Trafford Grand Prix – 16 May 2026 – Results and Report

REPORT

THE return of a young prodigy and the emergence of a late-starter were two of the headline stories in the opening Grand Prix meeting which was incorporated into the World Athletics Continental Challenger Tour and was sponsored by Adidas and Sportsshoes.com.

 

Phoebe Gill and Arlo Ludewick provided two of the eye-catching moments on a cool night at Trafford, hardly conducive to fast times but that didn’t prevent them both from clocking lifetime bests of 3:37.48 add 4:05.53 respectively.

 

Still only 19 Phoebe Gill seems to have been around for a long time and has certainly packed a lot into her running career, from making her Olympic debut in Paris as a 17-year-old to then suffering a prolonged injury spell that kept her out of action all last summer.

 

So her return to action in her first outdoors race since finishing fourth in the semi finals of the Olympic Games 800m, in Paris, on August 4th 2024 was eagerly anticipated – and didn’t disappoints she secured victory in a personal best time and BMC U20s record for an all female race. 

 

Watching from the sidelines BMC president and highly respected coach Norman Poole agreed it was a strong comeback for Gill.

 

“She was very impressive,” said Poole.

 

“Phoebe commanded the whole race and strode out forcefully towards the end.

 

“To run a PB on your first race back in far from ideal conditions was very impressive.

 

“She is a tremendous talent and looks equally at home over 800m and 1500m and we also know she moves very quickly over 400m as well.

 

“As a coach and President of the BMC I can say we were only too pleased to see Phoebe racing at the Grand Prix and do what we can to help her.

 

“Hopefully we will see her again over the summer.”

 

As for Gill the joy on her face showed just how much it meant to her to be back on the track and doing what she enjoys the most.

 

“The main aim of today was to come and find the love of racing again,” said Gill.

 

“I started with a 1500 which isn’t my main event but I was looking to get the rust out of this system and have fun with it and I think I successfully managed to do all of that so I’m very happy. 

 

“For the race itself I didn’t have much of a plan, but I followed the pacer to stay away from the drama of being in the pack. 

 

“We came through 800m in 2:10 and I just thought I’d wind it up from there and I was really happy with how it went.”

 

Behind runner-up Holly Dixon dipped inside 4:10 for the first time with a PB of 4:08.95 while Molly Hudson finished third.

 

Ludewick may not have the public profile of Gill but the manner of his win in the 1500m A race suggests we are going to hear a lot more from this young man.

 

Last year he also won the opening Grand Prix race at Bury in 3:45.84 and then ran a big PB of 3:38.12 for third in Birmingham.

 

Twelve months on 26-year-old Ludewick showed his improvement not only in terms of time but also in the manner of his victory as his coach – back to Norman Poole again – was only too happy to explain.

 

“Arlo came to Manchester University as a physics undergraduate and at the time he was just a fun runner but gradually over the past few years he has moved on,” said Poole.

 

“He went to America after graduating but then missed a couple of years and only really got going last season when he ran 1:46 and 3:38 which was pretty reasonable.

 

“This last winter was his first serious spell of training with me and when he came seventh in the English ‘National’ Cross Country Championships, compared to 43rd last year, I knew that was a good measure of his improvement.

 

“Yes, he is a later starter but very talented and I know from the sessions he is doing that his times compare very well to the likes of Kevin McKay and Tom Lancashire, who were 3mins 33secs men.

 

“So, hopefully Arlo can push on, improve his times and have a good season.”

 

Ludewick initially followed the pacemaker and then assumed the lead when he stepped off the track.

 

“Arlo kept the pace ticking along and then in the last 300metres probably ran around 40 seconds but only really put on the burners in the final 120 metres and then bang, he left everyone,” added Poole.

 

Runner-up was veteran Harry Wakefield, who is also somewhat of a late starter in the sport and was hoovering up British over 35 records last summer, clocked 3:39.49, less than a second outside his PB.

 

In the 800m races there were solid wins for Piers Copeland and Khahisa Mhlanga but arguably the most eye-catching performance came in the men’s and women’s 800m B races.

 

The men’s race was won by Charlie Chambers in a PB of 1:47.77, carving over two seconds off his previous PB set during the indoor season.

 

Remarkably the Basingstoke & Mid Hants runner is still only 16 and that time is not only well inside the qualifying standard of 1:51 for the European U18s Championships but also better than the 1:48 target for the World U20s. 

 

In the women’s 800m B race victory went to Shaftesbury Barnet’s Lily Beckford, who made her name as a sprinter under coach Linford Christie.

 

Now 28 Beckford won in a PB of 2:04.99 to finally eclipse her 10-year-old best of 2:09.55. With PBs of 12.33secs (100m), 24.38secs (200m) and 52.58secs (400m) it will be interesting to see how she progresses over the distance this summer.

 

 

 

Central AC’s Jamie Crowe won the men’s 5000m but fell short of the Scotland qualifying standard of 13:37.29 for the Commonwealth Games.

 

“Overall I was really pleased with how the meeting went,” said organiser Steve Green.

 

“If you weren’t at Trafford in person you wouldn’t realise that despite there being no wind there was a real chill in the air so it was far from ideal.

 

“Despite that there were plenty of personal bests and some terrific performances, particularly from Phoebe and Arlo.

 

“For the start of a new Grand Prix season there was plenty to be pleased about.”

Races: 26
Finishers: 219
PBs: 107 (49%)
BMC Result Here

Race : 15 Mens 800m Meters A
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 4 4 01:47.48 Piers Copeland Pontypridd (roadents)
2 2 2 01:47.83 Elliot Savage Sale Harriers Manchester
3 6 6 01:48.03 Andrew Thompson Sale Harriers Manchester
4 3 3 01:48.19 Jack Organ Brecon / Oxford Uni
5 7 7 01:48.38 Joshua Mungin Kilbarchan
6 1 1 01:48.46 Ben Claridge Abingdon
7 8 8 01:48.47 Joseph Morrison West Cheshire / Illinois Uni
8 5 5 01:49.39 Thomas Randolph Tamworth
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Race : 3 Mens 800m Meters B
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 10 2 01:47.77 Charlie Chambers Basingstoke & Mid Hants
2 14 6 01:47.98 Adrian Engstler University Of Sheffield Athl
3 13 5 01:48.72 Harry Ware Basingstoke & Mid Hants / Winchester Uni
4 12 4 01:48.88 Tobias Cheesbrough City Of Norwich
5 11 3 01:49.11 Robert Shipley City Of Sheffield And Dearne
6 15 7 01:51.28 Archie Lawson City Of York / Durham Uni
7 9 1 01:51.64 Brhane Gebrebrhan Annadale / Eritrea
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Race : 5 Mens 800m Meters C
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 19 4 01:50.16 Evan Savage Sale Harriers Manchester
2 17 2 01:50.84 Magnus Riddell Tynedale
3 18 3 01:51.42 James O’brien Sale Harriers Manchester
4 26 5 01:51.70 Ewan Sparey Unattached
5 22 7 01:53.45 Ethan Curran University Of Birmingham
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Race : 7 Mens 800m Meters D
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 27 5 01:51.06 Harry Forman Wilshaw University Of Sheffield Athl
2 23 1 01:51.85 Oskar Harvey-nash Basingstoke & Mid Hants
3 28 6 01:52.31 Ewan Maxwell Vale Of Aylesbury
4 25 3 01:52.33 Johar Ali Mansfield / Leeds Beckett Uni
5 24 2 01:52.85 George Gilbert Brighton & Hove
6 29 7 01:55.22 Adetomiwa Oladiti Sale Harriers Manchester
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Race : 6 Mens 800m Meters E
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 30 1 01:51.15 Gian-luca Robilliard Guernsey
2 31 2 01:51.43 Dan Brookling Bracknell Ac / Missouri
3 34 5 01:51.53 Lewis Smith City Of Stoke
4 32 3 01:52.22 Isaac Mohan Leicester
5 35 6 01:52.52 Gabriel Mullen St. Helens Sutton
6 33 4 01:53.72 Adam Lane Cardiff / Cardiff Met Uni
7 36 7 02:04.67 Euan Pinder Durham University
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Race : 8 Mens 800m Meters F
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 21 7 01:52.42 Sam Davey Unattached
2 39 3 01:52.67 Harry Klein Aldershot Farnham & District
3 38 2 01:53.13 Jake Rowley Macclesfield
4 40 5 01:53.86 Jake Pursey Brighton Phoenix
5 37 1 01:55.90 Pierce Clisham Coventry / Leeds Uni
6 52 8 01:57.07 Jack Talbot Unattached
7 42 4 02:00.48 James Greenhalgh City Of Sheffield And Dearne
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Race : 2 Mens 800m Meters G
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 47 5 01:53.17 Fergus Ross Harmeny
2 43 2 01:53.73 Aidan Walker Unattached
3 44 1 01:53.74 Luke Ward Unattached
4 45 3 01:55.08 Josh Roura City Of Stoke / Keele Uni
5 48 6 01:55.36 Alfie Bedford Rotherham Harriers And Ac
6 46 4 01:55.53 Tom Barrett Keighley & Craven / Oxford Uni
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Race : 10 Mens 800m Meters H
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 49 1 01:53.25 Samuel Conkie Vale Royal
2 51 4 01:54.76 Daniel Hilditch City Of Stoke
3 54 3 01:59.73 Christopher Parikh Manchester H / Trafford
4 50 2 02:00.21 Nathan Brown Glasgow Jaguars / Edinburgh Ac / Loughborough Students
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Race : 14 Womens 800m Meters A
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 56 2 02:03.00 Khahisa Mhlanga Cambridge & Coleridge
2 62 8 02:03.37 Bethany Trow Shrewsbury
3 55 1 02:04.86 Sarah Wilson Team Bath
4 58 4 02:05.53 Hannah Cameron Aberdeen
5 60 6 02:05.63 Heini Ikonen Finland
6 61 7 02:07.12 Bethan Morley Leeds City / Florida Uni
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Race : 11 Womens 800m Meters B
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 68 6 02:04.99 Lily Beckford Shaftesbury Barnet
2 65 3 02:05.11 Katie Johnson Edinburgh Ac / Birmingham Uni
3 67 5 02:05.43 Maisie Mullett Wreake & Soar Valley
4 69 7 02:07.66 Isobel Beddow Warriors
5 66 4 02:07.73 Sofia Thogersen Denmark
6 63 1 02:11.47 Emma Alderson Liverpool H / Loughborough Students
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Race : 4 Womens 800m Meters C
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 74 5 2:08.5 Freya Tubb North Devon
2 78 7 Olivia Brown U23 Sale Harriers Manchester/Birmi
3 75 6 Nicola Moynihan Sale Harriers Manchester
4 71 2 Saskia Huxham Hallamshire
5 70 1 Lily Coates U16 Vale Royal
6 72 3 2:21.2 Grainne Moran U20 Unattached
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Race : 13 Womens 800m Meters D
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 82 7 02:10.36 Jessica Thake Hallamshire Harriers Sheffie
2 77 2 02:11.24 Beth Barlow Manchester H / Boston College
3 80 5 02:11.32 Freya Mcfadden Stroud
4 81 6 02:12.51 Lucci Baker Liverpool Pembroke Sefton / Edge Hill Uni
5 76 1 02:12.52 Emily Mcarthur Orkney
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Race : 12 Womens 800m Meters E
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 86 4 02:09.90 Millie Cossins Stroud
2 84 2 02:10.95 Imogen Tanner City Of Salisbury / Cardiff Met Uni
3 85 3 02:11.14 Carmen Van Der Merwe Royal Sutton Coldfield
4 87 5 02:12.62 Phoebe Ryder-benson Newbury / Cardiff Met Uni
5 90 8 02:12.66 Millie Rose Jordan Blackburn Harriers & Ac
6 89 7 02:13.22 Sarah Longshaw Rossendale / Edinburgh Uni
7 88 6 02:13.66 Imogen Hill Sale Harriers Manchester
8 83 1 02:16.20 Grace Igoe Rotherham Harriers And Ac
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Race : 1 Womens 800m Meters F
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 91 1 02:11.65 Elena Bartalotta Trafford Athletic Club
2 94 4 02:12.25 Isabel Goodman Salford Harriers & Ac
3 97 7 02:13.08 Emily Collingwood Gateshead Harriers & Ac
4 93 3 02:13.93 Olivia Scott University Of Manchester
5 92 2 02:14.38 Agatha Taylor Blackburn Harriers & Ac
6 98 8 02:16.11 Millie Ovens Pitreavie
7 95 5 02:18.22 Sofiya Hare Crewe & Nantwich
8 96 6 02:23.58 Evie Worrall Liverpool H
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Race : 22 Mens 1500m Meters A
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 104 6 03:37.48 Arlo Ludewick Herne Hill / Sale Harriers Manchester
2 110 12 03:39.49 Harry Wakefield Salford Harriers & Ac
3 106 8 03:40.62 Biruk Aduna Kebede Ethiopia
4 101 3 03:40.65 Ethan Newell Sutton & District
5 102 4 03:40.67 Max Wharton Sale Harriers Manchester
6 108 10 03:41.12 Jacob Cann Western Tempo / Horsham Blue Star
7 103 5 03:41.56 William Strickley Wirral / Birmingham Uni
8 100 2 03:42.28 Archie Parkinson Corby / Birmingham Uni
9 109 11 03:43.74 Ted Chamberlain Jersey
10 107 9 03:44.51 Angus Mcmillan City Of York / Loughborough Students
11 111 13 03:47.80 Daniel Bebbington Blackburn Harriers & Ac
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Race : 21 Mens 1500m Meters B
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 113 2 03:44.84 James Alexander Garscube
2 124 13 03:46.33 Robert Crowley Woodford Green / Ireland
3 121 10 03:47.87 Miles Clisham Coventry / Loyola Uni Chicago
4 118 7 03:48.29 Gianluca Mastrolonardo City Of York / Loughborough Students
5 123 12 03:48.55 Harry Colbert Waterford / Ireland
6 117 6 03:48.67 Luke Richardson University Of Birmingham
7 120 9 03:48.95 Matthew Linsley Gateshead Harriers & Ac
8 114 3 03:50.08 Jack Marwood Salford Harriers & Ac
9 115 4 03:50.18 James Vaughan University Of Birmingham
10 119 8 03:51.10 Daniel Maud Preston Harriers
11 116 5 03:52.19 Jack Small Loughborough University
12 112 1 03:54.44 Kieran Reilly Tonbridge / Stirling Uni / Central
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Race : 20 Mens 1500m Meters C
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 135 11 03:50.32 Archie Budding Leeds City / Grand Canyon Uni
2 128 4 03:50.87 Raihan Lenoire University Of Birmingham
3 126 2 03:51.04 Andrew Mcwilliam Lasswade
4 127 3 03:51.36 Ellis Hetherington Morpeth
5 136 12 03:51.38 Luke Holmes Jersey
6 132 8 03:51.56 Paul Delahunty Dublin City / Ireland
7 131 7 03:51.61 Jason Hayman University Of Sheffield Athl
8 125 1 03:53.52 Liam Johnson St. Helens Sutton
9 134 10 03:53.81 Joseph Rees Gara Wigan & District H & Ac
10 130 6 03:54.06 Callum Hendry Falkirk
11 133 9 03:58.60 Myles Hewlett Kilkenny / Loughborough Students / Ireland
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Race : 25 Mens 1500m Meters D
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 144 8 03:48.66 Alistair Street Kilbarchan
2 148 12 03:50.14 James Winship Loughborough University
3 150 14 03:50.49 Craig Shennan Giffnock North / Tulsa Uni
4 140 4 03:52.14 William Ashfield Vale Royal
5 145 9 03:52.78 Isaac Stabler City Of York Ac
6 137 1 03:52.80 Harrison Stokes Salford Harriers & Ac
7 142 6 03:53.11 William Sutcliffe Wirral / Loughborough Students
8 147 11 03:53.56 Lewis Liddle Gateshead Harriers & Ac
9 139 3 03:53.58 Joshua Geddes Kettering / Birmingham Uni
10 146 10 03:53.77 Daniel Shaw Herne Hill / Police
11 149 13 03:54.93 Liam Hinchcliffe Australia
12 141 5 03:55.16 William Driscoll Belgrave Harriers
13 138 2 03:55.21 Daniel Bradford Shettleston
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Race : 19 Mens 1500m Meters E
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 158 8 03:54.20 Isaac Leydon Vale Royal / Birmingham Uni
2 160 10 03:55.19 Ravi Clark Brighton Phoenix
3 156 6 03:55.90 Otis Brooks Wharfedale / North Yorkshire Schs
4 152 2 03:55.96 Laurence Manley Macclesfield / Sheffield Uni
5 159 9 03:56.05 Finlay Dobson Emmas Trafford Athletic Club
6 151 1 03:56.21 Mikey Bacon Rotherham Harriers And Ac
7 153 3 03:57.35 Yaried Alem Leeds City
8 161 11 03:57.55 Theodor Austin Trafford Athletic Club
9 157 7 03:58.25 Sami Manir-jolley Wigan & District H & Ac
10 154 4 04:02.36 Jamie Barber Trafford Athletic Club
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Race : 18 Mens 1500m Meters F
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 169 8 03:54.12 Eddie Holden Mansfield
2 167 6 03:55.37 Tom Matthews Harrogate / North Yorkshire Schs
3 165 4 03:55.47 Evan Horwell Trafford Athletic Club
4 171 10 03:59.19 William Hardy City Of York Ac
5 163 2 03:59.37 Ted Ash City Of Norwich
6 170 9 04:00.23 Jack Stockton Wolverhampton & Bilston
7 164 3 04:01.57 Adrian White Trafford Athletic Club
8 174 13 04:02.86 Matthew Holden Harmeny
9 162 1 04:03.35 Peter Wayman Border
10 172 11 04:04.77 Brychan Price Davies Swansea
11 173 12 04:14.38 Ethan Brady-jones Wirral Ac
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Race : 23 Womens 1500m Meters A
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 186 12 04:05.53 Phoebe Gill St. Albans Ac / St. Albans Striders
2 182 8 04:08.95 Holly Dixon Cambridge H
3 180 6 04:10.00 Molly Hudson Derby / Boston College
4 185 11 04:20.22 Keira Brady-jones Wirral / Loughborough Students
5 178 4 04:20.52 Rachel Mccormick Australia
6 176 2 04:20.83 Evey Powell Abingdon
7 181 7 04:21.26 Zara Redmond Kilbarchan
8 177 3 04:21.82 Louise Gilbert Woodford Green Essex Ladies / Leeds Uni
9 179 5 04:24.81 Ellie Bushill Vale Royal / Birmingham Uni
10 183 9 04:27.04 Iris Courtney Wells City / Yeovil / Cardiff Uni
11 184 10 04:29.80 Lauren Church Reading Ac
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Race : 24 Womens 1500m Meters B
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 196 10 04:21.51 Maisey Bellwood Keighley & Craven
2 200 14 04:28.71 Isabella Tutt Wakefield District H & Ac
3 188 2 04:29.15 Heidi Woodley Brentwood Beagles
4 199 13 04:29.17 Beatrix Soper Sale Harriers Manchester
5 190 4 04:30.67 Matilda Robertson Aldershot Farnham & District / Surrey Schs
6 194 8 04:31.95 Ellarose Whitworth Lincoln Wellington
7 197 11 04:32.24 Grace Roberts Vale Royal
8 193 7 04:32.63 Jess Sails Gateshead / Northumbria Uni
9 192 6 04:33.12 Abbie Milnes Western Tempo
10 187 1 04:46.54 Jessica Inglis Stirling Uni
11 191 5 04:47.63 Eve Beddow Warriors
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Race : 16 Womens 1500m Meters C
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 205 5 04:29.53 Caitlyn Johnston Bury / Leeds Uni
2 208 8 04:30.30 Eloise Scholes Guernsey / Bristol Uni
3 210 10 04:31.87 Poppy Henson Leeds City / West Yorkshire Schs
4 204 4 04:32.80 Holly Turner City Of Stoke
5 202 2 04:34.95 Graihagh Turner Rotherham Harriers And Ac
6 201 1 04:35.70 Zara Bratt City Of Stoke
7 203 3 04:39.29 Ellie Blackhurst Preston Harriers
8 211 11 04:41.18 Tilly Thursfield City Of Stoke
9 207 7 04:46.40 Izzy Hall Sale Harriers Manchester
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Race : 17 Womens 1500m Meters D
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 218 7 04:40.84 Hannah Lovett City Of York Ac
2 217 6 04:41.47 Merce Sanchez Oller Edinburgh Ac / Edinburgh Uni / Spain
3 222 11 04:42.54 Margot Wyrwoll Edinburgh Ac / Germany
4 215 4 04:42.69 Ruby Cleaver Rossendale
5 221 10 04:47.64 Martha Bown Menai
6 223 12 04:48.57 Lillie Giggle-bain Orkney
7 212 1 04:48.63 Rosie Philbin Stockport Harriers & Ac
8 214 3 04:48.91 Haley Bacon Rotherham Harriers And Ac
9 213 2 04:50.28 Daisie Jeffries-williams Derby
10 216 5 04:52.35 Daisy Rushton Liverpool H
11 220 9 04:52.85 Lara Smith City Of Stoke
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Race : 26 Mens 5000m Meters A
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 235 12 13:55.30 Jamie Crowe Central
2 231 8 13:59.57 Jamie Burns Glasgow Jaguars / Shettleston / North Dakota State Uni
3 237 14 14:04.50 Tewelde Menges Medway & Maidstone
4 234 11 14:11.86 Jacob Harrison Cornwall Ac / Exeter Uni
5 227 4 14:12.18 Oliver Donkin Barton & District Ac
6 224 1 14:12.40 Neil Johnston Harrow / Annadale
7 225 2 14:12.57 Owen Roberts Meirionnydd
8 229 6 14:14.53 Finn Brodie Morpeth
9 226 3 14:15.12 Carl Avery Morpeth
10 230 7 14:17.79 Joe Monk Lancaster Uni / Blackburn
11 236 13 14:19.50 Dylan Gillett Western Tempo
12 233 10 14:21.36 Mark Bostock Leeds City / Wakefield
13 228 5 14:24.35 Malek Roostaei City Of Portsmouth / Cardiff Uni
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Race : 9 Mens 5000m Meters B
Posn Vest No. Leg No. Time Name Club
1 239 2 14:38.84 Georgi Dalton East Hull / Leeds Beckett Uni
2 247 10 14:41.41 Luke Dinsmore Annadale / Harrow
3 246 9 14:48.62 Sam Knee-robinson Bedford & County
4 241 4 14:54.69 Christos Tzelis Ilkley
5 242 5 14:56.76 Calum Little Falkirk / Glasgow Uni
6 248 11 14:57.59 Sam Jackson Trafford Athletic Club
7 238 1 14:58.35 Joshua Mckenny Jarrow & Hebburn / Lancaster Uni
8 244 7 15:01.13 Edward Carney Jersey

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