Herne Hill Harriers’ round-up: Katie Snowden breaks Surrey county senior women’s 800m record

Katie Snowden set a new Surrey county senior women’s 800m record at a Diamond League fixture, held at the London Olympic Stadium for the first time since 2019.

The 29-year-old surprised many by finishing a superb fifth in the stacked field as she stepped down a distance, writes Geoff Jerwood.

Snowden lowered her PB by 1.72 seconds to clock 1:58.00 and she is ninth on the UK all-time listings. It is the second Surrey outdoor record she has set in 2023 following her 1,500m PB in Los Angeles in May.

The time also revises her own club women’s 800m record she set last year in Poland.

Snowden has returned to altitude training in St Moritz ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, with her 1,500m heat on August 19.

Harriers’ young sprinters all raced well on the big stage. The U17 men’s team placed fourth and the U20 men were sixth.

The U20 women’s 4x100m team of Nevaeh Ricketts, Jaydine Robinson, Saskia King and Niyah Costley finished second in a new club record for their age group of 46.24.

Kristal Awuah produced a strong anchor leg for Great Britain in the senior international 4x100m relays as they were a close third place behind the Netherlands and the USA with 42.59.

Tooting was the scene of the final Youth Development League Lower fixture for U13 and U15 boys and girls on Saturday.

Harriers placed second to move out of the relegation positions, finishing third in the final division table.

As with many of these league fixtures the key to strong scoring  is to cover as many of the events as possible – an all-round team effort can pay greater dividends than a number of event winners.

The U15 boys age group reflected this with the only Herne Hill winners being 1,500m A and B string runners Caspian Holmes (4:32.4) and Thomas Clerkin (4:32.7).

The U15 girls saw more winners from the Harriers team, although English Schools sprint medallist Ella Rennie had to settle for three second places, in the A 100m (12.5), the A 200m (25.7) and the B long jump (4.66m).

Pyale Wifa was second in the A long jump, with track event winners in this age group being Sophie Jack in the A 1,500m (5:07.90) and Beatrice Maulicino in the B 300m (43.90).

There was a double win in the U15G A and B shot from Titailyo Taoreed (9.78m) and Taliah Fleary (8.65m). Fleary won the A discus (21.67m).

In the U13 boys events, Edward Cunniffe (2:23.0) and Zacchaeus Kelman (2:28.4) won the A and B 800m and Nataniel Meek the B 1,200m (4:24.5), with a B string win also being picked up in the U13 girls 1,200m (4:04.2).

KATIE SNOWDEN PICTURE: STEPHEN HAAS