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BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY GRAND PRIX PREVIEW
IT is going to be an exciting and emotional evening at Birmingham University as we stage the second Adidas/sportsshoes.com British Milers Club Grand Prix of the season this weekend.
The inclusion of the Buds Fast 5000m races for men and women for the first time on the programme is a tribute to the immense contribution – and continuing affection – that coach Bud Baldaro has made to the British distance running scene.
Illness has meant Bud has been forced to take a step back in recent years but meeting organiser Luke Gunn said it was time to remind the community of his contribution to the sport.
“We want to make a fuss of Bud as he is still very much with us and we certainly appreciate how much he has done for the sport and the BMC in particular,” said Luke.
“We have a lot of his athletes, current and ex, who were keen to take part in Buds races and will be there.
“It has also meant we have some really deep fields for the 5k with three men’s races and had to turn away a lot more.
“We could have had two women’s races but decided on one strong field and the pace will be set fast for both.”
Buds fast 5000m A men’s race includes the likes of Jacob Cann, who ran 13:33.81 last year, Scotland’s Jamie Crowe and in-form 22-year-old Matt Ramsden who won the European 10,000m Cup B race in Italy last weekend in a PB of 29:11.69 on top of a PB 7:50.48 in Belfast at the start of the month.
Cameron Boyek, who ran a fantastic 1500m PB of 3:34.28 last summer, is also in the field and is sure to smash his lifetime best at the distance of 14:24.02 set four years ago.
Let’s also not forget man-of-the-moment Joseph Tuffin, who broke the BMC record in the mile with his 3:54.06 victory in the Belfast Record Breaker meeting, beating Nick Griggs, last weekend.
Buds fast 5000m for women has also attracted a very strong domestic field, including two medallist from the recent UK Championships and two who were on GB duty at the European Cup, in Italy, last weekend.
Poppy Tank was runner-up in the UK 10,000m Championships at Loughborough, in a PB of 32:15.30. Her 5000m PB of 15:45.07 dates back to 2021.
Hannah Irwin finished just behind Tank in third at Loughborough in a PB of 32:22.57 and over 5000m has a PB of 15:24.71 from last summer
Amelia Quirk opened her track season with a PB of 33:15.33 at the European Cup 10,000m while her 5000m PB of 15:27.75 was set when winning the BMC Indoor title four years ago.
Lucy Jones clocked 33:25.13 at the European Cup 10,000m in Italy last weekend
The field also includes international steeplechaser Emily Parker, who won this race a year ago in 15:33.85, which remains her PB, before going on to finish fifth over the barriers at the European U23 Championships.
“My colleague Dean Miller has worked really hard to get a strong turn-out in honour of Bud,” added Luke.
“We were both coached by Bud and we were thinking about how best we could make the 5000m race more attractive to runners and I think the fact that we have so many runners – and the B race will be paced at 13:45 pace which is normally the A standard – is testament to its success.”
As a former steeplechase international Luke has always prided himself in attracting a top class field for his speciality and he has excelled himself this weekend.
“I am very excited about the steeplechase races,” added Luke.
“We have Mark Pearce and Will Battershill, who are currently No 1 and No 2 in the Uk Rankings, for the men’s 3000m.
“The pacing will be set for 8mins 20secs, which is the European Championships qualifying standard and maybe even the BMC record (8:20.15 by Phil Norman at Tooting last summer) will be under threat.
“And behind them there are other guys aiming for Commonwealth Games standards and the World Juniors. We had a lot of interest in this race with it getting the (Continental Tour) Challenger status.
“In the women’s race we have some very good juniors like Tilly Nickell looking for the World Juniors qualifying standard of 10:15.
“I am really looking forward to both races. While we have put more focus on the longer events that doesn’t mean the standards have dropped for the 800m and 1500m races and we have some really strong fields for those too.”
In the men’s 800m 16-year-old Charlie Chambers will be looking to build upon the superb PB of 1:47.77 he ran to win the B race at the opening Grand Prix at Trafford – which earned him automatic promotion to the A race this weekend.
In the women’s race Khahisa Mhlanga will be looking to make it two wins out of two having posted a season’s best of 2:03.00 to win at Trafford.
The top three girls in the UK U18 Rankings – Ezrah Harrold, Jorja march and Mollie Grant – are also in the starting line-up.
For the women’s 1500m Abigail Ives will be full of confidence after breaking there two-year-old 800m PB in Brussels last weekend with 1:59.94 to go fourth on the UK Rankings.
She will have one eye on her 1500m PB of 4:07.49 but faces a strong field including Holly Dixon, Molly Hudson, Lyla Belshaw and India Weir.
Arlo Ludewick looked impressive winning the Trafford GP in a PB of 3:37.48 with coach Norman Poole – the BMC President – feeling there is much more to come from the 26-year-old. Also look out for 17-year-old Freddie Rowe, who ran 3:44.62 at the Twickenham Record Breaker meeting last year and will be looking towards the World U20s qualifying standard of 3:43.0
The first race is at 5pm with another 30 to follow in an action-packed evening before the men’s 5000m C race at 9pm. Spectator tickets available on the gate and if you can’t make it in person then check out the live coverage provided by our partner Vinco.
“With about 400 entries and a forecast that suggests perfect PB conditions it is going to be a very exciting meeting,” said Luke.
