Manchester Trafford Grand Prix – 17 Aug 2013 – Results

Races: 29
Finishers: 276
PB’s: 29 (11%)
Power of Ten: Here

Video
Video of races can be found Here

Pictures
Photos from the meeting can be seen HERE

More Photos from the meeting can also be seen HERE

Report

MEN’S 800m A-B RACES
Lying flat out on the sodden track, chest heaving showed just how much effort Rory Graham-Watson had put in to win his second Grand Prix race of the season.
The 23-yeear-old Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow athlete must like Manchester – he also won at Sportcity – but he had to dig really deep here clawing back Jake Wightman’s lead inch by inch into the wind down the home straight before snatching victory by just 0.9secs.
European Under 20 1500m champion Wightman was rewarded for his aggression with second on the same track that he ran a personal best of 1:48.01 in a BMC Gold Standard meeting the previous week.
“It was good to beat Guy (Learmonth) as he beat me in the Scottish Championships the week before,” said Wightman, who must surely be one of the most improved British junior runners of the year.
Learmonth finished strongly for third while the amazing veteran Anthony Whiteman was fourth in 1:50.77.
For another top junior, 18-year-old Jordan Bransberg of Skyrac, this was probably one race too many in what has been an excellent season and he will now take a well-earned break.
In contrast Brighton Phoenix runner Daniel Stepney probably wishes the season could go on for another month or so after following up his recent personal best of 1:49.98 at the BMC regional meeting in Eltham with his best win yet on the Grand Prix circuit.
Stepney unleashed a big kick to hold off Tuomo Salonen of Finland – one of a large contingent of athletes from Scandinavia – to win the B race in 1:52.31 and go one better than in the same meeting twelve months ago.
“I had been hoping to get a faster time but it was just so windy tonight but I am pleased to win and I still have a few more races left this season,” said Stepney.

MEN’S 800m C-I RACES
One of the most encouraging wins of the evening came from local runner Niall Brooks. With coach and BMC President Norman Poole watching from trackside Brooks won the C race to show further signs that he has finally shaken off the illness that has restricted him to just two races this season.
“That is my second and last race of the season!” said Brooks. “It has been a hard year for me and it is just nice to be back racing and winning again.”
Former European Junior medallist Brooks controlled the race from the bell and showed great strength in testing conditions to hold off Austrian Guenther Matzinger and Salm Raphael of Switzerland and while the 22-year-old was well off his 2010 personal best of 1:47.02 that was the least of his worries.
In the D race Shildon’s Cameron Boyek looked like he had victory wrapped up but in all but a handful of races it was the last 50 metres into a fierce headwind that settled matters and it was Kristinn Kristinsson who timed his effort best to snatch victory.
Juniors Elliott Dorey of Jersey and Notts AC runner Robert Needham took third and fourth respectively
Wrexham’s Jamie Roberts denied Iceland another victory in the E race as he proved too strong for Bjorn Margeirsson with a swift 1:53.22 with Australian Jonathan McLennan third.
Koen Jongenelen of Belgium was another overseas winner in the F race while Joe Durrant, James Lynch and Louis Wrigley won the G, H and I events respectively.

MEN’S 1500m A-B RACES

“I’m undefeated in Manchester!” boasted Philip Hurst after winning the A race and claiming some notable domestic scalps.
“There were some good runners in the field tonight like Lee Emanuel, Dave Bishop, Andy Vernon and Mukhtar Mohammed and it is a good feeling to beat them. I am very happy with that.”
Former British international James Thie, who is now carving out a good reputation as a coach, set the pace hoping to toe two of his runners – Bishop and Tom Marshall – to Commonwealth Games qualifying times for Scotland and Wales respectively.
“I don’t think I have never known condition so tough in a Grand Prix race, the wind was really gusting,” said Thie, who toughed it out until the 800m mark.
Hurst hit the front at 1200m and called upon his considerable strength to hold off fast finishing 800m specialist Mohammed and Ireland international David McCarthy down the home straight and in the conditions his time of 3:42.70, which is second fastest ever behind his PB of 3:41.10 at Sportcity, was commendable.
Australia Ryan Gregson ad Krzysztof Zebrowski of Poland, both of whom have fast sub 3mins 40secs to their names, could only finish seventh and ninth respectively while Bishop and Emanuel, currently sixth and third respectively in the UK Rankings respectively, were a disappointing eighth and tenth.
Reaching the bell of the B race in 2:46.78 home favourite Simon Horsfield, who recently ran a PB of 7:58 on the same track and Jonathan Taylor were fighting a domestic battle for honours as they swapped he lead down the back straight.
That effort cost them down the home straight as first Johan Rogestedt of Sweden and then Andreas Bueno of Denmark edged ahead for another Scandinavian triumph.
“I love coming to the BMC races for a fast time,” said Rogestedt. “I read on the website the high percentage of PBs in the Grand Prix races and that is why and many others come over her.
“It was a little windy tonight so I was fighting for a time but I was only just outside my personal best of 3:45.9 so I have to thank the pacemaker for his efforts.
“It was definitely worth coming here and I look forward to coming again.”
Central AC’s Andrew Butchart came through for third and first Brit with Taylor and Horsfield fourth and fifth respectively and Kris Gauson sixth.

MEN’S 1500mC-G RACES
The big demand to run the 1500m was reflected in another five races with 51 runners finishing.
Kingston Upon Hull junior James Lamswood was the only other runner to break 3:50 as he won the C race in 3:49.31 to finish over a second clear of James O’Hare.
“I am not happy with my time as I was hoping to get close to 3:45 after my recent personal best of 3:48.44 (BMC Gold Standard race at Trafford) said Lamswood.
“But when I tried to kick I just seemed to hit a wall so in the circumstances I am just happy to win in a reasonable time. It was tough out there.”
There was an exciting finish to the D race with Chad Lambert overhauling Emmett Dunleavy in the final 10 metres while the cosmopolitan nature of the meeting was further reflected in wins for Daniel Lundgren (Sweden), Daire Bermingham (Raheny Shamrocks) and Michael Batiste (Guernsey) in the E, F and G races respectively.

MEN’S 5000m A-C RACES
Jonny Hay and Mikael Ekvall of Sweden had a great duel in the A race, swapping the led continuously as they stretched further and further clear of the field.
On a night when it would have been easy to have sat in they both showed a real desire to keep the tempo reasonable and ensure an honest race.
Inevitably on the last lap Hay used his superior leg speed to move clear for victory in 14:13.68 with Ekvall never giving u for second in 14:15.98 ad Josh Lilly almost 20 seconds behind in third.
“I am really happy with that run and it is great to be back winning an A race, it has been a long time,” said Hay.
As the final race of the meeting starting at 9.15pm the B race runners probably enjoyed the best conditions of the evening and 22-year-old Sean Fontana Scottish champion of Victoria Park City of Glasgow just did enough to hold off Leeds City junior Gordon Benson as both men broken 14mins 30secs with the former carving over five seconds off h is personal best set only the previous week in Scotstoun.
For 19-year-old Benson the time, which was his first attempt at the distance, lifted him straight to third on the UK Rankings for under 20 men. The top ten went under 15 minutes.
Wells City Harrier Jack Bancroft was a convincing winner of the C race in a personal best of 15:04.43 shaving over four seconds from his previous best.

MEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE
The runners had the worst of the conditions and were soaked through long before they negotiated the first water jump.
Former Eritrea Olympic Games runner Weynay Ghebresilasie, who recently moved down to Birmingham to work with coach Dave Lawrence of Birchfield Harriers, was an untroubled winner but clearly didn’t enjoy the experience.
“I am not happy,” said Ghebresilasie, who ran a PB of 8:28.97 last summer in the build-up to London.
Tom Erling Karbo of Norway was runner-up with Rory Chesser third.

WOMEN’S 800M A-B RACES
When the pacemaker dropped out just after reaching the bell in 61.52sec British Championship bronze medallist Shelayna Oskan-Clarke was left with a long run for home in the women’s A race.
While the 23-year-oldWindsor Slough Eton & Hounslow runner inevitably slowed her resolve and determination never faltered as she fought off a fierce attack from Herne Hill junior Katie Snowden in the last 100 metres with just 0.02secs separating the pair on the line.
“That was so hard,” said Oskan-Clarke. “Surely running 2:05 should have been easier than that?”
Not in those conditions but that was Oskan-Clarke’s first Grand Prix A race victory in 2:05.51 – second in Solihull was her best this summer – so that is a good way to bring the season to a close.
In contrast 19-year-old Snowden was left frustrated at missing her PB by just 0.01secs – which she equalled at Eltham last Wednesday – and will hope to enjoy a big finale at the Watford Gold Standard meeting on September 4th.
Former British international 400m runner Nicola Sanders continued her education over two laps with an encouraging third place, which was an improvement on her run in Oxford the previous month.
“I got boxed in over the last 200 metres but I was more in contention that at Oxford where I was off the back so I am getting there,” said Sanders.
In the B race Cornwall teenager and reigning English and British Schools’ champion Molly Long was also left in front at the bell and just ran out of legs in the last 20 metres with Lagan Valley’s Katie Kirk finishing strongly to claim victory in 2:07.26.
“That is a personal best so I am delighted!” said Kirk, who in previous seasons has concentrated on 400m. “I am still learning about the event.”
The Norwegian pair of Hedda Hynne and Yngvild Evemo cme through for third and fourth respectively with Jenny Tan, who had led the chase after Long down the back straight, slipping to fifth.

WOMEN’S 800m C-E RACES
In the supporting races Katy Brown’s time of 2:08.70 to win the D race proved to be quicker than C race winner Ffion Price (2:10.87).
Brown really stamped her authority on the event finishing almost three seconds clear of Derby’s Natalie Shaw with Leah Barrow third.
City of Stoke junior Lucy Hayes also enjoyed a convincing win in the E race clocking 2:13.21 to finish over two seconds clear of fellow junior Becky Hodgson.

WOMEN’S 1500m A-B RACES
Nowhere was the difficulty of the conditions better reflected than in the women’s 1500m A race. On her last appearance on the track the previous week Charlene Thomas had clocked a personal best of 4:03.95 to go second on the UK Rankings behind Hannah England.
On Saturday she was 10.35secs slower and had to really work hard to hold off a spirited challenge from 800m specialist Emma Jackson on the last lap.
“That felt ten times harder than running 4:03!” said Thomas.
“I could hear someone behind me on the last lap and I had to work so hard in that last 200 metres. I am just pleased to win that to be honest.”
Jackson should take encouragement for pushing Thomas so hard as she finished a clear second with Melissa Courtney just getting the better of Rosie Clarke for third as she clocked her second fastest time outdoors.
Alexandra Bell’s performance to win the B race stood out as it proved to be another rare personal best on the night as she clocked 4:26.14 to hold off Ellie Stevens (4:26.81).
“That is only my third ever 1500m and the last time I did one was as a 17-year-old,” said 20-year-old Bell, who trains with Thomas in Leeds. Her previous best of 4:31.88 was set in 2008.
“I am pretty happy with that time.”
In third was former British junior international Dani Barnes, who recently ran her fastest time (4:23.37) for nine years and was satisfied with another solid run.
Leicester junior Amy Griffiths was fourth in 4:28.95 and Warrington teenager Harriet Knowles-Jones was eighth in 4:30.10.
Central AC’s 16-year-old Kathryn Gillespie had a terrific last lap to destroy her rivals in the C race and win by a huge 11 seconds in a season’s best of 4:34.48.
“I was hoping to get under 4mins 30secs tonight but I didn’t take into account it would be monsoon conditions,” said Gillespie.

WOMEN’S 5000m
Charlene Thomas cut out a brisk early tempo as pacemaker as she warmed down from her exertions in the 1500m but it was only Emelia Gorecka who could go with her.
That left the newly-crowned European Junior 3000m champion out on her own for the final 3000m and while Laura Whittle made a big effort to get back on terms and closed the gap she could never get on Gorecka’s shoulder.
The Aldershot Farnham & District runner finished strongly for victory in 16:07.37 with Whittle a safe second and Juliet Potter, who had missed the 1500m because of traffic problems, catching Beth Potter on the final lap for third.
“I had never raced at Trafford before so I was keen to come here but that was probably my slowest 5000m for a long time,” said Gorecka.
Indeed, the last time the 19-year-old ran slower than that was when winning a silver medal at the 2011 European Junior Championships in Tallinn (16:13.04) which only serves to underline how consistently good Gorecka has been for the past few years.