February 2025: Performance round up
February has been a busy month of athletics with the indoor and cross country seasons in full flow. There has been lots of action from England teams across Europe as well as English athletes competing on home soil at the Home Countries Cross Country International, British Indoor Championships and the England Age Group Championships.
English athletes lighting up the indoor season
England Age Group Indoor Championships
The England Age Group Indoor Championships saw the best young athletes from across the country competing for national titles and with four championship best performances, it was definitely not an event to be missed. On day one, Celine Obinna-Alo (Gateshead Harriers, Richard Kilty), aged just 14 years old, stormed the U17 women’s 60m final in a time of 7.38 to break the first record of the weekend.
On day two in Sheffield, the track continued to provide more lightning fast times. Shaikira King (Wreake and Soar Valley, John Skevington) shattered the U20 women’s 800m championship best with 2:04.34 to claim the gold. Wales’ Iolo Grant (Cardiff Archers, Bethan Grant) broke the men’s U20 60m hurdles championship best in the semi finals with a blistering 7.59 before winning the final in 7.63. In one of the final races of the day, Scottish athlete Holly Whittaker (Aberdeen) equalled Thea Brown’s (Sale Harriers, Ashley Bryant) championship best performance and U17 British record set in 2023 with a time on 8.39 in the 60m hurdles.
Swedish Combined Events Championships
A strong English team took on athletes from Sweden, Germany and Norway at the Swedish Combined Events Championships. Notably - Lewis Church (Tonbridge/Medway & Maidstone, David Hull), Bryony Bovell (Harrow, Ashley Bryant) and Ruby Tilson (U20; Havering, Mark Bishop) all placed top of their podiums, with Ava John (U20; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) placing second and Sammy Ball (Reading AC, Rafer Joseph) third overall.
UK Athletics Indoor Championships
The UK Athletics Indoor Championships provided a weekend full of action in Birmingham as lots of Talent Pathway athletes secured their spots at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Scott Lincoln (City of York, Paul Wilson) claimed his ninth British title in the men’s shot put with a new championship record of 20.86m to book his place in Apeldoorn. Also securing her place in Apeldoorn, Hannah Nuttall (Charnwood, Helen Clitheroe) finished strong in the women’s 3000m to take the title ahead of Scotland’s Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, Laura Weightman). The shock of the weekend came when 17-year-old Youth Talent Programme athlete Otis Poole (Yate & District, Joy Bray) claimed the men’s high jump title with a massive 11cm PB.
Cross country athletes overcoming muddy conditions
2025 Home Countries International
A misty cold day met the athletes as they took to the start line at Temple Newsam, Leeds for the 2025 Home Countries International, but the six England teams took this in their stride with strong performances across the board. Not only did the teams excel, but some athletes also claimed individual titles. Well done to Amelia Quirk (Bracknell AC, Mick Woods), Quinn Miell-Ingram (Radley, Wendy Miell-Ingram), Eliza Nicholson (Blackheath and Bromley, Tom Craggs) and Matthew Clark (Preston, Andy Bibby) for topping the podium in their respective races.
National Cross Country Championships
The National Cross Country Championships really tested the athletes taking part this year with the challenging muddy conditions making it an event not to be missed. Jessica Gibbon (Reading) claimed the senior women’s title 42 seconds ahead of Bracknell’s Amelia Quirk. Victory in the senior men’s race was claimed by Richard Slade (Chiltern), who had never finished in the top 100 of an event like this before.
Record breaking road running
Armagh International Road Race
The England team were celebrating at the Armagh International Road Race having claimed both the men’s and women’s team titles. In the record-breaking men’s race, Jack Kavanagh (Holland Sports AC, Neil Danby) finished quickly for second place in 13:35, which was faster than the previous course record. Amelia Quirk also secured her spot on the podium with an excellent 9:09 in the 3k race.
Plenty of PBs for the long throws
UKA/England Athletics Winter Long Throws Championships
An exciting season opener at the debut Winter Long Throws Championship saw a flurry of PBs across all events and highlighted the promising young athletes we hope to see competing for England and Great Britain in the future. A handful of athletes also threw qualification distances for the upcoming European Throwing Cup, European U23 Championships and European U20 Championships, including Zara Obamakinwa (Blackheath & Bromley, Mark Chapman), Jake Norris (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow, Paul Dickenson) and Ayesha Jones (Marshall Milton Keynes, Tom Dobbing).