24th December 2019

REVIEW OF THE YEAR: APRIL - JUNE

Continuing our review of 2019, we look back at the London Marathon, the beginning of the Diamond League calendar and the best action from the roads and all-terrain.

APRIL

Sir Mo Farah and Charlotte Purdue were crowned British Marathon champions in a record-breaking London Marathon.

Farah would run his second-fastest time for fifth overall with world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew setting the second and third fastest marathon times ever, the former breaking the course record in 2:02:37.

Purdue would break the top ten in the women’s race to win gold and secure her place at the World Championships in Doha in 2:25:38, along with Tish Jones who ran exactly the qualifying standard of 2:31:00.

Callum Hawkins, who took over two minutes off of his personal best to smash the 34-year-old Scottish record in 2:08:14, putting him third on the British all-time list behind Farah and Steve Jones.

Derek Rae was the pick of the bunch in the World Para Athletics Marathon Championships, taking silver in the men’s T45/46 classification in a time of 2:27:08 and earn the British team a silver medal. The man to beat him to gold, Australia’s Michael Roeger, would break the world record.

MAY

Dina Asher-Smith was the pick of the British athletes in action at the Doha Diamond League as she set an early season world lead in the women’s 200m, clocking 22.26s (1.1) to take victory and hit the IAAF World Championship qualifying standard.

The men’s 4x100m relay team won bronze at the IAAF World Relays in Yokohama with CJ Ujah, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Adam Gemili and Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake making the podium for Great Britain & Northern Ireland.

The men’s 4x400m relay team weren’t far from the podium themselves, finishing in a respectable fifth. That quartet consisted of Rabah Yousif, Dwayne Cowan, Martyn Rooney and Cameron Chalmers,

The women’s equivalent team were sixth in their race. Emily Diamond, Laviai Nielsen, Zoey Clark and Amy Allcock kept the medal winners honest in a close race.

Sophie Hahn broke her own world record in the T38 100m at the Loughborough International, shaving off 0.01 seconds from her previous best to stop the clock in 12.43s, doing so in her third 100m race of the season.

Amy Hunt starred for the British U20 team as she won the 200m match race in 23.17s (-1.0), the eighth fastest run of all-time, alongside the individual 100m in another personal best of 11.31s (0.3), before forming part of the winning 4x100m relay team.

Sophie McKinna threw a first round 18.04m to hit the IAAF World Championship qualifying standard in the shot put, booking her place on the plane to Doha. The effort was her first time legally over 18.00m in her career.

Harry Hughes became the first athlete to throw over 80m in the javelin in seven years as the Under 23 athlete laid down a new personal best of 80.32m.

Tom Bosworth led the British team to a silver medal at the European Race Walking Cup in Alytas after a fourth place finish individually. He was joined on the podium by Callum Wilkinson, Cameron Corbishley and Dominic King.

It was Great Britain & Northern Ireland’s first ever medal at the championships.

On the roads, Chris O’Hare and Melissa Courtney continued their good run from the indoors with victories in the Westminster Mile in 4:01 and 4:31 respectively.

O’Hare dug deep to defend his title that he won in 2018, holding off Jonathan Davies and Elliot Giles, who clocked 4:01 and 4:03 respectively.

Courtney produced a strong kick and held her efforts to the line to take the win followed home by Sarah McDonald, also in 4:31. Laura Muir was third, one second further back).

In the elite wheelchair fields, Danny Sidbury and Shelly Woods took top spot in 3:17 and 3:57 respectively, before completing the double at the Vitality 10000 the following day.

Victory in the senior women’s race went the way of Steph Twell in 31:55, with Jess Piasecki second in 32:33, while Sir Mo Farah won the senior men’s race for the seventh time in 28:14, with Andrew Butchart second in 28:28.

JUNE

Dina Asher-Smith set another world lead for the women’s 200m at the Diamond League event in Stockholm ahead of Elaine Thompson, finishing in 22.18s.

Laura Muir took victory in the women’s 1500m with Jemma Reekie fourth and Sarah McDonald fifth, while Melissa Courtney and Eilish McColgan would seal a world qualifying standard in tricky conditions over the 5000m.

Jon Albon was crowned Trail World Champion over a gruelling 44km course as he helped his team to a silver medal. Carl Bell, Andrew Davies and Andrew Symonds would make up the rest of the team that would sandwich between France and Spain on the team podium in Portugal.

Laura Weightman smashed her 3000m time, clocking in at 8:26.07 to go second in the all-time list over the distance at the Prefontaine Classic.

Zharnel Hughes also broke 10 seconds in the men’s 100m this year, for another sub-10 performance.

Max Burgin broke the World Under-18, age-17 and British Under-20 800m record with a storming 1:45.36 run in Bedford at the Under-20/Under-23 age group trials. Burgin’s aggressive run also saw the teenager secure himself an IAAF World Championship qualifying standard and earn him a spot on the British team for the European Under-20 Championships in Sweden. Unfortunately, he would be unable to compete due to injury.

A record-breaking Mannheim Gala saw a string of British junior athletes leave Germany with personal bests, led by Amy Hunt, who broke the world Under 18 and British Under 20 200m record, clocking 22.42s (1.7) for victory.

Josh Zeller also stole a march on the British rankings, moving up to second place on the all-time Under 20 list with a 13.26s (1.8) effort, while Holly Mills achieved four personal bests in the 100m hurdles, 200m, long jump and javelin.