Any questions concerning the meeting including withdrawing should be directed to Steve Green.
Meeting Timetable: Can be found HERE
Start Lists: Can be found HERE
Spectator Tickets £6 available BUY TICKETS
Live Stream from Vinco WATCH HERE Use discount code britishmilersclub10
To follow the meeting with results and photofinish pictures from AthleticsLive LIVE RESULTS
All further details including parking can be found HERE
Advice on Security
In light of the recent incidents of civil disorder around the UK, the organisers of the event have opened dialogue with the Greater Manchester Police. There is no current intelligence to suggest that there is a threat in the area of the Grand Prix competition. We will continue to maintain active dialogue with the police and review our arrangements should the threat assessment level change. Competitors, officials and spectators travelling to the event should be mindful of news bulletins relating to the areas they are travelling through and make appropriate arrangements.
BRITISH MILERS CLUB GRAND PRIX BURY PREVIEW
BURY is set to host the biggest meeting in its history with the fifth and final British Milers Club Grand Prix on Saturday.
“We have had entries close to 400 which for the final Grand Prix meeting of the year is unheard of,” said organiser Steve Green.
“It is great as this is the first time that Bury has hosted a Grand Prix so the response has been amazing. Also, around a quarter of the field is international as well so that brings extra quality.”
The BMC Grand Prix series is part of the World Athletics Challenger Series which ensures some of the finest runners from Europe, America and further beyond, some who may have just missed selection for the Olympics in Paris, will be racing at the Market Street Track.
“The British Milers Club is all about improving standards in this country and the presence of international runners is undoubtedly helping that,” added Green.
“At the last count we had around 30 counties represented which is brilliant.”
Green is relishing the prospect of an exciting women’s 800m A race which features a top athlete from Denmark, Annemarie Nissen.
She trains with Trevor Painter’s group (including GB’s newly-crowned Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson) at Leigh and is looking to go under two minutes so she will be one to watch for sure.
“We also have a couple of other decent overseas runners with Aurora Rynda of Canada (PB this year of 2:00.66) and Solveig Vrale of Norway (PB of 2:03.92) and a strong British contingent including Khahisa Mhlanga and Shaikira King, who is still a teenager, so I think it is an outstanding field,” added Green.
King, the UK’s top U17 800m runner, arrives having won a silver medal at the European U18 Championships in Slovakia last month and set her lifetime best of 2:01.61 at the BMC regional meeting at Gillingham on July 7th.
But the fastest Brit in the field is Giffnock North’s Erin Wallace, who is also coached by Trevor Painter, having improved her PB to 1:59.20 when finishing third at the opening Grand Prix at Sportcity in May.
Wallace was also third in the UK Championships and Olympic trials and reached the semi finals of the 800m at the European Championships so the 24-year-old is enjoying a really good season.
Wallace is sixth in the UK Rankings with teenager King 13th and Khahisa Mhlanga, whose season’s best of 2:02.10 was set at Sportcity in May, 16th.
The men’s 800m A race has a strong international flavour. Nineteen-year-old Omer Faruk Bozdag could be the first runner from Turkey to line up for a GP A race and having already run a lifetime best of 1:46.53 this summer is now looking to dip inside 1:46.
Canadian Zakary Mama-Yari has clocked a PB of 1:45.93 this summer so will be one to watch as will 20-year-old Ramon Wipfli of Switzerland whose target is 1:44.
But the fastest man in the field is British runner and Tokyo Olympic semi finalist Daniel Rowden, who boasts a lifetime best of 1:43.95 from 2023 but this year has a fastest time of 1:45.37 which puts him 10th in the UK Rankings.
That time was set early season on May 19th in Rabat but Rowden hasn’t raced since failing to make it through the heats of the UK Championships at the end of June – in fact he has only raced four time outdoors – so this will be a good test to see if he is getting back into form and can stage a strong end to the season. Look out as well for Tom Keen, who is running his first 800m of the season but has a 3:36 for 1500m to his name.
The men’s 1500m has real star quality with the presence of American Cooper Teare. The 24-year-old has run two lifetime bests this year with 3:32.16 in the 1500m and 12:54.72 in the US Championships over 5000m.
Teare is joined by Esten Hauen of Norway (PB 3:38.87), Ziad Audah of Belgium (PB of 3:37.74), Qatar’s Abdirahman Saeed Hassan (PB 3:37.69) and Ireland’s Shane Bracken (PB of 3:36.94).
James West’s last 1500m was a 3:35.44 in September last year but this season he has focussed upon the 5000m finishing seventh at the European Championships in Rome, winning the UK title and also setting a PB of 13:9.07 in Brussels, in May.
The highest ranked British runner in the field is James Gormley, who clocked 3:36.66 in Belgium a few weeks ago to go equal 9th while Kane Elliott (UK 12), James McMurray (UK 13) and James Young (UK 14) are all entered.
“We will actually have eight men’s 15000m races and 10 men’s 800m races which I’m really happy with because sometimes at this time of the year entries drop off a bit,” added Green.
The women’s 1500m A race includes another fast American in Rachel McArthur, who set her PB of 4:06.67 at the Los Angeles Grand Prix in May and is targeting something even faster at Bury.
Domestically Ellie Leather is the fastest woman in the field having also set her PB of 4:06.12 at that same Los Angeles meeting in May to put her 11th in the UK Rankings.
Hannah Nuttall, Izzy Fry and Kate Axford are also entered as is junior Innes Fitzgerald, looking for some speedwork ahead of racing the 3000m at the World Junior Championships in Peru.
In the men’s 5000m Ireland’s Sean Tobin (PB 13:33.93) and Mikael Johnsen of Denmark (PB 13:44.45 this year) head the field while the women’s 5k field includes a strong British contingent with the likes of Verity Ockenden (PB 15:03.51), Eloise Walker (PB 15:25.21) and Sophie Wallis (PB 15:21.72).
From overseas Erin Teschuk of Canada has run 15:29.32 this summer and is looking to go much faster while Norway’s Live Solheimdal (PB 15:48.94) could also figure.
A lot of hard work has been put in by the BMC to supporting the steeplechase this summer and the men’s 3000m A race boasts a strong field including Mark Pearce and Will Battershill, currently third and fourth on the UK Rankings after posting PBs of 8:20.83 and 8:21.83 respectively this summer.
But the fastest man in the field is Victor Ruiz of Spain, who set his PB of 8:13.89 last year and in 2024 has run 8:24.84 while his compatriot Jaouad Hssini has clocked a PB of 8:24.58 this summer. Canadian Kevin Robertson (PB 8:33.88 in 2024) should also figure.
In the women’s field, boasting eight nationalities, Grace Fetherstonhaugh of Canada is the fastest on 9:31.27 while the top Brit is Lauren Hall.
Two 400m hurdles races are also being staged at the start of the meeting with Onyeka Okoh (PB 50.95) heading the men’s field and Orla Brennan (PB 58:25) the fastest woman.
“Bury has been incredibly welcoming to the BMC and really super hosts,” said Green.
“We hope plenty of people will turn up to watch the meeting and we are encouraging them to bring their own tables and chairs to line the home straight and create a great atmosphere for the runners.”
The meeting starts at 4.15pm and spectators can buy tickets in advance BUY TICKETS
