Sprinter equals 100m PB to book world championships place, while Brits impress at Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc

A report on GB’s strong performance at the IAU 50km World Championships in Romania, including a world record-breaking win by Aly Dixon, is here, while a round-up of England Athletics Under-17 and Under-15 Championships action is here.

You can read about the first of the IAAF Diamond League finals in Zurich, where Karsten Warholm claimed an historic hurdles win, here.

Other recent highlights are below.

ISATF, Berlin, Germany, September 1

Asha Philip secured her place on the GB team for the IAAF World Championships in Doha, following her silver medal-winning run at the British Championships with a PB-equalling 11.10 (0.7m/sec) to dip inside the qualifying time.

Her fellow Briton Imani-Lara Lansiquot ran 11.20 for fifth in a race won by Poland’s Ewa Swoboda in a PB of 11.07.

Mood right now ????… Ran 11.10 (+0.7) today in Berlin??. Equal PB. Equal 5th UK all-time. World Championships here we come ?????? .
.#WorldChamps?? #Joy #Dedication #Doha2019?? #Athlete pic.twitter.com/xdsZeCeolZ

— Asha Philip (@MissAshaPhilip) September 1, 2019

Andre de Grasse won the men’s 100m in 9.97.

Gesa Felicitas Krause broke the world best for the rarely-run 2000m steeplechase, clocking 5:52.80 just three days after breaking the German record for the 3000m steeplechase in Zurich.

Olympic champion Omar McLeod clocked a 13.07 season’s best to win the 110m hurdles ahead of Pascal Martinot-Lagarde who clocked 13.25.

Bellinzona, Switzerland, September 1

Cindy Ofili was another athlete booking their world championships place as the British champion achieved the qualifying standard in the 100m hurdles with a winning time of 12.85 (0.0m/sec) and followed that up with 11.66 (-0.2m/sec) in the 100m.

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake ran a season’s best of 10.11 (0.2m/sec) to win the men’s B 100m. Daryll Neita clocked 11.20 (0.0m/sec) for third in the women’s race won by Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji in 11.12.

World champion Justin Gatlin won the men’s A 100m, clocking 9.97.

Olympic champion Ryan Crouser broke the meeting record in the men’s shot put with 22.28m, while Katie Nageotte won the women’s pole vault with a first attempt clearance of 4.77m.

Memoriál Josefa Sečkáře, Brno, Czech Republic, August 28

British shot put champion Scott Lincoln enjoyed the week of his life as he won the national title and then threw 20.39m and 20.18m at a meeting in Brno before backing it up with 20.01m at another Czech meeting in Vlasim two days later.

Lincoln is only the eighth Briton to break 20 metres in the shot put and he became the first to do so in 11 years.

Congracts to @paulthecoach1 and @shotputtlinco on whats the best throw from a British athlete in 10474820079 years. pic.twitter.com/nOxMeNuLfI

— GHOST (@YoucefZatat) August 28, 2019

Read an interview with Lincoln in Thursday’s AW.

Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, Alps, August 26-September 1

The annual, week-long, trail and mountain festival based in Chamonix attracts several thousand runners from around the world and culminates in the 170km (106-mile) circuit of Mont Blanc, with 10,000m of climb for good measure, writes Adrian Stott.

It always attracts a quality international field, possibly only rivalled by the World Ultra Trail Championships, and this year’s event was won by Spain’s Pau Capell in 20:19:07 and USA’s Courtney Dauwalter in 24:34:26.

Scottish and GB hill and trail international Tom Owens had one of the best runs of his career when claiming fourth place.

Outstanding 4th and 5th for @TomOwens100 and @andysymondsRun at @UTMBMontBlanc, words can’t describe their efforts, congratulations!#utmb@BritAthletics @scotathletics @AthleticsWeekly pic.twitter.com/tGMyZzKLcW

— Jacob Adkin (@jacob_adkin) August 31, 2019

The Shettleston Harrier, who started 2019 barely able to run after an ankle operation, has gradually built his fitness back up over the summer, but this was his first attempt at a ‘100-mile’ event.

Wisely biding his time in the early kilometres, avoiding the usual cavalry charge at the front, he was hovering around 20th place through to 50km. By 80km, as runners started drifting back, he was up to 10th and by 125km he was up to fifth.

Although struggling a little in the last 30km, he held on for fourth place, the highest placing by a GB runner since Jezz Bragg won on a shorter course in 2010 and the highest ever placing by a Scottish male athlete.

“Wow that was quite an adventure,” said Owens. “That was so long!

“I had a fall around 90km so my knees were mega sore for all the descents, which made it super tough.

“I was still able to climb well though. Delighted to finish so high up in such a quality field in my first 100-miler.”

Taking fifth place was Owens’ good friend and former Carnegie Harrier, now resident in France, Andy Symonds, who clocked 22:35:15.

Other notable GB runners were Harry Jones in 15th with 24:03:53 and Paul Giblin in 24th with 24:53:30.

Fellow GB international Beth Pascall also impressed in a very high-class field, placing fifth in 26:26:48.

In the slightly shorter but no less competitive 100km CCC race, Holly Page finished ninth in 13:56:57 and there was a big breakthrough for Inverurie’s Meryl Cooper, the Dubai-based teacher finishing 13th in 14:35:52.

The longest event of the week is the wonderfully-named Petit Trotte de Leon which encompasses 300km (190 miles) with a massive 25,000m of ascent. It is run in teams and Carnethy’s Spine Race winner Jasmin Paris, along with her husband Konrad Rawling and good friend Jim Mann, finished fifth overall and first mixed team after 103 hours, 39 minutes and 18 seconds – almost four and a half days.

Belgian Championships, Brussels, August 31-September 1

Dai Greene just missed the 400m hurdles qualifying standard for the IAAF World Championships, winning in 49.49.

Jessie Knight improved her PB to 56.04 in the women’s event, while Nathan Douglas won the triple jump with a leap of 16.03m.

African Games, Rabat, August 30

Marie Josée Ta Lou won the 100m in 11.09 ahead of Gambia’s Gina Bass but Bass got victory in the 200m, clocking a national record of 22.58 as Ta Lou clocked 23.00 for third but had to be stretchered from the track after sustaining an injury.

Zambia’s Sydney Siame won the men’s race in 20.35.

Robert Kiprop led a Kenyan sweep in the 5000m, winning in 13:30.96.

George Manangoi won the 1500m in 3:38.27 ahead of Ayanleh Souleiman’s 3:38.44.

Tonbridge Twilight Invitational, August 30

Mark English of Ireland won the 800m in 1:45.98 from British champion Spencer Thomas (1:46.08 PB) and Guy Learmonth (1:46.31) as they just missed the Doha standard of 1:45.80.

Mark English finishes a fraction outside the qualifying standard for Doha with Spencer Thomas and Guy Learmonth close behind at the Tonbridge Twilight meet. ?@James_athletics pic.twitter.com/vfBfK1IDl4

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 30, 2019

Elliot Giles ran 3:56.47 to beat James West with 3:57.94 in the mile.

Kieran Clements won the men’s 3000m in 8:07.59, while Muriel Coneo Paredes of Colombia won the women’s 3000m in 9:10.27 from Amelia Quirk and Kate Avery.

Phil Norman agonisingly missed the Doha 3000m steeplechase qualifying standard by little over half a second with 8:29.54.

Ladywell 10000, September 1

Ross Skelton went sub-30 minutes for the first time, winning the day’s final race in 29:53.80.

Ross Skelton goes sub 30 in the Ladywell 10000 #ladywell10000 pic.twitter.com/lbMXvmsYbr

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 1, 2019

Chris Greenwood ran 30:50.88 to go second all-time among M45s.

Hendon, August 31

Heather Paton clocked 13.22 to improve her own Scottish 100m hurdles record.

After his silver at the British Championships, Lawrence Okoye continued his comeback with a throw of 59.47m to win ahead of current British No.1 Gregory Thompson with 59.20m.

Amelia Strickler won the shot put with 17.10m.

Rovereto, Italy, August 27

Steeplechaser Aimee Pratt followed up her bronze medal-winning performance at the British Championships by setting a PB of 9:39.60 to achieve the world championships qualifying time and put her well in the running for a place on the team for Doha.

Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff 10k, Wales, September 1

Jake Smith and Charlotte Arter were victorious as warm and still conditions allowed for competitive racing at the 35th edition of the race which saw over 7000 runners take to the streets of the Welsh capital, writes Alex Donald.

Local man Smith had shared the early front running with Aldershot, Farnham & District’s Joshua Grace and Cardiff club-mate and training partner Ciaran Lewis.

The half way point was passed in 14:44, with the three athletes some way clear and another Cardiff duo, Matt Clowes and James Hunt, still visible someway further back with Exmouth Harrier Tom Merson.

The pace eased somewhere around the seventh kilometre giving Cardiff AC club stalwart Clowes an opportunity to get back to the leaders. It was shortly before the eight kilometre mark where Clowes and Smith made a move with the latter finally breaking clear with around 200m left to run.

Smith’s winning time was just a second under his previous best for the distance in 29:30 and enough to steal victory over Clowes who finished just ahead of him 12 months ago.

This also meant a win for an athlete from the Cardiff Metropolitan University stable and for Team Thie with coach James watching closely.

Clowes was next home in 29:33 and further back Lewis overcame Grace to finish two seconds inside his PB with 29:45. The Aldershot man also dipped under 30 minutes in the Cardiff sunshine.

Cardiff AC’s Arter and Jenny Nesbitt had started as big race favourites in the women’s race, passing 5km in 16:11 with Arter going on to win in 32:45 and Nesbitt going under 33 minutes for the first time with 32:52.

Arter’s win hinted at the kind of form that saw her claim the British 10,000m title in 2018 and gain her a Welsh record over the half-marathon distance back in February with a British rankings lead of 69:40. It was also a season’s best for the athlete who won the Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay Run with 32:49 back in March.

After Nesbitt, it was another of their training group next home, with Clara Evans finishing in 34:06.

JCP Swansea Half Marathon Champion, Tracy Barlow of Thames Valley Harriers clocked 34:25 for fourth place with the 2018 English National and Inter-Counties cross country champion Phoebe Law of Kingston & Poly AC fifth home in 34:42.