turnbull) secured his second national cross country title after a last lap duel with Richard Goodman (Mick Woods). Bedford & County A.C took the men’s team title.

In the women’s race, pre race favourite Gemma Steel (John Nuttal) ensured things went to the form book, holding off Aldershot, Farnham & District duo Steph Twell and Lily Partridge (both Woods) who helped ensure the Hampshire club took the team title.

2013 European Junior Championship 5,000m bronze medallist Jonathan Davies (Rob McKim) took victory in a close fought junior men’s race, with recent BUCS champion and GB & NI junior international Georgia Taylor-Brown (Paul Roden) taking a commanding victory in the junior women’s race.

In the under-17 races Zak Miller and Lydia Turner (Thomas Millmore) ran out winners, whilst in the under-15 events victory went the way of Leicester Corinthian’s Ben Dijkstra and Cambridge Harriers Sabina Sinha (Mark Newell).

Finally in the under-13 races their were wins for Joshua Cowperthwaite (Martin Peevor) in the boy’s race and Grace Copeland (Bob Smith) in the girl’s race.

Results: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=91548 

Scottish National Cross Country Championships, Callendar Park, Falkirk, February 22

There was a clean sweep of the team titles in the senior races for Central A.C. as they were lead home by Andrew Butchart (Derek Easton) who finished second to the in-form Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins) who in the end was a convincing winner. In the women’s race a large lead group was finally broken up by Rhona Auckland (Joyce Hogg) who won from a classy field including medallists Susan Partridge and Beth Potter (Mick Woods).

European Junior Championship 1500m champion Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman) showed he is no slouch on the mud running away from his opposition in the junior men’s race to take the title. The junior women’s race saw another victory for Edinburgh AC in the form of Rachael Dunn who was also an impressive winner. 

Inverclyde’s Jonathan Glen won the under-17 men’s race, with Catriona Graves winning the women’s equivalent by 20 seconds. In the under-15 races, Ben Greenwood (Catriona Tavendale) and Erin Wallace (Dudley Walker) both secured prestigious national titles.

Ryan Stephen of Cambuslang won the under-13 boy’s race, with Central AC’s Jennifer Walls winning the under-13 girls event.

Results: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=93665

Armagh International Road Races, Northern Ireland, February 20

Olympic 5,000m runner Nick McCormick (Lindsay Dunn) won the men’s 5km in 14:12 after a long sprint finish with Richard Weir. Subsequently, the pair went one-two in the Power of Ten rankings.

In the women’s 3km former European-under 23 5000m champion Laura Whittle (George Gandy) won in 9:26, three seconds clear of Stockport’s Elle Vernon (David Turnbull).

Results: http://www.athleticsni.org/download/files/Results2014-ArmaghInternational.xls

MAAC Championships, New York, February 21 

European under-23 5000m bronze medallist Kate Avery (Tony Simmons) won the mile in a PB 4:38.16 to go second in the Power of Ten rankings.

Results: http://www.armorytrack.com/gprofile.php?do=view_event&event_id=1644&mgroup_id=45586&year=2014

BUCS Indoor Championships, EIS, Sheffield, February 21-23

Andy Pozzi (Malcolm Arnold) equalled his Power of Ten topping time of 7.57 to take victory, a time one hundredth of a second quicker than he ran when finishing fourth at the last World Indoor Championships.

Isabel Pooley (Fuzz Ahmed) won the high jump with 1.87m, to equal her season’s best which puts her second in the UK rankings.

Jordan Kirby-Polidore (Leon Baptiste) won the 200m in 21.04 to go third in the Power of Ten rankings.

Results: http://www.rankinglists.com/results/results.aspx?meetingid=92559         

IPC Grand Prix, Dubai, February 22-23

Teenager Maria Lyle (Henry Gray) took over a second off the T35 200m world record with a 31.01 clocking, revising the previous best set in August 2005 by China’s Ping Liu. 

Seville Marathon, Seville, Spain, February 23

Thomas Cornthwaite finished 16th on his marathon debut in a time of 2.23.47, enough to put him top of the Power of 10 marathon rankings at this early point in the year.

Results: http://results.chronotrack.com/event/results/event/event-7511?lc=es