Mo Farah and Charlotte Purdue took the victories at The Vitality Big Half on a bright but windswept morning in London on Sunday (March 10).

Starting by Tower Bridge, with The Shard in the backdrop, the race got underway with Farah, Wilson Kipsang, Bashir Abdi and Daniel Wanjiru straight to the forefront, with Dewi Griffith soon joining the lead pack in the men’s race.

Photo: The Vitality Big Half

Following a first mile split of 4:25, the leading group of five stretched out as they came out of Limehouse tunnel and it was soon down to a group of three, featuring European marathon record holder Farah, Belgium’s Abdi and Kenya’s Wanjiru.

By mile five, Farah found himself five to 10 metres off his challengers but soon closed the gap and at mile seven as the trio came through in 32:50 before clocking 37:35 at mile eight.

Farah, who returned to the UK from training in Ethiopia on Thursday, was now right where he wanted to be, sitting on the shoulder of his rivals, and ready to produce his trademark kick.

With the finish line in sight at the iconic Cutty Sark, Farah duly unleashed his kick in a sprint finish to successfully retain his Big Half and British half marathon crown in 61:15.

Farah’s training partner Abdi crossed the finish line for second in 61:16 ahead of former London Marathon champion Wanjiru in 61:17.

Crossing the finish line in fourth place for British silver was Welshman Griffiths in a time of 63:17.

Photo: The Vitality Big Half

Chris Thompson finished fifth in a time of 63:41 for British bronze ahead of two-time London Marathon champion Kipsang in 64:07.

After the race, Farah said: “The conditions weren’t great today so I’m pleased to win, although it would have been nice to run a bit faster and really test myself. I’m happy with the win and with how my preparations are going ahead of the London Marathon in April.

“I got a bit of stomach cramp at one point but it cleared up. It’s always great to race in London. I love racing on the streets of London; the crowds are amazing. I’m going to spend the next few days with my family then I head back to Ethiopia to continue training.

“The London Marathon is still quite a long way away but I’m happy with my progress and it was nice to be able to race today.”

Purdue storms to British half marathon gold

Photo: The Vitality Big Half

In the women’s race, it was no surprise to see the British quartet of Charlotte Purdue, Lilly Partridge, Charlotte Arter and Steph Twell leading the charge from the off, with Hayley Carruthers on their shoulder.

As the race progressed, Twell, Arter and Purdue had a slight lead during the first couple of miles, before the gap between the trio started to stretch out between mile five and six, with only Twell maintaining the pace nestled within a group of British male club runners.

Purdue, who was the winner of the inaugural Big Half 12 month ago, was now running alone in second with Arter finding herself in a similar position in third place.

Twell, who completed a special double last month after adding the Scottish cross country crown to the English title she won in 2010, had a sizeable lead during the early stages of the second half of the women’s event.

However, Purdue patiently worked her way back into contention before taking charge of the race with a few miles to go.

Purdue, fresh from half marathon PB of 69:46 in Japan, aggressively kept her foot on the accelerator and showed no signs of slowing down as she opened up a gap of 20 or 30 metres on her Aldershot clubmate Twell with a mile to go.

As the race approached the finish line Purdue had a commanding lead and took the win in 70:38 almost a minute ahead of Twell, looking in superb form ahead of next month’s London Marathon.

Photo: The Vitality Big Half

With Purdue successfully defending her Big Half and British half marathon titles, Twell took British silver in a personal best time of 71:33 ahead of Welsh record holder Arter in 71:44.

Continuing to make a mark after her late start to competitive running was Carruthers in fourth place, running a big PB of 71:57 ahead of Partridge in fifth.

Following two impressive half marathon performances in recent months, Purdue has shown that her training set-up in Australia with a strong group – that includes 2:25 marathoner Sinead Diver – is paying dividends.

Photo: The Vitality Big Half

“It’s brilliant to get the win,” said Purdue afterwards. “The weather was really windy so I knew it wasn’t going to be a really quick day.

“Some of the athletes went off really quick, but I knew they’d come back to me because the conditions didn’t indicate really fast times – so I followed my own race plan, and it paid off.

“It’s great to retain my title. I won here last year, and to win again is really good.”

In the Wheelchair races, there were victories for GB’s David Weir and Dutch athlete Margriet Van Den Broek.

The top men’s and women’s results are below.

Top 20 men’s results
1) Mo Farah 61:15
2) Bashir Abdi 61:16
3) Daniel Wanjiru 61:17
4) Dewi Griffiths 63:17
5) Chris Thompson 63:41
6) Wilson Kipsang 64:07
7) Jonny Mellor 64:31
8) Mustafa Mohamed 64:42
9) Mick Clohisey 64:58
10) Jack Gray 65:01
11) Josh Griffiths 65:36
12) Joe Morwood 66:15
13) Paul Navesey 66:17
14) Malcolm Hicks 66:36
15) Ben Johnson 66:52
16) Ben Cole 66:53
17) Alex Bampton 67:25
18) Ross Skelton 67:37
19) Maximilian Nicholls 67:47
20) Andy Vernon 67:51

Top 20 women’s results
1) Charlotte Purdue 70:38
2) Steph Twell 71:33
3) Charlotte Arter 71:44
4) Hayley Carruthers 71:57
5) Lily Partridge 72:09
6) Clara Evans 73:13
7) Sonia Samuels 73:46
8) Helen Davies 73:56
9) Breege Connolly 74:59
10) Fiona Brian 75:01
11) Tamara Armoush 75:01
12) Tracy Barlow 75:21
13) Tamara Beach 75:25
14) Dani Nimmock 76:05
15) Melanie Wilkins 76:28
16) Hayley Munn 279 78:14
17) Alaw Beynon-Thomas 80:12
18) Kelly Crickmore 80:35
19) Molly Renfer 80:51
20) Megan Zoe Wilson 81:00

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The post Mo Farah and Charlotte Purdue win The Big Half appeared first on Fast Running.

Mo Farah, Charlotte Arter and Charlotte Purdue are the fastest on recent form ahead of The Vitality Big Half in London on Sunday (March 10), but the associated British Half Marathon Championships will ensure a fierce fight for podium positions.

European marathon record holder Farah will almost certainly be touted as the favourite for the men’s British title. However, last year’s Big Half champion will have to work hard to hold off stiff competition from Kenyans and former London Marathon winners, Daniel Wanjiru and Wilson Kipsang for the overall win.

Farah clocked 61:40 to win last year’s race, finishing three seconds ahead of Wanjiru. While the British record holder’s 59:22 half marathon best proves his mettle over the 13.1m distance, Kipsang’s half marathon and marathon bests of 58:59 and 2:03:13 means he will not have an easy ride.

Photo: The Vitality Big Half

Arter, who finished third last year in the inaugural Big Half, is the quickest female Brit in the field after her Welsh half marathon record-breaking run in Barcelona, where she ran a superb 69:40.

The 2018’s European Cross Country Championships’ seventh placer is a talent across the board and should not be ruled out for the overall title.

Reigning women’s winner Purdue ran a PB of 69:46 at the recent Marugame Half Marathon in Japan, notching up the UK’s 10th fastest all-time clocking in the process.

The Aldershot ‘pocket rocket’ has made a name for herself over the marathon distance, and with a 2:29:23 PB to her name alongside recent short fast speed over the country at the Australian World Cross Country trials, she is always an exciting prospect in any race.

Photo: The Vitality Big Half

RELATED: Charlotte Purdue is ready for lift off

Challengers for top spots in the men’s race

Seven times Welsh Cross Country champion Dewi Griffiths is in great form, and will be high on confidence following his 61:44 to finish eighth at the Houston Half Marathon in January.

The Swansea ace’s 61:33 half marathon best is matched only by his superb 2:09:49 marathon PB from 2017. It has been great to see Griffiths return to his best following a number of injury woes which now seem well behind him.

Photo: Paul Stillman

RELATED: Dewi Griffiths reveals how he has fought back from injury

Soon to be marathon debutant Andy Vernon has great pedigree over the 10 mile and half marathon distances, and with PBs of 47:29 and 62:46 to his name he is certainly one to watch from a British perspective.

Having recently transferred his attention from the track and country to the roads, it will be exciting to see what the Aldershot star can do in London on Sunday and in next month’s marathon.

Jonny Mellor’s fourth place and 13:46 at the Armagh 5k highlights what this 62:23 half marathon athlete is capable of – both speed and endurance.

Fifth at last year’s Big Half, the Liverpool Harrier has a great history in Vitality events, having won the 2019 Liverpool Half and finishing fifth in the London 10,000m.

Multi-major championship performer Chris Thompson’s 61:00 half marathon best ranks as the fourth fastest of all time in the UK. 

Photo: Keith McClure

The 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist and winner of last year’s Great South in a UK record 46:56 is an inspiration to all athletes to never give up. He may now be classed as a veteran but when Thompson is firing on all cylinders he is one of Britain’s best half marathon hopes.

Ireland’s Mick Clohisey’s 64:25 PB certainly looks like it could be significantly revised amongst strong opposition in the English capital on Sunday.

The Irish marathon champion’s best of 2:14:55 over 26.2 miles came at last year’s Seville Marathon off a limited build up, so who knows what the Raheny Shamrock athlete can do following a more favourable training block.

Jack Gray is officially debuting over the distance but, as many in the sport will know, he unofficially won last year’s Cambridge Half Marathon in controversial circumstances.

RELATED: Jack Gray has his sights set on more than tabloid headlines

The popular Cambridge & Coleridge athlete ran the race using his colleague’s number (he contacted the organisers to let them know before the event but unfortunately the message wasn’t picked up in time), and, against his own expectations, he won in a debut 66 minute time.

This year’s Midlands Cross Country champion has been in mercurial form ever since, finishing sixth at the English National less than two weeks after posting 13:52 at the Armagh 5k.

Britain’s women fighting for podium positions

Purdue’s Aldershot club mates and fellow marathon runners Lily Partridge and Steph Twell will surely present a steely challenge that will have British athletics fans on the edge of their seats as the exciting battle unfolds on Sunday.

Photo: The Vitality Big Half

Partridge was second at last year’s Big Half, and comes into this year’s race with a 70:31 PB in her armoury. While she may not be in quite that form this weekend, her recent top 10 finish at the Barcelona Half should have boosted the determined young AFD ace.

RELATED: How I train: Lily Partridge

Twell will almost certainly annihilate her 71:56 PB that dates way back to 2010 when she runs in her first Big Half marathon on Sunday. 

She made her marathon debut last year at the Valencia Marathon in a superb 2:30:11, and that PB combined with her recent victories in the Armagh 5k and Scottish National Cross Country proves the two time Olympian’s incredible range.

Photo: Vitality London 10,000

“I’ve varied my distance leading up to this race, mainly to test my different tools so I’ve dropped down to three kilometres but also have been working hard on the hills and the mud over the Scottish cross-country and I really feel like that benefits me to be prepared for whatever is thrown at me,” said Twell.

“I think the race will be a really tough race. Charlotte Purdue ran a fantastic time of 69:46 out in Japan and Charlotte Arter has run 69:40 which are spectacular times for British females over this distance. My PB is a little bit off that and I’m hoping to be holding on to the coat-tails on them if I can.”

One of the UK’s fastest of all time over the half marathon distance, Gemma Steel is therefore the quickest Brit on paper thanks to her incredible 68:13 PB from 2014.

The Charnwood AC ace has struggled to hit the same form in recent years, but if her trademark grit and determination to fulfil her clear potential in every race she contests is on display on Sunday she cannot be discounted for a podium position.

Thames Valley’s Tracy Barlow is another speed demon to watch, the consistently excellent GB marathoner recently clocking up a 72:26 result in the Barcelona Half.

Barlow’s 72:15 PB places her well up in the field if she runs her best.

Photo: Virgin Money London Marathon

RELATED: Tracy Barlow talks training and rise to the top

Also running well and gunning for top finishing positions will be Sonia Samuels and Dani Nimmock. Sale Harriers’ Samuels finished just ahead of Barlow in Barcelona in a new PB of 72:19, proof that the V35 has no intentions of slowing down.

City of Norwich’s Nimmock was 10th in last year’s Big Half in a PB 74:13, highlighting the smiley England international’s ability to perform at her best when it really matters.

Finally, Birchfield Harriers’ relatively new kid on the block, Hayley Carruthers, could upset the form books once again on Sunday.

Carruthers was the second British athlete to cross the line in last year’s London Marathon masses field when she sliced an incredible 36 minutes off her previous best to record a then PB of 2:47:47.

She has since gone on to significantly revise that with a storming 2:36:48 in Toronto when running for England.

The 25 year-old also finished ahead of Lily Partridge and Charlotte Purdue when she clocked a 74:46 PB at last year’s Great North Run.

Start time and how to watch

The elite men’s and women’s races start at 9.00am and live coverage will be on the BBC Red Button and BBC website from 8.45am.

A live stream, that will be available outside of the UK, will also be shown on The Big Half’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

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The post The Big Half: Who, what and when? appeared first on Fast Running.

A strong British field has bee named for The Vitality Big Half on Sunday, March 10, while two former winners of the London Marathon, Wilson Kipsang and Daniel Wanjiru, are also confirmed.

Mo Farah was previously announced for the second edition of the half marathon and among those joining him in the UK capital are Dewi Griffiths, Andy Vernon, Jonny Mellor, Charlotte Purdue, Lily Patridge and Steph Twell.

The race will once again double up as the British Half Marathon Championships and the strong domestic field should see competitive racing for the podium places.

Griffiths, who most recently ran 61:44 to finish eighth at the Chevron Houston Half Marathon last month, is among those who also have their eyes on the London Marathon in April.

Vernon and Mellor are also set to race at the London Marathon along with Irish international Mick Clohisey.

Four-time Olympic champion Farah is the reigning men’s champion of The Vitality Big Half. He won last year’s inaugural race by outsprinting Wanjiru in a thrilling finish in Greenwich, coming home in a time of 61:40.

Photo: The Vitality Big Half

The women’s race promises to be an exciting all-British affair with all three of last year’s podium finishers returning.

Purdue was last year’s winner, recording a personal best of 70:29 which was the 10th fastest half marathon time in British history. The Aldershot athlete broke that PB last week at the Marugame International Half Marathon in Japan where she ran 69:46.

Runner-up Partridge and third-placed Arter are also returning while Twell, who ran 2:30:11 in her debut marathon in Valencia in December, will be making her debut in the event.

Tracy Barlow, Gemma Steel, Hayley Carruthers and Sonia Samuels are also confirmed to take part meaning the seven fastest British women over the half marathon distance in 2018 will all be toeing the start line on March 10.

Eight-time London Marathon champion David Weir leads the entries in the men’s wheelchair race while three-time Paralympic medallist Shelly Woods will be aiming for victory in the women’s wheelchair race while Derek Rae will compete in the ambulant category.

Elite men

Mo Farah, Wilson Kipsang, Daniel Wanjiru, Dewi Griffiths, Andy Vernon, Jonny Mellor, Josh Griffiths, Matt Sharp, Mick Clohisey, Henry Pearce, Jack Gray, Nick Samuels and Bashir Abdi.

Elite Women

Charlotte Purdue, Lily Partridge, Charlotte Arter, Steph Twell, Tracy Barlow, Gemma Steel, Sonia Samuels, Hayley Carruthers, Helen Davies, Tish Jones, Aimee Pratt and Dani Nimmock.

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Mo Farah will return to the streets of London to defend his title at The Vitality Big Half on Sunday, March 10.

The four time Olympic gold medallist and six time world champion won the men’s race at inaugural event in 2018, crossing the line in 61:40 to beat Kenya’s Daniel Wanjiru, who finished three seconds behind.

Farah went on to break the British marathon record clocking 2:06:21 to finish third at the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon.

In October, the 35 year old claimed his first marathon victory, winning the Chicago Marathon with a new European record of 2:05:11.

Farah is also set to be back in the capital for the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon on April 28.

“The Vitality Big Half is a fantastic event and I’m really looking forward to returning this year,” said Farah. “The crowds were amazing last time. I’m feeling stronger than ever and this race is all part of my preparation for the big one in April.

“The Vitality Big Half is doing a great job of encouraging more people to get into running. This half marathon is unique in that Londoners from all communities and backgrounds come together to get involved.

“Running is great for your physical and mental health. It’s kept me driven and has taken me from strength to strength. I would encourage everyone to get into running, be it a few miles at your local park or training for an event like this.”

Farah is the first athlete to be announced for the half marathon that starts near Tower Bridge and finishes by the iconic Cutty Sark in Greenwich.

Launched in 2018, the event saw more than 11,000 runners take part in its first year, despite the Beast from the East and days of snow leading up to the race.

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Following the success of The Vitality Big Half this year organisers have announced the event will return to London in 2019 on Sunday, March 10.

The first edition of the half marathon, which starts close to the Tower of London and finishes at the Cutty Sark, was won by Mo Farah and Charlotte Purdue earlier this year and featured a number of Britain’s leading distance runners as well as 2017 London Marathon champion Daniel Wanjiru.

Farah took the men’s title in a time of 61:40 before going onto break the British marathon record at the London Marathon, while Wanjiru was three seconds behind in 61:43 and Callum Hawkins finished third in 61:45.

Purdue won the women’s race in a personal best 70:29, finishing ahead of Aldershot clubmate Lily Partridge in 71:06. Cardiff’s Charlotte Arter also ran a big PB 71:35 to complete the podium.

More than 11,000 runners of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, many of whom came from the four London boroughs the event passes through – Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich – took part last March.

Exclusive places, priced at just £10, were provided for community groups from the four host boroughs. Nearly 2,700 runners from these groups took part.

“The Vitality Big Half was a huge success and genuinely a huge step forward in creating an event that reflects London’s unique diversity,” said Hugh Brasher, Event Director of The Vitality Big Half. “Our vision is for an event that is both truly global, with an elite field featuring great runners, and uniquely local as we continue with our ambition to inspire more people, from all backgrounds, to take part in running.”

The 2019 event will once again also feature The Little Half, a family-friendly run for all ages and abilities; and The Big Relay which sees teams of four from the host boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich, run The Vitality Big Half in four legs.

RELATED: Top 15 results from The Big Half

From Thursday (May 31) the first 7,000 general entries for The Big Half will be on sale at £39.00 (£35.00 for club runners) on a first come, first served basis.

This includes 1,500 discounted entries at £30.00 reserved exclusively for residents in the four host boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich. Details on how to enter 2019’s edition of the The Big Half can be found here.

Community groups from the four host boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich can apply for the discounted £10 places by emailing community.entries@thebighalf.co.uk.

The post The Big Half to return in 2019 appeared first on Fast Running.

Preparation for the Commonwealth Games or London Marathon was the main focus for many in the UK capital, while others chased the qualification time for the World Half Marathon Championships.

For the Valencia hosted championships later this month, the standard for men is 65:00 and women 75:00 and with selectors picking the team on Monday (March 5), it really was the last chance to hit the mark.

With British Championships also up for grabs, there was a host of reasons to race on the streets of London.

The main race report from The Big Half detailing Mo Farah and Charlotte Purdue’s fantastic wins can be found here, while below you will find the top 15 times from both the men’s and women’s elite races.

Men’s top 15 finishers

1) Mo Farah – 61:40
2) Daniel Wanjiru – 61:43
3) Callum Hawkins – 61:45
4) Jonny Mellor – 65:03
5) Tsegai Tewelde – 65:11
6) Matthew Sharp – 65:13
7) Josh Griffiths – 65:18
8) Ronald Schroer – 65:21
9) Alex Teuten – 65:36
10) Henry Pearce – 65:49
11) Ryan Burling – 66:28
12) Kenny Wilson – 67:06
13) Will Richardson – 67:12
14) Paul Martelletti – 67:39
15) Tony Payne – 67:46

Women’s top 15 finishers

1) Charlotte Purdue – 70:29
2) Lily Partridge – 71:06
3) Charlotte Arter – 71:31
4) Sonia Samuels – 72:57
5) Caryl Jones – 73:28
6) Aly Dixon – 73:34
7) Tracy Barlow – 73:36
8) Rebecca Murray – 73:59
9) Faye Fullerton – 74:04
10) Danielle Nimmock – 74:13
11) Emily Waugh – 75:14
12) Laura Graham – 75:15
13) Fiona Brian – 75:48
14) Chloe Richardson – 76:08
15) Julie Briscoe – 77:01

The post Top 15 results from The Big Half appeared first on Fast Running.

Irish marathon champion Graham took a huge slice of her PB over 13.1 miles with a time of 75:15 to finish 12th amongst an elite field on the streets of London.

The time knocked well over 90 seconds off her previous best of 76.59 set at the Larne Half Marathon in March 2017.

The Mourne Runners athlete came through the 5k in 17:18, before 35:04 at the 10k split. By the 20k mark, she ran 61:27 before crossing the line in 75:15.

The 31-year-old had been intending to run the Bath Half Marathon but after it was cancelled due to the recent weather, organisers in London accommodated her with a place at Sunday’s Big Half.

Graham is the current top-ranked Irish female marathon runner with a time of 2:37.05 from Berlin last September.

However, her time was just 15 seconds off the qualifying standard for the World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia later this month.

In the men’s race, David Flynn of Clonliffe Harriers finished 27th in 69:38.

Women’s race winner was Charlotte Purdue in a new personal best time of 70:29. Second was Lily Partridge in 71:06, with Charlotte Arter finishing third in 71:35.

While Mo Farah won the men’s race in 61:40, with London Marathon champion Daniel Wanjiru second in 61:43 and Scotland’s Callum Hawkins third in 61:45. A full race report of both the men and women’s races can be found here.

Elsewhere

Not all Irish fixtures were scratched and at the Carmen Runners 10km, Keith Shiels of Foyle Valley AC led home an entry of about 150 in 32 mins 40 secs.

First woman and third overall was Anne Marie McGlynn of Letterkenny AC in an excellent time of 34:39.

Also going ahead was the Lusk 4-mile, with Irish international Kevin Dooney of Raheny Shamrock the winner by over two minutes in 19 mins 10 secs.

Dooney who features in the ‘class of 2018‘ was followed in second by Sean Doran of Clonliffe Harriers in 21.13. First woman and first junior was Ailish Murtagh of Raheny Shamrock in 24.06. A total of 440 finished the race.

The post Laura Graham smashes half marathon PB in London appeared first on Fast Running.

Organised by the London Marathon the 13.1 mile course saw runners pass through the boroughs of Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham and finish in Greenwich.

Mo Farah was well prepared for the chill in the air and as the race got going there was no surprise that Farah, Callum Hawkins and Daniel Wanjiru were out in front going through Limehouse tunnel and hitting the first-mile marker at 4:41.

In the very early stages of the women’s race, it was the familiar trio of Charlotte Purdue, Lily Partridge and Aly Dixon out in front, but by two miles the Aldershot duo of Purdue and Partridge were clearly out to race and began to open up a gap on the rest of the field.

At the five-mile marker, the leading three men hit 23:30 and Farah made the first break of the day pulling away from fellow Brit Hawkins and London Marathon champion Wanjiru.

That didn’t last long and Farah was soon drawn back in by the two challengers and by eight miles Hawkins made a move of his own and led the trio through in 37:28. For the next two miles, Hawkins maintained his lead coming through 10 miles in 46:56 with Wanjiru and Farah not far adrift.

Purdue and Partridge were still out in front commanding the women’s race at eight miles and looking in great shape ahead of the London Marathon.

At the nine mile marker, it was still a two-way race between Purdue and Partridge, with almost a minute gap ahead of Charlotte Arter and Dixon.

As the men headed into the last mile the leading three men were inseparable, with Josh Griffiths and Jonny Mellor among the second group of men.

As they approached the finish in Greenwich multiple global track gold medalist Farah kicked using great finish and pulled away from Wanjiru and Hawkins to take the tape and win the inaugural Big Half title in 61:40.

Wanjiru was three seconds behind in 61:43 and Scotland’s Hawkins third in 61:45.

With the British Championships also up for grabs, Farah secured gold, Hawkins silver and Jonny Mellor won bronze in 65:03 finishing fourth overall.

“I felt confident out there as I know I’m in great shape,” Farah said after his win. “I looked as good as Wanjiru today and both of us have to go 26.2 in April. I know I’m strong at the half marathon but it’s completely different when you try to run 26.2.

“It was good to race Callum today; he’s a great athlete who works hard. I think anything is possible if you train well and work hard, and Callum proves that.”

Tsegai Tewelde finished fifth in 65:11, with Matt Sharp sixth in 65:13 and Josh Griffiths seventh in 65:18.

Back to the women’s race at 10 miles Purdue, who has been in Australia training at altitude, demonstrated great strength to open up a gap on Partridge, with the pair already running at a fast pace.

The 26-year-old held that pace for the final stretch and took the tape over 30 seconds ahead of her rival in a personal best 70:29.

Partridge crossed the line in 71:06 which is the exact same time as her Seville course record set in January.

Finishing ahead of the more experienced athletes in the field for third was Cardiff’s Arter in a huge personal best 71:35. It was only the 26-year-old’s second half marathon and takes over one minute and 30 seconds of her personal best.

With the World Half Marathon team selected tomorrow, all three women were well under the 75 minutes qualifying mark.

“I felt good for the first 15K and didn’t want to slow down,” said Purdue who took one minute off her PB. “I knew I was on for a good time and wanted to keep going. I found the cobbles challenging to run on, but I don’t think it slowed me down. It was good preparation for the London Marathon.”

The three podium athletes also took gold, silver and bronze in the British Championships.

A trio of Commonwealth Games runners were next to cross the line, Sonia Samuels finished fourth in 72:57, Caryl Jones fifth in 73:28 and Dixon sixth in 73:34.

In the elite men’s wheelchair race, British legend David Weir finished second to rival Marcel Hug of Switzerland. While Manuela Schär made it a Swiss double taking the women’s title.

The top 15 results from both the elite men’s and women’s race can be found here.

The post Mo Farah and Charlotte Purdue win inaugural Big Half appeared first on Fast Running.

With different major events, including the London Marathon, Commonwealth Games and World Half Marathon Championships all on the horizon, organisers have done a fantastic job to bring together such a collection of athletes for the UK capital’s new half marathon event.

With British Championships also to be contested the field is stacked and alongside Lily Partridge, Aly Dixon and Charlotte Purdue are Sonia Samuels, Tracy Barlow, Rebecca Murray, Louise Small, Jenny Spink and Faye Fullerton.

Lily Partridge is the fastest over the distance with a 70:31 best from the Reading Half Marathon in 2015.

In the years that followed the 26-year-old’s fastest times have been 73:44 and 72:10, before a course record 71:09 at the Seville Half Marathon in January. A clear marker that Partridge is not far from personal best form once again.

The Spanish city is a happy hunting ground for the Aldershot runner who clocked 2:32:09 there in her marathon debut last year. After the disappointment of Berlin in September, Partridge makes a return to the distance in her first London Marathon next month.

Also competing on April 22 and on Sunday is clubmate Charlotte Purdue, who has recently returned to the UK from altitude training in Australia.

Purdue who ran three marathons last year in a time of 2:30:34 or quicker, including a 13th finish at the World Championships, ran a half marathon personal best 71:29 only months ago in Japan and will be full of confidence going into this weekend.

Commonwealth Games bound Aly Dixon and Sonia Samuels are familiar with the streets of London and will be determined to lay down a marker before travelling to the Gold Coast. Dixon is the second fastest in the field with 70:38 from 2014 and clocked 72:29 in her last outing over the distance at the Great North Run in September.

Having spent time at altitude earlier in the year, the 2:29:06 marathoner is now back the North East of England in marathon specific training and is looking forward to a good race on Sunday.

“I hope to race well and see where that puts me,” Dixon told Fast Running. “I’ve only raced once since I got back from Kenya and that was only over a 2.25mile relay leg. I ran exactly the same time as last year despite being on the last day of a 116-mile week compared to only 90 miles in 2017, so I am feeling good.

“The other girls – Lily, Charlie and Sonia have shown good form over 10k and half marathon distances recently so it should be a good race between us all. I will just see what I have on the day and try my best.”

Samuels, the second marathoner in the England Commonwealth team, has shown age is no barrier last month in Barcelona running a fantastic 72:39 having last hit the 72-minute mark in 2013.

RELATED: Aly Dixon has an “unfinished” chapter in her marathon story

With Mo Farah and Callum Hawkins set to battle in the men’s race, The Big Half on Sunday has the potential to be one of best ever long distance events in the UK. A full preview of the men’s race can be found here and includes an update regarding concerns with the weather.

In the elite men’s wheelchair race, British legend David Weir will renew his rivalry with Marcel Hug. Hug to victory in a stunning sprint finish at last year’s London Marathon.

Hug’s Swiss compatriot Manuela Schar – the 2017 London Marathon champion and course record holder – headlines the elite women’s wheelchair field where she will face British Paralympian Jade Jones.

The post Britain’s best distance runners set for The Big Half appeared first on Fast Running.

Organised by the London Marathon, the 13.1 course runs from the familiar Tower Bridge to Greenwich, and among those joining Britain’s fastest ever half marathoners in the UK capital are London Marathon champion Daniel Wanjiru of Kenya and fellow Briton Jonny Mellor.

With the race also incorporating the British Championships, the quartet will be joined by a host of familiar British names including; Tsegai Tewelde, Matthew Sharp, Josh Griffiths, Aaron Scott and Alex Teuten, while Dewi Griffiths is a disappointing absentee after withdrawing mid-race at the Welsh Cross Country Championships last weekend.

Sunday also represents the last chance to run the 65:00 qualifying time for the World Half Marathon Championships. Taking place in Valencia later month, British selectors met on Monday (March 5) to choose the team that will be announced on Tuesday.

Farah has been training at altitude in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ahead of the London Marathon next month, but actually not raced since September’s Great North Run, where he ran 60:06 for the distance. He was set to compete in the Doha half marathon in January but withdrew at the last moment as a precaution after a niggle.

Hawkins, who has his sights firmly fixed on the Commonwealth Games in April for Scotland, ran a 10k road personal best 29:03 at a low key race in Holland last month.

The marathon fourth-place finisher at the World Championships ran his 13.1 mile best and Scottish record 60:00 at the start of last year in Japan, before running 63:18 in blustery conditions at the Great Scottish Run in October.

Kenya’s Wanjiru is fastest in the field with 59:22, which is two seconds quicker than Farah’s best.

Aiming for a good performance against the British pair and Kenya’s Wanjiru at the front end of the race should be 31-year-old Mellor, who despite a breakthrough 2:12:57 marathon last year in Berlin, was omitted from England’s Commonwealth Games team.

The Steve Vernon coached runner is now focused solely on his preparations for the London Marathon in April. His last outing was in the Barcelona half marathon last month and he admits he was “slightly disappointed” with his 63:17 time.

“I would have liked to run closer to my personal best, but given London is the main goal this spring it was a solid performance,” Mellor told Fast Running ahead of Sunday. “I really enjoyed the event though and would love to go back sometime.”

The Team New Balance Manchester runner has just returned to the UK after a second block of warm weather training.

“The two blocks of 10-days, have been really good to break up training and also escape the weather back home,” he said. “Predominately I’ve been training with my teammates Ben Connor and Andy Davies, however, I’ve also enjoyed linking up with Dutch and Belgian New Balance runners including Michel Butter and Koen Naert.

“I am looking forward to the Big Half. I’ve only just started the real marathon specific work so just ticking the days every day now ahead of next month. I’m happy training is going well and I’m the middle of a heavy block so you never feel really good.”

With the London Marathon seven weeks away, Mellor goes into The Big Half not setting any specific targets and just wants a good performance against amongst a strong elite field.

While Farah and Hawkins grab the headlines, the women’s race has the hallmarks to be one of the best ever races between British athletes over 13.1 miles and deserves a preview on its own. With Lily Partridge, Aly Dixon, Charlotte Purdue and Sonia Samuels to name just a few, organisers have done an incredible job to amass a field of such depth. A full preview can be found here.

Weather concerns

Kris Jones, who won the Scottish National Cross Country crown last weekend, was scheduled to be in London but confirmed to Fast Running he won’t make it down from Scotland as a result of the hazardous weather.

A number of concerns have been raised but organisers are confident the race should go ahead on Sunday, with thousands of runners expected for the various Big Half events.

In the latest update (March 1) organisers have said: At the moment, the forecast for Sunday is showing better weather than today and we are currently planning that the event will go ahead as scheduled. According to the current forecast, you’ll be running in unseasonably cold conditions and we suggest you start thinking now about what you will wear in these cold conditions.

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