St Mary’s Twickenham’s Steph Twell smashed her 3,000m personal best at Watford last Wednesday.
She finished third in a mixed race in eight minutes, 42.75 seconds to take more than eight seconds off her previous best, set in 2008.
The performance lifts Twell to the top of this season’s UK rankings and puts her ninth on the UK all-time list for the event.
KING COLIN: Commonwealth Games-bound Colin McCourt, who is trained by coach Craig Winrow at St Mary’s, made a late surge to win the British Milers Club men’s 800m race in 1:50.13. St Mary’s student Carl Bradbury clocked a personal best of 3:51.59 in finishing second in his 1,500m race, taking more than three seconds off his previous best. Jonathan Hay broke the Surrey junior men’s 5,000m record in winning his race in 14:02.29.
GOR BLIMEY: Bookham’s Emelia Gorecka clocked a personal best time for 3,000m of 9:13.93 at the British Milers Club meeting. It was almost five seconds faster than her previous best but cannot count as a Surrey record as it was achieved in a mixed race. Her county record of 9:18.38 was set in winning the Surrey champion-ship in May. Belgrave’s Michaela Hutchison was second in the 800m in a personal best of 2:13.17, just ahead of Herne Hill’s Helen Hadjam (2:14.45).
HAPPY TRAP: Wimbledon schoolmaster James Trapmore headed home a 250-plus strong field to win the Harry Hawkes eight-mile road race at Thames Ditton on Sunday. He crossed the line in 43:26. Trapmore, who runs for Hercules Wimbledon, finished well clear of the field in posting the best age-graded time. Veteran Athletic Club’s Nigel Burnell was first over-50 veteran (49:35). Marie Synnott-Wells was first woman (52:16).
MEETING OFF: An open field events and hurdles meeting due to be staged at Sutton Arena on Sunday has been cancelled because the track does not have a valid certificate for competitions. The certificate ran out on April 30 and Greenwich Leisure, who operate the track on behalf of Sutton Council, failed to renew it.
SIGN WOE: Two Collingwood runners took part in the Two2Go Lee Valley Trail Marathon from Ware in Hertfordshire to Hackney Marshes. Richard Fox ran an extra three miles because a course marker sign was moved so clocked four hours, having completed 26.2 miles in three hours, 37 minutes. Doug White finished in around six hours.
SUPER VET: Tadworth AC’s Geoff Newton took first prize in the men’s over-60 class at last weekend’s Eridge Park 10-mile trail challenge, near Tunbridge Wells. Newton was 56th out of 535 runners in one hour, 20 minutes, 57 seconds.
BATT RACE: A fund-raising event in support of Help for Heroes is coming to Battersea Millennium Arena on Sunday. The Race for Recovery is aimed at anyone interested in testing their fitness.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here