2023 IN REVIEW: MARCH-APRIL

European Indoor Championships

It was a successful Championships for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team in Turkey with Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh), Laura Muir (Steve Vernon, Dundee Hawhill) and Jazmin Sawyers (Aston Moore, City of Stoke) sealed European titles, while Neil Gourley won his first senior medal with silver in the 1500m. Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge) and Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Rob Denmark, Poole) added bronze medals to the overall tally.

Gourley, Neita and Courtney-Bryant got the team off to a strong start on day one with a hattrick of medals for the team, with Gourley coming agonisingly close to gold against Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR).

Muir won her fifth European indoor title with a scintillating run in the women’s 1500m on day two.

There was double golden success on the final day of action as Jazmin Sawyers jumped over 7.00m to dramatically seal gold in the women’s long jump to take her first major title.

Almost in perfect synchronisation, Keely Hodgkinson won gold in the women’s 800m, embracing Sawyers on the track once the long jump result was confirmed.

European Throwing Cup

Serena Vincent (coach: Mike Winch, club: City of Portsmouth) claimed the first ever British win in the U23 women’s shot put at the European Throwing Cup as she achieved a personal best, while Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson, City of York) threw one of the furthest distances of his career at the event in Leiria, Portugal.

There was a GB & NI 1-2 in the senior women’s B hammer final. Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson, Reading AC) took top honours as she won with 68.89m, while Katie Head (Paul Head, Newham and Essex Beagles) was close behind with a best throw of 68.65m.

The event report is HERE.

British Athletics Cross Challenge Final

The Final in the series also incorporated the UK CAU Inter-Counties Championships took place at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough.

Grace Carson (coach: Bill Foster, club: Northern Ireland) and Mahamed Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Hampshire) were the senior winners on the day, while Megan Harris (Hayley Hemmings, Essex) and Luke Birdseye (Shireen Higgins, Berkshire) claimed victories in the U20 races.

The full event report is available HERE.

TCS London Marathon

Stellar performances from Emile Cairess (Renato Canova, Leeds City) and Samantha Harrison (Vince Wilson, club: Charnwood) made it a TCS London Marathon to remember for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Cairess made a huge statement, in what was his first ever marathon appearance, crossing the line in 02:08:07 which makes him the third-fastest British man in history across the distance, behind only Farah and Steve Jones.

In the women’s race, Harrison put in a red-hot run to smash her personal best by roughly six minutes, clocking a new time of 02:25:59.