UK Outdoors April 2022

[carterhatch]

Ian Hodge tweeted that Reece Prescod ran both a 100 [10.38] and 200 [20.69] last night in Coventry ... this will make some forum users laugh [and one certainly snort with derision] but Ian hodge, not prone to hyperbole, states that, likely he was talking about the 200 in particular, 'world class racing in the cool weather'...

I just hope that the Prescod stays fit and healthy, keeps motivated, for surely with his natural talent, on a warm summer evening this year, there is a chance he might fulfil his potential.

[Stew-Coach]

it was unfortunately a chilly evening with a headwind. He was a class apart in both races tbh

I was most surprised by his spike choice for the 100 which was a very old pair of ja fly (at least 6 years) lol

[MysteryBrick]

I mean, if people are going to treat times in the US in great conditions with big winds with disdain, then one would logically assume they would treat times in the UK in poor conditions with negative winds positively. Obviously, I wouldn't expect as much. 20.69 isn't a bad opener at all whatever the case.

[drobbie]

Ian Hodge tweeted that Reece Prescod ran both a 100 [10.38] and 200 [20.69] last night in Coventry ... this will make some forum users laugh [and one certainly snort with derision] but Ian hodge, not prone to hyperbole, states that, likely he was talking about the 200 in particular, 'world class racing in the cool weather'...

I just hope that the Prescod stays fit and healthy, keeps motivated, for surely with his natural talent, on a warm summer evening this year, there is a chance he might fulfil his potential.

yeah i saw that too and was a bit surprised with the terminology

[Ladyloz]

I'd describe Prescod's season start as solid, no more/less. And that's fine for end April. We'll see where he is in June/July/August when it truly matters.

Hopefully he will have a real crack at 200m this year.

[JamieSLA]

I think he's had a major shift in attitude, back to a more humble, balanced place which I think will serve him better. I remember him at the start of 2019 saying that he won't race unless he knows he's running under 10 seconds, or that he'll only be satisfied with races under 10 seconds. As much as this is good ambition, I think it set the tone for the time out he had with injury. Almost a feeling of "if it's not perfect, why bother" - hence the indulgence in cakes!

I think he's clearly understanding that he's a good athlete that needs time to get back to how he was and the direction he was going in.

Can definitely see him going under both 10&20 seconds this year and finally some relay involvement.

[Occasional Hope]

That attitude definitely needed changing, so good for him that he has done it. Who is he coached by now?

[CAML]

Since Prescod parted company with JTD his career has imploded. Last year was a farce. Marvin Rowe was involved last season. Has that arrangement been formalised?

[RunUnlimited]

Back on the U20 front, Brodie Young, an integral part of the gold medal winning 4 x 400m quartet at the European U20s along with Sam Reardon, Charlie Carvell and Ed Faulds, set a new PB of 46.76 to win the 400m race in Clermont, Florida on April 23rd. Young, who turned 19 in February, won by nearly 2 full seconds from his nearest competitor, who is 6 years his senior.

That time is just outside the World U20 qualifying standard (46.50), but it puts him at the top of the European U20 400m list for 2022, and 15th on the world U20 list.

[MysteryBrick]

The amazing thing about last year's U20 quartet is they are all still juniors this year (and Carvell is next year too!)

British U20 4x400m record is 3:03.80 from 1990 - Grindley, Patrick, Winrow, Richardson with splits of 46.4, 45.9, 45.8, 45.7. Adding together the PBs of the 4 above gives 45.72+46.60+46.72+46.76 = 3:05.80 - if you take off 0.7s per leg for 2nd to 4th you end up with 3:03.70... they should be capable of it but it won't be easy!

[RunUnlimited]

MysteryBrick Yep, and there are others to include too, like squad member Reuben Henry-Daire who ran the 4 x 4 heats in Tallinn, and Nabil Tezkratt who also went below last year's European U20 standard, but didn't make the team but could be in line to make it to this year's World U20s.

This is a talented bunch who have all come around at roughly the same time and will hopefully spur each other on to be faster in the years to come.

Could they get close to the U20 4 x 400m record? Its a tough ask, and so far one of the big members of it, Carvell, has not raced yet so far this season, indoors or outdoors, so we'll have to wait and see if he's fit and ready before making an assessment. If all of them are there and are available, I could see GB getting a medal in Cali.

[Occasional Hope]

Last weekend Jahisha Thomas TJ PB of 13.59.

[RunUnlimited]

Now here's some very encouraging early season news. Ian Hodge reports that out in Florida, Lina Nielsen has taken half a second off her 400m hurdles PB with a time of 54.76, breaking the 55 second barrier for the first time!

After years of toiling away in the event, it seems that Lina is finally starting to achieve some results. The substantial PB she set in the flat 400m is now getting transferred into her primary discipline and that bodes well for the rest of the this very busy season.

Lina's time is not only well inside the qualifying standard for the World Championships (55.40), but also takes her to 8th on the British all time list. (Incidentally, Lina becomes just the 9th Brit to run under 55 seconds for women's 400m hurdles.)

[drobbie]

just came on to post about this, smashes her pb on her season opener, qualifies for all the championships, all time top 10, looking promising

[RunUnlimited]

drobbie Another little factoid to add to this... Lina's time is the first time a British athlete has run sub 55 seconds for the 400m hurdles this early into an outdoor season. Not even the great Sally Gunnell ever ran this quickly in April.

[dan23]

9:32.42 steeple for Elise Thorner out in the states!

[Occasional Hope]

27.40.16 for Charles Hicks over 10K

[MBChristie]

At Payton Jordan in California - Track. Came Third

[RunUnlimited]

Occasional Hope Which btw, takes down one of the oldest British national track records that had still been on the books... For just over half a century, David Bedford held the national U23 record over 10,000m (27:47.0h), which at the time it was achieved back in 1971, was the 2nd fastest 10,000m run in history. Before the arrival of Hicks, the only other British U23 to go sub 27:50 was David Black in the 1974 Commonwealth Games, who ran 27:48.6h as a 22 year old in claiming the silver medal.
So for Hicks to surpass one of GB's distance running legends, while still just 20 years old (turns 21 in July), is quite some feat!

That run propels him from 24th on the UK all time list for 10,000m, up to 17th, above the likes of Andy Vernon (18th), former Olympic bronze medallist, and European and Commonwealth champion Ian Stewart (19th), and former European silver medallist and 1976 Olympic 4th placer, Tony Simmons (20th).

It is also a EC and CWG qualifying time, and just 12 seconds shy of the WC qualifying standard.

[RunUnlimited]

9:32.42 steeple for Elise Thorner out in the states!

Wonderful news! The 21 year old just narrowly missed out on the world championship qualifying time (9:30.00), but has got them for the European champs and the England standard for the Commonwealth Games!

She also leap frogs over Elish McColgan into 7th place on the UK all time list with that performance, further lowering her national U23 record and being easily the youngest athlete on that list too.

[Occasional Hope]

Beth Kidger took almost a full second off her Pb, 31.58.48, to get the Commonwealth standard.

[RunUnlimited]

More from Ian Hodge.... Here's a name that hasn't been mentioned for awhile now.... Melissa Courtney-Bryant. The Welsh record holder over 3000m and 5000m, as well as a 1500m bronze medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and over 3000m in the 2019 European Indoors, missed most of 2021 through injury, only managing 2 indoor appearances and a solitary run outdoors before being forced to end her season.
However, in her first appearance on the track since June last year, Courtney-Bryant ran a time of 15:25.90 over 5000m, achieving the Welsh CWG qualifying standard on the first attempt!

It's still some way off the Welsh record she set of 14:53.82 in 2019, but it's a welcome return to competitive action for the 28 year old.

[Occasional Hope]

Ian Hodge reports Andy Pozzi gets his first legal run of the outdoor season with 13.28.

[RunUnlimited]

Over at the Drake Relays, the strong headwinds that severely hampered performances yesterday were back again today, though maybe a touch lighter than the -5.0m/s (!) gusts experienced then.

Josh Zeller's fine outdoor form continued with another win in the collegiate 110m hurdles final, coming through in 13.79 (-1.8m/s).

In the invitational 100m hurdles, Cindy Sember came 5th in 13.03 (-0.7m/s), behind winner Tia Jones' 12.84.

It was a similar story for David King in the men's invitational 110m hurdles, 5th in 13.89 behind Tokyo gold medallist Hansle Parchment's 13.47.

Meanwhile at the Penn Relays, Kyle Langford managed a 1:46.11 victory in the elite race there, though it must be said that his opponents weren't exactly household names, even in American athletics circles. But a win is a win I guess.

Another British victory came from the elite Mile run, where Callum Elson managed to finish ahead of Kenyan Festus Lagat. 4:04.11 to 4:04.31.

[felix51]

More from Ian Hodge.... Here's a name that hasn't been mentioned for awhile now.... Melissa Courtney-Bryant. The Welsh record holder over 3000m and 5000m, as well as a 1500m bronze medallist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and over 3000m in the 2019 European Indoors, missed most of 2021 through injury, only managing 2 indoor appearances and a solitary run outdoors before being forced to end her season.
However, in her first appearance on the track since June last year, Courtney-Bryant ran a time of 15:25.90 over 5000m, achieving the Welsh CWG qualifying standard on the first attempt!

It's still some way off the Welsh record she set of 14:53.82 in 2019, but it's a welcome return to competitive action for the 28 year old.

I do follow Ian Hodge on twitter, but there have been no posts since 2021. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong?

[RunUnlimited]

https://twitter.com/ian_hodge8

The Twitter account you're probably still using is his old one. He had an issue logging back into it last year and decided to create a new one.

[felix51]

https://twitter.com/ian_hodge8

The Twitter account you're probably still using is his old one. He had an issue logging back into it last year and decided to create a new one.

Ah I thought maybe that was the problem. Thank you :-)