England Athletics Age Group and Para Championships Day 1: The journey begins

Just as the Olympic Games opening ceremony got under way in Paris, so the first gun fired to get the field going in the opening track final at this Championships in Birmingham. And for everyone this weekend, the magnificent stadium that hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games proved to be a fabulous venue for athletes beginning their journeys to Los Angeles in four years and beyond.

Just last year, at this very meeting, Phoebe Gill (Deborah Steel, St Albans) took the 800-metre title. Now she’s an Olympian. As are fellow age group winners, Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax) a winner in 2018, Sam Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke and Mid Hants), the 400m Champion in 2018, and Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh), also a winner in 2018. Big names that leap out at you from very recent England Champs, but now it’s time for the next generation to take those first steps.

Here’s how Friday evening’s key moments unfolded:

U17 women

Using a perfect combination of speed and endurance, Ava James (David Leach, Lewes) won the 1500m steeplechase in a Championships Best Performance of 4:52.39, the third fastest ever. She put her head down from the gun and dared anyone to follow her bold pace. In the end, no-one could muster a serious challenge and she was rewarded not just with a national title, but an incredible time.

“I like running at the front, so I just did that, went out hard and felt quite comfortable the whole way.”

Earlier, Bethany Trow (Shrewsbury) employed similar tactics and her rivals were in no doubt about her intentions as she immediately surged to the lead in the 800m, passing the bell in 61.2. Her victory never looked in doubt, as the strong looking 16th placer in the National Cross country, eased further away in the final 150m for a comfortable victory in 2:07.39.

It’s been an amazing and successful three weeks for Olivia Forrest (Paul Forrest, Brentwood Beagles) who won the 3000m in 9:40.13. Last week she won a bronze at the European U18 Championships, and the week before that she was crowned the English Schools Champion, not to mention a Southern title a couple of weeks prior to that. Plus, her training partner, Summer won the U15 race just 10 minutes before her.

“Last weekend I got a PB at the Europeans and I have got quite a few consistent times within ten seconds of each other in the last few weeks, which has been quite good.”

U15 girls

A brave run by Maya Schofield (Richard Harris, Rotherham) in the 800m saw her hit the front from the gun and hang on for a great win. The English Schools bronze medallist towed the field through the opening lap in 64.6 before a strong back straight saw her ease away for a big PB of 2:11.40 and the gold medal.

“I was injured for quite a while, so I think maybe having a rest has made it a lot easier for me and now I feel a lot better each time I run, so it’s just helped me a lot.”

Jorjia March (John Clarke, Barnet and District) employed similar tactics in the 1500m as she made a big move with two laps to run, a great tactic for the English Schools 800m winner a few weeks’ ago. No-one could match that surge and she stretched her lead even more in the final 200m, stopping the clock in 4:34.28.

“Last year it was taken out quite slow and I wasn’t quite ready for the fact the race was speeding up so rapidly and I kind of ran out of juice at the end, so I learnt how to run a tactical race from last year.”

Summer Smith (Paul Forrest, Brentwood Beagles) led gun to tape in the 3000m, winning with 9:52.73.

In the triple jump, no-one could match Leila Newth (Ealing, Southall and Middlesex) who was in the form of her life as she jumped four 11-metre-plus jumps in a row. Her fifth-round effort of 11.84 was the winning jump, but her jumps in round three, five or six would have sufficed. “It was great to jump so far,” she said. “Everything just felt perfect.”

U17 men

On paper, barely one second separated the entire field in the 1500m, so a tight finish was on the cards. And that’s exactly what occurred as Daniel Watson (North Shields Poly) won in 3:59.74, easily his best race of the season.

Tom Webb (Wells City Harriers) comfortably won the 3000m in 8:46.01 in the type of race where the finishing time was of secondary importance. This was a race all about the final 200m and who had the best finishing speed. Webb showed the crowd he has just that as he powered away in the closing stages.

Charlie Mason (Carolyn Franks, Cheltenham) secured the gold medal in the javelin in the fifth round with 60.12. It was just shy of his winning throw, and personal best, set on the way to gold at the English Schools, but a perfect way to round out a successful season.

The same is true Otis Poole (Mark Gale, Team Bath) who cleared a personal best of 2.07m in the high jump at the first timing of asking. That added 3cm to his lifetime best and not only secured him the gold, but it was also the highest jump of the year.

Lawson Capes (Lewis Capes, Peterborough and Nene Valley) continued where he left off last week when he won the English Schools International, a vest he was proudly wearing for this competition. His first throw of 17.43 secured him the gold medal and his fifth-round effort of 17.61 stretched that lead even more.

The pole-vaulters made sure no-one left early as Josh High (John Mahon, Enfield and Haringey) and Max Merriman (Guildford and Godalming) went head to head in what proved to be a fascinating duel. First High went over 3.87m only for Merriman to follow suit. Merriman then cleared 3.92m at the first time of asking in a competition that displayed superb depth behind the lead two. High passed this height only to scale 3.97m with his first jump to really put the pressure on. If Merriman was worried, it didn’t show as he matched him at 3.97m. The pair then raised the bar to 4.02m, a height that would see either of them enter the all-time top 10 if they cleared it. Merriman did exactly that to win the gold medal before he then ripped over 4.07m with room to spare. Fabulous stuff. Three attempts at a CBP 4.13 ended his evening.

U15 boys

Friday night is all about the distance races but tell that to the shot putters who were involved in an exciting and very close competition. In the end, it was Jeremy Anderson (Geoff Tyler, Chelmsford) who won with a personal best of more than a metre. His 15.84m puts him No.1 in the country, while two more went beyond 15 metres.

It was all about the final 200 metres in the 800m, as sub two-minute man this season George Gilbert (Brighton and Hove) launched a great sprint to win in 2:00.67 off a tactical 60.7 first 400 metres.

The 1500m was also all about the final lap as Ewan Withnall (Graham Lamb, Burton) easily moved away over the last 300 metres to win in 4:09.01, more than two seconds slower than his Schools victory two weeks’ ago.

The evening concluded with a magnificent 3000m that saw Adrian White (Michael Hutchinson, Trafford) dip inside nine minutes for the first time with 8:59.97. He looked out of it with 250 metres to run, back in fourth place but by the finish the gold medal was his. Drama all the way to the line.

View the full results here.