England Athletics 10,000 Metres Race Walk Championships: report
Cameron Corbishley (Medway and Maidstone; Coach: Andi Drake) and Abigail Jennings (Aldershot Farnham & District, Coach: Verity Snook) took the England Athletics 10,000m Race Walk titles, held on 19 March at Coventry Athletics Track.
Two weeks after he represented Great Britain in the World Race Walking Team Championships in Oman, Muscat over 20km, Corbishley became the 2022 England 10,000m champion with 42.49.47 in windy conditions. The early pace in the men’s race was set by Welsh athlete Guy Thomas and Chris Snook (Aldershot Farnham & District, Verity Snook) with Corbishley sitting in 3rd place. Corbishley first passed Snook and was closing on Thomas when he was taken into the Penalty Zone to serve a 1 minute penalty. However, Corbishley then picked up the pace to take the title. Behind him, Snook took the silver medal in 44.21.49. Thomas was 3rd in the race 45.03.72, with Tom Partington (Manx Harriers, Coach: Steve Partington) taking the bronze medal in the England Championships in 45.55.75. Christian Hopper (Cambridge Harriers, Noel Carmody) was the first under 20 athlete in 49.37.36 a new personal best.
Abigail Jennings took the England Women’s Championships in 51.28.28. The early leader in the England Women’s championship race was Erika Kelly (Northern Isle of Man AC, Coach: Tom Craggs) who was chasing the Isle of Man qualifying time for the Commonwealth Games. She was walking alongside Ireland’s Kate Veale for the first half of the race, but dropped out shortly after the halfway mark. This left the way clear for Jennings to take the England title in a new personal best. Hannah Hopper (Cambridge Harriers, Coach: Noel Carmody) took the England silver medal in 53.14.06 ahead of Emily Ghose (Tonbridge AC) in 56.45.38. The overall race was won by Wale’s Heather Lewis in 45.59.45 who just got inside the Welsh Commonwealth Games Standard of 46.00.00.
In the supporting 5000m for U17 athletes Ellis Simmonds (2DASH, Coach: Helen Elleker) took the men’s title in 27.12.67. Mia Dunwell (Northern, Isle of Man, Coach: Steve Partington) won the women’s race in 26.35.11