US-based sprinter clocks 22.60 in Fayetteville on a day when George Mills and Sam Atkin break 13 minutes for 5000m in Boston

Katharine Merrys British indoor record for 200m was set to celebrate its 25^th anniversary in a few days time. Her mark of 22.83 was set on Valentines Day in 1999 and has remained the national record for 25 years. The record has fallen this weekend, though, with Amber Anning clocking 22.60 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

The 23-year-old Brit, who represents the University of Arkansas, was racing her first 200m of the season at the Razorback Invitational as she sped around the track on the outside lane to slice a couple of tenths of a second off Merrys long-standing mark.

For the last 20 years the 200m has not featured at major international championships. It was scrapped due to the fact sprinters had little chance in races if they were drawn on the tight inside lanes and were subsequently withdrawing from finals if they got a bad lane. However, it is still contested at the UK Indoor Championships and of course records are still kept.

Annings best was 23.27, which was set at the same Fayetteville venue in 2022. But her 22.60 now means she has passed not only Merry but Donna Fraser (22.96), Dina Asher-Smith (23.15) and others on the UK all-time rankings.

British indoor 200m record for Amber Anning in Fayetteville as she beats Katharine Merrys 1999 mark of 22.83 with 22.60. pic.twitter.com/MbnQ3QVK39

AW (@AthleticsWeekly) January 27, 2024

Anning had an injury-hit 2023 but ran a 400m split of 49.82 on the second leg of the 4x400m at the World Championships in Budapest as Britain finished third in 3:21.04. She was also unlucky at the time not to be picked for the individual event in Budapest as she had a qualifying time from the indoor season.

Last winter she was also part of her college team that set a world indoor 4x400m record of 3:21.75 at the NCAA Championships, beating the 3:23.27 set by Russia in 2006.

Growing up in Brighton, she was coached by Lloyd Cowan during her early career and set a number of age-group records in the UK, including breaking Marilyn Neufvilles long-standing UK under-20 400m indoor record with 53.00.

She won silver in the 400m in the European Under-20 Championships in 2019 behind Polina Miller and made her senior debut that year for Britain in the 4x400m at the European Indoor Championships before moving to the United States to study.

On a day of fast times for British athletes, George Mills and Sam Atkin smashed the 13-minute barrier for 5000m at the Boston University John Thomas Terrier Classic.

Firstly Mills clocked 12:58.68 before moments later Atkin ran 12:58.73 with both athletes beating the Olympic qualifying time of 13:05.00 and narrowly missing Marc Scotts UK indoor record of 12:57.08.

The two men also boldly led their races from around 3000m onwards before faltering a little in the final two laps.

Mills is a former European under-18 champion at 800m and his social media handle is still georgemills800. But he has enjoyed superb success when moving up the distances.

Last September he ran 3:47.65 for the mile at the Diamond League final in Eugene. He then created a YouTube channel called the 5k guys with training partner Tom Elmer of Switzerland. It is a title which has so far proved prophetic, although Mills says the 1500m remains his main goal in 2024.

The duo have been training in South Africa most of the winter as part of the On Running team and it was rumoured Mills was in good shape. Yet even he might have been shocked to take so much off his 5000m best of 13:18.33, which was set last summer in his one and only previous attempt at the distance.

Mills finished just behind Kenyan Edwin Kurgat (12:57.52) and ahead of US mile record-holder Yared Nuguse (13:02.09).

Atkin, who endured an injury-hit 2023, took five seconds off his best in a race won by Adrian Wildschutt of South Africa in 12:56.76 ahead of Nico Young of the United States, the latter clocking a collegiate record of 12:57.14.

The US-based Atkin, who has run 13:03.64 for 5000m and 27:26.58 for 10,000m in the past, had not raced since running a UK 5km record of 13:16 in Lille, France, last March. But the Puma athlete has now put himself in the frame for selection for the Paris Games.

Now, only Scott and Mo Farah (outdoors) have run faster than Mills and Atkin over 5000m.

Another Puma-sponsored Brit, Jack Rowe, won the 3000m at the same meeting in a PB of 7:38.35 to go No.6 on the UK all-time rankings.

Elsewhere, Andrew Coscoran set an Irish 5000m indoor record of 13:12.56 in Atkins race.