With the UK Athletics Championships getting underway on 8-9 July 2023, we will be taking a look at who is in action, with national titles and places on the plane to Budapest for the World Athletics Championships on the line. Today, we take a look at the endurance events.

British record holder Keely Hodgkinson (coach: Trevor Painter, club: Leigh) will be the favourite for the women’s 800m with tough competition coming from the likes of Ellie Baker (Jon Bigg, Shaftesbury Barnet), Alex Bell (Andrew Henderson, Pudsey & Bramley), Issy Boffey (Luke Gunn, Enfield and Haringey), Jemma Reekie (Kilbarchan) and Erin Wallace (Giffnock North) who are all entered for the event.

The men’s 800m is wide open with many athletes chasing the World Athletics Championships standard. Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke & Mid Hants), Olympian Daniel Rowden (Jon Bigg, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) and 2022 UK champion Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax Harriers) are among a host of athletes vying for top spot in Manchester. Olympic 1500m medallist Josh Kerr (Danny Mackey, Edinburgh) and current UK number two Ethan Hussey (Andrew Henderson, Leeds) are also entered for the 800m.

The women’s 1500m includes three athletes who have run the qualifying standard already this season: Olympic medallist Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill), Katie Snowden (Stephen Haas, Herne Hill) and Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Rob Denmark, Poole), so it is set to be an entertaining encounter.

Neil Gourley (Stephen Haas; Giffnock North) leadsthe entries for the men’s 1500m after running 3:30.88 at the Oslo Diamond League in June. Among those with eyes on the top prize are George Mills (Thomas Dreißigacker; Brighton Phoenix), Matthew Stonier (Sonia and Chris McGeorge, Invicta East Kent) and Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg, Birchfield), who have all run under the worlds qualification standard this season, which will make this a blockbuster event in Manchester.

Over 5000m, Jess Warner-Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn) will be among the favourites for the UK title. She won the UK 10,000m title at Parliament Hill back in May so she will be looking for the distance double next week. Hannah Nuttall (Helen Clitheroe, Charnwood) – who was second over the distance at the European Team Championships – will be another to keep an eye on in this race.

The men’s 5000m will be an intriguing one with the likes of Jonathan Davies (Luke Gunn, Reading), Jack Rowe (Tim Eglen, Aldershot Farnham and District) and Charles Hicks (Shaftesbury Barnet) among the protagonists targeting UK gold. Emile Cairess (Renato Canova, Leeds) – who starred at the London Marathon in April with a time of 2:08:07 – also joins the field.

Zak Seddon (Geoff Wightman, Bracknell) is the UK number one in the men’s 3000m Steeplechase and has already set a time of 8:21.71 this season. Yasmin Austridge (Luke Gunn, Blackheath & Bromley) is the top ranked athlete in the women’s 3000m steeplechase field.

In the 5000m race walks, Bethan Davies (Andi Drake, Cardiff) and Heather Warner (Martin Bell, Pembrokeshire) lead the entries in the women’s event, while Chris Snook (Andi Drake, Aldershot Farnham and District) – who won the British 20,000m race walk championships in early June – is among the entrants for the men’s race.

The UK Athletics Championships get underway on Saturday 8 July at 11:30am and run through to 16:50 on Sunday 9 July.  

Get your tickets to watch the UK’s best athletes at the Manchester Regional Arena at HERE.