June 2026: Performance round up

As we are gearing up for a huge summer of athletics, June was filled with some fantastic performances from English athletes. From the best of British at the 2026 Novuna UK Athletics Championships to the top of the crop in the masters half marathon and 3000m, there’s lots of action to look back on in our June performance round up. 

Brilliant British champs 

The best athletes from across the home nations headed to Birmingham for the 2026 Novuna UK Athletics Championships. There were great performances across the weekend with spots on the GB & NI team for the European Championships up for grabs. Marcia Sey (Blackheath & Bromley, Lorna Boothe), Elise Thorner (Wells City Harriers, Helen Clitheroe) Amber Anning (Brighton & Hove AC, Chris Johnson), Georgia Hunter Bell (Belgrave Harriers, Trevor Painter) and Kristian Imroth (Shaftesbury Barnet) all excelled, setting new Championship Records. 

Marvellous masters running

Earlier this month, the Mizuno Swansea Half Marathon played host to the masters representative half marathon. The competition was red hot between England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the UK Armed Forces with England claiming the top spot in the M45, M50, M55, M60, M75, M80, W35, W45, W50, W70 and W75 categories. 

England athletes were the victors in the first ever Welsh Athletics v England Athletics Masters 3,000m International. The organisers of the Tonypandy Classic hosted this first track international - and what a privilege it was for the masters to be part of such a great event, sponsored by On Running. 

Outstanding off-road running 

The GB & Northern Ireland team had a thoroughly successful campaign at the 2026 European Off-Road Running Championships in Slovenia, with English athletes contributing to a strong medal haul across the weekend. The team’s performances were particularly strong in the uphill only races, with the women’s team topping the podium, led home by individual winner Morven Goodrum (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow, Sophie Mullins), and Scout Adkin (Ambleside AC, Angela Mudge) also topping the podium in the men’s event. 

The level of competition at this year’s U18 WMRA World Youth Cup in Italy was incredibly high. The England athletes represented themselves exceptionally well and gave everything they had in the stifling heat. Clara McKee (Calder Valley Fell Runners, self-coached) ran strongly to top the podium in the women’s U18 race.

There’s plenty more athletics and running action in the coming weeks with England teams due to compete at: 

• Antrim Coast Half Marathon: 23 August 
• Commonwealth Games: 27 July-1 August 
  • Phase 1 (para-athletics) 
  • Phase 2 (athletics)