29 March 2016 

Self Transcendence, Perth, Scotland, 27 March 

Crawley AC’s Paul Navesey claimed the British 100km ultra distance crown with a time of 6:58:52. The event involved 42 laps of a 2.38 kilometre loop in the North Inches Park in Perth on the banks of the River Tay.

After his victory, Navesey said: “That was a huge day of learning for me. My first 100k and so proud to run in an England vest. Road racing is tough, but that distance was totally new to me on the roads. I enjoyed the whole experience but it did hurt at times.

“It drew me in and roughed me up but I got what I went there for. So I am very pleased.”

Daniel Weston, Wrexham, took the silver medal with a new PB of 7:11:47 and Rob Turner, Edinburgh AC, took third in 7:17:11.

Spa Striders’ Melissa Venables took the ladies title with a time of 8:15:54. The silver medal went to Edwina Sutton, in 8.24.05 with Fife AC’s Sophie Mullins clocking 8.30.22 ensuring the hosts were also represented on the podium.

Venables added: “I see myself as a tortoise, it is a wild man’s race. I had a plan and I kept with it, it proved to be the right thing to do. I had my hard patches but I felt strong in the last 10K and I’m chuffed to bits.”

In the 50km championship which involved 21 laps, Scotland’s Commonwealth Games Marathon runner Ross Houston ran a superbly even-paced race to record a new Scottish 50km road record. In an exciting last couple of laps, Houston had to dig deep to record 2:56:37, finishing just two seconds inside the old record set by the legendary Don Ritchie in 1985. Houston’s time puts him fifth on the GB all all-time road 50km rankings.  His time is also well inside the individual qualifying time of 3 hours 5 minutes for the IAU world 50km championships to be held in Doha in November.

The quiet unassuming Houston said afterwards: “I was aware form stats Adrian (race organiser Adrian Stott) had sent me what the various records were before the race.

However, during the race, I could only remember the minutes. I could hear both Adrian and Ian (Ian Beattie Scottish Athletics  Chairman) shouting at me to just push it all the way on the last two laps, but didn’t realize how close I actually was until I had finished.”

It was a clean sweep for Scotland in the other medals with Mark Pollard claiming silver with 3.07.17 and Houston’s training partner, Ross Milne taking the bronze in 3:18:13.

In the women’s 50km championship, Hannah Oldroyd took the gold in 3:36:33 from Claire Singleton in 3:43:44. Fife AC’s Angela Howe took the bronze in 3:59:05. 

http://uk.srichinmoyraces.org/ultras

Miami Hurricane Twilight Invitational, Coral Gables, Florida, 25 March 

In his debut over 400m, 200m specialist Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (coach: Dennis Shaver) ran the third fastest time in the country this year with a 46.55 clocking in Coral Gables. 

The 21 year old is already off to a flying start in 2016 after recording a lifetime best of 20.51 at the SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arizona, which sees him top the 200m UK standings this year.  

http://www.hurricanesports.com/pdf9/4675025.pdf

Puma Invitational, Phoenix, Arizona, 24-25 March

Competing across four events in Phoenix, Ben Gregory (Julie Dodoo nee Hollman) set a new personal best of 42.14 in the discus in an encouraging start to the season for the 2014 Commonwealth Games sixth placer. 

http://results.tfmeetpro.com/Clyde_Resendez/Puma_Outdoor_Invitational/