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Weekend roundup — 3 and 4 September 2022

The track and field season may be nearing the end, but last weekend certainly provided an excellent finale to the summer across the track, field, road, and hills. Keep up to date with all the results and performances from an action-packed weekend.

The Big Half (incorporating England Half Marathon Championships)

With just four weeks to go until the London Marathon, the best marathon runners and wheelchair athletes took to the streets of the capital to battle it out in The Big Half. It was victory for England’s Commonwealth Games representatives as both David Weir (coach: Jenny Archer; club: Weir Archer Academy) and Eden Rainbow-Cooper (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) dominated their races in times of 47:18 and 56:39 respectively.  

It was a clean sweep of Team England athletes in the men’s wheelchair race, with Daniel Sidbury (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District/Velocity) and Johnboy Smith (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District/Weir Archer Academy) coming home in 2nd and 3rd place. 

Over in the men’s elite field, Mo Farah (Gary Lough, Newham & Essex Beagles) and Jack Rowe (Aldershot, Farnham and District) were pushing each other throughout the 13.1 miles course, with Mo eventually finishing on top.  

The women’s race saw Eilish McColgan (Liz McColgan, Dundee Hawkhill) take the crown in a time of 1:07.35, with Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau, Aldershot, Farnham and District) and Samantha Harrison (Vince Wilson, Charnwood) battling for a close second and third place respectively.

Charlotte Purdue runs The Big Half 2022

British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships

Away from the track, the mountain running athletes were in action at the British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships in the stunning Ambleside hills. A 31-strong England team were spread across two age-groups and eight different teams.  

Starting in Rothay Park, the runners battled a sharp incline before facing the rolling hills of the Lake District in this technically challenging but exciting course. 

The men’s under-20 race certainly did not disappoint with a very close finish seeing England’s Finlay Grant (Mark Ediker, Dark Peak) just pipped to the title by Scotland’s Struan Bennet by a marginal one second! It was an excellent run from Eve Whittaker (Joanne Day, Harrogate AC) in the under-20 women’s race, finishing her very busy mountain running season with an England vest and taking the win! Also claiming their spots on the podium were Charlotte Rawstron (Gordon Agar, Skyrac AC) finishing in 2nd and Emily Gibbins (Sally Malir, Ilkley Harriers) finishing 3rd female.  

Alex Poulston (Wirral) was the first athlete home for England in the men’s under-17 race in an impressive time of 21:11, with Ewan Busfield (Jerry Hall, Derby Athletic) just missing out on a podium spot coming home in 4th place (21:45). Amelie Lane (Sarah McCormack, Wharfedale Harriers AC) dominated the women’s under-17 race, finishing in first place (24:00) ahead of Cumbrian athlete and England teammate Georgia Bell (Leven Valley), finishing 8 seconds behind.  

Congratulations to all of the athletes and teams who took part, with the England A under-20 women and under-17 A-teams finishing on top taking the team titles – a fantastic result!

Eve Whitaker - Junior Home International

Northern Ireland and Ulster Combined Event Championships

The weather was certainly turbulent throughout the weekend in Belfast at the Mary Peters Stadium but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the England Team with an incredible 10 medals won across the different age groups, five of which being gold!  

Senior Women’s Heptathlon 

  • Gold – Jordanna Morrish (Rafer Joseph, Bracknell AC) 4947 points 

U20 Women’s Heptathlon 

  • Gold – Madison Hutton (John Shepherd, Epsom & Erwell) 4742 points 

U17 Girl's Heptathlon 

  • Gold – Ava John (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) 4644 points (CBP) 
  • Silver – Isabelle Mardle (Keith Yellop, City of Norwich) 4602 points 

Senior Men’s Decathlon 

  • Silver – Elliot Thompson (Greg Richards, Enfield & Haringey) 6954 points 
  • Bronze – Charlie Roe (Stewart Marshall, Coventry) 6737 points 

U20 Men’s Decathlon 

  • Gold – Oliver Adnitt (Kingston Upon Hull) 6857 points (CBP) 
  • Silver – Patrick Morgan (Hereford) 6712 points 

U17 Boy's Octathlon 

  • Gold – Samuel Wright (Simon Hemmings, Chelmsford) 4733 points (CBP) 
  • Silver – James Harney (Alexander Wort, East Cheshire) 4667 points 

Download the full results here: https://athleticsni.org/Results  

ETC Throws Festival

England Athletics sent a team of 20 selected U23, U20 and U18 athletes to compete at the England Throws Camp Throws Fest at Moulton College which took place on Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th September. The team took part in an international competition featuring representation from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. There were some fantastic throws at this late date in the season, with many athletes improving their distances in the final.  

Athletes at the ETC Throws Fest 2022

YDL National Finals

Amongst the open meetings and annual championships, the YDL leagues are at the centre of the track and field calendars for many of England’s athletes and clubs. This weekend saw a total of eleven clubs from the Upper and Lower divisions travel to Sportcity, Manchester, to battle it out and be crowned national champions for 2022. 

Blackheath and Bromley Harriers dominated both age groups taking the crown with staggering totals of 882.5 (upper) and 648 (lower)!

YDL Lower results 

  1. Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC (648 points) 
  2. Rugby and Northampton AC (645 points) 
  3. Reading AC (567 points) 
  4. Wirral AC (513 points) 
  5. Cheltenham & County Harriers (463 points) 
  6. Griffnock North AC (455 points) 
  7. City of York AC (445 points) 

YDL Upper results 

  1. Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC (882.5 points) 
  2. Team Avon (721.5 points) 
  3. City of York AC (593.5 points) 
  4. Trafford AC (554.5 points) 
  5. Coventry and Leamington (549 points) 
  6. Reading AC (462 points) 

Blackheath and Bromley - YDL National Finals

School Games National Finals

After an inspirational Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last month, it was time for a younger generation of athletes to showcase the thrills and spills of a multi-sport event when the School Games National Finals took place at the weekend. 

Hosted at Loughborough University, the Games is designed to give young athletes a unique insight into what it’s like to experience everything that comes with participating in a major event, from opening and closing ceremonies to life in an athletes’ village   

As well as offering an educational experience of life in elite sport, this year’s Finals saw the welcome return of spectators to add to a brilliant atmosphere for all the competitors, win or lose. 

One of ten sports featured the athletics competition on Friday and Saturday was staged at the Paula Radcliffe Athletics Track which just a few weeks earlier had been home for Team England’s athletes as they prepared in their immersion camp prior to competing at Birmingham 2022’s Alexander Stadium over six days. 

School Games National Finals team scores and standings at the end of the two-day athletics competition were as follows: 

  1. Birmingham All Stars (233 points) 
  2. Victoria All Stars (231 points) 
  3. Gold Coast All Stars (229 points) 
  4. Kuala Lumpur All Stars (221 points) 
  5. Delhi All Stars (219 points) 
  6. Manchester All Stars (203 points) 
  7. Melbourne All Stars (192 points) 
  8. Glasgow All Stars (190 points) 

School Games National Finals 2022

More

  • Read more athletics and running news from England Athletics
  • Image credits:
    • The Big Half: Mark Shearman
    • ETC Throws Festival: Kirsty Fardell
    • YDL National Finals: Blackheath and Bromley Harriers AC
    • School Games National Finals: School Games
    • British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships: Steve Ashworth