Scot makes his comeback after injury at the British Milers’ Club meeting

A line-up of top British 800m runners will be on show for the third BMC Grand Prix of the season, which takes place at the Woodside Stadium in Watford on Saturday.

Jake Wightman will be racing for the first time since suffering a stress fracture to his sacrum in December, while Alex Bell – who broke the two-minute barrier at last year’s meeting – also makes her first serious appearance of the outdoor track season.

Wightman was the fastest British 800m runner last year after setting a PB of 1:44.61 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London and he will be joined on the start line by Elliot Giles (1:44.99), as well as last year’s Commonwealth silver medallist Kyle Langford.

All will be wary of Rio Olympian 1500m runner Charlie Da’Vall Grice, who opened his season in America earlier this month with a 1:46.47 800m and a 3:54.77 victory over the mile. Spencer Thomas and Jamie Webb are also entered.

In the women’s race, Bell can expect stiff opposition from European Indoor champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Sarah McDonald and Revee Walcott-Nolan, while Glasgow 2019 fifth-placer Mari Smith will also feature.

“I think we are looking at one of the finest fields of British 800m runners we have had for many years,” said BMC chairman Tim Brennan.

“We could easily be looking at a 1:45 time to win the men’s A race as we have two guys who ran 1:44 last year.

“We also have Alexandra Bell coming back to the track where she ran sub-two (1:59.93) for the first time when winning last year . Both A races are shaping up to be very exciting.”

The meeting is much more than just about the 800m, however. Rio Olympian Andrew Butchart joins a men’s 1500m field which also features the likes of Ellis Cross and Phil Sesemann while Jess Judd, who has won the 5000m at the opening two Grand Prix, will step down to the women’s 1500m and is joined by Hannah England.

Entries for the two steeplechase races headed by Zak Seddon and Elizabeth Bird, while some of Britain’s top junior distance runners will also be in Watford as the UK under-20 3000m trials are being incorporated into the meeting.

Morpeth’s Rory Leonard has already made a big impact over 5000m this summer so will be stepping down for some sharpening up work, while Cornwall AC’s Grace Brock heads a good entry for the women’s race.

The first race is at 5.30pm.