Herne Hill Harriers round-up: Ludewick puts in stellar performance at British Milers’ Club meet

Arlo Ludewick followed up his recent sensational Herne Hill Harriers club men’s 800m record with another stellar performance at the British Milers’ Club meet at Manchester Trafford Grand Prix, this time over 1,500m.

Ludewick placed 11th in a very strong men’s 1,500m A race on Saturday in 3:41.89.

This was another big PB which moves him to second on the club’s all time list for men, behind only Dave Glassborow’s time of 3:40.79 – set when he finished ninth in the 1981 AAA Championship final at Crystal Palace.

In his first year as a senior athlete, 22-year-old Ludewick has made stunning progress as he has improved his 800m best by almost five seconds this year and his 1,500m by around 10 seconds in the last two years.

Andrew Warburton ran in the B 5,000m in Manchester. His 15:38.39 in 15th was short of his best and his target as he added to the Herne Hill representation in the north.

Sunday was then a day for top 10km road racing for three female club members – with two running superb PBs.

Chloe Tighe was first woman at the Sydney Harbour 10km in a big PB of 32:23. Not for the first time she has beaten high level opponents and her time is the fastest 10km road time ever clocked so far by a HHH woman, a club record for road 10km.

Tighe, 31, is established as one of Australia’s higher ranked middle distance women, although her primary school teaching job in Dubai and some untimely injuries have hindered her opportunities to qualify for the major championships. Home in Sydney for the school end of year break, Tighe reminded her rivals that she can still produce strong performances and that she can always win good quality races. Before returning to Dubai for one final year, Tighe will first target the City to Surf 14km next month, an event which bills itself as the world’s largest fun run finishing at Bondi Beach and is another very prestigious event.

Gabriel Reynolds also had a stunning run at the Wrexham 10km where she recorded an excellent PB of 36:15, with a 5km PB clocked for the first half en route. This placed her sixth female and first W40 with a very impressive run.

Julia Wedmore continued with her prolific racing programme as she was fifth female at the Elmbridge 10km in 38:44. This was just two seconds shy of her PB on a course categorised as multi terrain and which she described as mainly trail rather than road, so this was a slower racing surface.

In midweek at the Hercules Wimbledon Dave Clarke Mile Extravaganza, Lewis Laylee was eighth in one of the quickest mile races of the evening, frustratingly close to his PB with 4:18.53. Ross Brown set an inaugural mile time for him of 4:45.53 for sixth in an earlier race, a time which stands up well when compared to his 1,500m PB of 4:26.

At the BMC and open races at Eltham, also on Wednesday evening, George Withers only just missed a sub two minutes 800m clocking with 2:00.4 placing fourth in the D race. Over 1,500m Mike Cummings was similarly close to sub four minutes with 4:00.89 for ninth in the A race, followed by Warburton 11th in 4:05.38.  Wedmore ran a good season’s best time of 5:11.76 in an open 1,500m race.