BMC/Glasgow AA Metric Miler Meeting, Emirates Arena, 4 January

Laura Muir’s (coach: Andy Young) record breaking run over 5,000m was the highlight of a brilliant first week of athletics in 2017, but she also had time to anchor the GB team to victory in the Stewart Cup at the Great Edinburgh International XCountry (separate report here: http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/media/news/2017-news-page/january/07-01-17-gexc-report/)

Rewind to Wednesday evening and Muir was contesting the rarely run indoor 5,000m at the Emirates Arena, with one eye on Liz McColgan’s British record of 15.03 set in Birmingham in February 1992, a year before the youngster was even born.

Passing 3,000m in 8.59 a record breaking run hung in the balance, until the British 1500m record holder, now running alone, started to up the pace. As the 200m laps ticked by it was clear Muir was only getting quicker as she proceeded to stop the clock in a stunning 14.49.12 to obliterate the old record. Some start to the year for the precocious Scot.

Stopping at 3,000m Kate Maltby (Christopher Frapwell) made the long trip north from Gloucestershire more than worthwhile as she revised her 3,000m personal best to 9.01.97, although perhaps frustratingly just short of the 9.00.00 qualifying time for the European Indoor Championships. In the men’s A race, which doubled up as the Scottish Championships, Dundee based Welshman Kristian Jones took the title in 8.07.65, ahead of James Bowness (William Parker) and Jonathan Hopkins who also set personal bests of 8.11.65 and 8.12.09 respectively.

Finally there was another record breaking run from Ben Greenwood (Catriona Helen Tavendale) over 600m, as he took the Scottish junior record for the distance thanks to a fine 1.18.98 run.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=181288

Meeting National en salle de Tignes, France, 5 January

Dwain Chambers showed that despite being 38 he is still extremely competitive, as he ran Olympic 200m bronze medallist Christophe Lemaitre very close over 60 metres. After a 6.69 run to win his heat, Chambers fought hard in the final but eventually had to settle for second behind the rangy Frenchman, his 6.64 run six hundredths down on Lemaitre.

Results: http://bases.athle.com/asp.net/liste.aspx?frmbase=resultats&frmmode=1&frmespace=0&frmcompetition=198392

Hampshire Cross Country Championships, Botley, 7 January

The battle of the Louise’s went right to the wire, with AFD’s Louise Small (Mick Woods) edging out Winchester’s Louise Damen by just five seconds, with the duo well clear of the rest of the field. Alex Teuten (Roderick Lock) was a comfortable winner in the men’s race.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=189853&pagenum=2

Middlesex Cross Country Championships, Hillingdon, 7 January

Richard Goodman (Woods) took a very solid victory ahead of Chris Smith (Philip O’Dell) in the 12km senior men’s race, whilst 2.32 marathoner Tracey Barlow (Nick Anderson) was the victor in the senior women’s equivalent, run over 8km.

http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=189860&pagenum=2#12KXC

Surrey Cross Country Championships, Croydon, 7 January

It was nearly a family double at the Surrey county championships as Phil Wicks took yet another cross country title, however his wife Emily Wicks (both Keith Donkin) had to settle for second place behind talented youngster Phoebe Law (Woods).

Results: http://www.thepowerof10.info/resultsfiles/2017/0_122888_08012017025700_20170107_SurreyCC.xlsx

Yorkshire Cross Country Championships, Ripon, 7 January

In a high quality women’s race Julie Briscoe (Bashir Hussain) took a commanding victory, heading fellow GB mountain running international Katie Walshaw (Katherine Farquhar) by some 30 seconds. Further back Emma Clayton (Andrew Henderson) was fourth on her return from injury, with GB marathoner Susan Partridge sixth.

In the men’s race young Emile Cairess (Phil Townsend) came of age to get the better of another GB mountain running international Tom Adams.

Results: http://www.northernathletics.org.uk/download/yorkshire-county-cross-country-champs-result-2017/?wpdmdl=8955

England Athletics Indoor Combined Events Championships, Sheffield 7-8 January

Liam Ramsay (Mike Corden) produced the fourth highest indoor heptathlon ever by a UK athlete to take the England Athletics Championship title, but it took an impressive 1000m at the end of day two to wrap it up. Leading overnight from Ashley Bryant (Aston Moore), who didn’t contest day two, Ramsay faced stiff competition from John Lane (Toni Minichiello). The pair were separated by just one hundredth of a second in the 60mH, Lane edging Ramsay 8.27 to 8.28, but Lane took the lead after a 4.91m pole vault.

That meant it was all down to the 1000m, where Ramsey clocked 2.38.86 to Lane’s 2.54.14, ensuring he wrapped up the title with 5832 points. Lane scored 5712, with Aiden Davies (Sam Stanislaus) taking bronze with 5401 points.

Jessica Taylor-Jemmett added the England Athletics Championship pentathlon title to the outdoor heptathlon title she won last summer with a score of 4090 points. The Glasgow 2014 bronze medallist, now competing under her married name, started off with a 8.61 60mH, before producing the best results in both the shot put (12.87m) and the 800m (2.23.58).

Elise Lovell (Stephen King) moved through as the competition progressed to take silver, with Danielle McGifford securing bronze.

In addition to the combined events action, the EIS also hosted open race walk, the highlight of which was Callum Wilkinson (Mick Graham) clocking 11:35.0 in the 3000m, a British u23 record and the fastest time under any conditions by a British teenager.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=187058

BMC Sheffield Open, Sheffield, 8 January

A high quality men’s 3000m was the pick of a good evening’s athletics in Sheffield, following on from the England Athletics Indoor Combined Events Championships. Fresh from his GB debut the day before, James West (George Gandy) took the spoils in an extremely close fought race, crossing the line in 7.58.94. Andrew Heyes (Steve Vernon) also dipped under eight minutes, with Ieuan Thomas (James Thie) and Phil Sesemann (Henderson) both clocking eight minutes flat.

Elsewhere, two-time Paralympian Stephen Morris (Thie) revised his personal best and the T20 British record with an impressive 1:56.67 posting over 800m to open his season strongly, while Elinor Kirk (Vernon) posted a 4.18 winning time in the women’s 1500m, and Spencer Thomas (Jon Bigg) won the men’s 800m in 1.49.62.

Results: http://www.britishmilersclub.com/content/bmcitemdisplay.aspx?itemid=1266

Sale Harriers Open Series, Sportcity, Manchester, 8 January

Adam Hague (Trevor Fox) was the top performer of the afternoon in Manchester as he cleared 5.50m in the men’s pole vault, a season’s best and just 10cm shy of his lifetime best. There was also a return to competition for Julian Reed (Aston Moore) for the first time in six months, as he won the long jump in 7.50m.

Results: http://powerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=185700&pagenum=2