Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester), Amber Anning (Chris Johnson, Brighton & Hove AC) Georgia Hunter Bell (Trevor Painter, Belgrave Harriers), Lucy Hadaway (Matt Barton, City of York) and Jake Wightman (Steve Hartigan, Edinburgh AC) lit up the Alexander Stadium on the second and final day of action at the Novuna UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
The women’s 200m final saw the performance of a lifetime from Success Eduan, the 21-year-old scorching away over the final 60m to clock 22.42 (-0.9) to take the title ahead of world medallist Amy Hunt, her time of 22.64 good for silver.
Dipping under 23 seconds for the very first time, Kristal Ama-Awuah’s (Herne Hill Harriers) 22.99 secured a fine bronze.
Eduan said: “I didn’t know how fast I could go today, but I am just thankful and grateful to God that I executed the race that I wanted to. It’s only the fourth race of my season, so it is onwards and upwards from here. I always believe in myself, as do all my team and my coach – I have so much more to come.”
Amber Anning produced 50.16, to break her own championship record and win gold in the women’s 400m final. Looking supremely smooth Anning came into the straight with a razor-tight lead on Yemi Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Green Essex Ladies), before moving away by a couple of metres for the win.
Fresh off sub-50 personal best last month, John came home in 50.23 for silver, with Charlotte Henrich (Nigel Stickings, Invicta East Kent AC) performing brilliantly to clock 50.58, a personal best by over half a second, to secure a memorable bronze.
The British record holder, Anning said: “The girls really pushed me, it wasn’t easy you have to fight to line, I’m glad I was able to get the job and it’s consistent, which is kind of what I have been running this year. So, I’m in good shape, I’ve got a couple things I need to work on but I’m happy with both the execution from the heat and final.”
Reigning champion, Georgia Hunter Bell showed no signs of relenting her title in the women’s 800m, a commanding performance seeing her stop the clock in a rapid 1:55.93, smashing Kelly Holmes’ championship record set some 31 years ago.
Issy Boffey (Luke Gunn, Enfield & Haringey) dug in deep to dip inside 2 minutes and take silver with 1:59.56, with Lucy Armitage closing strongly to produce a personal best time of 2:00.45 for bronze.
On her performance and record, Hunter Bell said: “It’s really nice to get a Championship record and win another UK title. I was visualising it before I came out here. I have some great memories here, so I can’t wait to be back here for the Europeans in a couple of months.”
In a field featuring a host of big hitters, reigning European silver medallist Jake Wightman ran an immaculate race to take the men’s 800m title in 1:45.40, edging out the fast-finishing Ben Pattison’s (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC) 1:45.49 for silver with early race-leader Alex Botterill (City of York) coming home in 1:46.01 for bronze.
Out in the field, Lucy Hadaway (Matt Barton, City of York) produced a magnificent performance with a best of 6.67m (0.5) to win women’s long jump gold. Kicking off with a 6.61m (-1.9), Hadaway improved by 6cm to produce the second best mark of her career, and add outdoor gold to the indoor title won in February.
Behind Hadaway, Molly Palmer (Lukasz Zawila, Thames Valley Harriers) jumped a best of 6.50m (0.6) for silver, with Funminiyi Olajide (Lukasz Zawila, Thurrock Harriers) taking bronze with 6.47 (-0.1).
In the men’s 200m final, British record holder Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet) produced a magnificent 20.04 (-0.5), attacking the race brilliantly to slingshot onto the straight in control and in a league of his own, crossing over just shy of sub-20 seconds.
Behind Hughes, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake’s (Newham & Essex Beagles) aggression was rewarded with silver in a season’s best of 20.35, while 19-year-old Ebuka Nwokeji (Clarence Callendar, Victoria Park Harriers) clocked 20.55 to run himself into a bronze medal.
In what was his first ever UK championships final, the men’s 1500m saw Arlo Ludewick (Norman Poole, Herne Hill Harriers) get a jump on the field with 600m to run, surging past a bunched field to take the front and then keep the fast-finishing Jake Heyward at bay for a memorable title win with 3:38.85.
Heyward must have thought he’d timed his surge to perfection, but just couldn’t find the perfect finish, settling for silver with 3:38.97, while Thomas Keen ran 3:39.32 for bronze.
The women’s 1500m final became something of a 400m race following a cautious opening to proceedings, with Sarah Calvert (Luke Gunn, Livingston AC) bringing a sense of déjà vu to proceedings as she once again struck down the home straight to make it back to back titles, crossing the line in a season’s best 4:07.82.
Somewhat boxed on the inside, Katie Snowden (Herne Hill Harriers) wrestled herself out and into lane three to move into silver in 4:08.22, with Laura Muir (Laura Weightman, Dundee Hawkhill) snatching bronze with 4:08.73.
Off a brilliant, bullish final 400m, Kristian Imroth (Shaftesbury Barnet) produced the run of his life to both smash his personal best and take down the championship record with 8:18.97 in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final, the time inside the European qualifying mark to boot.
Wearing a grimace with 600m or so to go, Will Battershill (Luke Gunn, Bristol & West AC) motored hard to cross over in 8:22.97 for silver, while Zak Seddon (Bracknell AC) racked up an eleventh British championships medal with a season’s best of 8:23.99 for bronze.
An elated Imroth reflected: “It was kind of everything I wanted from today’s race. I have had a really strong NCAA season and came here wanting to win. I was sort of in the European qualifying places, but I didn’t have the time. The boys set it up well today, I don’t think they meant to do that, but it worked out for me, so I am very happy.
All three medallists went inside 45 seconds in the men’s 400m final, the spoils going to home favourite Matt Hudson-Smith (Gary Evans, Birchfield Harriers) with a clocking of 44.45, the time among the quickest posted by a European this year.
Steaming down the home straight and looking like he could reel in Hudson-Smith, only to run out of track, Ben Jefferies (Bristol & West AC) ran a personal best of over a second with 44.66 for silver. Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester Harriers) won bronze with a season’s best time of 44.69.
Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet) clocked a commanding season’s best time of 54.50 to take the women’s 400m hurdles title. There was also a season’s best for Hayley McLean (Chris Zah, Shaftesbury Barnet), her run of 56.90 good for silver, with Arabella Wilson (Andrew Fisher, Thames Valley Harriers) clocking 58.28 for bronze.
Now looking ahead to the summer, Newnham said: “It honestly feels like such a relief. I have ticked off one of the big goals for this year. British Champs bring a different type of pressure because it is the expectations you have on yourself. I am really looking forward to the Europeans here, and the Commonwealth Games. I’m super happy that everything this year is at home, it’s just always really exciting to compete in front of a home crowd.”
The men’s equivalent saw new dad Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey) make it a memorable Father’s Day, the 26-year-old managing to ignore falls and clattered hurdles around him to clock 49.05 and take the win.
Joshua Faulds (James Wright, Rugby & Northampton) pushed brilliantly over the final 30m or so to dip himself over for silver in 49.36, just ahead of bronze medallist Jake Minshull (James Wright, Coventry Godiva) with 49.38.
Post-race, Chalmers said: “I felt much fresher today, so I am really pleased to get the win. We’ve just had a baby, so I haven’t trained all week. I was just getting the legs flushing through; I came through hurdle 10 and strolled through to the line. I am just excited, it is a big day for me, my first Father’s Day so I just wanted to take it all in.”
The men’s 110m hurdles final, saw Sam Bennett (Steven Surety, Basildon AC) run a terrific personal best of 13.41 (0.4) to push UK leader Tade Ojora (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) into silver, his time 13.49 following a spate of clattered hurdles. Behind the pair, and having originally finished in fourth, a disqualification saw Ethan Akani (Bexley AC) bumped into bronze following a time of 14.09.
In the men’s hammer final, British number one Jake Norris’ (Nick Ridgeon, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) broke the 26-year-old’s stadium record with an effort of 76.30m in round two putting over four metres between himself and the rest of the field.
Birchfield Harrier Craig Murch (Matt Spicer) threw out to 71.73m in round four, a mark ultimately good for the silver, with the hugely experienced Chris Bennett (Andy Frost, Shaftesbury Barnet) making another domestic podium, 70.12m in round four seeing him leave with bronze.
Men’s shot put action saw Scott Lincoln (City of York) rack up an astonishing 22nd national title following a best effort of 20.33m in round five to bring up a winning margin close to two metres on the field.
Having built steadily through the rounds, Piers Cameron (Birchfield Harriers) threw 18.38m in round four, the mark good for silver, while Patrick Swan’s (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Cornwall AC) best of 17.67m notched bronze.
In the men’s 5000m final, a breakaway group of five with three laps to go then became four with 800m to run, as Scott Beattie continued to wind the pace up and make those behind him hurt.
On the bell UK leader David Mullarkey (Andrew Henderson, Leeds City) was joined by James West (Helen Clitheroe, Tonbridge AC) and Andy Butchart (Barry Fudge, Central AC) in coming by Beattie and surging away.
Malarkey just had two much in the tank, ensuring the race went to form as he stopped the clock in 13:27.00 for gold. Three times a national champion over the distance, 34-year-old Butchart’s welcome return to injury-free running saw him push hard down the home straight to pinch silver in a season’s best of 13:27.52, with West claiming bronze in 13:27.75, also a season’s best.
Gabrielle Garber’s (Andrew Wood) clearance at 1.84m was more than enough to bring up women’s high jump gold on the day, the Trafford athlete some 6cm clear of her rivals. While four athletes managed to clear 1.78m, silver went to Hannah Lake (Dierdre Elmhirst, Cardiff), and bronze to Halle Ferguson (Andrew Wood, Trafford AC), owing to cleaner scorecards.
In the men’s triple jump Daniel Falode (Guy Spencer, Cambridge Harriers) pulled out 15.76m (0.4) with his sixth and final jump to steal victory away from Jude Bright-Davies (David Johnson, Thames Valley Harriers), who must have thought he’d done enough for the title following a season’s best effort of 15.72 (0.2).
Made to settle for silver, Bright-Davies was joined on the podium by Sean-Connor Atafo (John Herbert, Woodford Green), 15.56m his best effort from a range of clean jumps on the day.
The opening action on day two saw reigning champion Zara Obamakinwa (Mark Chapman Blackheath & Bromley) emerge as a dominant victor in the women’s discus, sailing out into a commanding lead with 54.58m in round three, before extending to 55.85m with her final throw.
Scottish athlete, Kirsty Law (Zane Duquemin, Woodford Green) notched yet another British medal with silver, her best mark of the day coming with 49.71m, while Eden Francis (Gleyns Morton, Leicester Coritanian) won bronze courtesy of 48.76m.
Owen Heard (Kate Rooney, Harrow AC) secured back to back outdoor titles in the men’s pole vault, his first-time clearance at 5.40m unable to be matched elsewhere. Thomas Walley’s (Andy Ashurst, Wrexham AAC) success at earlier heights, bringing a cleaner scorecard, saw 5.30m good for silver, with Charlie Myers (Chris Boundy, Middlesbrough) toppling the same height for bronze.
Taking place at the same end of the stadium, the men’s javelin saw Ben East (John Trower, Team Kennet) give the 80m+ mark a scare, his best effort of 79.87m in round two, which was more than enough to strike another British gold.
Silver medallist Michael Allison (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) pulled out a season’s best mark of 77.63m to make the podium, with Daniel Bainbridge (Shaftesbury Barnet) saving his best until last, 75.62m in round six, to consolidate his hold on the bronze.
In race walk finals, Cameron Corbishley (Andi Drake, Medway & Maidstone) and Bethan Davies (Andi Drake, Cardiff) were a cut above the rest with victories in the men’s and women’s 5000m walks respectively.
With a winning margin of close to 3 minutes – 19:54.98 – Corbishley more than kept hold of his British title, with Guy Thomas (Verity Snook, Tonbridge) taking silver with 22:50.39, and Tim Perry (Northern AC) walking to a personal best time of 24:40.76 for bronze.
Welsh athlete Davies clocked 23:43.39 to also retain her title in the women’s race, with Abigail Jennings (Verity Snook, Aldershot, Farnham & District) walking a season’s best of 25:31.80 for silver, and Natasha Mitchell (Clare Mitchell, Southampton AC) clinching bronze with 26:17.82.
In the first of two mixed classification women’s ambulant 100m races, Ndidikama Okoh (Tony Hadley, Birchfield Harriers) took the win with 15.33 (-0.6), the time slower than silver and bronze medallists Hetty Bartlett (John Herbert, City of Norwich) and Bebe Jackson, their postings 13.69 and 13.90 respectively, but good for victory based on the RAZA system.
Three hours later, the second of the two races also went the way of Okoh as she clocked 15.44 (-0.1). Bartlett again got up for silver, her aggressive start seeing her clock a season’s best of 13.65m with Jackson running 13.94 for third.
Nathan Maguire (Steve Hoskins, Kirkby) was a gun to tape leader in the men’s 1500m wheelchair race, a time of 3:06.43 seeing him romp away from the rest of the field. Josh Hartley (Job King, Coventry Godiva) pushed hard for the line to come in for second in 3:30.09, with Kyle Brotherton (Gerry Gaffney, Inverclyde AC) winning the tussle for bronze, pushing to a season’s best of 3:41.25.
Making it’s British Championships debut the men’s 100m frame-running final, a great head-to-head between Finlay Menzies (Graeme Reid, Corstorphine AAC) and Gavin Drysdale (David Phee, Red Star) saw the former take the win, their times 16.57 to 16.80. Both of the other two athletes in the race – Michael Pill (Jason Clare) and Chris Jacquin (Corstorphine AAC) – pushed to personal best times of 21.60 and 22.48 respectively.
All results from the Novuna UK Athletics Championships can be accessed via https://ukac2026.microplustimingservices.com/#/schedule-bydate.
