Solihull Grand Prix – 18 May 2013 – Results

Races: 23
Finishers: 252
PB’s: 110 (44%)
Power of Ten: Here

Video
Available at athleticos.org – HERE

Pictures

Courtesy of Mark Shearman ( Details)

Another 350 photos of the meeting taken by Adrian Royle are available HERE

Report

Mens 800m
IT took a while for the judges and electronic photo finish to separate the top two in the closest finish of the day – and arguably one of the best finishes ever to an 800m A race – before British international James Shane was given the verdict.
Even Shane, who had been trapped on the inside until a gap opened down the home straight, was surprised at that as he thought that Elliot Slade had got the verdict as he swooped down the outside in lane 6.
Both men were given the same time of 1min 48.93secs but former UK No 1 1500m runner Shane was given the verdict to maintain his unbeaten start to the season after his recent success in the British Students’ Championships.
“I felt strong but not as sharp as I want to be but it is all about racing,” said Shane.
Slade’s time was significant and not just because it was a personal best and his first time under 1mins 49secs for the 18-year-old but also because it was inside the qualifying standard of 1mins 49secs for the European Junior Championships.
“I am delighted to run a PB and get inside the European Junior qualifying standard,” said Elliot.
With fellow juniors Richard Charles (PB of 1:49.30), Sean Molloy (1:49.35) and Jordan Bransberg (1:50.17) just behind Slade and the outstanding 17-year-old Kyle Langford winning the B race in a big PB of 1:49.42 the competition to win a place in the British team for the Europeans is going to be an intriguing one.
As for that A race just 0.06secs separated the top four runners in a thrilling race that reflected the quality of racing on the night.
Langford’s success in the B race was one of the highlights of the evening as the teenager from Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, who is coached by the experienced George Harrison, carved almost two seconds from his previous best to break 1mins 50secs for the first time.
Proudly wearing his BMC Academy vest Langford edged out Trafford’s David Horniman as their paced fought neck and neck down the home straight with the latter also rewarded by a PB.
“That win really surprised me as I had been ill all week and wasn’t even sure I was going to run,” said Langford.

The five other supporting races over two laps saw some quality racing and a total of 16 personal bests and numerous season’s bests underlined the good conditions on the night.
The E race, in particular, stood out with winner Nzimah Akpan of Liverpool Harriers inspiring five PBs from the eight runners – with the other three clocking best times of the season.
“That is only my second race back after injury and after opening with 1:55.5 in a BMC race in Stretford last week I am really pleased to run a PB tonight as I felt strong and didn’t tie up at all,” said Akpan.
The 19-year-old shaved 0.01secs off his 2012 best and is looking to go even quicker in SportCity next month.
D race winner Donald Macleod, who is coached by ex-international Brian Whittle, also set a PB of 1:51.04 clipping a second-and-a-half off his 2011 best and also pulled runner-up Tom Guy to a new best of 1:52.14.
Sean Reilly finished very strongly to win the F race, just missing his PB and in the opening race of the evening the tempo was set as 18-year-old Jersey-based Aaron Turmel smashed his PB by four seconds with victory in 1:54.52.
“I linked up with a new coach (Geoff Watkin) last year and I am benefitting from that,” said Turmel. “That’s a big PB for me and I am delighted with my run. Now I am hoping to get down to the low 1:50s by the end of the summer.”

Mens 1500m
While the men’s 800m elite was as close as it can get there was absolutely no mistake about the identity of the winner of the 1500m as Charlie Grice stamped his authority all over it.
A slow start quickly ended hopes of a fast time on a good night for middle distance running and from that moment 19-year-old Grice focussed all his energies on just trying to win the race.
He did that with a very strong finish in a time of 3:45.06 with training partner James Brewer emerging from the pack to grab second ahead of Rob Mullett.
“I have had exams all week so have been up late revising so my preparations were hardly ideal but it was job done as I wanted to win that race,” said Grice.
In contrast the runners in the B race really chased the clock and the top four were all rewarded with personal bests. St Albans AC’s 18-year-old James McMurray was the strongest as he clipped almost a second off his 2011 best with 3:45.65, which is well inside the European Juniors qualifying mark of 3mins 47secs.
Runner-up Andrew Butchart, 21, smashed his PB by over seven seconds with 3:46.39 while third-placed Nick Hooker went under 3:50 for the first time with 3:46.49.
In fourth 19-year-old Kieran Reilly clocked a PB of 3:47.17 and further down the field there were also PBs for 19-year-old Daniel Cheeseman and even more significantly 16-year-old Aldershot, Farnham & District runner Jack Crabtree.
Crabtree’s time of 3:49.10 carved over three seconds off his 2012 PB set in the same meeting last year and was inside the qualifying standard of 3:51.00 for the World U18 Championships.
One of the stand-out races of the night has to be the 1500m D race – in which the top eight runners all recorded personal bests!
Birmingham University’s 19-year-old student Edward Shepherd got his tactics spot-on to win in 3:54.49 to slice over three seconds off his best while runner-up Alex George, who produced an astonishing last lap to move up from 10th, slashed four seconds off his best with 3.54.83.
“I ran a huge PB of 8:33 in the BMC PB Classic at Millfield School at the start of the month and now this tonight so I am absolutely delighted,” said the 17-year-old Gloucester athlete.
It is worth noting that the next six finishers were all aged under 20 and five were juniors.
Carmarthen’s Kyran Roberts looked impressive winning the C race with the 17-year-old taking almost three seconds off his previous best and edge ever closer to breaking 3:50.
Coach Phil Townsend had a one-two in the E race with Andrew Stanton and Michael Wood taking charge.

Mens 5000m
Two years ago Denmark runner Abdi Hakin Ulad finished a disappointed 14th in the B race at Solihull and vowed to return and show his true form. The 21-year-old did just that to win the A race in a personal best time of 14:01.35 bursting past long-time leader Matthew Hynes on the last lap.
“Many people talk about these BMC races so I always wanted to come back and run here again and do better so I am pleased to win and get a PB,” said Ulad.
Hynes said he was frustrated with his effort as he feels he is in sub 14 minutes shape. “I just need to find the right race,” said Hynes.
Completing a clean sweep of PBs in the top four Matt Bergin was third in 14:05.20 and 18-year-old Jonathan Davies improved his best by over six seconds to duck inside the European Juniors qualifying standard of 14:25.
“Running faster than 14:25 was the goal so I am delighted with that,” said Davies. “I was offered a run in Loughborough but I wanted to come here and get that qualifying time done.”
Originally down as the pacemaker British international Andy Vernon stayed the course to clinch a comfortable victory in what was a useful run-out.
Those chasing the popular Aldershot, Farnham & District runner were clearly inspired as five of the next six runners recorded personal bests with 20-year-old Phillip Sesemann, who is coached by BMC President Norman Poole, slashing over two minutes off his three-year-old best to finish runner-up.
Vernon had barely ten minutes rest before stepping back on the track to pace the C race and he did a great job setting a tempo that saw 13 of the 19 finishers set new lifetime bests to again underline the value of these races to club runners.
AFD’s 17-year-old Ben Bradley caught the eye in third with 14:49.31 as he finished close to eventual winner James Smith and William MacKay.

Womens 800m
In her first race since returning from a spell of training at Font Romeu Gloucester AC’s Irish international Rose-Anne Galligan was the class act in the A race s she dominated the second lap to win in 2:04.08 having reached the bell in around 60 seconds.
“It was nice to blow away the cobwebs,” said Galligan, who is racing over 800m again in Loughborough today.
Shelayna Oskan-Clarke was a distant second with Basildon junior Kaylee Dodd clocking a PB of 2:07.03 in third.
Cornwall teenager Molly Long was rewarded for making the long trip from her home in Padstow by winning the B race, which easily represents her best achievement in a BMC event.
The 16-year-old, who is coached by John Knowles who also puts on the south west meetings at the Exeter Arena, clipped almost a second off the time she set in the same meeting last year with a winning mark of 2:08.62 ahead of Denmark junior Dagmar Faester Olsen and Amber Valley’s Alex Turner, who clocked a PB of 2:09.74.
There was also a fine PB of 2:10.41 for 15-year-old Caelidh Ross in fifth, which took a second off her PB set in the BMC Classic meeting in Corby the week before. It means Ross has now improved her 800m time by over three seconds in just two races from last year.
Birmingham University student Sarah McDonald made the short and worthwhile trip to Solihull to win the C race in a PB of 2:08.71 with runner-up Emma Leask also running faster than ever before.
The top three in the D race of Gemma Coe, Helen Waters and 15-year-old Aimee Pratt all recorded PBs.

Womens 1500m
In only her second time in spikes this year Charlene Thomas proved far too sharp for her rivals in the A race as she finished over two seconds clear of the field.
“I was due to come here and do some pacemaking but I persuaded my coach to let me race and I am pleased with that tonight,” said Thomas.
“The aim was to blow away the cobwebs in my first race and I did just that.”
Melissa Courtney worked really hard to stay in touch with Thomas but paid for her efforts on the last lap as she was swallowed up by the chasing pack from which Otley’s Rachael Bamford emerged to clinch second in a PB of 4:16.67, clipping almost four seconds off her 2012 best.
Switzerland runner Lisa Kurmann finished strongly to take third in a PB with Montana Jones fourth.
Calli Thackery ran a season’s best of 4:25.48 to win the B race with Guernsey’s Sarah Mercier delighted to record a PB of 4:27.01 in second. Likewise Emily Hosker Thornhill, coached by Mick Woods at AFD, smashed her PB by almost six seconds in third place.
Norway enjoyed their second win of the night in the C race with 24-year-old Christina Toogood slashing eight seconds off her best to finish well clear of AFD’s Emily Moss with Kelly Rushton third. Liverpool’s 14-year-old Sophia Brennan caught the eye in fifth as she lopped five seconds off her best to move into the top twenty of the UK Rankings.

Womens 5000m
Katrina Wootton showed she was in good form with a big PB in the recent Bristol 10k and she transferred that onto the track with an impressive win over Steph Twell.
Twell forced the pace from the gun and the pair soon eased clear of the pack. The effort of leading meant Twell couldn’t respond when Wootton edged ahead with 800m remaining and quickly opened up a gap with she stretched to 12 seconds by the finish line as she won in a PB of 15:30.82 with Twell on 15:42.13.
“That is my first run on the track so I have to be pleased with that,” said Wootton. “I tried to take the lead early on but Steph is so competitive she wouldn’t let me go by so I just settled in behind her.”
Twell said she was hoping the pair could have worked together for a faster time and admitted that when Wootton burst ahead she was stuck in a rhythm.
“It was difficult for me today so I am pleased with that,” said Twell.
Behind them there were PBs for Laura Muir, Lily Partridge,Sarah Benson, Rhoma Auckland and Kristine Helle of Norway.

Results