5th October 2020

WEEKEND UPDATE: 05/10/2020

Virgin Money London Marathon, 4 October

Jonny Mellor (coach: Steve Vernon; club: Liverpool) and Natasha Cockram (Tony Houchin; Micky Morris Racing Team) stole the show as they finished as the first British athletes across the line at the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon.

Mellor, for the second time this season, dipped under the Olympic Games marathon qualifying standard after stopping the clock in 2:10:38 to take 13th place in the senior men’s race, with Ben Connor (Derby AC) also achieving the Olympic standard, clocking 2:11:20 on his maiden run over the distance for 15th place overall.

Cockram was the first British woman home in the senior women’s race, finishing in 2:33:19 for a season’s best, with Reading’s Naomi Mitchell (Nick Anderson) finishing just four seconds further back with a personal best to her name of 2:33:23. Tracy Barlow (Tom Craggs; Thames Valley) took third in a season’s best of 2:34:42.

The elite wheelchair race saw David Weir (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy home in second position in 96:06, two seconds behind Brent Lakatos of Canada, who claimed victory.

Our full report from the 2020 race is available here.

Kip Keino Classic, Nairobi, Kenya, 3 October

Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas; Herne Hill) rounded off her 2020 season outdoors with a 200m personal best in Kenya as she took victory in 23.05s (-0.7). Awuah was away from the blocks sharply and put together a good bend, setting her up well for the final 100m.

Awuah was having to work hard but showcased her prowess when it mattered as she hung on for back-to-back 200m personal bests as she cut the tape first in Kenya, edging out Egypt’s Bassant Hemida by 0.08s.

Results

Yeovil Combined Events, Yeovil, 3-4 October

World record holder in the T20 5000m, Hannah Taunton (Charlotte Fisher; Taunton) was back in action over her preferred distance of 1500m in Yeovil and clocked a respectable 4:50.84 as she finished in fifth position.

Results

 

Hanžeković Memorial, Zagreb, Croatia, 15 September*

British 800m champion Daniel Rowden (Matt Yates; Woodford Green Essex Ladies) led a British 1-2-3 in Croatia and cemented his place inside the all-time British 800m top-10 with another personal best, clocking 1:44.09 as he rounded off his season with his third win in four races.

Rowden worked brilliantly through the race to get himself into prime position with just over 200m to go but it was on the home straight where he delivered an excellent kick to ease away from Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield) and Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman; Edinburgh), both of whom settled for second and third in 1:44.75 and 1:44.85 respectively). British U20 record holder Max Burgin (Ian Burgin; Halifax) was 12th in 1:47.73.

Over 1500m, James West (Ben Thomas; Tonbridge) and George Mills (Jon Bigg; Brighton Phoenix) both clocked personal bests as they took second and sixth place respectively, with West’s 3:34.56 taking more than a second off his previous lifetime best. Mills’ 3:36.72 shaved 1.3 seconds off his 1500m best, which he had set only days before in Poznan.

There were second places also for Cindy Ofili (Jeff Porter; Woodford Green Essex Ladies) and Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams; Newham & Essex Beagles) over 100m hurdles and 400m respectively in 13.10s (-0.1) and 45.99s, while Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman; City of Stoke) was fifth in the long jump with a 6.45m (0.4) best.

Results

*Missed from September Round-Up