The Mallory Park Road Challenge will take place on Sunday March 22nd on the flat and fast course at Mallory Park Racing Circuit. Organised by international athlete Sam Stabler and colleagues James and Gareth at ‘We Who Run’, the races add a rare opportunity for a fast road 5km as well as a quality 10km race in the spring.

The organisers say their test events saw over 65% of participants achieve personal bests and given their experience within the sport we are pretty sure runners will be in for a fantastic event.

Pacers throughout the field

With this in mind, the Mallory Park Running Series aims to provide the friendliest and most welcoming environment anywhere in the UK, for club runners of all levels of ability and provide the best opportunity for all runners to PB.

As such the organisers have got a team of expert pacers to support runners from the front to the back of the field stay on track and crack that 5km or 10km PB.

Focusing on what counts

Entry fees for both 5km and 10km are highly competitive with group discounts for clubs with 10 or more runners available as detailed on the race website.

Races these days tend to be more focused on the medal after than the quality of the race itself, but not here! Swapping a post-race T-Shirt and medal for investment in second to none pre-race facilities. You will get advice before and afterwards from a team of running experts with Sam and his team putting the emphasis back on the running itself, which is refreshing to see.

Wheelchair racing

In addition to the running races the team are putting on a 5km wheelchair race with the aim of seeing the biggest ever mass participation wheelchair event that the UK has ever staged. The race is aiming to top the 289 competitors who took part in an event in Dubai last year, which is currently the officially recognised world record.

The venue is fully equipped to cater for the needs of wheelchair participants, with ample parking, changing and toilet facilities, as well as a sizeable area close to the start/finish lines that will serve as an ideal changeover area for those who wish to participate in a race chair as opposed to their own day chair.

As a self-contained, professional motor circuit, the surface for tyres is as close to ideal as can be found and the obvious health and safety benefits that a private, well marshalled track offers, will hopefully offer complete piece of mind to those using our event as their first experience of a mass participation event!

You can sign up to the races on the Mallory Park Road Challenge website and we look forward to covering the results and PBs as they come in.

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The post Mallory Park Road Challenge set for PBs over 5km and 10km appeared first on Fast Running.

On Saturday, in the wind and rain, hundreds of runners took to the mud in Mansfield for the Saucony English National Cross Country Relays. This annual competition brings true team spirit and determination to the running world, and in perfect timing, the autumnal sun appeared just as the races were underway. 

In the senior women’s race, the victory title was once again claimed by Aldershot & Farnham District. After pushing away from Lincoln’s Abbie Donnelly, Emily Hosker-Thornhill gave AFD the lead they needed in the first leg.

Hosker-Thornhill then handed on to teammate Niamh Brown who ran the second leg in the 2nd overall fastest time and Lauren Hall with the fastest overall 3rd leg. In keeping with previous years, it was Blackburn’s Jessica Judd, who after a PB in Leeds last weekend ran the fastest time over the 2nd leg. 

The runner’s up at Berry Hill Park were the Leeds City AC team consisting of Bronwen Owen, Stephanie Pennycook, and Jennifer Walsh. The bronze medal went to Cambridge & Coleridge AC’s female team led by Holly Archer, followed by Victoria Knight and Suzie Reid. 

High competition levels hint at an exciting XC season ahead

The competition in the men’s race was incredibly high, with plenty of fast athletes pulling on their spikes and haring through the mud.  The victorious men, retaining their title once again, were Leeds City AC. Despite an early setback as Phil Sesemann took a tumble.

Sesemann did well to get back up and finish strong enough for his team to grab the win. Photo: Stephen Lee

Sesemann achieved a third-place finish over one of the longer legs last year, but his tumble set him back into fifth place this year. The strong team behind him all ran strong legs pushing Leeds back up the ranks.

Matthew Grieve, Graham Rush, and Emile Cairess stormed to a first-place finish with Cairess delivering an impressive anchor leg. 

Jonathon Escalante-Phillips, Joseph Smith, Jack Gray, and Marc Scott had a sensational team performance, landing the Cambridge & Coleridge team to a second-place finish. C&C were followed by Bedford & County AC, made up of Max Bergin, Jack Goodwin, Matt Bray, and Dan Jarvis.  

It was Sam Stabler of Wreake & Soar Valley that took home the ‘winners’ title for the first leg, Aldershot’s Cross the title in the second leg, Leeds’s Graham Rush, and Emile Cairess in the final leg. 

On the roads. 

The success continued on the roads in Tatton Park 10k and Half Marathon. On Saturday the 10k took place with some incredible individual performances. The senior men’s title was secured by Mo Abu-Reezeq in an outstanding 30:18. The sub-30-minute PB boasting athlete had a cracking run in his sixth road 10k of the year. 

Kirsty Longley of Liverpool Pembroke Sefton was the winner of the women’s race. Longley ran 34:59 for first place, followed by Laura Lombard in a time of 37:45. Hannah Price competed the top three women at Tatton Park, stopping at 38:15 on the clock. 

After an astounding run on Saturday, Mo Abu-Reezeq also claimed the title in the half marathon on Sunday! An amazing double performance. The Altrincham athlete ran 67:59 for first place, ahead of Sale Harriers Manchester’s Nicholas Barry who clocked 1:11:18 for a second-place finish. Finishing just 17-seconds outside of his personal best, Paul Jones of Hereford ran 75:07. 

It was V40 athlete, Margaret Beever from Stainland who won the women’s race. Beever ran herself to an impressive time of 01:27:42. 

Swansea and Cardiff share the spoils

This year’s Richard Burton 10k saw a stacked field of high-quality athletes take to the roads of some of Wales’ picturesque villages. Jonathon Hopkins did Swansea Harriers proud with a strong performance and time of 30:36. Hopkins recently dipped significantly under the 30-minute mark, running 29:30 at last weekend’s Leeds Abbey Dash.

James Hunt was next to cross the line as the first of the two Cardiff athletes on the men’s podium. Hunt ran a solid 31:45 and was also amongst those who ran cracking performances in Leeds last weekend, where he clocked 29:12. Just 7 seconds behind Hunt was Tom Marshall, also from Cardiff AAC. 

Cardiff AAC’s success did not stop in the men’s race. Lucy Marland continued the performance glory into the women’s event. Marland ran a cracking 36:43 after a PB performance in Leeds last Sunday. Ashleigh Willis of Swansea and Sioned Howells of Amman Valley Harriers finished off the women’s podium in 39:30 and 40:09 respectively. 

Rush to the finish line

In keeping with the start of the winter festivities, the Bonfire Burn 10k took place. Graham Rush secured himself the position at the top of the podium. Rush added to the success of Leeds City this weekend with his gold medal in a time of 32:26. Following Rush, in 33:54 was Duncan Coombs and Johannes Arens 34:00, for second and third place respectively. 

In the women’s race, the winner was set from the start. Winning by a huge seven minutes, was Georgina Schwiening. The Cambridge athlete clocked 34:37 for first place. 

Over the marginally shorter 5-mile distance, was The Deal Castle 5-mile race. Charlie Brisley was the first male to cross the line and cut the tape in 24:43. Brisley of Invicta East Kent stormed the distance to a 5-mile personal best by 50 seconds!

Harrison Tremain crossed the line in second place with a time 27:04. It was the U20 Ashford AC athlete’s debut over the 5-mile distance. It was Stephen Male that took home the bronze medal in a close finish for third position. Male achieved a solid time of 28:02. 

In the women’s race, Renata Mcdonnell was first across the line, securing first place in a time of 31:10 for Deal Tri Club. Mcdonnell was shortly followed by Elena Jury in 34:27 and Natalie Long in 35:10. 

Highly rated racing in Marlow

Back over the half marathon distance, in what has been consistently rated one of the UK’s best half marathons was the Marlow Half Marathon. The winning titles for the men’s and women’s races went to Stuart MacDougall in 1:18:08 and Bethan Huntley in 1:27:40.

Over the 7-mile distance at the Marlow 7-mile, Nick buckle took home gold. The Belgrave Harrier runner ran 40:02 to secure a minute lead. The women’s title was claimed by Becky Atkinson of Maidenhead in 45:38. 

New York City Marthon

There are still plenty of runners on the streets of New York and we will update the round-up as the results come in. Geoffrey Kamworor and Joyciline Jepkosgei, both half-marathon world record holders, were victorious on the tough course in 2:08:13 and 2:22:38 respectively.

parkrun UK

Gavin Hill and Jacqueline Fairchild ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this weekend (2nd November). Full rankings here.

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The post AFD & Leeds City victorious at XC Relays – UK round-up appeared first on Fast Running.

Online entries for the renowned Armagh International Road Races in Northern Ireland on Thursday, February 14, closes today (January 18).

Year after year the men’s 5k and women’s 3k produce some of the quickest times across the UK and Ireland with unmatched depth in each field.

Last year a record 94 men dipped under the 15-minute mark, while and 34 women ran under 10-minutes.

Racing for the first time in Armagh and his first 5k on the road, Sam Stabler won the men’s race in a lightning fast 13:59, while women’s course record holder Laura Weightman clocked 9:00 to finish within one second of her 8:59 best from 2017.

Photo: Keith McClure

RELATED: Sam Stabler and Laura Weightman win in Armagh

The night of racing also includes an open men’s 3k and juvenile races.

The 2019 lapped race around the Mall in the city is shaping up once again to produce some the fastest times around. Could 100 men break 15 minutes for 5k this year?

Further information about race entry can be found here, while Fast Running’s coverage of the action in Armagh can be found here.

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 Last chance to enter the Armagh road races appeared first on Fast Running.

With record entries and the most competitive field to date – despite it clashing with the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg – the course records at the Telford 10k could be under threat on Sunday (December 9).

Weather conditions are forecast to be unseasonably mild and still, and, with a host of international stars set to push each other to the limits on the two lap course, the fastest times of the year on domestic soil could be in the making.

The fastest PB in the men’s field is held by Dorking & Mole Valley’s ace, Luke Caldwell. 

The Scotsman scorched to a 28:29.61 best on the track at the 2015 Payton Jordan Invitational, and has dipped comfortably under the 30 minute bar three times already this year. 

He was sixth at the rearranged 2017 race, which was held in January this year due to ice and snow on the course on the usual December date.

Caldwell’s season’s best this year is his 29:18.17 at the Highgate Harriers Night of the 10,000m PBs in May.

Boasting the fastest 10k road time this year in the impressive field is Wreake & Soar Valley’s Sam Stabler, who ran his 29:09 PB at the Parelloop 10k in March. 

The Leicestershire athlete also won the Armagh International 5k in 13:59 in February, as well as last year’s Leeds Abbey Dash in 29:13.

Cardiff AAC’s Ieuan Thomas earned his 29:13 life time best at January’s Telford 10k when finishing runner up to Charlie Hulson. 

The talented steeplechaser – who holds an incredible 8:30.16 PB for the 3000SC – was seventh at this year’s Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. He pulled on the GB vest once again at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin in August, so is used to performing under pressure.

Ollie Lockley has enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2018, running his 30:18 road PB when winning this year’s Great Ireland Run. 

The Leeds City athlete dominated the Isle of Man Easter Festival races, winning every single event. His track best over 10,000m is an impressive 29:15.45 from the Highgate Harriers event in May.

Thames Valley’s Petros Surafel was third in January’s Telford 10k, which is also when he earned his 29:21 best over the distance. Surafel rose to a more national prominence when making the podium at October’s Great South Run, his 48:05 good enough for third in the televised event.

With 100 men indicating their intention to break the 31 minute mark at Sunday’s race, there is a huge range of talent set to battle it out for the minor positions.

Jack Martin from Stockport won last weekend’s Percy Pud 10k in a 29:13 PB, although his 10,000m best is 28:52.78 from this year’s Gouden Spike in Holland.

Photo: Percy Pud 10k/Steel City Striders

Aldershot, Farnham & District’s Josh Grace won the event in 2016 with a 29:21 lifetime best, while Lincoln Wellington’s Lucian Allison is in the form of his life. 

Allison followed up a dominant victory at October’s Peterborough Half Marathon with a third place at last month’s Leeds Abbey Dash 10k in a 29:33 PB.

RELATED: Lucian Allison’s rapid rise from ‘Couch to 5k’ to dreams of a British vest

Southampton’s Alex Teuten is also entered, and, assuming he has recovered from rolling his ankle at the Liverpool Cross Challenge race, his PB of 29:52.29 from last year’s Highgate 10,000m suggests he could challenge for a top 10 result.

Jack Gray has consistently run within half a minute of the 30 minute mark and, if he can manage to avoid a reoccurrence of the stomach problem he often suffers with in races, he could also be in the mix.

Blackheath & Bromley’s Scott Overall is a class act, but, while he has one of the fastest PBs in the field – 28:49 – that dates from seven years ago. Nevertheless, he ran a useful 29:48 in March, so he could be on better form than his recent race results suggest.

It remains to be seen whether Chris Davies’ 28:52 course record from 2003 will still be standing on Sunday, but, with the hugely popular event including the additional competitive element of an Inter-Area match (with selected athletes representing the Midlands, North of England, North Wales, UK Armed Forces and Birmingham University), there will be no holding back at the sharp end. 

Kate Reed leads the women’s field

The highlight of the women’s elite field is undoubtedly 2008 Olympian, Kate Reed. The Bristol & West star made a very welcome return to competitive running this winter, with an 11th place at the Cardiff edition of the British Athletics Cross Challenge series in October underlining her serious intentions.

Reed followed that performance up with a 16:05 5k in Romania last month, before posting a promising 33:29 at the recent Wilmslow 10k. The Beijing Olympian’s PB of 32:07 dates back to 2007, but, having battled back to fitness following years of Achilles tendon injuries, it’s clear this determined athlete still has plenty to give.

Worcester’s Jenny Nesbitt will be fighting Reed for the title after having a superb year on the track, with a Commonwealth Games final performance the highpoint of the Hoka One One athlete’s career so far. 

The young Welsh star ran her 32:38.45 10,000m PB at Highgate this year, so clearly has the speed to challenge for the top podium prize.

Fellow Hoka athlete Louise Small went even quicker at the European Cup event in May, posting a 32:34.73 lifetime best just a month after recording a 33:20 road 10k PB in Poland.

The Aldershot, Farnham & District ace is consistently a class act, and, with a 15:40.5 5000m best, cannot be ruled out for the title.

Another sub-33 minute talent to watch is Leeds City’s Claire Duck. Although she has only run 34:00 on the roads, the fact she has posted a 32:52 10,000m this year and a 32:51 last year – both at Highgate – shows she has the legs to go much quicker than her Leeds Abbey Dash PB suggests.

Duck’s club mate Bronwen Owen will be debuting over the distance in the West Midlands event, but with a 16:17 5k best from this year’s Manchester Sale Sizzler under her belt, she could be a dark horse in the race for the top spoils.

Other exciting talents to watch will include Birchfield’s incredible success story Hayley Carruthers, who has improved from 43:47 two years ago to 34:05 at this year’s Vitality London 10,000m. 

The former Rotherham Harrier has topped the world parkrun top 10 rankings twice already this winter with a 16:24 best recorded last month. Her 2:36:48 marathon PB from October’s Toronto race shows she has huge potential to upset the bookies’ predictions.

Josephine Moultrie from Victoria Park City of Glasgow AC and Danni Nimmock from City of Norwich are also set to challenge for a podium place, the latter finishing third in January’s event with a 33:44 PB, behind Caryl Jones’s 33:18 and Faye Fullerton’s 33:26.

RELATED: Charlie Hulson and Caryl Jones win Telford 10k

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The post Telford 10k set for fast times appeared first on Fast Running.

The duo finished one and two at the Armagh 5k in February, with Stabler getting the better of the Welshman down the home straight for a one-second win.

Stabler led home an astonishing 94 men under 15 minutes that night, crossing the line in 13:59 in what was his first road 5k. The Wreake & Soar Valley runner has been in good form this year, finishing second at the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships, and most recently ran a 10k road PB 29:09 at the 10km Parelloop in Holland.

Likewise, Hulson, along with his 14:00 PB in Armagh, has put in a number of notable performance in recent months, including three wins over the 10k distance in Chester, Cardiff and Telford, taking 18 seconds off his best when he posted 29:12 in the latter.

Ahead of the race, Stabler, who has had more than his fair share of injuries to deal with, told Fast Running: “Training has been going very well and my best ever block of training finished on Sunday.

“It was 17 days with an average of 83 miles over seven days and I hit or surpassed all of my workout targets. My previous highest since November was 73 for 7 days. I am looking forward to racing in Brighton and there is a pacemaker to 3km so that is quite exciting.

“It’s been great to see the group [Rob Denmark coached athletes] running so well at the Commonwealths, so whilst I’m going into the weekend with a little bit of fatigue, I know that when Highgate [Night of 10,000m PBs] comes around that Rob will have me ready.”

Also joining them in the men’s race is Scott Overall, who has the quickest PB with 28:49 from 2012 and Brighton local Robbie Fitzgibbon.

While 2:10 marathoner Overall has the quickest recorded time over the distance, a few weeks ago in Cardiff, the Olympian finished 36 seconds behind Hulson.

Top line-up in the women’s race

The women’s race should be equally as exciting, with Kate Avery and Charlotte Arter among those expected on the start-line.

Avery, a two-time European cross country silver medalist, has been working her way back to full race fitness in recent months and has put in a number of encouraging performances, including a 9:26 run at the Armagh 3k, and most recently clocking 15:52 at last month’s Podium 5K.

Sunday will be the 26-year-old’s first time racing the distance this year, but with a 33:05 best, she definitely want to run a fast time.

On the other end of distances, Cardiff AAC’s Arter, who has a 10k best of 33:03, has been impressing over the half marathon this year.

The 26-year-old ran a personal best 71:31 at the Big Half, before competing at the World Half Marathon Championships, where she finished 31st in 71:52.

Also aiming to have their say in proceedings will be Phoebe Law and Charlene Thomas.

Kingston & Poly’s Law finished third in last year’s race, but after her cross country performances in recent months, that included a hat-trick of domestic wins in the Inter-Counties, the Nationals and the South of England Championships, as well as 10th in the U23 Europeans, the 21-year-old has every chance of moving further up the podium.

Wakefield District’s Thomas is a world class 4:03 1500m runner and her endurance potential is relatively untapped, but does have a best 33:32 from 2016 and won the Dewsbury 10K by almost a minute in February, so will certainly be amongst the mix too.

The BM10k starts at 9am at Withdean Stadium, with the elite marathon following at 9:45am.

The post Sam Stabler and Charlie Hulson to renew rivalry in Brighton appeared first on Fast Running.

Racing for the first time in Armagh and his first 5k on the road, Stabler proved to be the unknown quantity among a host of familiar faces and clinched the win in a lightning fast 13:59, while course record holder Laura Weightman clocked 9:00 to finish within one second of her 8:59 best last year.

Once again race organisers amassed fields of incredible depth and despite the chilly temperatures 93 men dipped under the 15-minute mark for 5km and 34 women under 10-minutes for 3km.

The lapped race around the Mall in Armagh, that measures just over 1km, saw a tightly packed group of about 20 men at 3km with Charlie Hulson taking over from Dewi Griffiths who lead the first two laps. As the race progressed and the bell went for the final lap any one of 10 had the potential to take the 2018 crown with America Jordan Mann leading.

As they came down the home stretch Hulson made a move to pull away, but Leeds Abbey Dash winner Stabler held on and kicked at the vital time to take control.

From that point, the race belonged to Stabler and despite the best efforts of chasing 2016 winner Hulson and Mann, the jubilant Stabler held on to win the 28th edition of the Armagh race just dipping under the 14:00 mark.

“I went out so conservatively because the shapes not quite there yet, I think I was 30th or 40th after the first lap,” Stabler told Fast Running. “I then quietly moved up going into the bell and then I spotted a gap and suddenly found myself shoulder with first.

“That was the move that got me in contention. Coming into the home stretch Charlie Hulson made a big move, but I kept waiting because Dewi [Griffiths] gave me some great advice, ‘don’t kick until the cones’ and I just went.

“I feel so good with the win and how I’ve progressed since my 8:07 indoors last week.”

Hulson took second in a three-second personal best 14:00, with Ocean State’s Mann, who finished eighth last year, taking the third podium step in 14:01.

Elsewhere England’s Graham Rush and Scotland’s Luke Caldwell finished sixth and seventh both in 14:05, while the young Mahamed Mahamed impressed for England to finish 10th in 14:07.

Dewi Griffiths was racing for the time in 2018 after his hamstring injury at the Euro Cross Country Champs in December, ran a strong race and finished 11th in 14:07. Matt Bergin, 10th last year, was the first athlete in the green of Ireland in 14:08 for 12th place.

With Hulson and Griffiths in the top 11, the Wales’ A quartet won the men’s international team title, with England second and Ireland third. While the top ranking club was Swansea Harriers.

Weightman retains Armagh 3k title

Weightman said before the race she hoped “for a good hard fast race” to test herself after five weeks at altitude in South Africa and she certainly got that with Jess Judd pushing her all the way.

But it was the two-time Olympic finalist who just had that extra bit of strength and pipped her challengers to the win in 9:00, just one second off her own course record.

Fellow London 2017 participant Judd gave Weightman a fantastic race and lead for the first two laps, however, two-time Olympic finalist Weightman knows what it takes to win in Armagh and duly delivered with the important kick down the home straight to clinch the win.

“It was hard out there, it was really cold compared to last year, hence all the clothes I am racing in,” a shivering Weightman said after winning her second Armagh title. “I found the cold quite tough on my chest and was breathing quite hard.

“But I managed to dig deep in the last few hundred metres and showed my strength to get past Jess [Judd]. It was a big confidence win after a big January training camp.”

Judd finished second in a big eight-second personal best 9:03, with the ever improving Verity Ockenden finishing third in the vest of England with 9:14.

Elsewhere Team New Balance Manchester’s Lauren Howarth impressed to finish fourth in 9:15, while Amy Griffiths was the next from England’s team with 9:18 for fifth place, and Northern Ireland and Ulster’s Emma Mitchell finished sixth with 9:19.

Scotland’s Steph Pennycook completed the top 10 with a four second PB 9:26, while race organisers Armagh AC’s Fionnuala Ross finished 12th in 9:28.

England won the women’s international team title, with Northern Ireland and Ulster second and Scotland third. The club win went to Leeds City AC.

With 77 men going under sub 15-minute mark and 28 women under 10-minutes last year – this year’s field truly delivered and maintained the upward curve.

A special mention should also go to Class of 2018‘s Dave Norman who continues his comeback with a great 15:25 performance in the Armagh 5k.

The final race of the night, the open men’s 3k saw a new course record set Polish athlete Michal Rozmys in 8:30. Second and third were two young Northern Irish athletes Craig McMeechan in 8:43 and Jack O’Farrell in 8:59.

Top 10 – men’s 5k
1) Sam Stabler: 13:59
2) Charlie Hulson: 14:00
3) Jordan Mann: 14:01
4) Yannick Michiels: 14:02
5) John Sanderson: 14:04
6) Graham Rush: 14:05
7) Luke Caldwell: 14:05
8) Jonny Hopkins: 14:05
9) William Fuller: 14:06
10) Mahamed Mahamed: 14:07

Top 10 – women’s 3k
1) Laura Weightman: 8:59
2) Jess Judd: 9:03
3) Verity Ockenden: 9:14
4) Lauren Howarth: 9:15
5) Amy Griffiths: 9:18
6) Emma Mitchell: 9:19
7) Iona Lake: 9:24
8) Matylda Kowal: 9:25
9) Claire Duck: 9:26
10) Steph Pennycook: 9:26

The full results from the action in Armagh can be found here.

Fast Running will help showcase a number of high-quality club organised races this year to highlight the great work that happens at the club level. Get in touch at team@fastrunning.com if you think your race deserves more coverage.

The post Sam Stabler and Laura Weightman win in Armagh appeared first on Fast Running.

Proving that cross country mud doesn’t play by any rules, Gorecka upset the odds to beat race favourites Jess Judd and Gemma Steel to the top podium spot in the senior women’s race.

The Aldershot Farnham and District athlete has had a frustrating period of injuries, but after helping her club retain the English Cross Country Relay crown earlier this month, the 23-year-old has followed suit with an individual cross country performance to match.

With conditions muddy after recent rainfall, it was always going to be a battle of grit and determination in Sefton Park and Gorecka had it in abundance.

Judd was seeking her third consecutive Cross Challenge win, and after a tightly contested race, it was the Aldershot athlete who pulled away from her Chelmsford rival. Judd gave it her all in the chase, but Gorecka powered on impressively to win in 27:59 – seven seconds ahead of Judd in 28:06.

Four-time winner at Liverpool, Gemma Steel (Charnwood AC) filled the bronze medal position in a not too distant 28:16. Elle Vernon of Stockport AC had a fantastic race in fourth position, two seconds ahead of Lily Partridge (Aldershot, Farnham and District) in times of 28:24 and 28:26.

In 6th place overall finished Phoebe Law with a superb run to place her second in the under 23 category. With Judd’s second place it meant three of the top seven women were under 23 athletes indicating a very promising future for women’s distance running. Amy Griffiths of Aldershot Farnham & District was 7th overall.  The following athletes completed the top six under 23 women; Mhairi Maclennan (Morpeth Harriers), Philippa Bowden (Aldershot & Farnham Ac) and Stephie Pennycook (Fife Ac)

Gorecka said afterwards: “I’ve said all year round, I just wanted to get back racing and be healthy. Me and Chris [Thompson] have been talking about getting here happy and healthy, and we managed that, so we thought ‘why not’. He told me to use my instinct and I hoped it would still be there. He empowered me to believe in myself. I didn’t know what would happen as I’ve hardly raced against those girls this year, but he was right and I managed to win.”

English cross country champion Connor produced a fantastic performance to finish two seconds clear of Southampton’s Alex Teuten and seal the victory in the men’s race.

Connor crossed the line in 30:18 over the 9.8km course. The inform Sam Stabler completed the podium six seconds behind Teuten, to repeat the top three from February’s English XC Championships.

Stabler and Teuten both 25, deservedly earn their first GB vests for next month’s European Cross Country Championships. The pair missed out on the representing Britain at the World XC championships eight months ago after the governing body opted not to send a team.

RELATED: Sam Stabler: persistence leads to success

Dewi Griffiths, who has been in untouchable form these last few months, couldn’t quite find the race many had expected. The Welshman and 2:09 marathoner finished one second off Stabler take fourth and the final automatic spot for the GB Euro XC team.

The top four men all finished within ten seconds of each other with Teuten in 30:20, Stabler in 30:26 and Griffiths in 30:27. Andy Butchart, the winner in 2016, struggled in the conditions and finished a further 10 seconds behind in fifth. Sixth place was Milton Keynes winner Mahamed Mahamed in 30:40.

The Southampton AC youngster was the first of the under 23 category incorporated into the senior race. Patrick Dever of Preston Harriers finished a fine second with Chris Olley (Tonbridge AC) third under 23 – both men finishing 12th and 13th overall. Completing the top six were; Daniel Jarvis Liverpool Harriers, Jack Rowe Aldershot Farnham & district and Joe Steward (East Cheshire Harriers).

Connor commented afterwards: “I really wanted to win it. I wanted to push it on and make it an honest race and I did that. It was tight and I knew Alex (Teuten) was closing me down over the last bit but I managed to hold on. It is great to win this race – I have won here as an age group runner in the past so it is nice to add a senior win.”

In the junior races, it was Ben Dijkstra of who took the win for the boys with Will Richardson and George Pool completing the podium. The next three places were; Matt Willis, Jake Heyward and Scott Beattie.

The junior women battled over _km4.4km and it was the familiar sight of Harriet Knowles Jones who emerged victorious. Behind her Khahisa Mhlanga crossed the line 14 seconds adrift with Cari Hughes in third. Completing the top six places and hoping to be considered for the team in Slovakia were Niamh Brown, Erin Wallace and Victoria Weir.

In total six places are for grabs in the senior, under 23 and junior categories to represent Britain at the European Cross-country Championships in Slovakia next month. The first four in each category were determined automatically by the top four finishers in Liverpool, with a further two places left to the selector’s discretion.

The selection committee will meet on Monday to finalise all of the teams.

A review of other UK racing highlights this weekend can be found here.

The post Emelia Gorecka and Ben Connor win Euro Trials in Liverpool appeared first on Fast Running.

During this time many will experience niggling injuries, maybe even a serious injury and that results in a year on the sidelines, but most will bounce back and get back right to it.

However, few will have had the unfortunate luck of Sam Stabler – injured every three to four months for as long as he can remember. “I’m feeling great, it’s 11 months injury free,” Stabler joyfully exclaims as a declaration to the longest period of injury free running he has ever experienced.

Now, 25, and after years of persistence the Leicestershire man is full of hopes and dreams at the prospect of finally earning his first British vest.

To turn that dream into reality he aims to finish in top four at the British trials for the European Cross Country Championships on Saturday afternoon in the mud at Sefton Park in Liverpool.

Stabler will line-up amongst a top field that includes multiple time GB internationals; Andy Butchart, Dewi Griffiths, Andy Vernon and Jonny Hay – so it will be no easy task. However, having already tasted victory in the opening race of the Cross Challenge series in Cardiff, he is confident.

“Winning in Cardiff wasn’t something I expected to do at the start of the cross country season, especially because I haven’t had a cross country season in a while – but thankfully my track speed came through at the end,” says Stabler, looking back on the October race in the Welsh capital.

It’s fair to say in recent years Stabler has been somewhat under the radar of the wider athletics audience in the UK – this can be credited to injury-plagued years and his time in the U.S. studying at Lamar University.

However, when fit, he has shown more than glimpses of his ability that were first on display as a 17-year-old with fourth (U17) at the English National Cross Country Championships.

The winner that day was a rival he will face again on Saturday, Jonny Hay, who has now progressed as a 17-year-old earn six GB vests at six European Cross Country Championships.

Three weeks on from Stabler’s win in Cardiff he swapped mud for road and won impressively at the Leeds Abbey Dash in 29:13. Still somewhat flying under the radar, he was the only leading male entry without his name on the race bib – having to settle for the lucky 208 instead.

The following week in a hard-fought battle with Southampton’s Mahamed Mahamed it was a runners-up spot at the second Cross Challenge race in Milton Keynes. It felt like a victory though, for Stabler, he had found a new level of consistency: “I have never really been able to run races back to back – especially 10k’s without imploding.

“I was really pleased with my performance, especially on the back of Leeds the week before. I think the last time I had back to back races I finished 3rd one week in 29 minutes and the next week I was 201st in 32 minutes.”

Looking back on his junior years, injuries and making the decision to move across to the America to attend university, he says: “Before I went to America I had a pretty good stretch of running – I was in the top eight under 17 but after that, I picked up quite a few different injuries. The first was a calf problem that kept me out for 3 months.

“Coming back from that the next injury was a knee problem. It was to do with tracking, which meant my inner thigh was too weak, and my knee cap moved around. It was a reoccurring injury so every time I experienced it, I had to have six to eight weeks off. In total, I had that injury about five times and every time a week was added to the recovery – so it was a frustrating time.

“That ruined years as an under 20 and my first year at Lamar University in Texas. After that, I was going okay at Lamar, but if I flew home I would either underperform because of the jet lag or pick up an Achilles niggle. When I ran my PBs in 2015 I think I missed about three months just before that by just stepping off the plane.”

While at Lamar in that first year, Stabler spent considerable time going through the motions on an underwater treadmill “with the knee problems and the calf issues” he was having.

“When running ‘normally’ with the calf issues, I could run for about two miles before cramping would set it. I would then have to stop and rest before I could run again,” he explains. “But with the underwater treadmill, it was strengthening my calves as well without putting too much weight on them. I was pretty much doing that every other day for as long as I could – it all demanded on how bored the athletics trainer got who had to watch me.

Stabler then credits the patience of coach Darren Gauson and his work with him during the last three years in Lamar. This patience played its part in his personal bests in 2015, included an indoors 7:53 for 3,000m and 13:30 over 5,000m at the Stanford Invitational.

Back in the UK

Optimism was in the air when Stabler returned home the following year. Both with his recent performances and a degree in Chemical Engineering promised a bright career away from athletics. However, those career plans were put on hold for 2016 with his focus solely on the first love.

“When I came home I didn’t work for a year. I lived off what savings I had and just trained,” he says looking back on his determined state of mind after returning to the UK. “But everything that could have gone wrong did and injuries resurfaced.” He shared some his training records from 2016 and it’s grim reading for any runner.

Finally, though, that dogged persistence was about to pay off, with things taking a turn for the better at the beginning of 2017. Under the guidance of Rob Denmark in Loughborough, the level of consistency long sought from the age of 17 is now a reality after 11 months injury free running. “We have just been taking things slow and gradual,” explains Stabler. “I’ve also been getting a regular sports massage and I think that, along with being sensible with training, has really paid off. If anything I have undertrained this year.”

There is also some room in 2017 for Stabler’s career outside of athletics, but he still doing his best to priorities his goals and ambitions in the sport. “Monday mornings I have a two-hour drive to just outside Grimsby. I run in the evening up there and then on Tuesday morning I have a session on my own about 6:00 am before work,” Stabler explains of the start of the week, where work does have to come first. “Then I work all day and drive home for my second run at 8:00pm, dinner and bed.

“Pretty much Wednesday, Thursday and Friday running comes first. Thankfully the main work I do on Monday and Tuesday is enough to pay the bills. The work the rest of the week is flexible around running,” referring to his coaching in schools and work at a local engineering firm.”

Before his recent notable cross country and road performances in 2017, he has back close to his 2015 best on the track – with 13:38.09 and 13:37.30 in May and July respectively.

“At this point in my life, I am happy with the routine because it gives me the time to prioritise a big part of my week to running. Right now it’s my priority, it’s what I love and I think I have a chance to do something with it.

“My 13:30 in 2015 was only 5 seconds off the 2016 Olympic time. So this year I hope to get to the low 13:20s, if not below that mark, he says. “And right now I’m not too far away from making a GB team and then hopefully I can have a shot at the next World Champs and Olympics.”

Back to the imminent battle on Saturday Stabler rightly believes he has as good a chance as anyone: “After Cardiff and my recent performances, I am going into it confident and hopefully, I will still be amongst the top four at the end. I reckon Dewi or Butchart will take the lead so I will try and stay as ominous as long as possible and just keep up.”

The post Sam Stabler: persistence leads to success appeared first on Fast Running.

As well as Cross Challenge points, many athletes who will be vying for a spot on the British team for December’s European Cross Country Championships in Šamorín, Slovakia.

Last year’s winner Andy Butchart returns and will lead the charge in the men’s race. The Olympian is just back from altitude training and will keen to impress now back at sea level. However, he will not have it easy, and amongst the strong challengers are Dewi Griffiths, Sam Stabler, Ben Connor, Andy Vernon and Jonny Hay.

The course is about as flat as cross-country gets but can often get churned up throughout the day and will be sure to stage some high-quality races with junior, under-23 and senior GB vests at stake.

Welshman Griffiths has been in fantastic form over last few months, including that his marathon debut in Frankfurt three weeks ago. Not one to rest, the Swansea Harrier has already been back racing following his 2:09.49 marathon effort.

“I’m looking forward to Liverpool, it’s always the hardest domestic cross country on the calendar and this year will be no different,” Griffiths said ahead of Saturday. “Sam Stabler’s in good shape, and it’s good to see Vernon back racing too, I wasn’t expecting him back until after Christmas. If you then throw in the likes of Andy Butchart and Ben Connor. It’s looking like a hell of a race this year again.”

Stabler has shown he is one of the in-form athletes so far this season with a number of impressive performance. First, there was a fine win in Cardiff at the opening Cross Challenge fixture, followed by a superb victory on the roads at the Leeds Abbey Dash. Most recently he finished runner-up at Milton Keynes Cross Challenge.

Speaking to Fast Running this week the 25-year-old said:”I wasn’t sure about six weeks ago if I would complete at the Euro Trials, but after Cardiff and how things have been going I would foolish not to.

“I am going into it confident and I’ve as good a chance as anyone. Hopefully, I will still be amongst the top four at the end.”

Connor, who is part of Team New Balance Manchester, comes into the race in great form. His recent 29:20 clocking at Leeds Abbey Dash and his battle with Chris Thompson at the Great South Run were two classy performances on the road. The 25-year-old is the reigning English National Cross-country Champion and if he can replicate his form from earlier in the year over the country he has every chance on Saturday.

Olympian Andy Vernon of Aldershot Farnham & District can never be discounted. He finished third at Milton Keynes as he continues to find form after injury. He has won on this course in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013 and with another couple of weeks training under his belt since the last Cross Challenge, he will be raring to get back to winning ways.

At the English Cross Country Relays earlier this month, Aldershot, Farnham and District’s Hay just missed out on victory in the final leg to Chris Olley of Tonbridge AC. Hay has huge pedigree and experience at the European Cross Country level having represented GB at six championships.

Jonny Davies (Reading AC) comes into the race as one of the fastest men in the field with a 5000m best of 13:23 but has been quiet so far this winter season. His ability to peak at the right time cannot be disputed. If fit, the under-23 European Cross Country Champion 2015 could well be in the mix on Saturday.

The youngster Mahamed Mahamed (Southampton AC) won the Milton Keynes Cross Challenge two weeks ago. This weekend he will run as an under 23 but may also be looking to mix it amongst the seniors in the combined race. He will come into the race full of confidence after breaking the tape at Teardrop Lakes, beating Andy Vernon and the in-form Sam Stabler.

Patrick Dever will also line up as an under-23 but the young Preston Harrier has shown no fear so far this season, making his presence known at Mansfield, winning leg one and at Milton Keynes where he finished fourth in the Senior race.

Middle distance man Tom Lancashire will be toeing the start line on Saturday, and recently finished third in the Norwegian Cross country championships. Lancashire finished 15th at the 2015 European Cross Country Championships.

Andrew Heyes has had a real breakthrough year in 2017 and could well be another athlete at the fore on Saturday. The Hallamshire athlete won the Manchester league Cross country at Heaton Park in October, following it up with a fourth-place finish at Leeds Abbey Dash in a new personal best of 29:22.

Other athletes to watch could be; Nick Goolab (Belgrave Harriers), Jack Martin (Stockport Harriers), Lewis Moses (Gateshead Harriers) Joe Steward (East Cheshire Harriers) and Phil Sesemann (Blackheath & Bromley Harriers).

In the women’s race, Jess Judd goes for a third consecutive win in this year’s Cross Challenge series. However, aiming to maintain her own succession of victories is Geema Steel, who goes for a fifth consecutive win in Liverpool. Also amongst the challengers are Steph Twell, Lily Partridge, Verity Ockenden, Emelia Gorecka and Katrina Wootton. A full preview can be found here.

The post Andy Butchart and Dewi Griffiths set for Liverpool Cross Challenge appeared first on Fast Running.

Judd, who told Fast Running earlier this week that “getting back to basics” with a full cross country season in 2016-17 helped get her career back on track, showed no signs off weariness following her off-season break taking victory in the senior women’s race with a commanding performance.

The 22-year-old who enjoyed a number of notable performances in 2017, appeared quite comfortable after the first large lap, sitting in a pack including Lily Partridge, Charlotte Arter, Verity Ockenden and Phoebe Law. After about 200m of the second lap, Judd opened up a slight gap on the others, taking Cardiff’s Arter and Swansea Harriers’ Ockenden with her to make the race-defining move.

Judd was too much for the duo as she secured back-to-back Cardiff Cross Challenge wins. Ockenden, who finished second last year, came from behind Arter in the closing stages of the race and clinched the runner-up spot once more with a fantastic sprint finish.

Following her victory, Judd said: “I perhaps went a little early on the second lap; I haven’t done anything like this for a while but I was feeling pretty good so I felt it was time to go. I need to work on hills though; there were only two hills out there and I got dropped on both. I’m only on my third week of training back so I know there is more to come.

“I’ve already started this season better than I did last year so that is a positive. But I don’t want to put any pressure on myself. I just want to do race after race and see what happens.

“There is no time pressure in cross country. I do lots of km reps so that probably helps because it is mindless and I just have to get it done. Cross country is always challenging so you never get used to it; you just have to adapt each time. I’m going to continue doing the cross country races up until the New Year and then assess from then.”

Sam Stabler enjoyed a fantastic victory in the senior men’s Cross Challenge race showing his track sprint prowess to finish ahead of the ever-improving Mahamed Mahamed, with Jonny Hay taking third.

Stabler made an effort to move away from the rest of the field on the second of three large laps, and although this did split the field up, he could not shake off 2016 European cross country junior bronze medallist Mahamed. The battle continued into the final stages of the 9600m challenge, but Stabler’s put in an impressive finish to take one of the biggest wins of his career.

Stabler, who is now back in the UK after studying in the US said afterwards: “I tried to make a move on the second lap but Mo (Mahamed) went with it. He just kept pushing and pushing, and at one point he had 5-10m on me. So that’s why it really came down to the last 200m to go. I mean it was quite hard; I’m six years older than him; he is a really great talent.”

Khahisa Mhlangha won the combined U17 / U20 women’s race. She became European Junior 800m champion over the summer after storming to victory in Grosseto, and she appears to be continuing her stylish form on the track onto the cross country terrain.

The first U17 finisher within the combined race was Grace Brock, placing fifth overall.

European Junior 1500m champion Jake Heyward won the U20 men’s race and Lachlan Wellington secured the U17’s.

The next event in the Cross Challenge series is at Teardrop Lakes in Milton Keynes on Saturday 11 November before moving on to Liverpool which also incorporates the European cross country championships trials on Saturday 25 November.

The post Jess Judd And Sam Stabler reign at cross challenge opener in Cardiff appeared first on Fast Running.