Tokyo Olympian lands first national title in Manchester as Laura Muir has to settle for silver, while Keely Hodgkinson speeds to another gold

Katie Snowden sprang a big shock on the second day of the UK Athletics Championships by beating serial champion and multi global medallist Laura Muir to the women’s 1500m title in Manchester.

Muir had taken her customary place at the front of the field with 600m to go before making a trademark long surge for victory.

However, while that plan usually works to perfection when it comes to domestic competition, this time Snowden opted to go with the pace and began to close the gap. The outcome came down to a 100m sprint for the line, a battle that was ultimately won by the Herne Hill Harrier who secured her first national gold in 4:09.86 ahead of Muir’s 4:10.24, with Melissa Courtney-Bryant clocking 4:11.91 for third.

The top two were assured of their places for next month’s World Championships in Budapest but Muir, a bronze medallist in Oregon last year – not to mention Commonwealth and European champion – is not accustomed to second place on home turf.

The 30-year-old Olympic silver medallist had a highly publicised split with long-term coach Andy Young earlier this year and has been self-coached, albeit with support from UK Athletics Endurance Performance Manager Steve Vernon, since.

Her results have been up and down in recent weeks. An 800m run of 1:57.30 at a BMC event at the end of June suggested a return to form but that was followed with sixth place over 1500m at the Stockholm Diamond League. “There’s a lot going on,” she said.

For 2021 Olympian Snowden, fourth at the European Championships last year, she has taken great encouragement from the PB of 4:00.04 she ran on US soil at the end of May and she said: “I knew my training had gone really well. I had been very consistent this year and had a couple of good races coming into the British Champs. I was feeling confident and psychologically ready.

“I knew I could come into the top two, not necessarily expecting to beat Laura but I thought this time I wanted to commit and stay with her pace. It feels even more special when you know that you are competing with the best of the best in the UK.”

The women’s 800m contest followed a slightly more familiar script, though the resurgence of Jemma Reekie meant Keely Hodgkinson had to work a little harder for her third outdoor UK title.

The Olympic and world silver medallist ran a stadium record of 1:58.26 but Reekie, who is also no longer coached by Young and now works with Jon Bigg, was not fully seen off until the closing metres as she produced a fine season’s best of 1:58.93 for second. Alex Bell was third in 2:00.68.

Hodgkinson’s preparations for another crack at a global gold will continue when she competes at the European Under-23 Championships in Finland in the coming week, sharpening her speed over 400m before returning to British shores for her first experience of competing at the Olympic Stadium for the London Diamond League.

“I didn’t want to take the lead today so to sit in and then take the win was very pleasing,” said the 21-year-old. “I am off to the under-23s this week to gain a bit of race practice at 400m and see what I can do. I am not the fastest going into it so it will be interesting and fun to do another under-23 champs while I am still eligible! It was always part of my build-up to the worlds and a great place to do some speedwork.”

For Reekie, who broke three British indoor records within the space of a week back in 2020, her strong finish will have offered plenty of encouragement given her struggles with health problems since narrowly missing out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo.

The 5000m saw Jessica Warner-Judd take gold thanks to making an emphatically decisive move. Reaching the 3000m mark in a sedate 10:04.03, the British 10,000m champion decided to “shake up the field”, as she put it, by hitting the accelerator. A 31-second 200m was slightly faster than she had intended but it did the job and Warner-Judd remained out in front before she hit the line in 15:53.50, with Amy-Eloise Markovc clocking 15:58.87 for second and Abbie Donnelly 16:04.78 for bronze.

Warner-Judd has already secured her World Championships place for the 10,000m but does not yet have the 5000m qualifying mark of 14:57.00. She will race the shorter distance at the London Diamond League later this month with the aim of doing just that, but is not yet totally sure of going for the distance double.

There was a third national 5000m title to celebrate first and the 28-year-old admitted she had been saving a chocolate brownie for the occasion.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be British champion,” she said. “I ran this race just to come and claim the National title. If I can run well at London, then maybe we will make a decision to see if I run the 5000m but my heart is set on the 10,000m.”

The first medals of the day were decided in the women’s 5000m race walk, where Heather Warner captured her first title in the event since 2014. Disqualified last year, she enjoyed a convincing win in a season’s best of 22:22.50 over seven-time champion Bethan Davies (22:55.85), with Abigail Jennings third in 24:11.68.

In the field, Jazmin Sawyers took her fourth outdoor British long jump title and admits she has taken enormous confidence with her into the season following the leap of 7.00m which took her to European Indoor gold earlier this year.

Her winning leap of 6.86m was wind-assisted (2.5) but, as well as some solid legal jumps, the 29-year-old was particularly pleased to have some fitness questions answered after rolling her ankle at the Diamond League in Stockholm.

She will now head for Budapest fully intent on putting herself right in the medal mix.

“I would have liked the 6.86m to be legal as it is the Olympic qualifier but I feel I am in good shape so I know I can jump that,” she said, after finishing ahead of heptathlete Jade O’Dowda (6.64m (2.6)) and Lucy Hadaway (6.60m (2.6)). “Last week I had a bit of a scare in Stockholm when I slipped on the board and rolled my ankle. We’ve taped it up and it’s a bit sore but I am a woman made of tape now and it didn’t hinder me.

“I feel I am in good nick and ready to go. I am going there [to Budapest] to medal. I have never won a world medal and I know I am capable of those distances so I think it would be silly of me not to be aiming for anything less.”

Jade Lally continued her dominance of the women’s discus, winning her ninth British title. Her best throw of the day came last as she reached out to 60.13m. Kirsty Law landed silver with a season’s best of 57.30m, while the personal best of 55.99m thrown by Zara Obamakinwa not only made sure of bronze but broke the British Junior record.

In the shot put, Commonwealth finalist Adele Nicoll successfully defended her title.

The 26-year-old, part of the Great Britain bobsleigh team at last year’s Winter Olympics and an athlete who splits her time between the two sports, has only recently revamped her throwing technique so was especially pleased to hit her target of another gold.

Amelia Strickler had led with an opening throw of 16.52m, but was overhauled by Nicoll’s second-round 17.26m. Strickler responded with 16.83m in the third round but that was as close as she would come. Divine Oladipo was third with 16.28m.