DOMESTIC FIELD SET FOR UK 5KM AND ONE-MILE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The UK 5km and one-mile championships take place on Friday 8 September as part of the Great North Run weekend at the Quayside.

The Championships will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Red Button from 16:20 on Friday with the men’s one mile race kick starting proceedings at 16:45.

The races will see several domestic athletes battle for the UK title and a spot on the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for next month’s inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia.

Last week’s UK half marathon Championships winner, Calli Thackery (Hallamshire) is in action, and she will take on a field including Hannah Nuttall (Helen Clitheroe, Charnwood), who set a 5000m PB of 15:16.92 in Berlin last week, Eloise Walker (Trevor Painter, Edinburgh) – who improved her 3000m PB to 8:48.15 in Xiamen recently, as well as GB internationals Jenny Nesbitt (Chris Jones, Pontypridd) and Verity Ockenden (Swansea).

2021 European indoor 1500m silver medallist Holly Archer (Andrew Parmenter, Cambridge and Coleridge) is another one to keep an eye on, as is Sarah Astin (Geoff Watkin, Belgrave) who recorded a PB of 15:36.43 earlier this summer.

In the men’s 5km race, Morpeth athlete Scott Beattie (Mike Bateman) and Stroud’s Tom Mortimer (Chris and Sonia McGeorge) head into the race among the favourites for the title. The pair are ranked sixth and seventh in the UK 5000m rankings for 2023 with Beattie clocking a track PB of 13:25.53 at a meeting in Dublin earlier this year, while Mortimer has edged a little ahead with a time of 13:25.27.

They will face strong competition from another Morpeth athlete who has been in outstanding form in 2023, European U23 10,000m champion, Rory Leonard, while Henry McLuckie (Geoff Watkin, Shaftesbury Barnet) is another athlete who improved his best over the distance this year, recording a time of 13:36.26.

Over the one-mile distance, James Gormley (John Wood, Sheffield & Dearne) is the quickest in the field this year with a best of 3:56.31 set last month. He will face competition from Callum Elson (Cambridge and Coleridge) who ran for the GB & NI in the mixed relay teams at the World and European Cross Country Championships over the last 12 months.

UKA can confirm that the women’s one mile race will not take place at the UK 5km and one-mile Championships due to a number of late withdrawals making the race no longer viable.

Live coverage of the UK 5km and one-mile Championships on the Quayside on Friday 8 September is on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and BBC Red Button from 16:20.