Running News Daily

British runner Andy Vernon is set for his debut marathon in New York

Andy Vernon is amongst a top elite field announced this week for the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon.

After having to withdraw from this year’s London Marathon due to a hamstring injury the AFD man will look to lay down his 26.2 credentials on the stress of New York.

Vernon could be well suited to the hard undulating course and there will keen interest amongst British distance fans to see how the popular athlete runs in his debut marathon. We know his pedigree at cross country and at 10,000m where his has won a European silver medal and has a PB of 27:42 but he remains an unknown quantity at the marathon.

With the IAAF standard now set at 2:11:30 for men and 2:29:30 for women the most Brits will have their eyes on courses that offer the best chance for quick times for Tokyo next year.

However the dual qualification system also recognises a top 10 finish in a World Marathon Major event (which includes NYC Marathon). 10th placed finisher Chris Derrick ran 2:13:08 in 2018 and in 2017 the 10th place finisher ran 2:14:57. Despite the profile of the course these times are well within Vernon’s ability but regardless of times the race clearly affords the opportunity to build critical experience before London 2020.

History shows this can be a happy hunting ground for British Athletes. Steve Jones’ winning time of 2:08:20 in 1988 and Paula Radcliffe’s wins in 2004, 2007 and 2008 are testiment to that along with victories for priscilla Welch in 1987 and Liz McColgan in 1991.

In 2018 eight British men went inside 2:30 with Jonny Mellor leading the way in 2:16:09 for 15th place. Three British women ran inside three hours with St Albans Strider Gillian Pease (2:55:14) the fastest.

(08/07/2019) Views: 1,711 ⚡AMP
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Hellen Obiri, Steph Twell, Andy Vernon and Stanley Biwott are among the big names racing the Great Manchester 10km on Sunday

The Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run returns on Sunday, with a number of top elite athletes set to battle for titles ahead of the 30,000-strong mass race.

Kenya’s world 5000m and recent world cross country champion Hellen Obiri is making her debut at the event and will be faced with a field containing Ethiopia’s Tokyo marathon winner Ruta Aga, while two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat also features, as does Ireland’s Fionnula McCormack.

A healthy British contingent is headed by Steph Twell, who won the Brighton 10km in 31:58 last month, and she is joined by Mhairi Maclennan, Jenny Nesbitt and Aly Dixon, who was recently named part of Britain’s IAU 50km World Championships team for the event in Romania in September.

Ugandan world cross silver medallist Jacob Kiplimo is fastest in the men’s field with a personal best of 26:41, though he will be facing the likes of Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa, Boston Marathon runner-up this year, and Kenya’s 2015 New York marathon winner Stanley Biwott.

Mo Farah is not defending the title he won last year but the British presence will feature Nick Goolab, a man on form and the fastest Briton over 10km so far this year after breaking the course record with a run of 28:22 when winning in Brighton.

He will be joined by compatriots Emile Cairess, Ieuan Thomas and Dan Studley.

(05/17/2019) Views: 2,103 ⚡AMP

Callum Hawkins is running the London Marathon and Andy Vernon will be making his marathon debut in London

Callum Hawkins is to run the Virgin Money London Marathon this weekend, returning to marathon action for the first time since his collapse when leading the Commonwealth Games race last year.

In terms of British elite men’s entries, the world fourth-placer will be joined in the UK capital by the already-announced Mo Farah, Dewi Griffiths, Jonny Mellor, Tsegai Tewelde, Andy Davies, Josh Griffiths, Robbie Simpson, Matt Sharp and Andy Vernon, who will be making his marathon debut.

Hawkins clocked 2:10:52 when running the London event for the first time in 2016 and improved to his current PB of 2:10:17 when finishing fourth as the city staged the IAAF World Championships the following year.

Racing on the Gold Coast last April, the Scot had looked set to claim a dominant Commonwealth victory but collapsed with just two kilometres of the race remaining. He was entered to compete in the Fukuoka Marathon in December but withdrew due to a hamstring niggle.

His latest performance saw him impress over 10km as he ran 28:55 in Valencia last weekend – a time which is an official PB, though the 26-year-old has clocked faster 10km splits as part of a half-marathon.

Fans will also be interested to see what Vernon might be able to achieve as he steps up to race over 26.2 miles for the first time.

The 2014 European 10,000m silver and 5000m bronze medallist, who also claimed individual European Cross Country Championships bronze in 2013, missed last year’s edition of the Euro Cross through injury but returned to race at the Simplyhealth Great Stirling XCountry last weekend.

“It felt like the right time in my career to move up to the marathon,” said the 33-year-old.

“I feel like I am getting a little bit slower on the track. It’s tough to make teams, it’s tough to do well at championships, especially over 10,000m. For that reason, I thought if I don’t do it now, I won’t ever do it.”

The London Marathon doubles up as the GB team selection event for the IAAF World Championships in Doha, with the British women’s field also looking competitive.

After a year hampered by injury and illness, Charlotte Purdue will return to race in London, as will her Aldershot, Farnham and District club-mate Lily Partridge, the current British champion, who was also forced to drop out of last year’s European Championships marathon with stomach cramps.

Just one second separates Purdue’s marathon PB of 2:29:23, set in London in 2017, and Partridge’s best time of 2:29:24, which she ran to finish eighth in her first London Marathon last year.

“I want to make the world championship team for Doha and I want to run a PB at the Virgin Money London Marathon because I think I can go a lot faster than I did in 2017 and I think my world championship performance proved that,” said world 13th-placer Purdue.

“I just haven’t had the right race yet so I’m hoping the London Marathon will be the right race for me.”

(04/25/2019) Views: 1,899 ⚡AMP
by Athletics Weekly

Strong British field is set for The Vitality Big Half

Dewi Griffiths, Andy Vernon, Charlotte Purdue and Lily Patridge are among the runners joining Mo Farah in London next month.

A strong British field has bee named for The Vitality Big Half on Sunday, March 10, while two former winners of the London Marathon, Wilson Kipsang and Daniel Wanjiru, are also confirmed.

Mo Farah was previously announced for the second edition of the half marathon and among those joining him in the UK capital are Dewi Griffiths, Andy Vernon, Jonny Mellor, Charlotte Purdue, Lily Patridge and Steph Twell.

The race will once again double up as the British Half Marathon Championships and the strong domestic field should see competitive racing for the podium places.

Griffiths, who most recently ran 61:44 to finish eighth at the Chevron Houston Half Marathon last month, is among those who also have their eyes on the London Marathon in April.

Vernon and Mellor are also set to race at the London Marathon along with Irish international Mick Clohisey.

Tracy Barlow, Gemma Steel, Hayley Carruthers and Sonia Samuels are also confirmed to take part meaning the seven fastest British women over the half marathon distance in 2018 will all be toeing the start line on March 10.

Eight-time London Marathon champion David Weir leads the entries in the men’s wheelchair race while three-time Paralympic medallist Shelly Woods will be aiming for victory in the women’s wheelchair race while Derek Rae will compete in the ambulant category.

(02/09/2019) Views: 2,453 ⚡AMP

Commonwealth marathon champion Mike Shelley will make his debut at the Great north Run

Commonwealth marathon champion Mike Shelley will make his debut at the world’s biggest half marathon on Sunday, while British interest will come in the shape of Great Britain’s Olympian Andy Vernon and Jonny Mellor. Daniel Wanjiru, who won the London Marathon in 2017, will take on Farah and Robertson on Tyneside, while 2012 New York Marathon winner Stanley Biwott has also been added to the field. Just as Farah aims to strengthen his hold over the competition, Vivian Cheruiyot is pursuing her second victory at the race in three years. Joyciline Jepkosgei, the world record holder over the half marathon distance, is, on paper, her main rival, although Betsy Saina, fifth in last year’s race, could pose a challenge. Lily Partridge, Gemma Steel, Charlotte Purdue and Aly Dixon are also in the line-up. (09/06/2018) Views: 1,669 ⚡AMP

Andy Vernon hopes to compete with Mo Farah in marathon at Tokyo 2020

Andy Vernon, a fighting fifth in last night’s 10,000m final, is to renew his spiky rivalry with Mo Farah out on the streets. The 32-year-old was unable to replicate his silver medal behind Farah four years ago as Frenchman Morhad Ambouni raced to victory in brutally hot conditions here in Berlin. Now he is eyeing a switch to the marathon. Vernon and Farah fell out in 2015 after a very public spat but the latter’s track retirement appeared to separate them once and for all. However Vernon has decided that he too wants a shot at the lucrative longer distance and has targeted the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, where Farah also intends to compete. “A rivalry with Mo is very hard because he is very good, but if that’s where it leads so be it,” said the Hampshire ace, who does not expect their relationship to ever repair. (08/09/2018) Views: 1,719 ⚡AMP