The Loughborough International has long been a proving ground for young emerging talent and also provides a competitive opportunity for established internationals in front of a good crowd at the Paula Radcliffe Stadium. This year’s competition is includes teams from England, Scotland, Wales, GB&NI Juniors, BUCS and Loughborough Students as well as invited guest athletes.

Alongside a packed timetable of sprint and field events endurance fans can look forward to seeing competitive 800m, 1500m, 3000m and 3000SC races.

Young Talent

The start list features some names we expect to be future stars of British distance running. U/20 National XC Champion Amelia Quirk races 3,000m looking to improve on her 2nd place finish last year. The Scottish team features the likes of GB international Eloise Walker. The under 20 has had a fine year competing in the World Cross and running 9:27 to finish 11th Armagh International Road Race. The GB team also includes European Youth silver medallist Anna Burt racing in the 800m.

Sam Charlton competes in the 3,000m having already claimed English School XC and u/17 National XC titles this year. European u/18 3,000m Gold Medallist Thomas Keen features for the GB team and we are also excited to see the continued development of Piers Copeland with both athletes racing in the 1500m.

Bob Smith coached Copeland achieved a fabulous bronze medal in the British Indoor Championships over 3,000m earlier this year. Commonwealth Youth Games Champion Alex Botterill races in the 800m having recently claimed both BUCs indoor and outdoor titles.

Established Internationals

The 1500m race features AFD’s Adam Clarke. The GB International has a PB of 3:38.35 but with an excellent range has run PBs of 4:01.02 for the mile and 29:28 for 10km this year.

The women’s 1500m race includes Holly Archer who place 5th in last week’s Ipswich Twilight 5km with 16:04. England Internationals over 10km Danielle Hodgkinson and Lucy Crookes race in the 3,000m. Tickets are still available should you want to see the action with events taking place from 11am – 18:30.

RELATED: The IAU World 50km Championship team has been announced

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Loughborough International Preview appeared first on Fast Running.

Usually one for the sprinters rather than endurance runners, especially this year due to the hot weather, the Loughborough International nevertheless saw plenty of good running performances.

Jess Judd led home the women’s 3000m in 9:05.16 and was followed by Amelia Quirk, whose 9:11.20 was a World Juniors qualifier. Julia Paternain (9:33.05) and Chloe Sharp (9:36.39) followed suit with good under-20 times.

The first seven in the men’s 3000m, won by Sol Sweeney in 8:06.90, set PBs. Kieran Wood (8:11.00), Guy Smith (8:12.10) and Mahamed Mahamed (8:13.34) were next in.

Thomas Keen, in sixth, went to the top of the world under-18 rankings with his 8:14.41 Euro Youths qualifier.

Holly Page produced a World Juniors qualifier to win the 3000m steeplechase, clocking 10:13.98, holding off the faster finishing Nicole Roberts (10:15.99) and Emily Moyes (10:16.46). The men’s event was won by Adam Kirk-Smith in 8:49.09, with Phil Norman second in 8:49.54.

Jamie Williamson (3:44.57) and Jemma Reekie (4:11.96) won the 1500m races.

Daniel Rowden was around half a second outside the European Championships qualifier with 1:47.01 in the 800m as under-20 Alex Botterill’s 1:48.66 was also of particular note behind him.

In the women’s event, Mari Smith repeated her win over Mhairi Hendry from the BUCS – 2:03.23 to 2:03.61. It was another PB for the winner as Isabella Boffey also broke new ground to run 2:04.00 and a World Juniors mark. Emily Williams’ 2:06.22 was a qualifier for the European Youths.

Pfingstsportsfest, Rehlingen (GER), May 20

Zac Seddon set a PB by more than three seconds with his 8:26.51 for second in the 3000m steeplechase behind Morocco Abdelkarim Ben Zahra (8:24.37). As well as being a European Championships qualifier, it lifted the Bracknell AC athlete into the top 25 on the GB all-time list.

Highgate Harriers’ Night of 10,000m PBs, London, May 19

Charlotte Arter clinched European Cup bronze with a personal best 32:15.71, while debutant over the distance Alex Yee finished fifth in the men’s race running 27:51.94 to lead three British men under 28 minutes. A full report from the Night of 10,000m PBs can be found here.

Photo: Nigel Bramley

Lange Laufnacht, Karlsruhe (GER), May 19

Bristol & West’s Stephanie Barnes equalled her PB in the 5000m with 16:01.78 for fourth.

USATF Distance Classic, Los Angeles (USA), May 17

Lincoln Wellington’s Sam Atkin took more than 17 seconds from his PB as he ran 13:39.38 for third in the 5000m.

World and Olympic finalist Lynsey Sharp was third in her 800m race, clocking 2:03.84 behind Canadian winner Lindsey Butterworth. Hallamshire Harrier Calli Thackery was 11th in the 5000m, running 16:06.57.

Swarthmore Final Qualifier, Swarthmore (USA), May 15

William Paulson of Stroud AC and Princeton University ran 3:39.51 for sixth, improving his best by more than two and a half seconds.

Twilight Series, Lowell (USA), May 19

Cambridge & Coleridge’s Holly Rees clocked 33:51.89 for second in the 10,000m.

Team Bath Steeplechase Invitation, Bath, May 18

Under-20 Amber Owens of Newark AC revised her PB with 5:08.7 in the 1500m steeplechase as Bridgend under-17 Fffion Higginson was second in 5:16.0.

BMC Gold Standard Races, Stretford, May 15

Tom Lancashire made a low-key season debut with 8:21.47 to win the 3000m.

Jacob Brown took more than a second off his best to win the fastest 800m race in 1:50.61. Under-17 Darcey Lonsdale was quickest of the women, running a PB 2:11.20, to go to fourth on the UK age group rankings for 2018. Ben Greenwood was fastest in the 1500m races, being timed at 3:48.14.

Watford Open Graded Races, Watford, May 16

Under-20 Yasmin Austridge was impressive in taking her 800m race in 2:10.97. Behind her in the mixed race were under-17 Amy Miller (2:13.96) and under-20 Maisey Grice (2:14.76). In a separate race, under-17 Kate Willis clocked 2:16.56.

Charnwood Opens, Loughborough, May 16

Gordon Lee topped the M50 5000m rankings with 15:57.74 for eighth overall behind winner Jimmy Kershaw (14:46.43).

The post Loughborough International and this week’s track round-up appeared first on Fast Running.