Running News Daily

Clara Evans, Jake Smith and Innes FitzGerald are among the entries for Sunday’s big race at Cardiff 5K

Jake Smith, Dewi Griffiths and Kadar Omar will head the men’s fields at the Cardiff 5km Race For Victory on Sunday May 5, whereas Clara Evans, Jenny Nesbitt and Innes FitzGerald top the women’s start lists, writes Alex Donald.

The ever popular community event held in the leafy Whitchurch suburb of the Welsh capital incorporates the 2024 Welsh 5km Championships and will host teams from the Midlands, North, South and South West of England, along with a team from North Wales and one representing the UK Armed Forces.

Smith (13:59) dipped under 14 minutes with victory here in 2022 and has competed three times so far in 2024 with his best performance a 29:25 clocking at the 10km Valencia Ibercaja in January.

Griffiths (13:43) and Omar (14:02) faced off a week ago with Omar finishing 14 seconds ahead over 10km in Newport. The former also completed a 2:12 marathon at Seville in February.

Richard Allen (13:51) is a former world duathlon champion and a former record-holder at the popular Podium 5km in Barrowford. More recently the Leeds man won the 2023 Trafford 10km.

Jonathan Hopkins (13:54) returns as a previous winner here, claiming the Welsh title on that occasion in 2018. The Swansea man has dipped under 14 minutes on several occasions in the past and most recently in 2021 at Barrowford.

A further challenge is expected from track man James Heneghan (14:35) and the 2023 Nos Galan 5km winner Ben Reynolds (14:05).

Welsh marathon record-holder Clara Evans (15:49) is the defending champion here and is in great shape, recently proven by a 70:11 clocking on a windy day at the Berlin Half Marathon and with a 31:53 PB in third place at the Trafford 10km.

Evans is joined by training partner and clubmate 2019 UK Inter-Counties cross-country champion Jenny Nesbitt (15:41) who set her PB at the recent Podium 5km Festival in Leicester.

Further Welsh interest sits with Emily Kearney-Haggard, who finished second at the Mid-Cheshire 5km last weekend in a new best of 15:44 and 2023 Cardiff 10km champion Alaw Evans (16:33).

European under-20 cross-country champion Innes FitzGerald overcame Nesbitt at the Cardiff Met Open Meeting over 3000m in January. The Exeter Harrier will make a 5km road race debut in Cardiff but has a parkrun best of 16:02 from January.

Molli Lyons (16:47) is another promising young athlete in action, finishing 15th here last year but since making her Great Britain & Northern Ireland team debut at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels.

Eilish McColgan storms to course-record-smashing win at The Big Half in London

Eilish McColgan has done it again. At The Big Half 21.1K in London on Sunday, McColgan determinedly chased down victory in 67 minutes, 34 seconds, knocking over two minutes off of Charlotte Purdue‘s course record of 69 minutes, 51 seconds. McColgan was followed by Purdue in 70:15 and Samantha Harrison in 70:22.

Scotland’s McColgan, who withdrew on Friday from a much-anticipated 2022 London Marathon debut due to a condition called rebound hypoglycemia, left fans with no doubt as to her running ability. Her victory caps off a remarkable season for the athlete, including Commonwealth Games gold at 10,000m and a new British half-marathon record of 67:26.

The 2023 London Marathon returns to its regular timing in April, so McColgan will not have to wait an entire year for her London Marathon debut.  “It is disappointing and if it was up to me I would probably try and batter on, muscle through, but I know that is my heart speaking. The sensible decision is to get everything right for April,” she told press.

Legendary British athlete Sir Mo Farah ran to his third win at The Big Half in 61 minutes, 49 seconds, in what was only his second race of the season. In May, Farah lost a 10,000m race to amateur runner Ellis Cross, sparking rumours of retirement.

He announced his intention to return to the TCS London Marathon in July, and quelled some of the talk around his career with Sunday’s performance, breaking away from the pack with three miles to go. Farah was followed by Jack Rowe in 62:04 and defending champion Jake Smith in 62:10.

Mo Farah warms up for London Marathon with his third victory in the Big Half

Sir Mo Farah enjoyed a timely return to form ahead of next month’s London Marathon with a third victory in the Big Half.

The four-time Olympic champion suffered a shock loss to club runner Ellis Cross at the Vitality 10k in London in May to spark further talk of retirement.

Farah helped silence some of the external noise with an impressive run on this occasion in the capital and crossed the finish line in Greenwich with a time of 61 minutes and 49 seconds after storming clear of his nearest rivals during the last three miles of the 13.1-mile course.

It was only the 39-year-old’s third-fastest run in the Big Half but still enough to edge out Jack Rowe and defending champion Jake Smith, who finished second and third respectively.

Eilish McColgan won the women’s elite race in record time.

Scotland’s Commonwealth Games gold medallist Eilish McColgan claimed victory in the elite women’s race with a record time of 67.34 minutes but unlike Farah she will not be competing in the London Marathon after it was announced on Friday.  

Eilish posted, "67:34. Course Record

"An atmosphere running the streets of London! Happy to take the win and knock over 2mins off the course record.

"Tough running solo over the last half of the race but it was more of a challenge not to smile with everyone cheering us along." 

Farah told BBC sport, “Today wasn’t easy but most important is the win and it is nice to be back."

“It is really nice to see my family here and so many people come out. It is family-friendly but most importantly for me, it is the streets of London and just the support and atmosphere, it is brilliant and makes you want to come back every year again and again.

“The key thing for me today was to try and win, no matter what happened.

“It was to play around with things, pick up my drink and all practice ahead of the London Marathon.

“I’m excited, I’m looking forward to it. The last seven weeks it has been good, I’ve got consistent training going, so I’m happy with where I am. The next step is this afternoon I’ll fly out and get ready for the next four weeks, get my head down and see what I can do.

Farah was competing for just the second time in 2022 and eager to bounce back from his disappointment in May.

After being part of a five-man group for the first half of the London event, the multiple gold-medal winner used his experience to pull away after refuelling at the 11-mile mark.

His winning margin was slower than his 2018 and 2019 victories but provided the British athlete with a confidence booster ahead of taking on next month’s London Marathon.

Fellow Olympian McColgan will not be competing in October’s 26.2-mile race having been hit by a reaction to taking on fuel during long practice runs.

The issue has been identified as rebound hypoglycemia, a common occurrence among endurance athletes which leads to reduced blood sugar levels and means there is not enough glucose in the blood to meet the body’s demands.

But McColgan stuck to water on Sunday and bettered Charlotte Purdue’s time of 69.51 minutes last year to show she will be a force to be reckoned with if she can compete as planned in the 2023 London Marathon.

Mo Farah and Eilish McColgan will lead 16,000 strong field at The Big Half

The Big Half – London’s community half marathon – returns on Sunday (September 4) with an exciting mix of world-class racing, fundraising and community celebrations.

Leading the elite fields will be recently crowned Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan, multiple Olympic and World Championships gold medalist Sir Mo Farah, and Paralympic star David Weir.

Strong domestic fields

McColgan will be up against the reigning The Big Half champion Charlotte Purdue in the elite women’s race. A exciting domestic field also includes European Championship and Commonwealth Games performers Samantha Harrison and Calli Thackery with Olympian Steph Twell and Welsh star Clara Evans expected to make it a very competitive race.

In the men’s race while two former winners, Jake Smith and Chris Thompson, will be among those challenging Farah in the elite men’s race. They will be joined by the winner of the 2022 Vitality 10000m, Jack Rowe, 2016 Rio Olympian Ross Millington and straight off the back of a 17th place finish at the European Champs mararthon Phil Sesemann.

Commonwealth Games marathon champion JohnBoy Smith will renew rivalries with Weir in the elite men’s wheelchair race, while Commonwealth Games marathon silver medalist Eden Rainbow-Cooper is the one to watch in the elite women’s wheelchair race.

The wheelchair races will start at 08:25 and the elite men and women plus the masses will get under way at 08:30. The action will be shown live across the BBC from 08:10 to 10:30 on BBC iPlayer, the Red Button and BBC Sport website, and on The Big Half Facebook page.

Festival of running

In addition to the elite races, there will be more than 16,000 The Big Half participants, including more than 3,000 people from community groups across London. Also included in The Big Half is the New Balance Big Relay, where teams of four can take on four legs of the 13.1-mile distance, and The Big Mile, a family-friendly event over the final mile of the route.

Five marathon athletes will represent Great Britain this summer’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon

UK Athletics has today announced the first British athletes to be selected for this summer’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon (15-24 July).

Five marathon athletes will represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the men’s and women’s races which are due to take place on the 17th and 18th July respectively.

Olympians Jess Piasecki (coach: Robert Hawkins, club: Stockport) and Chris Thompson (Aldershot Farnham and District) are among those included in the team for Oregon 2022.

Piasecki recently moved to second in the UK all-time women’s rankings after running a time of 2:22.25 at the Seville marathon, which leaves her behind only Paula Radcliffe in the standings.

She will be joined in the women’s race by Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau, Aldershot Farnham and District) who ran a personal best of 2:23.26 at the London Marathon last October. Also, Rose Harvey (Phillip Kissi, Clapham Chasers) has earned her spot in her first British team following a PB performance of 2:27.17 in Seville last month.

In the men’s race, 40-year-old Chris Thompson (Aldershot Farnham and District) will compete at his first World Championships. He was the top British athlete in the men’s 2020 Olympic marathon and he topped the UK rankings last year with a time of 2:10.52, which was a lifetime best.

Welshman Josh Griffiths (Swansea) is called-up for his second World Athletics Championships having also competed in 2017. He impressed at the Seville marathon last month as he ran a career best of 2:11.28.

Jake Smith did not wish to be considered for selection for the men’s marathon.

Team Leader for the World Athletics Championships 2022, Paula Dunn, said,

“We are really pleased to be announcing our first five athletes for this summer’s World Athletics Championships in Oregon. This is a significant milestone, and I am delighted to be welcoming these athletes onto the British team to represent the country in July.

“We’ve seen some excellent performances from our marathon runners in recent weeks and months, which led to a really competitive selection. It is a great to have experienced marathon runners on the team, and also a new face in Rose who will be making her debut in a British vest. They’ve all earned their place on the squad, so I wish them all the best as they prepare for the championships.”

The British marathon athletes selected for the World Athletics Championships Oregon 2022:

Senior women

Rose Harvey (Phillip Kissi, Clapham Chasers)

Jess Piasecki (Robert Hawkins, Stockport)

Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau, Aldershot Farnham and District)

Senior men

Josh Griffiths (Swansea)

Chris Thompson (Aldershot Farnham and District).

Charlie Purdue and Jake Smith enjoy Big Half victories

Around 12,000 runners took part in 13.1-mile event in London on Sunday

Charlotte Purdue and Jake Smith put in solid performances on the roads of London as they struck victory in the Vitality Big Half on Sunday (Aug 22).

In her third win in the women’s race, Purdue improved her own course record to 69:51, which bodes well for her chances at the Virgin Money London Marathon on October 3.

In the men’s race, Smith clocked 62:06 to beat Jack Rowe by five seconds and the Cardiff runner will hope to go quicker still when he lines up in the Great North Run on September 12.

Around 12,000 runners set off in various waves as part of the return of mass participation running following the pandemic. In the race to finish first woman home, Purdue ran with Samantha Harrison in the early stages before pulling away in the second half of the race. Harrison held on for second in 70:40 as Natasha Cockram was third in 72:46.

Next came Hannah Irwin in 73:24 followed by Naomi Mitchell in 74:24 and Verity Ockenden in 74:35.

“It’s good to be back running with a crowd,” said Purdue, who was racing for the first time since February 2020 due to injury. “I was happy with the time. I was more bothered about ‘racing’ it than the clock, though. I’ve been training really hard for London Marathon so wasn’t sure how tired I’d be, although I felt okay.”

On her build-up to the London Marathon, she said: “My main aim is not to get injured and to keep training consistent and get to the start line healthy.”

Smith was part of a group with Rowe, Mo Aadan and Phil Sesemann mid-way through his race but he broke away at around nine miles and held his advantage over the chasing Rowe despite multiple nervous glances over his shoulder in the latter stages.

Smith ran 62:06 with Rowe clocking 62:11, Aadan 62:28 and Sesemann 62:47.

In fifth Andrew Heyes ran 63:10, followed by Matt Clowes in 63:40, Jamie Crowe in 64:19, Ollie Lockley in 64:26, Doug Musson in 64:36, Calum Johnson 64:38, Jonny Mellor 64:44 and Josh Griffiths 65:11.

“I came into this race as the fastest and had the pressure to deliver so to come away with the win is amazing,” he said. “It’s the first race I’ve done when they bring you forward on the start line (to introduce you to the crowd). After that I just put my head down and tried to race it.

“My aim was to throw in surges throughout and then go hard with about 5km to go. I ran a negative split as well which I’m really happy about.”

Sam Kolek won the men’s wheelchair race in 50:37 as Nikki Emerson won the women’s wheelchair category in 67:38 after Shelly Woods punctured.

Sir Mo Farah aims to earn Tokyo spot in 10,000m trial in Birmingham

Despite being reigning Olympic champion, Mo Farah must still qualify for this summer’s Tokyo Games and on June 5 at a University of Birmingham track that is likely to be bereft of spectators he will take on the rising stars Marc Scott, Jake Smith and Sam Atkin over 25 laps.

The trio have been named as part of the British team for the European 10,000m Cup, which is held as part of the Müller British Athletics 10,000m Championships.

The event, which is also the official Olympic trial for British athletes, sees a strong domestic line up in the women’s race too with Eilish McColgan, Jess Judd and Amy-Eloise Markovc among others.

Farah’s last 10,000m on the track was at the 2017 World Championships in London where he won his sixth world title. Since then he has enjoyed a foray on to the roads and the marathon but he is returning to the track this year to try to win another Olympic track title aged 38.

Since 2017 he has only raced once on the track – in a one-hour run in Brussels last summer – but appears to have been training well and is set to face a new generation of hungry young British runners in a 10,000m showdown.

This is also the first official trial for a major championship that Farah has done since 2010 when he ran the UK Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships.

Pacer Great Britain's Jake Smith makes mid-race decision to run full marathon and wins in 2:11:00

British road runner Jake Smith ran an impressive debut marathon on Sunday, taking the win at the Cheshire Elite Marathon in Wales in 2:11:00. His win was a big surprise, not because he was an underdog in the race, but because he wasn’t supposed to finish the marathon at all. Smith started the race as a pacer, but after his planned exit point, he decided to keep running on a whim, and he carried on to the finish line far ahead of second place and well under the Olympic standard of 2:11:30.

Smith is one of the fastest British half-marathoners ever, and his PB of 1:00:31 (which he ran at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, where he finished in 18th) is third-best in national history, behind only Callum Hawkins (1:00:00) and British legend Mo Farah (59:32). His success over 21.1K made him a perfect pacing candidate to help marathoners through the first half of their races, and he did so on several occasions before Sunday.

In October, just two weeks before he ran at the World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, Smith paced a group of elite men (including Canadian Cam Levins) at the London Marathon. As Smith wrote on Instagram after that race, he led that pack through 21.1K in 1:03:45, and instead of stopping, he kept going for another mile or so before his coach told him he had to get off the course. “The marathon life is not for me just yet,” Smith wrote.

Next up was the British Olympic Marathon Trials, once again in London, in March. Back on Instagram, Smith wrote before the race that he planned to run 25K, leading the front pack through halfway in around 1:05:00. Again, he went farther than originally planned, sticking in the race until 29K, writing that he was “tempted at one stage to keep going.” He fought this impulse, though, and pulled out well ahead of the finish, again noting that he wasn’t ready to run a full marathon, saying, “[I] think I’ll pass on the distance for a few more years.”

It turns out that waiting period was actually only a few weeks, and on Sunday, just a month after his run in the British Olympic Marathon Trials, Smith was back on pacing duties, but this time he let the urge to keep running win. He entered the event expecting to pace elite men in both the half and full marathons, but at around 27K into the run, he decided to finish the race. “Looked down at the watch at like mile 17 and thought ‘sod it,’ let’s try to run the Olympic time,” Smith wrote on Instagram.

He had carried the leaders close to two thirds of the way at that point, and with his role as a pacer fulfilled, he shifted focus to his own goal — one that he hadn’t known he wanted to hit until that moment mid-race. He ran away from the rest of the field and closed impressively (despite never having run that fast for that long before), crossing the line in 2:11:00, 38 seconds in front of the second-place runner. Smith’s run now places him at 30th all-time among British runners, and he didn’t even train specifically for the event.

To add to his achievement, Smith’s debut marathon win came just four days after he won a 1,500m, also in Wales, in 3:50.89. After his run on Sunday, he wrote on Instagram that he plans to focus on the shorter event this season, and based on both times, he’s certainly capable of thriving at either distance.

Chris Thompson (2:10:52) and Stephanie Davis (2:27:16) Win British Olympic Marathon Trials

It has been a momentous week for veteran distance runner Chris Thompson, and it’s only Friday.

On Monday, the 39 year-old Olympian and his wife Jemma Simpson celebrated the birth of their son, Theodore, their first child. Then today, in a perfectly timed effort at the Müller British Athletics Marathon and 20km Walk Trials, he ran his way on to his second Olympic team in dramatic fashion, coming from behind to win in a personal best 2:10:52, comfortably under the Tokyo Olympics qualifying standard of 2:11:30. According to statistician Jon Mulkeen, Thompson has now made 25 British national teams since qualifying for the World Junior Championships in 1998 in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

“I’ve never felt so much emotion in my life,” a teary-eyed Thompson told commentator Tim Hutchings in his post-race broadcast interview. He continued: “Everything fell into place in the last couple of laps.”

At today’s race, held in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew in southwest London, the top-two men and women could earn automatic selection for the Tokyo Olympics if they left the finish area with the Olympic qualifying standard under their belts. Only one man and one woman, Ben Connor and Stephanie Davis, possessed those respective standards of 2:11:30 and 2:29:30 coming into the race. So Thompson had to hit the time today, plus finish in the top-2 to gain automatic team selection.

In the first five kilometers Thompson, Connor, Dewi Griffiths and Mohamud Aadan (making his marathon debut) ran close behind the pacemakers Callum Hawkins and Jake Smith. Hawkins, who finished fourth in the 2019 World Athletics Championships Marathon, had already been pre-selected for the Olympic team and ran today to “show fitness” as required by British Athletics selectors and also to help his compatriots fulfill their Olympic dreams. Through 10-K (30:51) they were all together running at a 2:10 pace, but over the next five kilometers Thompson would drift back. The 2010 European Athletics Championships 10,000m silver medalist decided that the pace was a little too ambitious.

“After 30 minutes I realized I’d worked the course out,” Thompson explained. “Listen, you can’t keep pushing like this. The turns, everything, was just building up and I thought, I need to check back. These guys need to be in very, very good shape to keep this going.”

At the halfway mark (about 1:04:42), Thompson was about 20 seconds back. Because the Garden’s paved paths are narrow and the primary 3.3-kilometer race loop had 11 turns or bends, Thompson was hidden from his rivals. Indeed, it seemed to the broadcast audience as if he was completely out of contention.

Between 25 and 30 kilometers, the leading men only put up a sluggish 5-K split time of 15:43. Thompson was a whopping 36 seconds behind, and was still out of sight. But over the next five kilometers –after pacemaker Hawkins had dropped out at around 32 kilometers– Thompson made up that entire deficit, while Griffiths dropped back (the Welshman would finish fourth in 2:13:42). At 35-K (1:48:32) it was a three-man race and they were running at about a 2:11 pace. Thompson took stock of his position.

“I’ve either messed this up royally or it’s going to turn around very quickly,” Thompson said.

After running briefly with Connor and Aadan, Thompson left his rivals and forged ahead on his own. By the 40-kilometer mark (2:04:07) he had a commanding 44-second lead. He checked his watch a few times to make sure he was going to make the time, then in the final meters to the finish he started celebrating, nearly stopping at the finish tape as he punched his fists in joy. His official time of 2:10:52 put him well under the standard and on his second Olympic team in nine years.

“I was in dreamland,” Thompson marveled. “The last two laps, I’m like nothing’s stopping me now.”

Behind Thompson, Connor and Aadan battled for second right through the final kilometer. Connor finished a clear second in 2:12:06, and since he already had the qualifying standard from the Virgin Money London Marathon last October where he ran 2:11:20 he locked up his team spot. Aadan got third in 2:12:20, a solid debut.

“Satisfaction, relief. Whatever you want to call it,” Connor said when asked to describe his emotions He was impressed with how Thompson managed his effort today. “I could hear him breathing about ten seconds before he came by,” Connor said. He added: “Smart running from him. Fair enough.”

Women’s Race

The women’s race, which used two male pacemakers, was dominated by Scotswoman Stephanie Davis. Davis, 30, was the only woman who started today’s race in possession of the Tokyo Olympic qualifying standard (she ran 2:27:42 in Valencia in December, 2019). She ran a smart race, following the pacers closely through halfway in an honest 1:14:05. That whittled the lead pack down to five: Davis, Sarah Inglis, Natasha Cockram, Lily Partridge and Charlotte Arter (making her debut). By 25-K Davis had just a four-second lead. Over the next five kilometers that cushion mushroomed to 52 seconds and the race was over. Davis cruised to the finish in a personal best 2:27:16 booking her first Olympic team berth.

“I can’t believe it,” Davis said in her post-race broadcast interview wearing a surgical mask. “I’m smiling so much underneath this mask, and I’m just so delighted. I knew I was in good shape, but anything can happen in the marathon.”

Natasha Cockram finished second in a personal best 2:30:03, but her performance was 33 seconds outside of the minimum required time for Tokyo so she did not earn a team berth. Third place went to Rosie Edwards in 2:31:56, also a personal best. Inglis finished sixth in 2:34:09 (she had run 2:29:41 at The Marathon Project last December in Arizona), and both Lily Partridge and Charlotte Arter dropped out.

With today’s race in the books, British Athletics selectors will have to fill the other two places on the women’s team by going through the remainder of their multi-step selection process. Three women who did not race today —Jess Piasecki, Charlotte Purdue, and Steph Twell-– all have the qualifying time and could be considered for team selection.

Today’s race was the first stand-alone British Olympic Marathon Trials since 1980. The Virgin Money London Marathon, typically held in late April, is usually used as the primary selection race, but that event won’t be held in 2021 until October because of the pandemic.

Full results with 5km splits can be found here. The full race broadcast is here.

Talk about the race on the LetsRun.com messageboard.

London Marathon funding will benefit 29 British runners

London Marathon Events will offer funding to 29 of Britain’s leading endurance athletes this year as part of its ongoing commitment to support distance running.

Among the athletes on the funding list are Amy-Eloise Markovc and Verity Ockenden, who won gold and bronze in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships in Poland last weekend, plus Marc Scott, who went No.2 on the UK all-time 10,000m rankings last month.

This is the third year London Marathon Events has offered direct support to athletes who sit just outside British Athletics’ World Class programmes and Futures programme, but who still have the potential to star at major competitions.

When it comes to helping develop up-and-coming endurance athletes, London Marathon Events also helps support the two new talent hubs in Leeds and Birminingham, The Daily Mile for primary school children in London and of course the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon.

The impact of this funded pathway is already showing results, as seen in Poland last weekend. Medallists Markovc and Ockenden are on the current elite athlete funding programme while two graduates from the programme, Piers Copeland and Neil Gourley, made the 1500m final.

Meanwhile, four athletes from the talent hubs were competing in Poland, led by Keely Hodgkinson plus Isabelle Boffey, Amelia Quirk and Phil Sesemann.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of London Marathon Events, said: “Since the London Marathon was founded in 1981, we have worked to improve endurance running in this country. We are committed to providing a pathway from the playground to the podium for athletes in this country, from The Daily Mile to our elite athlete funding programme and it is really encouraging that the Great Britain team at the European Athletics Indoor Championships included so many athletes who have been, or are part of, the London Marathon Events funding system.

“It was wonderful to see Amy-Eloise Markovc, one of our funded athletes, and Keely Hodgkinson, supported by one of the talent hubs, win gold medals over the weekend and we will continue to work to support the success of future British international athletes.”

All athletes who were on the 2020 programme have been offered funding for 2021, with the exception of Copeland and Jake Smith who have both graduated to British Athletics’ Futures Academy programme.

There has been one addition to the funding list for 2021 with US-based Sam Atkin, who 27:26:58 for 10,000m in December.

Brasher said: “Last year was an incredibly difficult year for everyone, including our elite athletes. With the lack of races and the difficulties they faced in accessing both training and support facilities, we believe it is right and fair that those who were on last year’s programme have the same opportunity in 2021.

“Even with all the challenges of last year, athletes on our funding programme had an extremely successful 2020, winning a total of 13 British Athletics championships medals and that has continued into 2021 with Marc Scott’s phenomenal run in California and the great performances at the European Athletics Indoor Championships.

“This shows that our plan to provide a bridge to British Athletics’ funding is working and we hope the class of 2021 continue that progression and we see as many of them as possible competing in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Callum Hawkins, Charlotte Purdue and Stephanie Davis withdraw from World half Marathon Championships

Ahead of next week’s World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, British Athletics can confirm that Callum Hawkins (coach: Robert Hawkins; club: Kilbarchan), Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau; Aldershot, Farnham & District) and Stephanie Davis (Phillip Kissi; Clapham Chasers) have all been forced to withdraw from the British team.

Hawkins, the European half marathon leader, was due to make his first appearance at the Championships since the 2016 World Half in Cardiff, where he claimed an individual 15th position, and earlier in the week, clocked 14:05 over 5k in the Fast 5K at Aston-in-Makerfield.

He will be replaced in the team by fellow Scotsman Adam Craig (Steve Vernon; Inverclyde), who will make his British debut on the roads next week. In his maiden half marathon in Antrim last month, the 25-year-old clocked 63:24 to move 13th on the British half marathon list for 2020.

Fellow European half marathon leader Purdue, who led the British team in Valencia’s World Half in 2018, has been forced to withdraw through injury. She clocked a season’s best of 68:23 in Marugame, Japan, back in February and was in line for a third consecutive appearance at the Championship.

Davis, who was due to make her debut at the Championships after a personal best 71:15 at the Big Half in London back in February, has also been forced to withdraw through injury. Neither athlete will be replaced in the team at this late stage.

The British team selected for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships on October 17:

Men:

Mohamud Aadan (Paul Oppe; Thames Valley), Adam Craig (Steve Vernon; Inverclyde), Tom Evans (Andrew Hobdell; Belgrave), Kristian Jones (Dundee Hawkhill), Jake Smith (James Thie; Cardiff). 

Women:

Becky Briggs (Mick Woods; City of Hull), Clara Evans (Chris Jones; Cardiff), Samantha Harrison (Vince Wilson; Notts).

Callum Hawkins and Charlotte Purdue will lead British squad for World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020

Callum Hawkins and Charlotte Purdue will head the British squad for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 on October 17.

Hawkins, the the fourth place finisher in the marathon at last year's World Championships, clocked 1:00:01 at the Marugame Half Marathon in February, the fastest by a European this year. He'll be making his first appearance at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships since 2016 when he finished 15th.

Hawkins joins British U23 half marathon record-holder Jake Smith, who was third in 1:02:00 at the Vitality Big Half, and Mohamud Aadan, who finished 36th at the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships.

Like Hawkins, Purdue clocked her European lead of 1:08:23 in Marugame, finishing second. Purdue will be making her third World Half Marathon Championships appearance after finishing 33rd in 2016 and 21st in 2018.

Purdue is joined by Charlotte Arter, a teammate from 2018, who finished fifth at the Barcelona Half Marathon in February in a season’s best 1:10:00. She too will be making a third consecutive appearance at these championships.

Samantha Harrison and Stephanie Davis, who notched personal bests of 1:11:01 and 1:11:15 when finishing second and third place at the Big Half, join Hayley Carruthers in being handed British debuts in Poland.

Kristian Jones, who clocked a personal best of 1:03:09 at February’s Barcelona Half Marathon, and world trail bronze medallist Tom Evans, who lowered his PB to 1:03:15 in Antrim earlier this month, will also make their British debuts on the roads to round out the men's team.

"I am delighted that we are able to name such a strong team for the rescheduled World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, next month," said team leader Robert Hawkins.

"The team has been revised following athlete withdrawals from the original team named for March’s championship, but I feel we have been able to add a good blend of international experience to those that are making their first appearances on the roads for Great Britain & Northern Ireland."

British team for Gdynia

Men: Mohamud Aadan, Tom Evans, Callum Hawkins, Kristian Jones, Jake Smith

Women: Charlotte Arter, Hayley Carruthers, Stephanie Davis, Samantha Harrison, Charlotte Purdue

Kenyan Victor Chumo looking forward to London Marathon duties

As world marathon Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, the biggest threat to the Kenyan's 2:01:39 mark, prepare for the October 4 London Marathon, ‘Rabbit’ Victor Chumo is preparing for an equally daunting task.

Chumo will be pacing for Kipchoge as he seeks to retain his title in the streets of London and has revealed his kind of routine as he battles to stay sharp for the task ahead.

The reigning Barcelona Half Marathon champion disclosed that he has been running at least 30km daily ahead of what is expected to be a highly-charged race.

Chumo will be guiding the elite-runners only event, occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, where he leads the first group while Chicago Marathon champion, Mo Farah, will be pacing for the second group.

He said he fully understands what is at stake now that it will be the third time pacing for the only man to have dipped under two hours over the distance.

“I first paced Kipchoge during the Nike Breaking 2 where he ran 2:00: 25. I then paced him during Ineos 1:59 Challenge, running 1:59:40. With this, he has trust in me and I have to once again deliver," said Chumo.

Kipchoge will be chasing his fifth title in London after winning the 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 editions.

“There will be a strong field in London and that needs a strong pacesetter. You can imagine how speedy the race will be with some of the greatest marathon runners on show,” said the former Kenya Defence Forces man.

Kipchoge and Bekele (2:01:41) will also have to contend with some of the toughest challengers including nine who have dipped under 2:06.

They include Mosinet Geremew (2:02:55), Mule Wasihun (2:03:16), Sisay Lemma (2:03:36), Tamirat Tola (2:04:06), Marius Kipserem (2:04:11), Shura Kitata (2:04:49), Vincent Kipchumba (2:05:09), Sondre Nordstad Moen (2:05:48) and Gideon Kipketer (2:05:51).

Other pace-setters include Noah Kipkemoi, who also paced at Ineos Challenge, Erick Kiptanui, Alfred Barkach, Shadrack Kimining, Matt Clowes (Great Britain), and Jake Smith (Great Britain).

Chris Thompson and Lily Partridge lead the British team for World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020

Thompson was a shade outside his personal best as he took the British title at Sunday’s Vitality Big Half in 1:01:07, finishing second to Kenenisa Bekele having disputed the lead for the first five miles, and the 38-year-old Briton earns his first British vest on the road, 22 years after making his track debut at the World U20 Championships.

Fresh from lowering the British Under-23 record for the half marathon to 1:02:00 in London, Jake Smith will also represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland on the roads for the first time, having made his British track debut at last year’s European Under-23 Championships in Gävle, Sweden.

Having finished as the third and fourth British athletes home at the trial, both Ross Millington and Mohamud Aadan declined selection for the championship.

With the selection policy stating that automatic selection can be offered to the next eligible athlete if declined by auto-qualifiers, 2017 British Marathon gold medalist Josh Griffiths earns his first British vest in almost three years courtesy of his eighth-place showing at the trials.

Doha team member Ben Connor, who has already clocked 1:01:34 for the distance in 2020, will look to improve on his individual 64th place finish at the 2018 edition of the championships in Valencia, while Matt Leach, who has twice run for Britain in the European 10,000m Cup, completes the senior men’s team.

On the women’s side, Partridge earns her first British vest since the 2018 European Championships in Berlin and will look to better her 1:10:31 personal best clocking, set in 2015, when she takes to the start line in Poland. Sarah Inglis, who moved to 13th on the all-time British list with a strong run in Houston in January, also gains selection.

British debuts are handed to Samantha Harrison and Stephanie Davis, who clocked respective personal bests of 1:11:01 and 1:11:15 for second and third-place finishes at the Big Half, with fourth place finisher, Hayley Carruthers, also earning her first British vest.

Kenenisa Bekele breaks Mo Farah's course record at the Vitality Big Half

Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele broke Mo Farah's course record in the men's Vitality Big Half race in London with a time of one hour and 22 seconds.

Bekele shaved 1:18 minutes off the record set in 2019 by Briton Farah, who missed out with an Achilles injury.

Britain's Lily Partridge won the elite women's race for the first time with a time of 1:10:50.

Two-time marathon winner Shelly Woods made a successful return to the capital in the women's wheelchair race.

Brent Lakatos won the men's wheelchair event with six-time Paralympic champion David Weir in second.

Britain's Christopher Thompson finished second in the men's race, with Jake Smith in third.

The full London marathon will take place on Sunday, 26 April.

Bekele's victory sets up an exciting head-to-battle with Eliud Kipchoge, as the two fastest marathon runners of all time line up for April's race.

"The new course record is a great bonus. I wasn't focused on time today, I just wanted to win," said Bekele.

"I'm on schedule in my preparation for the London Marathon in April. There's no question about the crowds in London being great.

"They were cheering all around the course and it felt like a great place to be."

Partridge - running in her third London half-marathon - cruised to victory in the women's race.

Her compatriots Samantha Harrison and Stephanie Davis finished second and third respectively.

"My coach said to me before the start that the goal was to win," said Partridge.

"It wasn't about the time today. It's my fastest ever half marathon during a marathon build-up."

London Marathon Events is offering $453,000US of funding to 30 elite athletes as they prepare for the Olympics including Alex Bell

World Championships semi-finalist Alex Bell is one of 30 British athletes who have been offered funding from London Marathon Events (LME) for the 2020 season as part of LME’s extensive and longstanding support of British endurance running.

Bell, who reached the semi-finals of the 800m in Doha last year, was one of eight athletes on last year’s inaugural LME funding programme who represented Great Britain at the 2019 World Championships.

Three others – Marc Scott, Ben Connor and Zak Seddon - continue on the LME programme for 2020 while another four – Charlotte Purdue, Steph Twell, Aimee Pratt and Neil Gourley – have progressed from LME funding to British Athletics’ Olympic Podium Potential Funding after hugely successful performances in 2019.

The athlete programme is part of a larger £350,000 ($453,000US) funding commitment from LME to British endurance running that includes support of the World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) and training camps for British endurance athletes.

Bell said: "I am extremely grateful to receive another year of help from London Marathon Events. I had a memorable year on the track last year reaching the World Championships semi-finals and now I have the Tokyo Olympic Games as my big motivation for 2020. This funding will be crucial to help and support me in a year that could be the biggest of my career to date."

LME has worked with British Athletics to select the nominated individual athletes and the funding is designed to provide a bridge for endurance runners to the WCPP and to improve the standard of British endurance running across all distances.

In addition to the 15 athletes who are continuing on the funding programme, 15 new names have been added to the list including Rosie Clarke (third photo) and Elizabeth Bird, who both ran the 3000m steeplechase at last year’s World Championships, Piers Copeland, 1500m silver medallist at the 2019 Under-23 European Championships, and Stephanie Davis, who last year ran the ninth fastest marathon time in history by a British woman.

The athletes were shortlisted by a panel of British Athletics and London Marathon Events endurance experts and range from middle-distance runners to marathon specialists. No athlete currently funded through the British Athletics WCPP is eligible to receive London Marathon Events individual funding.

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of London Marathon Events, said: “We are passionate about effectively supporting British endurance running and the first year of this new initiative of funding individual athletes has produced good results. Eight of our funded athletes were selected for the World Championships and now four of those have progressed onto the British Athletics Olympic Podium Potential Programme. The aim of this funding was to provide a pathway for talented endurance athletes and these results show it is working.

“We wish this year’s funded athletes every success and we hope to see a number of them in Team GB at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.”

The full list of athletes to be offered London Marathon Events funding is:

Mohamud Aadan (Thames Valley), Charlotte Arter (Cardiff AAC, Alexandra Bell (Pudsey & Bramley), Elizabeth Bird (Shaftesbury Barnet), Emile Cairess (Leeds City), Hayley Carruthers (Birchfield Harriers), Rosie Clarke (Epsom & Ewell), Natasha Cockram (Micky Morris Racing Team), Jamaine Coleman (Preston), Ben Connor (Derby)

Piers Copeland (Wimborne), Stephanie Davis (Clapham Chasers), Nick Goolab (Belgrave Harriers), Derek Hawkins (Kilbarchan AAC), Jake Heyward (Cardiff AAC), Sarah Inglis (Lothian Running Club), Tish Jones (Belgrave Harriers)

Matt Leach (Bedford & County), Jonny Mellor (Liverpool Harriers), Amy-Eloise Neale (Wakefield District Harriers), Jennifer Nesbitt (Cardiff AAC), Verity Ockenden (Swansea Harriers), Chris O'Hare (Edinburgh AC)

Lily Partridge (Birchfield Harriers), Marc Scott (Cambridge & Coleridge), Zak Seddon (Bracknell AC), Jake Smith (Cardiff AAC), Jenny Spink (Bristol & West), Chris Thompson (Aldershot Farnham & District), Alice Wright (Worcester AC)