The BMC Grand Prix rolled on to Solihull with another crop of fine performances.
After the stunning evening at the last Grand Prix in Watford the event was always likely to look less spectacular.
But a host of fine performances gave the evening a buzz.
The women’s 1500m A saw Helen Clitheroe take on the running from the pace makers as she attacked the European elite qualifying time of 4min 05sec. Jo Pavey hit the front as the bell was passed in 3min 00.90sec and Pavey pulled clear to win in 4min 05.91sec to Clitheroe’s 4min 07.72sec.
Stephanie Twell, one of the crop of talented youngsters from Aldershot Farnham & District, was in the same race and set a UK age 16 record of 4min 12.76sec, breaking Bridget Smyth's mark of 4min 15.20sec which had stood for 22 years. Jessica Sparke and Hannah England both beat the world junior qualifying mark of 4min 20sec with PBs of 4min 18.17sec and 4min 18.80sec.
One of the less fortunate sights of the evening was Michael Rimmer of Liverpool Pembroke Sefton stepping off the track injured in the men’s 800m. Rimmer had clocked 1min 45.47sec at the stunning 800m race at Watford and at 600m he looked set for another impressive run. But as he stepped off it was left to 1500m specialist Andy Baddeley to kick to the front in the home straight and win in 1min 46.62sec. Baddeley was fighting to maintain form in the last 50m but the race served as a good run out before he competes in the European Cup 1500m. Second place went to Bournemouth’s Colin McCourt in 1min 46.73sec. It was another good run from McCourt who had won the A 1500m at Watford.
The women’s 800m A race saw the field go through 600m in 90sec with Commonwealth 1500m champion Lisa Dobriskey looking impressive. But Cardiff’s Amanda Pritchard kicked hard into the straight and charged through the line in 2min 00.99sec, 0.01sec inside the UK elite standard for the European Athletics Championships. The time was a 3sec PB as Cath Riley also PBed in second with 2min 02.79sec. Dobriskey herself only just missed a PB (by 0.05sec) with her third placed 2min 02.95sec. Seventh placed Abby Westley ran 2min 05.25sec to achieve the UKA World Junior qualifying mark of 2:06.
The men's 1500 A race saw Newham and Essex Beagles’ Mo Farah taking the win as he prepares fro the European Cup 3K. Farah passed the bell in 2min 41.28sec but was closed down by Kenyan Wesley Cheruiyot in the back straight. However Farah kicked again to win in 3min 39.27sec. Chris Thompson, preparing for the 5K at the European Cup was third in 3min 41.33sec as steeplechaser Adam Bowden came in fourth with 3min 41.79sec.
The women's 5000m also saw a key athlete pulling up injured. AAA 5K road champion Kate Reed had to DNF with an Achilles injury. Commonwealth 10,000m bronze medallist Mara Yamuachi ran her usually shrewd race. She was 15m down on the pacemakers at one stage but back on them as 3K was passed in 9min 16sec. Yamuachi held rhythm for the next mile before raising the pace on the last lap to clock a fine new personal best of 15min 28.58sec.
Behind Yamauchi Emily Pidgeon went to second on the all time Junior list with a 15min 41.00sec run despite having to set her own pace for much of the race. Only Zola Budd’s former world record is faster and Pidgeon smashed the UK age 17 record. Sian Edwards went third on the UK junior all time lists with 15min 50.69sec.
The 3000 metres steeplechase saw a quality pacemaker in the shape of Andrew Lemoncello. Mark Draper who debuted with 8min 52.65sec at Watford looked set to notch up a win but when he dropped out that left Bud Baldaro coached Frank Tickner of Wells in front and he responded with a strong last lap to smash his PB with 8min 45.79sec.
Ross Millington of Stockport went fifth on the all time under 17s list with a 3min 50.96sec run – a 60 second last lap saw him run out winner of his race too. The women’s 1500m B race saw impressive performances from a crop of youngsters. Seventeen-year-old Emma Pallant of AFD won in 4min 22.64sec. But in second place was Sarah Hopkinson who is just 14 years old. The Gloucester athlete clocked 4min 22.74sec for a new UK age best. Jess Coulson, aged 16, clocked 4min 22.87sec for third. The women's 800m B race saw winner Danielle Christmas (2min 05.67sec) and Emma Jackson (2min 05.93sec) inside the world junior qualifying mark. Kris Gauson closed in on the 3min 44sec qualifying mark for that event with 3min 45.09sec. While he still has over a second to find the fact this run as a PB by 5sec will have given him belief if could be within his abilities.
The men's 5000m saw Somalian born Moumin Geele of Newham and Essex Beagles as the only British based athlete to go with the pace set by Kenya’s Moses Kipsiro and Uganda’s Isaac Kiproso. Kipsiro won in 13min 36.66sec with Kiprop running 13min 41.59sec. Geele’s fellow Newham and Essex Beagle Mark Warmby came through strongly having done a lot of work at the head of the chasing pack. He could probably have run faster than his third placed 13min 50.34sec but held off Michael Skinner in 13min 51.61sec and Nick Goodliffe (13min 54.66) as Geele came in with 13min 55.08sec.
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