Oxford Grand Prix – 23 July 2016 – Results

Races: 27
Finishers: 206
PBs 95 (46%)
Power of Ten results: Here

REPORT
EIGHT years after victory in the prestigious Dream Mile in under 3mins 50secs Andy Baddeley couldn’t have looked any happier than winning the Oxford mile in just under for minutes.
Baddeley’s victory in 3mins 59.46secs was a real triumph for the 34-year-old after years of struggle with injury and suggests a renaissance is looming for the highly respected athlete.
Needless to say in the women’s race it was the 800m that again took centre stage. Sarah McDonald became the latest winner to finish inside the Olympic qualifying time of 2:01.50 as she smashed her personal best with 2:01.10 with a superb run.
That means every winner of the first four Grand Prix events this summer – Jenny Meadows in Sport City (2:01.29), Adelle Tracey in Watford (2:01.24) and Alexandra Bell in Solihull (2:01.29) – have won inside that Olympic qualifying standard to underline the current strength in female 800m running that the BMC has done so much to foster.
In addition there was also a British best time of 4:03.87 for Jermaine Mays in the rarely run 1500m steeplechase eclipsing Steve Mitchell’s ‘record’ of 4:07.

MEN’S MILE
The vastly experienced Andy Baddeley knows what it takes to run a quick mile but after so long out with injury had to draw upon all his experience and know-how to dig out a big finish and dip inside four minutes for a memorable victory.
That time may pale compared to his lifetime best of 3:49.38 which he set when winning the 2008 Dream Mile in Oslo but the 34-year-old has endued so many problems since the 2012 Olympic Games that his celebration – punching the air in delight – when crossing the line was understandable.
“That was no disrespect to any of my rivals but just an expression of delight at what I had done,” said Baddeley.
“I really enjoyed that race and to win was brilliant. It was, arguably, the toughest and best thing I have done in my career as the last four years have been so difficult for me.”
Canada’s Nick Falk hit the bell in 3mins 01secs with Baddeley on his shoulder and the Harrow athlete surged clear down the back straight and then produced a sub 28 seconds last 200 metres to dip inside the four-minute barrier that was first broken on the same historic Iffley Road track.
Alex Tovey of Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow came through strongly for second in a PB of 4:01.84 with Falk and 21-year-old Tom Hook of Norwich also clocking PBs in third and fourth respectively.

FRANK HORWILL MILE FOR UNDER 17 WOMEN
British and English Schools’ 800m champion Khahisa Mhlanga produced a strong finish to secure yet another title in her impressive summer.
Mhlanga held off a determined challenge from Team Bath’s Ann Burt, who won the silver in the 800m at the European Youth Olympics in Georgia the previous weekend, to take victory in 4:57.14.
“I waited until the third lap to make my move after a steady start and I felt very strong,” said Mhlanga, who set her best of 4:47.26 at a BMC regional meeting in Eltham last month.
“Now I will be looking to win the 1500m at the UK School Games.”
Burt chased hard but could never get on terms with the winner.
“I tried to kick in the last 200 metres but there was nothing there,” said Burt.
Apart from Mhlanga all the other girls ran personal bests.

PETER COE MILE FOR UNDER 17 MEN
Hamza Kadir uncorked a sub 60 seconds last lap to snatch victory after a thrilling contest with Ricky Lutakome.
The pair dominated the closing stages of the race with 16-year-old Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier Kadir waiting until the final 100 metres before making his decisive move.
“I have raced Ricky quite a lot and I knew he would go from a longer way out and that I had to stick with him if I was to have any chance,” said Kadir.
“He is strong but I hung in and then used my speed to win. I am very happy with that.”

WOMEN’S 800 A-B
Sarah McDonald kept up the incredible record in this summer’s Grand Prix season with a resounding victory in another Olympic qualifying time of 2:01.10.
“That has smashed my personal best by over four seconds!” said a delighted McDonald, who finished very strongly.
“My coach has been joking with me that I would run 1mins 59secs this season and I was a bit annoyed that I didn’t get an invite to the Diamond League meeting in London so I think that spurred me on.
“I am so happy with that time.”
McDonald, who won the Diamond League meeting in Birmingham and was ninth in the European Championships over 1500m in Amsterdam, was running the 800m for the first time this summer and her previous best dates back to 2013 so was long over-due a revision.
Nonetheless, it was an outstanding run by the 22-year-old and lifts her to seventh in the UK Rankings – along with her sixth in the 1500m. Her prize money of £250.00 was well deserved.
Revee Walcott-Nolan finished just over two seconds adrift in second with Trafford’s Jacqueline Fairchild third in a PB of 2:04.92.
Harrogate junior Millie Howard showed great strength as she committed herself from the gun and then maintained her form on the second lap to win the B race in a personal best of 2:06.22.
“I am really happy with that,” said 18-year-old Howard, who shaved 0.28secs off her PB.
“It is my first PB since Loughborough in May but since then I have concentrated on the championships and winning the English Schools’ title a few weeks ago was my main target for the season.
“I am really pleased to come back after that and improve my PB again and now I will be looking for a fast time over 1500m.”
Kelsey Stewart tracked Howard on that opening lap and was also rewarded with a PB of 2:07.28 but just lost second spot to the fast-finishing Charlotte Green, who clocked 2:06.98 having done some pace-making in Dublin the previous night.
“It was a good sharpener ahead of running the 3k ‘chase at the England Championships,” said Green.

MEN’S 800M A-B
In his first race since winning the European Youth Olympics 800m title George Mills underlined his potential with his first Grand Prix A victory.
The 16-year-old Harrogate athlete secured the Best of British £200 prize in style as well as he shaved 0.46secs off his previous best, which he ran in Georgia last weekend, to win in 1:48.36.
“I was delighted with my win in Georgia and to come out a week later and improve my PB again is brilliant,” said Mills.
Mills is the youngest winner of a Grand Prix A event for some time and is certainly a talented athlete and one to watch for the future.
He showed terrific form down the hone straight and undoubtedly helped runner-up Connor Darlington of Canada to improve his PB to 1:49.06 with the consistent David Dempsey third. Finley Bigg in fourth clocked a PB.
The B race saw four of the top five recorded PBs led by winner Nzimah Akpan. The 22-year-old Liverpool Harrier shaved 0.79secs off his best set at the BMC Gold Standard event in Watford last month to hold off fellow 22-year-old Edward Dodd, who was also pleased with his PB of 1:50.48.

WOMEN’S 1500M
Canada’s Sasha Gollish, who boasts a lifetime best of 4:07.08, surged clear on the final lap for a comfortable victory in 4:10.35 – almost seven seconds ahead of Jessica Judd.
“I was hoping for a faster time but I have been ill then injured this year so my season was late to get going,” said Gollish, who is based in Toronto but has family in Oxford.
Judd was well outside her season’s best but she did her bit to help Anne Beck of America t a PB of 4:17.28 while Louise Small ran a season’s best in fourth.

MEN’S 1500M STEEPECHASE

Jermaine Mays was determined to go for the British best time and committing himself from the start achieved his goal in some style.
Pacemaker Doug Musson set the tempo with an opening lap of 61 seconds and while that hurt May in the middle of the race it gave him the impetus he was looking for.
“It was a fast start but that was great and really got me going,” said Mays.
“I thought I was capable of 4:05 and while it was really hard towards the end I am so happy with that time. I enjoyed it and that has really helped me salvage something from the season which has been so frustrating.”
Mays explained a spell of training at altitude in Ethiopia didn’t go as well as he hoped as his base was too high and he wasn’t able to capitalise on the benefits.