Herne Hill Harriers round-up: Millard makes sensational track return to set new U20 record
A Herne Hill Harriers’ club U20 women’s 1,500m record – which had stood for six years and was held by an athlete who is now a Great Britain senior international – has been broken twice in the space of six days in the opening weeks of the track and field season.
Alex Brown had taken the time down to 4:27.10 at Loughborough and then on Saturday her club-mate Saskia Millard clocked a fabulous 4:26.40 in placing sixth in the women’s B race at the BMC Grand Prix at Sport City in Manchester, writes Geoff Jerwood.
Millard produced a stunning performance in her first track race of 2019, returning after numerous injury setbacks. Now approaching the end of her first year of her undergraduate degree at Birmingham University she will be aiming for even faster times in the middle distance events in a bid to emulate Brown’s recent selection for GB Juniors this summer.
Fiona de Mauny raced in the women’s D 800m in Manchester and then ran as part of an England Masters road racing team at the Birmingham 10km on Sunday morning. Mike Cummings and Chris Busaileh raced their first 1,500m and 5,000m respectively of the season.
Sunday’s Westminster Mile races saw plenty of red and black vests in action. Simon Coombes in the men’s Masters race became British M45 champion in a time of 4:37.
Nikki Sturzaker made it a Herne Hill over-45s British Masters champions gold medal double for men and women as the top finisher among W45s in the women’s event in 5:37.
In the Young Athletes British Road Mile Championship races, Yasmin Marghini won a silver medal in the U17 women’s race in 5:13, Lily-Rose Brown, 11, placed fourth in the U13 girls race in 5:20, Phobe Bowen was 11th U15 girl in 5:31, Tamra Chan 13th U13 girl in 5:42 and Diego Lister 20th U13 boy in 5:22.
In the open one-mile races, Eric Dol continued his rich vein of PBs with 5:00 in the first race of the day. Simon Thompson won the second wave in a very solo 4:58, followed by good big screen exposure for John Appleton 5:14 and Julia Wedmore 5:41 in the third wave. Trevor Chilton ducked under six minutes in the sixth wave before the championship events began.
Matt Cartwright ran in a race where a world record was set for a couple holding hands for a mile and finished right alongside them in 4:52.
Angus Butler ran a PB of 72:54 in the Edinburgh Half Marathon.
More Masters miles times from Sunday behind Coombes were Victor Maughn (5:21), Andrew Simms (5:31), Tom Conlon (5:33), Duncan Rimmer (6:04), Tony Forder (6:22) and Gary Budinger (6:48).
Harriers were well-represented in Monday’s Vitality London 10km, with second claim HHH man Ryan Burling running a PB (31:10). Nick Bester ran a PB of 32:23.
Andrew Grigg was next in (33:18), then team manager Bryn Reynolds (33:28), Josh Pewter (33:29), Jeff Cunningham (33:54), Robert Peacock (35:14), Matt Cartwright (35:42), Duane Matthews (35:59), Jessica Craig (36:17), Eric Dol (36:56), Gavern Newsum (36:58), Jordan Foster (38:19), James Ward (38:22), Olivia Zeltner (38:31), Jonathan Ratcliffe (39:03), Andrew Simms (41:25), Robert Harrison (42:57) and Marcelo Fortes (47:42).
Mohammed Ismail, Simon Thompson and Myles Preston clocking 16:38, 16:56 and 17:05 respectively for the Sri Chinmoy 5km road race in Battersea Park
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