6th January 2020
WEEKEND UPDATE 06/01/2020
England Athletics Senior Combined Events Championships, Sheffield, January 4-5
Andrew Murphy (Colin Sinclair; Kilbarchan) claimed his first senior indoor heptathlon title while Holly Mills (Laura Turner-Alleyne; Andover) took her senior women’s pentathlon title at the England Athletics Senior Combined Events Championships in Sheffield.
In a score just outside the championship record from 1998, Mills starred, most notably with a five-second personal best in the 800m to round off her competition and secure her a best ever indoor pentathlon score by 45 points to take the crown.
Jade O’Dowda (Toni Minichiello; Oxford City) marked her return to action for the first time since March 2019 with a silver medal in a PB of 4238, with new best scores in the high jump, shot put, and 800m of 1.78m, 12.38m and 2:19.53 respectively, while Ireland’s Kate O’Connor took the bronze.
In the heptathlon over the two-day event, Murphy took PBs in the 60m and 60m hurdles to upgrade his silver medal of last year to gold, winning by a 66-point margin from Spain’s Pablo Trescoli. Lewis Church (David Hull; Tonbridge) took bronze following personal bests in the 60m and 60m hurdles of 7.39s and 8.43s respectively.
The Under-20 pentathlon title went the way of Jodie Smith (Laura Turner-Alleyne; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow), who set a shot put PB of 11.02m, matched her long jump best of 5.98m and ran 2:27.55 for an 800m PB on her way to a 4041 score and the title on her U20 debut at the championships.
Scott Brindley (Colin Sinclair; North Ayrshire) took the men’s U20 heptathlon crown with a personal best 5357 points, with 60m, 60m hurdles, shot put and high jump PBs to his name.
England Athletics Indoor Race Walking Championships, Sheffield, January 5
Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake; Tonbridge) began his preparations towards a big 2020 with his best indoor 3000m performance since 2018 as he claimed victory in Sheffield in 11:18.00, ahead of Tom Partington (Steve Partington; Manx), who took second place in 13:00.32.
Pagen Spooner (Andi Drake; Hyde Park Harriers) claimed the women’s 3000m title as she held off Natalie Myers (Helen Elleker; Derbyshire & South Yorkshire) in a frantic finish, stopping the clock in 15:10.67 from Myers’ 15:11.26.
BMC Sheffield Grand Prix, Sheffield, January 5
Piers Copeland (Bob Smith; Wimborne) kicked off his 2020 with victory in the men’s 1500m A race in 3:43.78, holding off European Cross Country Championship mixed relay gold medallist James McMurray (Deborah Steer; St Albans), who clocked 3:44.33 for second place.
Steeplechaser Jamaine Coleman (Helen Clitheroe; Preston) took a comfortable victory in the men’s 3000m A race, winning by almost eight seconds from Ricky Harvie (Aldershot, Farnham & Diatrict) in 8:04.93.
County Cross Country Championships, 4-5 January
The first weekend of the new year is well-known for hosting a series of county cross country championships up and down the country, and endurance athletes throughout the age groups were out in force.
In Yorkshire, Andrew Heyes (Hallamshire) and Bronwen Owen (Andrew Henderson; Leeds) sealed the senior men’s and women’s titles respectively, while Lily Partridge (Alan Storey; Aldershot Farnham & District) and Dane Blomquist (Mick Woods; AFD) took the honours in Surrey.
Former European cross country champion Gemma Steel (Liz Nuttall; Charnwood) won the senior women’s race at the Leicestershire and Rutland championships, while team bronze medallist from the 2019 European championships in Lisbon, Eleanor Bolton (Ribble Valley Harriers), won the title at the Lancashire edition.
More results from the various county championships can be found here.
Meeting de l’AC Miramas, Miramas, France, January 4
IAAF World Championship heptathlon gold medallist from Doha, Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool) kicked off her 2020 season in the French commune of Miramas with victory in the women’s high jump and a second place in the women’s shot put.
Her effort of 1.80m was good enough for victory in the former, showing a clean card up to 1.80m before three fouls at 1.83m, while a second-round best of 11.66m saw her claim second spot in the shot.
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