Athletics: Herne Hill Harriers’ Lucy Jones sets new 3,000m PB ahead of England action
Jones produced a huge 3,000m PB to win a prestigious indoor British Milers Club race in Sheffield on Sunday, writes Geoff Jerwood.
This followed up last week’s announcement that she will represent England at the World Athletics Tour Gold Level cross-country event at the Hannut CrossCup in Belgium on January 26.
The 26-year-old Wimbledon-based runner went into the Sheffield race with one of the slower PBs in the field but set about revising her 9:47.13 all the way down to 9:11.48, an improvement of more than 35 seconds since her last track race in the summer of 2024.
In the process Jones scored a surprise win in the BMC women’s A 3,000m race with a very strong final 200m lap of the indoor track.
Harriers were both excited and delighted to see the return after nearly two years on the sidelines of Saskia Millard in the same race. She also ran a PB (9:16.03) to finish fourth.
Another Herne Hill athlete to come away from Sheffield with a PB and a win was Arlo Ludewick in the men’s 3,000m C race. His time of 8:13.12 was a PB by nine seconds.
Harry Roberts placed 29th in the RunThrough Top Flight Newcastle 10km on Saturday with a PB of 32:35.
HERCULES WIMBLEDON
Hercules Wimbledon sprinters took home a number of titles at the London Indoor Games at Lee Valley, writes George Mallett.
Conor Kelly had a particularly busy two days. On Saturday the 2024 European U18 400m bronze medalist won the U20 200m title in a PB of 21.40, before returning one day later to set a PB of 6.94 over 60m.
Adam Ofeimun joined Kelly in that 200m final, running 22.44 for fourth.
Freddie Arkell dominated the senior race, running 21.70 as the only finisher inside 22 seconds. He also competed in the third fastest 60m race on the Sunday, winning in a PB of 6.86, bettering the 6.92 he ran just an hour earlier in the heat.
Chad Miller, the 2019 European U20 100m bronze medallist also stepped down from his more familiar longer distances to clock 6.88, finishing seventh in the event’s second fastest heat.
Other notable performances over 60m came from Ryan Facey, second in his heat in 7.02, and Ofeimun, second in his heat in a PB of 7.10.
PICTURE: JAMES RHODES