4th February 2019

WEEKEND UPDATE

ISTAF Indoor Berlin, Germany, 1 February

Reece Prescod (coach: Jonas Dodoo; club: Enfield & Haringey) made the rest of the world stand up and take note as he opened up his season with a massive 60m personal best to go second on the world rankings. Racing over in Germany, Prescod ran 6.63 to win his heat, a time that was just 0.02 down on his personal best.

Come the final, the European 100m silver medallist produced a blistering final 30m to take the win in 6.53, just 0.02 shy of American Grant Holloway’s world lead. His time also puts him in the top 10 on the British all-time list.

In the women’s event Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas; Herne Hill) continued her flurry of personal bests, first by clocking 7.25 to win her heat before lowering it again to 7.19 in the final, good for victory and arguably the biggest win of her young career.

The time also moves her to sixth on the all-time British rankings, level with Joice Maduaka, and just 0.13 outside the British record, held by Asha Philip.

Results: https://thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=279984

 

IAAF World Indoor Tour, Karlsruhe, Germany, 2 February

Welsh endurance queen Melissa Courtney (Rob Denmark; Poole AC) continues to get better and better, an upward curve that was really given impetus after winning a bronze medal over 5,000m at the Commonwealth Games last year.

Opening her season at the second leg of the IAAF World Indoor Tour in Germany, Courtney took another step up as she beat a world class field over 3,000m, stopping the clock at 8.43.36, an indoor personal best and the fastest time in the world this year. That time also puts her eighth on the UK all-time list. Andrew Osagie (Mark Rowland; Harlow AC) was also in action, seventh in the men’s 800m in 1.49.01.

Results: https://www.iaaf.org/results/iaaf-world-indoor-tour/2019/indoor-meeting-karlsruhe-6520

 

New Mexico Classic, Albuquerque, USA, 1-2 February

There was a British record over in the United States on Friday as Thomas Staines (Matthew Morris; Colorado) ran a remarkably quick 1.15.31 for 600m, the eighth fast time ever. Although rarely run, that 600m time puts him in the same bracket as the likes of Mohammed Aman and Adam Kszcot. Having run 1.45.57 last summer, it will be interesting to see what the Colorado State student can do when he steps back up to 800m.

Results: https://thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=280154

 

Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon, Marugame, Japan, 3 February

Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau; Aldershot, Farnham & District) confirmed her training is going well ahead of the London Marathon in April as she ran the ninth fastest half marathon ever by a Brit over in Japan. Lining up in Marugame, the AFD athlete took almost 45 seconds off her old best as she dipped under 70 minutes for the first time with a 69:46 clocking.

Results: https://www.km-half.com/english/

 

Chichester Priory 10k, Chichester, 3 February

Steph Twell (Geoff Wightman; AFD) posted a solid 33.17 over the 10km on Sunday, her first race since her marathon debut in Valencia in December, a time that puts her third on the Power of 10 rankings. In the men’s race the first seven dipped under 30 minutes, with William Mycroft enjoying a breakthrough victory in a time of 29.32.

Results: https://www.chiptiming.co.uk/events/chichester-10k/

 

European Clubs Cross Country Championships, Albufeira, Portugal, 3 February

Fife AC and Leeds City AC were the two clubs representing Great Britain at the European Clubs Cross Country Championships in the women’s and men’s races respectively, both teams packing well. Graham Rush (David Newport) led Leeds home in the men’s race, although Tom Wade was first Brit across the line for his Danish club Hechmann Mikkeller Racing Club in 49th place; the Leeds team ended up 16th overall. In the women’s race Megan Crawford (Ron Morrison) was first across the line, also in 49th, as Fife took 11th overall in an extremely strong field.

Results: https://s3.lap2go.com/events/2019/eccc-cross-country/Results_ECCCAlbufeira2019.pdf

 

BUCS Cross Country Championships, Exeter, 2 February

It’s rare that a championship cross country race goes to a photo-finish but it did down on the south coast this weekend, as Emile Cairess (Phil Townsend; Leeds City) and Patrick Dever (Andy Bibby; Preston) were evenly matched for the full 10km distance, eventually separated by just 0.1 of a second. St Mary’s Uni’s Cairess was awarded victory, with Loughborough University’s Dever taking home silver, whilst Cambridge’s Oliver Fox (Richard Llewellyn Eaton; Wells City) crossed the line third having been in the battle for the title most of the way.

In the women’s race Anna Moller was perhaps a surprise name, but not a surprise winner, the Danish international and European U23 champion getting the better of Birmingham’s Amelia Quirk (Mick Woods; Bracknell AC) and Edinburgh’s Mhairi MacLennan (John Lees; Edinburgh Uni Hare & Hounds). Loughborough’s Jess Judd (Mick Judd; Blackburn) was fourth, leading them to the team title, whilst St Mary’s took the men’s honours.

Results: http://dbmaxresults.co.uk/results.aspx?CId=16421&RId=2241

 

Boston University Invitational, Boston, USA, 2 February

After running a 600m last weekend, Lynsey Sharp (Terrance Mahon; Edinburgh AC) stepped back up to 800m with a solo 2.02.90 victory as she builds towards the European Indoor Championships at home in Scotland. That times in the fastest by a British woman so far in 2019.

Results: https://thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=279971

 

Meeting Elite en salle de l’Eure, Val de Reuil, France, 2 February

David King (James Hillier; City of Plymouth) continued his strong start to 2019 as he lowered his season’s best to within two hundredths of his personal best, a 7.65 performance seeing him take victory in his heat against world class opposition, before running 7.68 for third in the final.

Results: https://thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=279975

 

BMC Lee Valley Open, London, 30 January

2017 World Championship fourth placer Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg; Shaftesbury Barnet) was in action for the first time since July last year, the 800m man winning comfortably in 1:48.37 as he gears up for the Spar British Athletics Indoor Championships from 9-10 February.

Elliot Giles (Bigg; Birchfield Harriers) was also on good form as he won the Ayo Falola Dream Mile in 3:59.71, getting the better of Adam Clarke (Geoff Watkin; Aldershot, Farnham & District) who ran a personal best of 4.01.02.

Charles Da’Vall Grice (Bigg; Brighon Phoenix) stepped up to 3,000m, recording a 7.58.34 personal best to take the win by almost 20 seconds, showing the strength work he’s been putting in down in South Africa is paying off.

Results: https://thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=267501

 

Meeting National en salle des Sacres, Reims, France, 30 January

Another of Bigg’s runners, Robbie Fitzgibbon (Jon Bigg; Brighton Phoenox) significantly lowered his 1500m season’s best with a 3:42.00 run over in France, a time that puts him top of the Power of 10 rankings.

Results: http://bases.athle.com/asp.net/liste.aspx?frmbase=resultats&frmmode=1&frmespace=0&frmcompetition=225482

 

Loughborough Students AC Open, 2 Feb  

Zac Shaw (Leon Baptiste) equalled his 60m personal best twice on the same day in Loughborough this weekend. His time of 7.30 matched his best from 2017 and signalled the perfect start to 2019.