Weekend of Records – Weekend Round Up

So much has happened over the past few days, it is hard to know where or how to start this round up! James Rhodes brings you the highlights of an action packed week.

It feels remis to start anywhere other than the Barcelona Half Marathon. Whilst we are becoming accustomed to an ever-increasing frequency of World Records, they don’t usually come with a jump as big as the Spanish city witnessed.

Jacob Kiplimo improved the World Record to 56:42. Improved feels almost too understated; he obliterated the previous time of 57:30. The first person to run under 57:00, and by some margin. There are few words.

There was plenty of British interest too. Marc Scott was fastest overall, finishing tenth in 61:00. Also running under 62:00 were Phil Sesemann (61:28) and Zak Mahamed (61:43). Both were both rewarded with lifetime bests. Continuing her return, Jess Warner-Judd was the quickest British woman with 69:37. She was followed by Abbie Donnelly (69:42), Lily Partridge (70:29 PB) and Jenny Nesbitt (71:27 PB).

Keely(less) Klassic

Plenty has been said online about the Keely Klassic, both positive and negative. This doesn’t seek to add to that. Notwithstanding personal opinions, it was good to have an indoor meeting on the British calendar, and some made the most of the opportunity.

They included Georgia Bell, the new headline act after Keely Hodgkinson withdrew. Leading from start to finish, she won the 1500m in 4:00.63, moving to third on the British all-time list. Georgia’s training partner Ava Lloyd (4:12.59) set a PB in third.

Justin Davies improved his PB to 1:45.78. That secures him a European Indoor standard (plus European U23 standard for the summer). Behind, Tom Randolph (1:46.65), Jack Higgins (1:46.69) and Henry Fisher (1:46.97) all ran sub-1:47.

Issy Boffey moved from last to first over the last lap of the women’s race, clocking 2:01.69. That too is a European Indoor Championships standard, her pre-race goal.

Neil Gourley broke the British Record in the rarely-run 1000m, with 2:16.74. He finished second behind Samuel Chapple, who broke the Dutch Record (after setting 800m and 1500m records earlier this season). Behind, Alex Botterill (2:17.25) and Joe Wigfield (2:17.51) had good outings.

Earlier in the Week

On Wednesday, Lee Valley played hosted the annual Ayo Falola Dream Mile. An impressive men’s race saw three run inside four minutes, led by James McMurray. Racing just a few days after becoming a father for the first time, he set an outright PB of 3:57.60. That is the fastest time run at Lee Valley. Close behind, Callum Elson made a welcome return to the track with 3:57.82. It was Callum’s first race on a track since his achilles injury at last year’s World Indoor Championships. Completing the top-three was Alex Melloy, who joined the sub-four club in 3:58.42.

The women’s race saw a commanding win for Sarah Astin in 4:42.84, in her first indoor race over the distance since 2021. Emily Lowey (4:49.41) and U17 Jorja March (4:52.33) joined her on the podium.

In the British Milers Club 800m races, Grace Vans Agnew (2:01.81 PB) and Japanese Hinata Maeda (1:50.61) secured victories.

Mile Magic (Again)

We were treated to a special evening at the Millrose Games on Saturday. Many may have asked how it could be topped. Step in the (long name alert) Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais Tropehee EDF. Taking place on Thursday in Lievin (France), the event has witnessed plentiful fast races, and this year was no different.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen was the star of the show, not shy beforehand to make his goal clear. To break the five-day-old mile World Record. He made it look easy. 3:45.14, over 1.5 seconds faster than Yared Nuguse was at the weekend. For good measure, he broke the 1500m World Record too (3:29.63), becoming the first to run sub-3:30 indoors.

It was perhaps a day to forget for the Brits competing. In her season opener, Revee Walcott-Nolan fell mid-race in the 1500m. Katie Snowden finished twelfth (4:10.69). After sitting second for much of the early laps, Elliot Giles faded to finish tenth (3:59.48) in the men’s mile.

Tom Keen finished fifth in a separate 1500m in 3:38.30, whilst Jemma Reekie was third in the 800m (2:00.21). She remains the only British woman to have run under two minutes this year.

Staying in France, Tyler Bilyard (3:37.86), Joseph Tuffin (3:39.87) and Callum Elson (3:45.97) took to the 1500m at the Meeting Indoor de Lyon. Tyler was just shy of the European Indoor standard (3:37.00) for the second time this season.

In the 3000m, it was a similar story for Cari Hughes. She clocked 8:49.43 for fifth, her fastest time of the year. However, it was one second shy of the standard, which she has missed by less than two seconds three times now! Charles Wheeler (7:47.39) and Scott Beattie (7:49.15) contested the same distance.

Elliot and Revee returned to the track three days later, at the ORLEN Copernicus Cup in Torun (Poland). Both secured European Indoor Championship standards, Elliot also setting an indoor PB. Elliot clocked 3:35.43 to take victory in the men’s 1500m, whilst Revee finished fifth in 4:05.31. Notably, Gudaf Tsegay just missed her own World Record to win the race, with the second fastest indoor time in history.

Amazing Armagh

When thinking of fast domestic 5k races, the chances are the Armagh 5k comes to mind.

This year’s edition was as fast as ever, with the top 22 men all running inside fourteen minutes. American Andrew Colley was fastest in 13:33. Two seconds behind, Jack Kavanagh had one of his best races. A considerable PB that moves him to sixteenth on the British all-time list.

Scott Stirling (13:45), Brett Rushman (13:50), Richard Slade (13:50), Jack Gray (13:51) and Harry Wakefield (13:53) all finished inside the top-ten.

The women’s 3k saw an equally close finish, with Verity Ockenden (9:05) just getting the better of India Weir (9:07) and Amelia Quirk (9:09). Holly Dixon (9:15), Charlotte Dannatt (9:17) and Steph Pennycook (9:18) had good runs also.