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England Athletics 20km Championships and Under 20 10km Championships: preview

The British Grand Prix of Race Walking will be held at The Brownlee Centre in Leeds, on Saturday 30 April. The race incorporates the British 20km Championships, England 10km and 20km Championships, RWA Championships and the British Athletics Trial event for the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

After being unable to take place due to the global pandemic in 2020 and 2021 the event makes a welcome return at the new venue of the Brownlee Centre at the University of Leeds.

The favourite in the men’s race is Commonwealth Silver medallist, Tom Bosworth (Tonbridge AC: Andi Drake) who is returning to fitness after an operation at the start of the year. In the absence of the Tokyo Olympic 10th placer Callum Wilkinson who is recovering from an operation, Bosworth starts as the clear favourite and look to regain the title he last won in 2018. Cameron Corbishley (Medway and Maidstone: Andi Drake) the 2022 British Number 1 over 20km with his 88.12 set in Podebrady is likely to be his closest rival. He set a personal best over the distance last year of 82.50 at the European Team Championships.

A number of the leading athletes are using the event to focus on the chasing qualifying times for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham over 10km. Leeds based Chris Snook (Aldershot Fareham & District) will be chasing the English Commonwealth Games standard of 41.30.

In the Women’s 20km Abigail Jennings (Aldershot Fareham & District: Verity Snook) will look to improve on her debut performance of 1.49.29 set at Kew Gardens last year.

In the Junior Men’s 10km British and English Championships and trials for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships, Christian Hopper (Cambridge Harriers: Noel Carmody) will look to improve on his personal best he set on the track in Coventry last month of 49.37.36. Christian’s sister Hannah Hopper (Cambridge Harriers: Noel Carmody) will start as favourite in the Junior Women’s 10km. She set a brilliant new personal best of 51.19 in Podebrady at the start of April

The action gets underway at 6pm and the event is free for spectators.

 

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