August 2024: Performance round up

Whilst the world’s best athletes have been competing in Paris at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, there has also been lots of action at our two track and field internationals, on the roads and in the mountains. Look back on all these events in our August performance round up.

Fresh off his last-minute call up to the Olympic team, Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg, Birchfield Harriers) smashed the road mile world record at the Kö Meile in Düsseldorf, Germany. Giles finished in 3:54.3, taking nearly 3 seconds off the previous record.

Impressive youngster, Divine Iheme (Nkiruka Iheme, Radley), who told us at our Junior Championships earlier this summer that his goal was to break his age group world best, did just that at a BFTTA Open in Lee Valley this month. He clocked a lightning fast 10.30 seconds to break the U15 record.

British athletes excelling in Paris

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games got us off to a flying start in August with Team GB winning the most athletics medals since 1984! Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh) led the medal charge with her spectacular gold in the 800m. Having finished her preparations at our Senior Combined Events championships earlier this summer, Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Aston Moore, Liverpool Harriers) won her first Olympic medal with a silver in the heptathlon. Great Britain were the only team to achieve a podium finish in all five relay events, with silver in the women’s 4x100m and bronze in the men’s 4x100, and all three 400m relays.

The Paralympic Games kicked off last week with many British athletes achieving their best ever Paralympic results. Three T38 100m athletes qualified for the finals, in which both the men’s and women’s world records were broken. 16-year-old Paralympic debutant, Madeline Down (Mike Bennett, Halesowen), qualified with a new personal best and finished eighth in the final behind teammate Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood), who finished sixth. In the men’s final, Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood) finished in an agonising fourth place. There is more action and opportunities for medals coming up in September.

The stars of the future

Last week the country's most promising junior athletes were in action at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, with 16 of the English athletes currently supported by the England Youth or Junior Talent Programmes. The team finished strong with a silver medal in the men’s 4x100m relay and a bronze in the women’s 4x400m relay.

Earlier this month, young athletes from across the home nations came together at Thames Valley Athletic Centre to compete in the U15 and U17 Combined Events Championships and the U20 International. England’s A team took the win overall, but there were impressive performances for England athletes across the competition. In the Combined Events Championships, the overnight leader won three out of four of the competitions. The U15 girls hexathlon, however, was won by Jasmine Nkoso (Herne Hill Harriers), who sat in second place overnight, claiming gold thanks to a strong shot put in what was a very close competition.

Holly’s last hurrah on home soil

In Holly Bradshaw’s (Kate Rooney, Blackburn) final season competing, she opted to compete one last time on home soil as a guest in the men’s pole vault at the Manchester International. This was an opportunity to celebrate her successful career, including an Olympic bronze medal at Tokyo 2020, and the path she has paved for future British vaulters.

In the match competition, England took on Scotland, Wales and Thames Valley Harriers. The strong England team excelled both on the track and in the field. England claimed victory in all four discus competitions with great throwing from Lawrence Okoye (Zane Duquemin, Croydon Harriers), Zara Obamakinwa (Mark Chapman, Blackheath and Bromley), Rachel Leck (Catherina Halden, Jersey, F38) and Daniel Greaves (Zane Duquemin Charnwood, F44).

Running on the roads and in the mountains

16 England athletes took to the paths of Bute Park, Cardiff on Saturday 24 August to take on the other Home Nations and invited teams over 5km. They claimed both team and individual placings in the process. The senior men’s team picked up second place with a combined time of 56:13. Jack Kavanagh (Holland Sports AC) led home the team claiming individual second with a super 13:48. The senior women’s team claimed a strong third place finish with a combined time of 1:05:17, as several of the team made their debuts.

The evening of 30 August saw the third of this year’s Master Road England v Wales Internationals - over 5km in Kingsley, Cheshire. This was the first time that both countries had put out an equal number of runners in each age group, showing the continued development of the programme.

Following selection trials last month, England Athletics is pleased to announce that four strong mountain running teams will travel to Ireland on 14 September, with high hopes of retaining the Edinburgh Trophy (overall team trophy).