As we look back on a really exciting 2022 season in the sport, we wind back the clock and revisit some of the highlights of the year for the British athletes. Today, we turn our attention to April, May and June as the track season warmed up, and British records fell.

Birmingham Diamond League

British athletes shone at their home Müller Birmingham Diamond League as Laura Muir, Dina Asher-Smith, Matt Hudson-Smith, Keely Hodgkinson and the women’s 4x100m relay took victory while there were also six world leads set at an impressively renovated Alexander Stadium.

Olympic silver medallist Hodgkinson (GBR), in her first race back from injury picked up in March, was an extremely comfortable winner of the women’s 800m to cap a fine British day after Muir (GBR), returning after her own setback, did the same in the women’s 1500m to kick start a quintet of wins.

Asher-Smith (GBR) held strong in the women’s 100m – and was impressive as the British women set a world lead in the 4x100m relay – and Birmingham’s own Hudson-Smith (GBR) also immoveable in the men’s 400m. Malaika Mihambo (GER), Dawit Seyaum (ETH), Hansle Parchment (JAM), Sandi Morris (USA) and Kristjan Ceh (SLO) were equally impressive as they set world leads at the second Diamond League of 2022, the latter also smashing a national, Diamond League and meeting record.

Night of 10,000m PBs, Highgate

In the women’s UK Championship 10,000m race, Jess Judd (coach: Mick Judd, coach: Blackburn) produced a well-paced race to earn the win and a second worlds qualifying standard after she posted a time of 31:22.24.

Elsewhere, Sam Atkin was crowned UK Champion in the men’s 10,000m, while the Emsley Carr and Millicent Fawcett Mile victories went to Matt Stonier (Invicta East Kent) and Georgia Griffith (AUS) respectively.

World Para Athletics Grand Prix, Nottwil, Switzerland

Danny Sidbury (coach: Christine Parsloe, club: Sutton & District) once again stole the show as he set one of the fastest times in history in the men’s T54 1500m as he finished second behind Marcel Hug (SUI) in 2:48.82 – also a UK record.

Hudson-Smith lowers UK 400m record at the Eugene Diamond League

Matthew Hudson-Smith (coach: Gary Evans, club: Birchfield Harriers) rewrote the history books as he improved the 400m British record at the Eugene Diamond League, the third stop of the series.

It was in the men’s 400m where European champion Matt Hudson-Smith broke Iwan Thomas’ 25-year-old record by 0.01 seconds, in 44.35. It was one of the races of the meeting as Michael Norman (USA) ran a world lead, Diamond League record, and meeting record with a time of 43.60 ahead of Kirani James (GRN) in 44.02. The Briton was third overall and his personal best leaves him top of the UK all-time list.

Record-breaking Eilish McColgan

Eilish McColgan (coach: Liz Nuttall, club: Dundee Hawkhill) broke Paula’s Radcliffe’s British and European 10km record after a superb run at the Great Manchester Run.

The time of 30:19 was two seconds quicker than Radcliffe set in back in 2003. She finished second in the race behind Kenya’s Hellen Obiri who won in 30:15.

A month later, she ran a superb solo time of 30:19.02 for 10,000m on the track in Hengelo which moved her to second on the UK all-time list for 10,000m. The time was also the fifth quickest ever by a European and was only 18 seconds outside Paula Radcliffe’s UK record.

European 10,000m Cup, Pace, France

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland senior women’s team bagged bronze after some superb performances on the continent.

Abbie Donnelly (Rob Lewis) shone brightly as she set a personal best on her way to ninth spot and leading Brit in the race. Her time of 32:20.82, which was just 0.82s outside the European championships qualifying standard, was a big improvement for the Lincoln Wellington athlete who took 26 seconds off her best which she set at the Night of 10,000m PBs a fortnight ago.

Next counter for GB & NI was Hannah Irwin (James Thie, Cambridge and Coleridge), who was competing for the British team for the first time in her career. She was 14th in a time of 32:44.38, just ahead of her compatriot Lauren Heyes (Paul Roden, Hallamshire) who was 15th in 32:49.69. Philippa Bowden (Helen Clitheroe, Aldershot Farnham and District) was next in 22nd in a time of 33:22.05, while Jess Gibbon (Reading) was 23rd in 33:24.86.

Lizzie Bird UK Record at the Paris Diamond League

Lizzie Bird (coach: Pat McCurry, club: Shaftesbury Barnet) revised her own British record in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase after a stunning performance. Bird ran a time of 9:19.46 which sliced 0.22 off her previous record which she set during the Olympic final last year, running away from Swiss athlete, Chiara Scherrer to earn fourth position overall in the race.

https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/lizzie-bird-lowers-3000m-steeplechase-british-record-at-paris-diamond-league/

UK Athletics Championships, Manchester

Daryll Neita and Max Burgin were among those to star at the Championships in Manchester.

In the women’s 100m, Olympic finalist Daryll Neita (coach: Marco Airale, club: Cambridge Harriers) claimed a memorable victory after taking the silver medal in 2016, 2017 and 2018 with a windy 10.80 (3.8) performance.

Four-time winner and world 200m champion, Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie, Blackheath and Bromley Harriers) finished in the runner-up spot with 10.87, ahead of Imani Lansiquot (Stuart McMillan, Sutton and District AC), who clocked 11.03.

Neita also returned to win the 200m title on Sunday.

20-year-old Max Burgin (Coach: Ian Burgin, Club: Halifax Harriers and AC) duly delivered with a fine 800m performance, winning in a 1:44.64 Stadium Record, en-route to booking his spot on the British Team for the World Athletics Championships in Eugene next month.

In a loaded field in arguably one of the most highly anticipated races of the weekend, 2020 champion, Daniel Rowden (Woodford Green and Essex Ladies) claimed the silver medal in a 1:45.58 season’s best, whilst 2015 champion Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) took the bronze with 1:46.34.