A world title for David Weir and a British record for Shelly Woods have been the highlights so far for the UK’s top wheelchair athletes as they undertake a 17-day trip to a series of top-quality competitions in North America.

Weir edged out fierce rival Kurt Fearnley by one second to take the IWAS World 5k Road Race Championship in Cedar Town, Georgia on Tuesday in 10:08.  Brain Alldis was 11^th in 11:32.

It was sweet revenge for Weir having reversed the outcome of two days earlier at the Long Island New York 10k, which the Aussie won.

In the Big Apple, Shelly Woods nibbled three seconds from Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson’s existing record, to win in a new national best of 24:00. She followed this by finishing 4^th in the scorching 91 degree heat of Cedar Town in 12:10, where GB& NI team-mate Ann Wafula-Strike was 14^th in 15:36.

All four will now head into the track and field arenas, where they will compete in the ‘Meet in the Heat’ followed by the USA Track and Field Championships, both in Atlanta, Georgia on 29-30 June and 1-2 July.

Weir, Alldis and Woods will then stay in the same city to take part in the Peachtree 10k Road Race, incorporating the IWAS World 10k Championships on 4 July.  The trio will round off their tour at the ‘Boiling Point Track Meet’ in Windsor, Canada which includes IAAF trials to race over 1500m at this summer’s World Championships in Osaka.