Oxford Grand Prix – 20 July 2013 – Results

Races: 31
Finishers: 267
PB’s: 115 (43%)
Power of Ten: Here

Video
Video of races can be found Here

Report

MEN’S MILE RACES

RICHARD Peters and Jonny Mellor delivered a race worthy of the 50th anniversary of the British Milers’ Club in the main event of the day in Saturday’s Grand Prix meeting in Oxford.
The decision to switch the normal 1500m races to the mile seemed entirely appropriate for the occasion and also reflected the choice of the venue at Iffley Road, where Sir Roger Bannister first broke four minutes mile in 1954.
Society 59 years on is worlds apart from the fifties but could the new generation of runners on the start line match Sir Roger’s staggering achievement?
The pressure was on and both Peters and Mellor, with a lot of help from Steve Mitchell didn’t disappoint as they became the first two men to break four minutes together in the same race on the track.
Mitchell’s surge of pace at the bell, which was reached in 3:01.6 – 59.0 for the first quarter and then 2:01 at halfway – set the race alight with Mellor throwing down the gauntlet in the final 200 metres.
But Peters, who was the fastest miler in the field after a PB of 3:56 during the American indoor season, was not to be denied and he edged his way past Mellor in the home straight or a thrilling victory that certainly delighted race announcer and coach Mike Down though the latter remained impartial during the race.
“Richard ran that race so much better than the 1500m at the British Championships the week before,” said Down.
“But I would say he can still do a lot better and he is really only scraping the surface of his talent. “
Peters was delighted with his win on such an auspicious occasion and in a personal best time outdoors.
“I will always remember this race and it was great to win here at such an historic venue,” said Peters.
Mellor, who primarily sees himself as a road runner, showed a great turn of speed to clock a PB but Mitchell agonisingly fell just short of breaking that magical four minutes barrier. Even 59 years after the original it is still a formidable challenge and a huge benchmark of quality that deserves the utmost respect.
“I came here for the novelty as the mile is so rarely run in Britain and I really enjoyed it,” said Mellor.
Tonbridge runner Steve Fennell won the B race after out-kicking British cross country international Keith Gerrard though he was disappointed with his time.
One of the closest finishes of the meeting came in the mile C race with Liverpool Harriers’ Harry Harper showing a welcome return to form as he out-dipped Chad Lambert of Marshall Milton Keynes to win by 0.05secs.
“This is my first serious race back after a shin injury plus I have also moved to London for a new job and it has taken time to settle in,” said Harper.
The D race witnessed a new British record with 50-year-old Belgrave Harrier Mike Trees smashing Guy Bracken’s M50 best of 4:37 with a time of 4:32.05.
“I really wanted to break the record in a big meeting like this because there are some spurious times in the masters,” said Trees.
Overall victory went to 21-year-old Eliot Buckner in 4:20.94 after a good duel with Blair Brown, Richard Powell and Chris McGurk, who had helped organise the meeting.
In the other record attempt City of Stoke’s former Royal Marine Lee Riley narrowly failed to break his own world record for carrying a 40llb pack as he finished in 5:17.7.

MEN’S 800m

While the men’s 800m had a quality field the winning time of 1:49.59 from Kenyan Abraham Kiplagat was disappointing.
The bell was reached in 51.8secs but once the pacemaker gave way the entire field closed up and off the top bend it was still wide open.
Having taken the initiative Kiplagat had the edge and just did enough to hold off the British pair of Rory Graham-Watson and 21-year-old Guy Learmonth.
“It has been an up and down season for me with various niggles but that was better so I am happy with that,” said Learmonth.
“I am starting to feel that I am getting my kick back and it was good to take a few scalps here. Now I’ll be looking to push on and get in some good races before the end of the season.”
Ireland’s Eoin Everard warmed up for the 1500m at the Irish Championships next weekend with a hard-fought victory over David Bishop in the B race, both men running season’s bests.
“The pace was a bit slow on the first lap and then it became tactical but I was still pleased to win,” said Everard. “It is great to win here and reading all the stuff about Sir Roger Bannister inspires you.”
Bishop was happy with his effort and is now looking to end the season on a high before returning to America for the winter.
Liverpool Harriers’ 19-year-old Jamie Webb won the C race and St Mary’s University student Ben Coldray continued his good season with a PB of 1:51.23 to win the D race.
There was also a PB by two seconds for Bristol & West’s Daniel Studley in the G race while junior Doug Musson and 15-year-old Daniel Eales did likewise to win the I & K races respectively.
There were also season’s bests for Carl Bradbury, James Miller and Michael Kershaw in the F, H & J races respectively as a total of 72 runners competed in the eleven races.
In the Peter Coe mile for under 17 men 15-year-old George Elliot unleashed a terrific finish to overhaul Billy White of Brighton Phoenix.
“It is an amazing feeling to win here,” said Elliott.“This is definitely my best win ever.”

MEN’S 3000m-5000m

Philip Hurst’s winning margin of two seconds didn’t reflect his dominance of the 3000m A race as he broke clear at halfway to run away from the field.
“It was disappointing with some of lads dropped out as I was hoping for a faster time,” said Hurst.”I cannot complain about the win but I am stuck around eight minutes and I would love to go under that.”
Hurt has now won Grand Prix races at 1500m (Manchester) and 3000m this season.
Neilson Hall ran a season’s best in second and 21-year-old Alex Cornwell a personal best of 8:09.50 in third. Behind him the next five runners all set new PBs.
In the 3000m B race 21-year-old Alex Dunbar went from a long way out in a bid to reverse some recent defeats.
“In the last few races I have taken everyone else around so this time I sat in and then ran away to win and it was nice to take a big chunk out of my personal best,” said Dunbar, whose time of 8:24.43 lopped almost ten seconds off his previous best.
“I reckon that’s my best race of the season and my first win in a BMC Grand Prix so that’s good.”
The next six runners all set new PBs
The 5000m saw a fine win for 36-year-old Nicholas Torry. The Serpentine runner tracked Andy Vernon’s pacemaking until 3k and then, despite being way out on his own, maintained the tempo for the closing five laps to clock a PB of 14:18.38.
“I knew I was I reasonable shape after running 14:32 in the British League and this was my first BMC race so I am really happy with that time,” said Torry.
Swansea’s Marc Hobbs was a distant runner-up and frustratingly just missed his PB by over a second as the top ten all went under 15 minutes.
In the B race 20-year-old Ben Connor of Derby and runner-up Kevin Rojas both ran PB as they broke 15 minute.

WOMEN’S 800M

Canadian international Diane Cummins delivered a quality performance to win the 800m A race with the 39-year-old surging ahead at the bell reached in 59seconds and holding off the chasing pack to win in a season’s best of 2:03.6.
“I am chasing times as I need the A qualifying standard of 2mins flat to get into the World Championships,” said Cummins.
“I am on the reserve list for London next weekend or I may race in Belgium to try and get the two minutes.”
While Cummins missed her target she was very complimentary about the event.
“These BMC meets are awesome,” said Cummins. “I have done a couple now and the organisation is great, the atmosphere is good, it is relaxed and you get some terrific athletes turn up to give you an opportunity of running hard. I love ‘em!”
2:00.15 American Chanelle Price was second with Shelayna Oskan-Clarke third, also just under e2:05.
There was also a season’s best for Scot Claire Gibson but the most interesting British result came from former British international 400m runner Nicola Sanders as she clocked 2:05.8 in eighth.
“I am just glad I have got the first one out of the way because it was so hard!” said Sanders, who last ran over two laps in 2009 when she recorded 2:03.41 in the Mt Sac Relays.
Katie Snowden was happy with a season’s best of 2:05.52 to win the B race although there was obvious frustration at getting so close to her PB of 2:05.26 after a swift opening lap of 59.7secs.
“I felt really strong and was pushing it hard in the last 200m,” said Snowden, who ended up in lane 3 which may have cost her a tenth or two.
“It is a shame I am getting these times too late for the European Juniors but my aim now is to try and finish second in the UK U20 Rankings behind Jess (Judd).”
Shafestbury Barnet’s Amy Campbell had the edge in the C race won in 2:08.06, a time that was eclipsed in the D race won by Cornish teenager Charlotte CaytonSmith.
The 16-year-old Cornwall AC runner smashed her personal best for a fine victory in 2:07.68 just holding off Cheltenham’s Julia Cook and Alex Turner of Amber Valley, both of whom also improved their PBs.
On a day when personal bests were scarce and hard-earned it was encouraging to see the winners of the E, F and G races all run quicker than ever before as Cardiff’s Bethan Strange (2:12.37), City of Stoke’s Kate Anderson (2:15.24) and Georgie Salmon (2:18.57) claimed good wins.
Indeed, the top three in the E and F race all claimed lifetime bests with 16-year-old Hannah Nuttall catching the eye with 2:12.93 behind Strange.

WOMEN’S MILE
Alison Leonard atoned for failing to finish the 800m half an hour earlier with a solid victory over Stevie Stockton.
“Mentally I was not quite with it in the 800m but I thought I have not come all this way not to race so the organisers let me run the mile and the pace was just right at the start and my legs felt okay,” said Leonard.
Leonard and Stockton dominated the race to finish well clear of Sarah McDonald with Katrina Wootton, winner of the 5000m at Solihull, fourth.
In the Frank Horwill mile for under 17 women Sophie Tooley kicked hard off the top bend past Gemma Shepherd for an impressive victory and dip under five minutes for the first time.
“I came third last year behind the Clay sisters so it is really nice to come back here and win and in a personal best,” said 14-year-old Tooley.

WOMEN’S 3000M & 5000M
Pre-race favourite Lauren Deadman was a decisive winner finishing over six seconds clear of the field in 9:18.29 but not surprisingly outside her PB of 9:10.77 The girls chasing benefitted with Gemma Kersey, Elle Baker and Juliet Potter all recording season’s best time.
The 5000m started with a quality field but finished somewhat under-powered with both Jessica Augusto of Portugal and Sabine Fischer of Switzerland dropping out after 2k.
Spanish veteran Judit Pla certainly suffered as she was sharing the lead with Augusto and was left to run the final 3k alone and still managed a fine time of 15mins 42.80secs.
Likewise leading Brit Emily Stewart was alongside Fisher and was left an isolated runner-up which ultimately cost her in the final kilometre on at was otherwise promising debut at the distance as she clocked 16:05.30.
“It was tough and certainly not ideal having to run alone for most of the race but I am pleased with that,” said Stewart.
“I have not been enjoying the steeplechase this season so it was good to try something different.”