A fantastic evening of athletics is in store at Watford on July 1st for the third BMC World Challenger Grand Prix of the season.
The meeting start time will be 17:30 for BMC races with two school race at 17:00
Meeting Timetable HERE
Start Lists HERE
All comments and questions should be direct to:
Men: Rupert Waters
Women: Tim Brennan
Full meeting details are HERE
Spectator tickets are HERE
Follow on the day with Live start lists and results HERE
Preview
Saucony BMC Grand Prix, Woodside Stadium, Saturday 1st July
Stephen Green previews the action from the Woodside Stadium.
The BMC celebrates it’s 60 anniversary this week and founder members Frank Horwill and Wilf Paish would have been proud of the stellar fields in place at Woodside Stadium for the third of the World Athletics Challenger Tour Events.
Top of the bill is possibly the men’s 3000m where World Indoor medallist and 12.57 5k man Marc Scott comes up against Britain’s fastest marathoner of the year Emile Cairess (2:08.07 in London). In an unofficial Yorkshire champs Richmond and Zetland’s Scott will be looking to improve his PB of 7:36 and both will be looking for that £1000 bonus on offer a time below 7:44. Leeds City’s Cairess (PB of 7:44.74) has already shown his hand in BMC races this year with a 13.37 5k win at Sportcity.
The men’s 800m has also an impressive domestic and international line up with Thomas Randolph and Alex Botterill having both recorded mid 1:45 performances in Europe this week up against local man Kyle Langford and fellow 1:44 athlete Daniel Rowden.
Reece Sharman – Howell the winner at Loughborough has twice recorded times in the mid 1:45 range already this season, and maybe on the verge of a significant breakthrough. Archie Davis (best of 1:44) is making a strong comeback in 2023 and World Junior finalist Sam Reardon should also feature.
Local athlete Ellie Baker who trains at the track, is possibly the pick of a mainly domestic Riixo women’s 800m line up. Baker has a best of 1:59.52 set at BMC Gillingham in 2022, plus a sparkling 1500 PB of 4:03.95 this year.
However, Baker will have some tough opposition as Erin Wallace has already returned 1:59.69 at the same venue in 2023 and Khahisa Mhlanga was an impressive winner at BMC Loughborough with a 2:00.87 PB. The target for these ladies will be the 1:59.80 World Champs Qualifier which brings an additional £1k bonus.
James West looks to be the class of the field in the men’s British Athletics Supporter’s Club 1500m. The 3:34 man will be hoping to get close a World Champs qualification time. Irish U20 sensation Nick Griggs, who has already run 3:36.40 this year should challenge alongside Australian Sam Blake who has a 3:38 best should also. The BMC record of 3:36.26 set by Elliott Giles on the Watford oval last year could be seriously challenged.
The women’s 1500m looks open ripe for a breakthrough performance. Jaylah Hancock-Cameron (4:10.54) Jenny Selman (4:08.24) and New Zealander Rebekah Greene (4:11.59) should all be at the business end come the finish.
BMC CEO and Race Director is looking forward to an exciting evening of racing:
“Watford is always a highlight of the domestic calendar and with the resurgence in British Distance Running, plus some quality overseas athlete Saturday could be a night to remember.”
The action starts at 1700 with some local schools events followed by the GP at 1730.
Lead entries
| Men 800m Thomas Randolph – 1:46 this year PB 1:44.9 Daniel Rowden – 1:46 this year PB 1:44.1 Henry Fisher – 1:46 this year Alex Botterill – 1:46 this year Angus Harrington 1:46 this year Sam Reardon 1;46 this year Jack Lunn (AUS) – 1:46 this year Oliver Dustin – PB 1:43.8 Piers Copeland – PB 1:45.7 Riley McGown (AUS) – 1:46 this year Archie Davis 1:47 this year PB 1:44.7 James McMurray – 1:47 this year Daniel Howells – 1:47 this year Rocco Zaman-Browne – 1:47 this year Thomas Keen – 1:48 this year Louis O’Loughlin (IRE) – 1:48 this year Jack Atherton (AUS) – 1:48 this year | Women 800m Erin Wallace 1:59 this year Khahisa Mhlanga – 2:00 this year Jenny Selman – 2:02 this year Georgie Hartigan – 2:03 this year PB 2:00 Tess Kirsopp-Cole (AUS) – 2:03 this year Jill Cherry – 2:04 this year Steph Driscoll – 2:04 this year Iseult O’Donnell (IRE) – 2:04 this year Rhiannon Hawker – 2:04 this year |
| Men 1500m James West – 3:37 this year 3:34 pb Nick Griggs – 3:36 this year Sam Blake (AUS) – 3:38 last year Charlie O’Donovan – 3:40 this year | Women 1500m Maudie Skyring (AUS) 4:08 last year Jaylah Hancock-Cameron (AUS) – 4:10 this year Niamh Bridson Hubbard – 4:10 this year Laura Nagel (NZ) – 4:11 this year Rebekah Greene (NZ) – 4:11 this year Mary Ekiru (KEN) – 4:12 this year |
| Men 3000m Marc Scott PB 7:36 John Travers (IRE) – 8:03 this year PB 7:50 Baldvin Magnusson – PB 7:47 Ian Crowe-Wright – &:57 this year Joshua Phillips (AUS) – 8:01 this year George Watson – 8:02 this year Conan Harper – 8:04 this year | Women 3000m Jessica Warner-Judd – 8:53 this year Alexandra Millard – 8:58 this year Caitlin Adams (AUS) – 9:03 this year Sarah Astin – 9:05 this ye |
