We are pleased to say Wave Lights will be in use for the meeting settings
Refreshments will be available in the Trafford AC club house and there will be a pizza van
Timetable for the meeting can be found
For updated seedings, real time results, lap times, and photofinish pictures HERE
Our LIVE STREAM can be found HERE
Videos on demand: HERE
All other details can be found HERE
Tickets: Spectator tickets are available HERE U16, Trafford AC, and BMC coaches free
BMC GRAND PRIX TRAFFORD PREVIEW
IT is a welcome return to the new-laid Trafford track for the final adidas sportshoes.com British Milers Club/World Athletics Challenger Grand Prix of 2025.
It was two years ago that Trafford, renowned as one of the fastest middle-distance tracks in the county, last hosted a GP meeting with Matt Stonier winning the 800m in 1:45.78 ahead of Tiarnan Crorken (runner-up in the UK Championships last weekend) and Khahisa Mhlanga winning the women’s race in a then lifetime best of 2:00.15.
“It will be interesting to see if the new track performs as well as the old one,” said meeting organiser Steve Green.
“We have seen a few 1min 44secs 800m Grand Prix races at Stretford and hopefully we will have a good race on Saturday.
“We have a strong domestic field with the likes of Reece Sharman Newell, Elliot Savage and Joseph Morrison, so it would be good to see a 1:45 race.”
Sharman Newell was sixth in the Novuna UK Championships last weekend and with a season’s best of 1:45.76 is currently 14th in the national rankings, just ahead of local runner Savage (UK No 19, 1:46.23), who is coached by BMC President Norman Poole.
Mhlanga will certainly have good memories of the track from that win two years ago and she set her season’s best of 2:03.49 when finishing third at the Birmingham University GP in June. She was also seventh in the UK Championships.
“We also have Ava Lloyd and Lucy Armitage in another strong domestic field,” added Green.
“Like the men it looks very competitive so should see a terrific race and it would be nice to see the women get close to two minutes.”
Lloyd was a winner in the 800m at the Loughborough University Grand Prix, setting a PB of 2:02.66 and finished 10th at the European U23 Championships over 1500m before placing fifth in the trials at Birmingham. Another local favourite she will be seeking a big finish to her season.
Sale Harrier Armitage recently reached the 800m semi finals of the World University Games and was runner-up in the Birmingham GP fixture. She is also sure to have plenty of support.
Holly Dixon has put together a really impressive series of result over 1500m in the Grand Prix series this summer.
She opened up with second at Bury, was fourth at Birmingham University then second again at Loughborough before switching to the 800m at Watford where she came second. Throw in a win in the BMC Bannister Miles and Dixon clearly has a strong claim to being one of the most consistent runners in BMC races this summer.
In her first race since placing eighth at the UK Championships Dixon will be looking to end the GP campaign on a high as she goes in the 1500m again – with maybe one eye on her PB of 4:11.82?
Among her domestic rivals will be Lucy Jones, who ran a PB of 4:14.55 for fifth at Watford and is the England Athletics champion at the distance.
“We also have a runner from America (Kayley Delay) who has run 8:34 for 3000m and is looking 4:05,” said Green.
“There are a couple of girls from Scandinavia and Ireland in the field so again it looks a very competitive race.”
With a sixth place at the UK Championships George Couttie is certainly hitting form and will be among the favourites for the men’s 1500m.
The former GB U20 international set his PB of 3:37.67 – UK No 19 this summer – last month in America where he is studying at Virginia Tech. This will be his first Grand Prix event of the season but he ran a PB at Trafford two years ago so has good memories of the old track.
Other Brits in the line-up include Alex Melloy, Tom Dodd, Joseph Tuffin and teenager Evan Grime, the reigning British and English Schools’ champion.
The men’s 5000m sees a re-match of that exciting and record-breaking duel between Lithuanian Simas Bertasius and super veteran Harry Wakefield that lit up the Watford GP last month.
Bertasius unleashed a powerful finish that night to win in 7:42.07, which was not only a BMC record but also a national record.
In addition Wakefield, who forced the early pace with his fearless style, chased hard to beat David Moorcroft’s British M35 record clocking 7:47.20.
“I think Simas really enjoyed his experience of Watford and has come back looking to attack the Lithuanian national record of 13mins 17secs,” explained Green.
“It is a tough target for sure but if the conditions are good then they are going for it and we will try to help him. He looked so strong at Watford that you would have to say he has a chance and we will make sure the early pace is fast enough.
“It should be a fantastic race.”
In the women’s 5000m Emily Haggard Kearney is chasing a fast time and will be up against Sophie Hicks and Claire Fagan of Ireland.
The meeting kicks off at 16.30 with the 2000m steeplechase races and finishes with the men’s 5000m A race at 20:38.
“We have had 400 entries which is a record for the final Grand Prix of the season,” said Green.
“There are a lot of things going on to enhance the meeting and the experience for the athletes and all winners will once again receive a pair of spikes from adidas.
“It should be a terrific evening.”
Spectator tickets will be available on the gate but if you can’t make it in person then don’t forget live coverage is available via our partner Vinco. Just click on the link on this website.
