4th December 2023

GB & NI MEN TAKE BRONZE AT THE 2023 IAU 24 HOURS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The men’s Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad won team bronze at the IAU 24 Hour World Championships this weekend in Chinese Taipei.

Danny Hawkins (Wendy Whearity, Newbury AC) was the top finisher for the GB & NI men’s team in 10th, while Sophie Power (Edwina Sutton, Guildford and Godalming) was the highest placed of the British contingent in the women’s race as she finished in 19th.

For the first time since 2007, the World Championships took place outside of Europe, and the British team travelled with high expectations of medals. Despite training for the expected warm and humid conditions, the weather changed and conditions were humid, but cooler than expected, with showers and strong winds throughout the race

The athletes were running loops of a 2km circuit and the individuals with the greatest distances in 24 hours would be the ones to claim the medals. Team medals were based on the combined distances of the top three athletes per country.

In the first half of the race, the GB & NI athletes settled into a rhythm with the men’s order as Daniel Lawson (Robbie Britton), Hawkins, Robbie Britton (Tom Craggs, North Norfolk BR), Alex Whearity (Wendy Whearity), Paul Maskell (Robbie Britton, St Austell Athletes Running Club) and Damien Carr (Robbie Britton, Coventry). Meanwhile, the women’s order was Samantha Amend (Andy Walling, Belgrave), Jen Coleman (Rory Coleman / Robbie Britton, Les Croupiers), Sophie Power and Ellie Eccles (Damian Hall, West Cheshire) for much of the early part of the race. In the team race, the men hovered around fourth place and the women were tenth, gradually rising to peak at sixth.

However, overnight in the women’s race, Eccles, Coleman and Amend withdrew, as did Alex Whearity in the men’ s race. This was particularly impacted the women’s team whose push for a medal was over with only one athlete going on to complete the 24 hours.

At one point the men’s team moved into second place overall, although there was not much between them, Spain and Poland. The Polish were finishing stronger than any other team and leapfrogged into second and GB & NI started a battle with Spain for bronze.

Hawkins would complete the 24 hours with a distance of 261.384km for 10th, while Daniel Lawson was next in 16th with a distance covered of 256.410km.

Robbie Britton and Paul Maskell earned top 20 spots with 254.000km [20th] and 247.384km [24th] respectively, with Damien Carr 31st with 239.384km. Before withdrawing, Alex Whearity covered 188.000km and ended the Championships in 95th.

Despite the challenges, Power delivered a top 20 finish in 19th with a distance covered of 227.285km. Sam Amend was 73rd with 174km, Coleman 86th with 156km and Eccles in 105th with 108km.

Results

Women (Individual):

  1. Nakata, Miho (JPN) 270.363 km (World Record)
  2. Shevchenko, Olena (UKR) 254.463 km
  3. Bereznowska, Patrycja (POL) 249.541 km

[GB & NI Athletes]

  1. Power, Sophie (GBR) 227.285 km
  2. Amend, Samantha (GBR) 174.000 km
  3. Coleman, Jen (GBR) 156.000 km
  4. Eccles, Ellie (GBR) 108.000 km

Women (Team):

  1. Poland 726.552 km
  2. Japan 702.911 km
  3. Czech Republic 697.275 km

Men (individual):

  1. Sorokin, Aleksandr (LTU) 301.790 km
  2. Zisimopoulos Fotios (GRE) 292.254 km
  3. Tkachuk, Andrii (UKR) 284.540 km

[GB & NI Athletes]

  1. Hawkins, Danny (GBR) 261.384 km
  2. Lawson, Daniel (GBR) 256.410 km
  3. Robbie Britton (GBR) 254.000* km
  4. Maskell, Paul (GBR) 247.384 km
  5. Carr, Damian (GBR) 239.384 km
  6. Whearity, Alexander (GBR) 188.000 km

* To be verified as this is missing about 300m from the final lap

Men (Team):

  1. Lithuania 813.368 km
  2. Poland 787.964 km
  3. Great Britain 771.794 km

*Photo credit: Geoff Lowe