It will be the first time that Ennis, who is entered into the hurdles, javelin and long jump at the UK Women’s Athletic League Premier Division meeting, will have competed outdoors since her success at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

“I am looking forward to getting back into competition,” said the 27-year-old, who married her long-term partner Andy Hill on Saturday.

“Last year had some wonderful highs for obvious reasons but you cannot stand still for long in any sport – let alone one like athletics.

“I have been training hard with a view to this summer’s events and the World Championships in Moscow in August is the major goal,” added Ennis, who decided against competing during the indoor season following her Olympic gold. “It will be good to compete again for Trafford AC in Edinburgh.”

Ennis’ coach Tony Minichiello agreed, saying the event is the perfect opportunity to “blow the cobwebs away”. He also confirmed that Ennis has a Diamond League meeting in Oslo on her schedule, where she will again compete in two or three individual events, while her first heptathlon competition will be in Tallinn in Estonia at the end of June.

“Edinburgh is a good opportunity for Jessica to blow the cobwebs away and get into competition again,” commented  Minichiello. “The World Championships is the main target for the season so everything before then is looking towards peaking for Moscow. The Women’s League is the top level of club competition in Britain so Edinburgh is a good place to start.”

» Tickets for the event which features Ennis and others in action against hosts Edinburgh AC are now available to purchase online priced at £5 for adults and £2 for children. Click here for more info and to buy tickets.

Pickering will have Joe Fearon and Leevan Yearwood, among others, to push him, while the 200m sees Somto Eruchie and Julian Thomas in action at what will be the 19th edition of the event.

Taking place on May 27, this year’s event “looks set to be a fantastic weekend of throwing, jumping and sprinting, courtesy of the impressive start lists,” claims Jackson.

Other highlights will be a series of UKA sponsored U20 and U18 sprint and low hurdles races, by invite. Leading the way in the U18 men’s 110m will be Windsor’s James Bell, while Brighton’s Nathan Parker heads the 100mH entries. The U20 race has Plymouth’s David King fastest on paper.

Jersey’s Stanley Livingston, the 2012 England Athletics Champion, is the best of the U17 400m hurdlers while 15-year-old Mollie Courtney goes in the U18 100mH where Multi-eventer Shirin Irvine (16) looks favourite after her 14.19 in the BUCS Trials at Loughborough last month while Yasmin Miller is down for the U20 event.

In the open hurdles, BAL Premiership victor Alex Al-Ameen will hope that the wind is more favourable than at Lea Valley where he was slowed to 13.98 and has Windsor’s Ben Reynolds and Swede Filip Loov to push him. The women’s hurdles race includes Blackheath’s Serita Solomon. All of the hurdlers will be given two races for their entry fee.

Tom Parsons will be looking to improve on his Premiership 2.22m high jump as will normal 18m shot putter Greg Beard, a BIG regular, while the women’s high jump sees Vikki Hubbard take on Isobel Pooley.

The field events are always highlighted here and the men’s javelin has 79.32m thrower Lee Doran challenged by Dan Pembroke. 16m women’s shot putters Sophie McKinna and Rachel Wallander go head to head.

The women’s hammer again has Sarah Holt on duty, while the men’s has the two Hull juniors Callum Brown and Mike Painter, who have both been over 73m, in action.

» Track and field events start at 11am followed by seven hours of continuous action. Spectator prices are £5 for adult and £2.50 for children under 16 and concessions. Family tickets (2+2) are £12.50 and are available on the day. For more information visit www.bedfordgames.net.

This means terrestrial coverage for the first ever Sainsbury’s IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final, which is taking place in Birmingham on June 29, and is set to see Paralympians such as Jonnie Peacock, Hannah Cockroft and David Weir (pictured above) take to the track.

Channel 4 will also broadcast live from the third day of the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium, which takes place on July 26-28.

The broadcaster, who recently secured the rights to televise the Paralympics through to 2016 and will be televising this summer’s IPC World Championships in Lyon, recently won a BAFTA for its coverage of the 2012 Paralympics, with the broadcaster’s coverage of the Games breaking viewing records for Paralympic sport. Coverage reached almost 40 million people – three quarters of the UK population.

“The 2012 Paralympic coverage marked a watershed moment for the sport,” commented commercial director at UKA Sophia Warner. “Channel 4 superbly showcased British Athletics’ Paralympians, and helped create some of the Britain’s biggest and brightest new sports stars.”

Channel 4’s coverage of athletics this summer includes:

» Sainsbury’s IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final – Birmingham, June 29
» Sainsbury’s Para International Challenge – Stratford, July 28
» The IPC Athletics World Championships – Lyon, France, July 19-28

The 19-year-old will take part in the BT Great CityGames in Manchester’s city centre on Saturday – his first race since setting a new Paralympic Games record to win T44 100m gold in the Olympic Stadium last September.

World record-holder Peacock then underwent an operation on a troublesome ankle injury, but is ready to return to the track with his sights set firmly on bettering his best-ever time of 10.85.

Peacock, from Cambridge, is unsure how quickly he will run in Manchester at the weekend, but is targeting making his fastest ever time in the near future.

“I had a big ankle operation after London 2012 so my recovery has been a little bit prolonged from the Games because of that,” he revealed. “I have only been training a few months now and we have done a bit of testing so we can tell roughly tell what kind of shape I am in, but we are not going to know for sure until race day.

“I get really annoyed with myself if I don’t see a PB on the clock. I want to go faster than I have ever gone before, no-one wants to go slower than they have gone so that is the goal – but we don’t know when that will come.

“We don’t know whether that will come at the end of the year, at the beginning of the year, or maybe even not at all this year.

“I have changed my training base and my coach so a lot has changed for me in a year and it is about settling in. This year we are going to look to do things but it is really about next year.”

» World-class athletics returns to Manchester with the BT Great CityGames on Saturday May 25. Olympic and, for the first time, Paralympic champions will compete in the city centre and it’s free to watch. BT has a long history of supporting Paralympic sport and is a partner of the British Paralympic Association all the way to 2016. Jonnie Peacock was speaking to Paul Smith.

A total of 14 Scottish qualifying standards for next year’s Commonwealth Games were achieved by athletes over the past weekend. Although her focus is the 3000m steeplechase, McColgan dipped under the 4:10 required with 4:09.67 in the 1500m at Sunday’s Loughborough International, while team-mates Eilidh Child and Mark Dry were also among those to hit the marks required in the 400m hurdles and hammer throw respectively.

“The standards were set in Scotland at times and distances that were reasonable,” said the 22-year-old, who is set to compete in her first 3000m steeplechase event since last August at Saturday’s adidas Grand Prix in New York.

England’s Athletics’ Commonwealth selection standards caused furore when they were released in March. At the time the national governing body defended what were deemed by many to be overly ambitious marks, explaining how the criteria reflects the ambition of creating a team capable of securing the highest possible number of top‬ eight ‬places.

But McColgan, daughter of former world and Commonwealth 10,000m champion Liz, voiced how to her, the marks seemed ‘unfair’.

“There has been quite a lot of comment about English standards and some of them are out of reach of people and look unfair,” she said.

“In Scotland, we do seem to have set ones that are attainable if people are at a certain level and I do believe that’s the way it should be. Standards should be created in such a way that you can attain them – if you show a level of improvement. There will be gaps in certain parts of it but I still think they are completely fair.”

She used the event in which she is the UK champion as an example. “In the steeplechase, at 10 minutes for the qualification there’s myself, Emily Stewart and Lennie Waite who are well capable of that and, I keep saying this, there could and should be a few more Scottish girls who should feel they can make that time.

“Those on the outskirts of that time have to chase it and that is the same across all the disciplines.”

With 14 months to go until the Games, McColgan believes momentum is building, but is careful to remember that a lot can happen in just over a year. “It is important for everyone to bear in mind that it is only May 2013,” she said. “It is there on the horizon, yes, but there’s a summer season and an indoor season and into 2014 left for those with hopes of qualifying for Team Scotland.”

Having returned from a career-threatening injury to compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games, McColgan now feels ready to reap the benefits of having a full winter of training behind her.

“I think the big difference is I have had a full winter without interruptions,” she said.

“In 2011, I was leading the university life and maybe not fully focused. Then, in 2012, I was basically still rehabbing and coming back from the foot injury I suffered at the back end of the previous season. This time I have done all the hard work and done altitude training and hopefully it will pay off.”

Their mentors were at hand to inform them as to how to gauge the levels of the wind in the stadium, which undoubtedly impacted on performance. This observation re-ignites the thorny issue of athletes who may be said to be “coach-dependent”.

The problem

Although appropriate feedback can be given by the coach to the athlete during competition, there is the danger of what Goldsmith (2012) calls, “over-coaching”. He explains: “Coaching is about creating independent athletes. Over-coaching creates a dependent athlete who relies on the coach for decision-making and problem-solving, which is performance suicide.”

Both track and field athletes can become unhealthily “coach-dependent” prior to competition, but during competition itself this phenomenon is more associated with the throws and jumps disciplines because of the greater window of opportunity for athlete-coach interaction.

Malcolm Fenton, national coach mentor for hammer, discus and shot, was unconditional in offering the following perspective: “I hate to intervene during competition. I want to engender self-sufficiency among my athletes.

“You have to take an historical perspective. Since the relaxing of the rules for competition, the culture of the coach being there for the athlete has changed in the last 20 years or so.”

The allusion to the relaxing of rules allowing closer proximity between athlete and coach in the competitive arena can be counter-productive for the athlete because of a vicious circle of self-perpetuating doubt. It was legendary Green Bay Packers US football coach Willie Wood who so perceptively pointed out: “Confidence is contagious, but so is a lack of confidence!”

The causes

In applying the work of Woods (1998) one can see how a command style of coaching based on one-way instruction can lead to a coach-centred and potentially unhealthy relationship between athlete and coach.

Coaches who refuse to engender a more reciprocal style of relationship with their athlete(s), whereby the athlete to an extent becomes a problem-solver exploring solutions to the demands of event-specific competition, are in danger of unwittingly cultivating an overly dependent athlete.

While the problems may manifest themselves in the heat of competitive battle, it is in the relationship built up in the training context where unhealthy seeds are sown.

The solution

Three lessons Fenton provides us with are:

1. The coach must work on developing an appropriate relationship with the athlete in training, well before competition;
2. Concurrent feedback given by coach to athlete should be process rather than goal-focused;
3. The use of appropriate adapted drills can be a way to engender self- analysis and cognitive shift from goal to process.

It is far easier for coaches to give athletes what Davis et al (2000) term “exteroceptive feedback”, ordinarily underpinned by observation and delivered verbally during training than in competition. There are many factors which both coach and athlete are unable to control during competition, which may somewhat inhibit the coach giving feedback, not least of which may be volume levels caused by crowded stadiums at elite levels of competition.

For Fenton, the key would seem to be coaches facilitating feedback both prior to and in some instances during competition which encourages the athlete to respond to the feedback provided by their own bodies.

Intrinsic feedback tends either to be further subdivided into proprioceptive (conscious) and kinaesthetic (almost reflex) types. While the coach is limited in being able to influence these internal mechanisms, the use of effective questioning prior and in some cases during competition can to a certain extent influence how the athlete responds to what their body is telling them.

During competition coaches can to a greater or lesser extent offer their concurrent feedback. For Fenton, one of the keys to avoiding a coach-dependent athlete is to attempt to engender “knowledge of process” rather than “knowledge of results” feedback during training, well before competition.

He continues: “You have to remember that all athletes are different. I had one athlete for instance who was very goal-driven indeed, even in training. I wanted the training to be more about process and less about the goal. So what I did was to modify the discus throw by means of introducing a skill drill, which meant inevitably that the distance achieved would be some 10-15 metres less than it would in a straightforward unadapted throw. By doing this, the athlete began to focus less on goal and more on process.”

Once again, Fenton is a great believer that work in training is a prerequisite in terms of facilitating a shifting of the athlete from over-reliance on exteroceptive to intrinsic feedback during competition. He offers a further example that, “In the throwing circle in training some of my athletes experience difficulties in their right leg action in the hammer. So I get them to shout out the word ‘right’ at the appropriate point to ensure that they did this. To make sure they vocalised this I often stood up to 100 yards away just to make sure they remembered to shout this. One of my athletes even carried this training technique into the competitive arena once and was heard shouting this!”

The athlete reflecting and using a verbal cue to trigger focus can lead to the athlete “feeling” the movement pattern and then articulating what happened, reinforcing the learning of the movement patterns. If this or other self-reflection processes are repeated enough it is hoped that the athletes will become quasi-autonomous learning individuals, or those with the ability to teach and develop themselves and therefore adapt to the differing competition environments.

Conclusions

This article has acknowledged a problem in our sport of coach dependency on the part of some athletes. Having articulated the reasons why this phenomenon is almost universally felt to be unhealthy, we explored the underlying causes for the manifestation of this undemocratic relationship between athlete and coach.

Using the experiences of one of Britain’s most respected coaches, we then moved on to consider practical solutions which can help to encourage athletes to sustain a high degree of self-sufficiency during competition.

» Dr Matt Long and Jamie French are coach education tutors and regional trainers with UKA

The hammer is not everybody’s favourite event, but Bertram fell in love from an early age. Aged 22, it captured his imagination to such a degree that he built his own hammer and circle. It was a basic work ethic that he would later pass on to his athletes, with Crawley athlete Jones winning the Commonwealth title after training on a home-made circle in a farmer’s field.

Born in Northumberland, Bertram moved to London in 1960, joined the Met Police and visited the Rome Olympics. It was a life-changing moment as he sat mesmerised by the exploits of Soviet Union gold medallist Vasiliy Rudenkov.

Despite being Northumberland and Durham hammer champion in 1962, Bertram realised he was not going to cut it as a world-class thrower himself, so he devoted himself to creating champions. In the Met Police, he rose to the ranks of chief inspector, and he was every bit as thorough with his pursuit of athletics excellence as he travelled the world seeking technical advice from the very best.

Among those he sought out included Karl-Hans Riehm, a giant West German who broke the world record multiple times in the 1970s. Riehm’s coach, Professor Ernst Klement, would soon become Bertram’s mentor. “It cost thousands of pounds,” Bertram told AW in an interview in June 2000. “But it’s been a lot of fun.”

Bertram’s endless journey in the pursuit of hammer excellence also saw him pass by the Athletics Weekly offices in the winter of 1997-98. Back then, not many people dropped into the magazine’s HQ in a small industrial estate on the edge of Peterborough, but Bertram simply wanted to meet the magazine’s staff writer to introduce himself and say hello.

Initially a little bemused by the visit, I quickly warmed to his personality and over the years he became one of the friendliest faces at everything from the English Schools Championships to the international events abroad. He even managed to drag me down to one of his Hammerama meetings in Colindale in north London to watch a day of non-stop throws by senior and junior athletes.

It was a cool and drizzly day in late April and after four or five hours I was starting to yearn for my warm car and evening meal. But Bertram’s enthusiasm was boundless, with his trademark booming voice keeping everyone on their toes – including spectators like myself – if they felt themselves losing concentration.

Among those watching that day were the late Andy Norman and his wife Fatima Whitbread – they were good friends of Bertram’s and, in Norman’s case, a former Met Police colleague. During that period, Bertram’s star athletes were Shaw and Jones, but of course he coached many others during his career such as Peter Vivian and Jason Byrne, to name just a couple.

In recent years, he left his West London Hammer School in good hands and moved up to Scotland. There, not surprisingly, successful hammer throwers soon began to appear at his Border Reivers Hammer Academy. Turning 75 a couple of years ago, he was still going strong but even immense characters like Bertram are not immortal and, after dying last Saturday, his funeral is this Friday at Melrose Parish Church in the Scottish Borders.

Mention the words ‘ball and chain’ to most people and they’ll imagine being shackled at the ankles and miserable as sin. Yet Alan Bertram was never too far away from a ball and chain during his life and it brought him nothing but pleasure and happiness.

» Alan Bertram MBE died last weekend aged 76. See Thursday’s Athletics Weekly for an obituary.

» You can find more from the Oxy meet in our report here

The second meet of the Diamond League series took place in Shanghai on Saturday and saw a number of highly anticipated clashes realised. In the men’s 400m Grenada’s reigning world and Olympic champion Kirani James saw off USA’s LaShawn Merritt to equal the meeting record of 44.02, bettering his own world lead in the process.

While women’s 100m action saw double Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce post a world-leading time of 10.93 to finish ahead of Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare and rival Carmelita Jeter, who hobbled over the finish line clutching her leg for third.

» Catch-up on all the action from Shanghai in our report here

Clayton and Swinburn lead Mountain Running Challenge after first race

Emma Clayton and Nick Swinburn lead the British Athletics Mountain Running Challenge after Race 1 at the Settle Hills Fell event on Sunday.

Clayton had a close race with her Bingley Harriers and Yorkshire team-mate Victoria Wilkinson, finally getting the better of her on the last flat section. Third was Katie Walshaw, also of Yorkshire, giving the county (pictured above) a clear victory in the Inter-Counties team race.

The men’s Inter-Counties title was won by Wegene Tafase of Scotland West from Nick Swinburn (North East) with Swinburn taking maximum points in the Mountain Running Challenge as it is only open to British Athletes.

Third placed Tom Adams led Yorkshire to the team title. In the junior races both under-16 titles went to Lancashire and both under-18 titles to Yorkshire with European Mountain Running Champion Annabel Mason leading the team to victory.

» Find further results from Settle in the May 23 issue of AW and here

Clean sweep for Cambridge at Varsity clash

Cambridge scored a clean sweep in the 139th Oxford v Cambridge Varsity Sports on Saturday, winning men’s and women’s first and second team matches.

Oxford were particularly dominant over 400m, as befits BUCS 4 x 400m medallists, but could not build on that across other events.

To be sure of victory Cambridge’s men had to call on Jon Cook over 1500m, warming up for his first England vest at Loughborough the next day, but their women could afford to rest their BUCS second and third 800m placers, Hanna Tarver and Emily Dudgeon.

National indoor champion Emma Perkins marked her final appearance in the match by duly winning the high jump, although in cool and breezy conditions Gill Howard’s 30-year-old match record of 1.80 just eluded her. She also won the long and triple jumps.

Jon Ridgeon took the opportunity when presenting the trophies, 25 years after his own record breaking appearances in the match, to pay particular tribute to his coach, Bob Smith.

Next year will mark the 150th Anniversary (the missing matches were during the two World Wars) of what is the oldest track and field fixture in the world.

» Click here for full results from the 139th Oxford v Cambridge Varsity clash

Shane and Wootton among those victorious in Solihull

Former UK 1500m champion James Shane narrowly won the 800m in 1:48.93 at the BMC Grand Prix in Solihull on Saturday. Sharing the time was Elliott Slade, who set a PB with the mark, while last year’s English Schools champion, 17-year-old Kyle Langford, won the B race in a PB 1:49.42.

Teenager Charlie Grice won the A 1500m in 3:45.06 while the B race was won by James McMurray in a PB 3:45.65.

Former European Cup winner Charlene Thomas won the 1500m in 4:14.38 as Katrina Wootton won the women’s 5000 in a PB 15:30.82 ahead of Commonwealth Games 1500m medallist Stephanie Twell who ran 15:42.13 for second.

» For further results from Solihull click here

Williams storms to European lead in Loughborough

Rhys Williams ran the fastest 400m hurdles by a European athlete this year to cap an impressive win in the Loughborough International Athletics meeting on Sunday.

Other impressive performances came from double European indoor gold medallist Perri Shakes-Drayton, Eilidh Child, Dina Asher-Smith and Jess Judd.

» Read more from Loughborough in our report which can be found here

Thames Hare and Hounds set a course record at Sutton Park

Thames Hare and Hounds set a course record in winning the M35 eight-stage event by close on three minutes with a superb all round team performance at Saturday’s British Masters Road Relay Championships, while Serpentine won their first ever W35 title.

» For further coverage a results from the British Masters Road Relay Championships click here

“In Moscow, I’ll need to go a bit quicker,” said European champion Williams, who clocked 48.90. “To win a medal, I need to be low 48 seconds.”

The race at the Paula Radcliffe Stadium saw Jack Green, running for England, pull up before the finish.

Green’s withdrawal came on the final bend as Cardiff-based Williams whisked by in the lane inside him. He is not thought to be injured.

Other impressive performances came from double European indoor gold medallist Perri Shakes-Drayton, who clocked her fastest ever outdoor 400m at 50.98.

Eilidh Child ran the fastest 400m hurdles by a British woman this year with 56.34 and will now meet Shakes-Drayton over 200m hurdles at the BT GreatCity Games in Manchester on Saturday.

Junior sprinter Dina Asher-Smith provided a meeting highlight, the 17-year-old clocking 23.14 in the 200m.

Another brilliant British junior Jessica Judd only narrowly missed out in her attempt to go under 2 minutes for 800m with 2:00.71.

“To break the 2 minute barrier would be great,” she said afterwards,” adding, “I think it’s in me this year.”

» Find more in-depth coverage and results in the May 23 issue of AW

Thames Hare and Hounds (pictured above) set a course record in winning the M35 eight-stage event by close on three minutes with a superb all round team performance.

Tipton’s Martin Williams was fastest with a 14:52 on leg one.

In the adjoining M45 race, Gordon Lee was only 10 seconds back on Williams on his opening leg and he was much faster than any other in the age group as his Leicester team won the six-stage event by just under two minutes.

The four-stage M55 race was one of the closest with the first two at the start of the leg finally out of the medals as Dave James, still in the UK all-time top 15 at two miles with his 8:20.28 2 miles 32 years ago, brought Les Croupiers through to victory. And they did that without M60 world record breaker Martin Rees, who ran for his club’s M35 bronze medal-winning team.

Greg Wilson of Telford with 17:09 was the fastest but it’s worth noting that the older Rees ran 15:55 and another M60, Mick Hager, ran 16:27 on duty for Tipton’s M35 team.

Oxford City easily retained the three-stage M65 title with Roy Treadwell the fastest with 18:50.

Serpentine won their first ever W35 title as they took gold in the four-stage event by just 17 seconds with Arena 80 close behind.

Defending champions Telford were third with Clare Martin again the fastest leg with a time of 17:09.

Winchester won their first W45 title and with Lucy Elliott setting off eight seconds back on the third and final leg and her 17:25 gave them an easy win and actually moved her past all the W35s too.

Bingley dominated the W55s with Mary Green’s opening leg of 20:00 proving the fastest, while Barnet and District won the W65 event unchallenged.

» Grab a copy of the May 23 issue of AW for a more in-depth report and full results from Sutton Park 

One such clash was in the men’s 400m where Grenada’s reigning world and Olympic champion Kirani James saw off USA’s LaShawn Merritt to equal the meeting record of 44.02, bettering his own world lead in the process.

In a race that saw Czech sprinter Pavel Maslák and Great Britain’s Conrad Williams both disqualified for a false start, James was a comfortable winner, while it was a decent first 400m of the year for his American rival who finished ahead of Olympic silver medallist Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic.

Fraser-Pryce dominates 100m clash

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce went into Saturday’s 100m clash targeting rival Carmelita Jeter’s personal best time of 10.64, the current meet record set in 2009. Although missing that mark by 0.29, the double Olympic 100m champion’s world-leading time of 10.93 was enough to secure her victory ahead of the world champion who hung on for third place, despite clutching her quad as she approached the line.

The American, who was eventually stretchered off the track, was pipped into third by Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare and unfortunately wasn’t the only casualty of the evening, with some other big names hit by injuries.

World record-holder and two-time Olympic gold medallist Yelena Isinbayeva entered the pole vault competition at the winning height of 4.70m which she cleared on the second attempt, before struggling with what looked like an ankle niggle following the run up to her next vault.

Olympic champion Aries Merritt also came off worse for wear in Shanghai, pulling up at the first barrier in a 110m hurdles race that was won by USA’s Jason Richardson, who finished runner-up to Merritt at London 2012, in 13.23.

Final straight surges see success for Weir and Kiprop

The men’s 200m was always going to be another tough race to call with American Justin Gatlin up against Jamaicans Warren Weir and Jason Young. After a shaky start, Gatlin recovered well to finish behind Weir, who secured full points with 20.18, and ahead of Young, while Wallace Spearmon was another athlete to leave the track injured after jogging home.

A late surge from Kenya’s Beijing 2008 gold medallist Asbel Kiprop provided an exciting finish to the men’s 1500m. After lagging behind leader of the pack Mekonnen Gebremedhin, Kiprop ate up the ground over the final straight to pip the Ethiopian into second on the line to cross in 3:32.39.

Kenya filled the top nine spots in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, with the race won by world junior and youth champion Conseslus Kipruto who set a meeting record with his world-leading time of 8:01.16.

Another world lead was set in the women’s 800m as Francince Niyonsaba of Burundi put on a strong second lap to take the win in 2:00.33 from 2007 world champion Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya.

Genzebe Dibaba took top spot in the women’s 5000m ahead of Ethiopian Olympic champion Meseret Defar, the world indoor 1500m champion crossing in a world-leading time of 14:45.92, while Olympic bronze medallist Zuzana Hajnova of the Czech Republic won the women’s 400m hurdles in a world-leading time of 53.79.

Li Jinzhe victorious for China’s only win of the night

Over in the field and Britain’s Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford leapt 8.08m for third in a competition that saw China’s only win of the night. Li Jinzhe saw off a field containing three Olympic champions with his world-leading 8.34m which also put him ahead of Aleksandr Menkov of Russia. Fellow Brit JJ Jegede missed the cut, as did Athens 2004 gold medallist Dwight Phillips.

Mutaz Barshim made up for just missing the top spot in front of a home crowd in Doha at the first meet of the Diamond League series with his jump of 2.33m in Shanghai. It equalled the meeting record and saw him victorious ahead of Doha winner Bohdan Bondarenko, who managed the same height. Britain’s Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz finished fifth by equalling his season’s best of 2.24m.

Colombia’s Caterine Ibargüen won the women’s triple jump with a world-leading 14.69m, while Germany’s Christina Schwanitz started her season with a win in the women’s shot, throwing a personal best 20.20m to finish ahead of China’s Olympic bronze medallist Gong Lijiao.

Discus action saw Poland’s Piotr Malachowski supreme with 67.34m, while there was word of injury woes for Rutger Smith of the Netherlands and a possible Achilles tear sustained during his final throw. Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott failed to improve on his sixth place finish in Doha, the Trinidadian again having to settle for sixth place in Saturday’s javelin competition which was won by Tero Pitkämäki of Finland thanks to his world-leading meeting-record throw of 87.60m.

Farah starts season in style

Over in the States and Mo Farah got his season off to a winning start on Friday night, putting his speed to good use over the last lap of the 5000m to cross victorious in 13:15.68 at the Oxy High Performance meet in Los Angeles.

In what was his first time of racing over the distance since winning his second gold at London 2012, Farah finished ahead of USA’s Dathan Ritzenheim (13:17.38) and Australian Ben St Lawrence (13:18.81) to start the season the right way, although his time was just outside the World Champs ‘A’ standard.

The men’s 1500m saw Scot Chris O’Hare suffer when a hamstring issue flared up, forcing him to drop out after about 300m. USA’s Nick Symmonds went on to take the win in 3:36.07, while Britain’s Chris Gowell dipped under 3:40 with a PB of 3:39.29 and compatriot David Bishop ran 3:38.72.

US teen Mary Cain continued to impress on Friday night, the 17-year-old finishing 0.02 behind compatriot Katie Mackey in the women’s 1500m to break the US junior record and her own national high school record with 4:04:62.

Over in Atlanta, Michael Bingham ran a UK leading 45.37 for victory over 400m, while fellow Brit Shana Cox ran 51.89 for second behind USA’s Joanna Atkins in the women’s race.

» For full results from Shanghai click here and look out for coverage of the meet in the May 23 issue of AW

It will be the third time the 27-year-old American has competed at the street meeting. On Felix’s first appearance three years ago she produced a world 200m best performance time of 22.55 and 12 months later went even faster, clocking 22.12 in the 200m as well as 16.48 in the 150m.

After her last visit Felix, a supporter of the street racing concept that sees athletes battle it out on an IAAF certified, purpose built track and pop-up athletics arena in the city centre, said: “It’s just fun, and great to see the fans out supporting.

“I just love to be so close to them all, I can’t wait to come back again.”

Olympic gold medallists Greg Rutherford and Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, Paralympic gold medallist Alan Oliveira of Brazil and silver medallist Stef Reid have also already confirmed their attendance at the event, while the 150m will also see the likes of Great Britain’s former world junior gold medallist Jodie Williams in action.

» The event is free to spectate and no tickets are required. For further information visit www.greatcitygames.org

Although on paper Farah ought to dominate, it certainly won’t be a walkover at this stage of the season. Known for rarely facing top opposition outside of championships, he will race the likes of fellow Nike Oregon Project runner Cam Levins and Chris Solinsky, who is returning from injury.

Among others, Matt Centrowitz is competing over the shorter 1500m distance, as are Brits David Bishop, Chris Gowell and Chris O’Hare, while Britain’s Lee Emanuel and Rory Fraser join Farah in the 5000m and Jemma Simpson runs the 1500m.

Also in overseas action is Olympic champion Greg Rutherford who contests the long jump at the Shanghai Diamond League alongside fellow Brit JJ Jegede. Joining them in China is high jumper Robbie Grabarz who will be hoping to improve on his fourth place finish at the Doha Diamond League meet on Friday, Conrad Williams who runs the 400m and Helen Clitheroe who is in 5000m action.

Find a more in-depth preview of Shanghai here which includes a picture gallery of our ones to watch.

There’s plenty of action on home soil this weekend too, with the Loughborough International taking place on Sunday and the BMAF Road Relay Championships and the BMC Grand Prix in Solihull on Saturday.

A line-up including the likes of Perri Shakes-Drayton, Martyn Rooney and Sophie Hitchon has been revealed for Sunday’s meet at the Paula Radcliffe Stadium.

Double European Indoor champion Shakes-Drayton will once again drop the barriers in favour of the 400m flat, while Scotland’s Eilidh Child, who won 400m silver and was a member of the golden GB relay team at the European Indoors alongside Shakes-Drayton, will contest the 400m hurdles.

You can find a more in-depth preview on the Loughborough International here, which includes details of how Jess Judd, who edged closer to the UK junior 800m record with  2:00.37 in Watford on Wednesday, will lead the GB Juniors team.

Over in Solihull and Steph Twell is to head a strong women’s field in the 5000m at the opening fixture of the 2013 British Milers’ Club Grand Prix season.

The 2008 Olympian will be looking to follow up her recent 9:02.14 for 3000m at the BMC meeting in Watford and will be joined by her training partners Emily Pidgeon, Emelia Gorecka, Katrina Wootton and American Jenn Rhines.

The presence of former UK No.1 1500m runner James Shane in the 800m will also be eagerly anticipated especially as he will be up against some of the country’s brightest juniors in Sean Molloy and Jordan Bransberg, while Charlie Grice, Steve Mitchell, Chris Warburton and James Brewer are also in Grand Prix action.

Charlene Thomas heads the line-up for the women’s 1500m, while Irish international Rose-Ann Galligan will be joined by Tara Bird and Rowena Cole in the 800m.

Among the winners at the BMAF Road Relay Championships last year were a consistent Highgate octet in the M35s and Leicester who were clear winners of the M45 race. Highgate will start marginal favourites with Salford and Thames Hare & Hounds potential challengers in the M35 while Bristol & West, Oxford and Telford should be in with a chance of medals in the M45.

The top four in the four-leg M55s last year were all close on the final leg and Oxford, Salford, Wesham and Dulwich return but many eyes will be on Les Croupiers if recent recruit Martin Rees runs for them. The status quo should also remain in the three-leg M65 race with Oxford dominating again last year.

Telford will be expected to retain their four-stage W35 title with last year’s fastest leg-runner Claire Martin competing. Defending champions Dulwich will return in the W45s if 2012 fastest leg-runner Clare Elms has recovered from injury, though Winchester will start favourites if Lucy Elliott runs for them, while Arena 80 should also be a factor.

Wolds Vets won the W55s with ease in 2012, though past champions Dulwich and Les Croupiers could challenge.

» The May 23 issue of AW will include coverage of the Loughborough International, BMAF Road Relay Championships and the BMC Grand Prix in Solihull as well as the Shanghai Diamond League

More than 5,000 runners were unable to cross the Boylston Street finish line when the race was stopped early because of two blasts which exploded near the finish on April 15, with runners around four hours into the race.

“The opportunity to run down Boylston Street and to cross the finish line amid thousands of spectators is a significant part of the entire Boston Marathon experience,” read a statement from BAA executive director Tom Grilk.

“With the opportunity to return and participate in 2014, we look forward to inviting back these athletes and we expect that most will renew their marathon training commitment.

“Boston spectators are known for their impassioned support and unbridled enthusiasm, and they will give these returning athletes some of the loudest cheers at next year’s race. We want to thank our participants for their patience as we continue to work through the details of arranging this accommodation for them, and we ask for continued patience from the running community as we plan the 2014 Boston Marathon next April.”

Details on eligibility can be found in the announcement here, which advises that a 2013 Boston Marathon participant must have been an official entrant who started the race and who reached the half marathon mark in this year’s race on Monday, April 15.

Of the 5633 runners deemed by the BAA to be eligible, 726 are said to have been international entrants.

Click here for more information.

The world record holder and London 2012 200m gold medallist has revealed plans that will see him run a marathon a day from John O’Groats to Land’s End for charity, starting in August.

The 36-year-old hopes to inspire others during the run, which will come a month after the Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium in July.

“I am quite dynamic as an athlete when competing and training,” said Whitehead. “On the track at the moment we have got the Anniversary Games in July as well as the World Championships but I have my own personal challenge in August which is to run Britain.

“It seems a little bit crazy but I will be running 40 marathons in approximately 40 days and that is really to spread the message and the legacy of what I have done in my life as an athlete.

“It is about inspiring people to think more widely about themselves in sport and embrace new ideas.”

Considering the scale of the task he has set himself, Whitehead added: “It is probably the biggest challenge (of my career). A thousand miles is a massive challenge for anybody to cycle never mind to run.

“I think transferring my skills from being a Paralympic gold medallist and world record holder through to running a thousand miles is going to be really tough but with the team around me hopefully we can pull in the same direction to be successful.”

» Richard Whitehead spoke to Paul Smith at the launch of the 2013 Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme which, in partnership with SportsAid, has supported 1,000 of Britain’s most talented developing athletes. As part of Lloyds TSB’s commitment to helping future sports stars prosper, the programme will continue in 2013. Follow future stars at facebook.com/lloydstsblocalheroes.

The 16-event programme will see a number of high-profile clashes, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce vs Carmelita Jeter in the women’s 100m and Kirani James vs LaShawn Merritt in the men’s 400m.

Take a look at the gallery below for our ones to watch at the second meet in this year’s Diamond League series.

Women's 100m

One of the highlights in Shanghai is set to be the women's 100m which will see an Olympic re-match between Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and her US rival Carmelita Jeter.

World 100m champion Jeter finished behind double Olympic 100m champion Fraser-Pryce in London last summer and will be looking for revenge as she competes in Shanghai for the sixth time, having twice broken 11 seconds at the meeting.

Men's 400m

The men’s 400m will see Grenada’s reigning world and Olympic champion Kirani James take on USA’s LaShawn Merritt, who won gold over one lap at Beijing 2008.

London 2012's silver and bronze medallists are also in action - world junior champion Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic and Lalonde Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago will also be looking to get some points in the bag, while Britain’s Conrad Williams has also gained a 400m berth.

Men's long jump

The men’s long jump features three Olympic champions, with Great Britain’s Greg Rutherford hoping to start off his Diamond League season on top after his win in the Olympic Stadium last year.

He meets, among others, Australia’s world and Olympic silver medallist Mitchell Watt, as well as Beijing 2008 champion Irving Saladino of Panama and USA’s Dwight Phillips who won gold at Athens 2004, while fellow Brit JJ Jegede is also in action in China.

Women's 5000m

The women's 5000m will see Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba back in action, the 2012 World Indoor Championships 1500m gold medallist fresh from her third-placed personal best performance over the shorter distance in Doha on Friday.

She will go up against double Olympic 5000m champion Meseret Defar who will be racing the distance for the first time since claiming her second Olympic gold in London last year.

Kenyans Linet Masai and Sylvia Kibet will also be in action, as will Britain's Helen Clitheroe.

Men's high jump

Britain’s Robbie Grabarz and Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim are both in Diamond League action once again and will be looking to improve on their respective fourth and second place finishes in Doha where Ukrainian high jumper Bogdan Bondarenko was the surprise winner when he recorded an equal meeting record of 2.33m.

The pair will face, among others, USA’s world champion Jesse Williams.

Men's 110m hurdles

Competing in the Diamond League for the first time since smashing the world 110m hurdles record in Brussels last season will be Aries Merritt.

The London 2012 Olympic champion will go up against the likes of fellow Americans Jason Richardson, who finished runner-up to Merritt in London, and David Oliver in the final event of the evening.

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Find the full start list for Shanghai along with live results here.

» The BBC are due to cover the event on the red button and website while you can find coverage of the meet in the May 23 issue of AW

Images: Mark Shearman

Davies, who competed at the 2009 and 2011 World Championships as a member of the Australian sprint relay teams, is understood to have “imported tablet supplements to help with training recovery in the belief they were not banned products,” states The Age.

In response to reports of an on-going Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) investigation, Athletics Australia said: “As a signatory to the WADA code, we cannot pre-empt any announcements from ASADA regarding any athlete findings.

“We are therefore simply not in a position to provide comment at this time but will do so at such time as ASADA publicly releases any findings relevant to Athletics.”

As well as competing at the last two World Championships, Davies, who has a 100m PB of 10.23 and a 200m PB of 20.54 both recorded in Perth in 2010, also attended the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, running the 200m and relay.

The field athlete being investigated for missing drug tests is said to have been absent from the location he advised ASADA he could be found at when he was needed for drugs tests.

Other recent news states that former Russian cross country champion Yekaterina Shlyakhova has also received a two-year ban, but her ban comes after she failed a drugs test for a steroid at this year’s national cross country championships.

The reports follow confirmation from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that four-year bans for first doping offences are likely to be brought in at the end of this year, to replace the current two-year bans.

A new edition of the World Anti- Doping Code, which could be approved this November, would see harsher penalties applied from 2015, with the Agency also calling for stricter sanctions for coaches, agents and other support staff who are involved with athletes failing drugs tests.

The 26-year-old, who became one of only three women to have ever retained the 100m title when she successfully defended it at last summer’s Olympic Games, stormed to 200m victory at last Friday’s Doha Diamond League. She will be hoping for more of the same when she takes to the streets of Manchester later this month when she is expected to attack the world 150m best performance down the elevated straight track on Deansgate in the city centre.

Carmelita Jeter achieved that 150m world best mark in September 2011 at the sister Great CityGames event on Tyneside. If successful in her attempt to better Jeter’s 16.50, Fraser-Pryce will add another Jamaican world 150m mark to the one her countryman Usain Bolt achieved when clocking 14.35 in the 2009 men’s race.

But first Fraser-Pryce will clash with Jeter over 100m at the Shanghai Diamond League meet on Saturday, ahead of the 150m dash in Manchester which will also see the likes of Great Britain’s former world junior gold medallist Jodie Williams in action.

The women’s 100m will be a domestic competition featuring Olympians Margaret Adeoye and Anyika Onuora plus fellow British internationals Asha Philip and Laura Turner.

Olympic gold medallists Greg Rutherford and Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, Paralympic gold medallist Alan Oliveira of Brazil and silver medallist Stef Reid have also already confirmed their attendance at the event which will see Paralympic stars compete for the first time. The unique format of the competition will allow spectators to experience the action, which takes place on an IAAF certified purpose built track and pop-up athletics arena in the city centre, for free.

» The event is free to spectate and no tickets are required. For further information visit www.greatcitygames.org

It is not going over the top to describe it as carnage. In fact, I’ve used this word a few times in Athletics Weekly over the winter as UKA has haemorrhaged staff. One of my colleagues even used the word ‘meltdown’ as long ago as September.

It began with Charles van Commenee, the head coach who led the British athletics team into the 2012 Olympics. Since then, the winter has been peppered with resignations and now in the most remarkable twist of all the Dutchman’s successor is quitting after only seven months in the role.

In the same way it broke the exclusive recently about Sir Alex Ferguson leaving Manchester United, the Telegraph was again quickest out the blocks to anticipate the news of Eriksson’s departure.

So far, therefore, the post-Games casualty list looks like this:

» Charles van Commenee – UKA hoped Dutchman would stay on after Olympics, but he stepped down after failing to meet his own high medal targets.

» Peter Eriksson – led the GB disability team into the Paralympics and was then a popular appointment as head coach of the able-bodied squad last autumn.

» Dan Pfaff – coached a number of Olympic hopefuls from Lee Valley in the run-up to the Games, including Greg Rutherford, but now works for the World Athletic Centre in Arizona while still coaching Rutherford.

» Kevin Tyler – UKA’s head of coach development was rumoured to have been a contender for head coach role, so it was a surprise when he left in autumn 2012.

» Derek Evely – head of high performance centre in Loughborough and coach of UK hammer record-holder Sophie Hitchon has since, like others, moved back to Canada.

» Dr Paul Dijkstra – highly-respected chief medical officer has since taken up a job in Qatar.

» Simon Nathan – UKA’s head of operations moved to Athletics Australia a few months ago.

» Ian Stewart – head of endurance and meet director for the showcase televised events, he left UKA in February and has since done work for Great Run series organisers Nova.

» Glenn Kearney – lead nutritionist at UKA in the run-up to London 2012, he left in February to join the Lawn Tennis Association.

» Tommy Yule – the UKA strength and conditioning guru, became GB Weightlifting’s new performance director last month.

The list doesn’t stop there either. UKA’s head of communications and marketing, Claire Furlong, quit just before London 2012 but continued to work for UKA as a consultant. Then there is Richard Wheater, England Athletics’ recent head of coaching, who is leaving his post after standing in for Kevin Tyler over the winter. Also, while he didn’t leave out of choice, Toni Minichiello lost his full-time role at UKA earlier this year despite being named coach of the year after guiding Jess Ennis to Olympic gold.

Then there are sponsors such as Aviva and McCain who enjoyed a great run-up to London 2012 but have since vanished.

Have I missed anybody? Probably. It’s quite some list.

Although, while this wipe-out of staff is huge, it should be added that UKA has been busy recruiting replacements and additions such as coaches Rana Reider and Terrence Mahon, plus psychologist Steve Peters, while new sponsors such as Sainsbury’s are coming on board.

When this thorny topic has been aired in AW over the winter, UKA has been keen to play it down. After one such editorial back in October – when our headline prophetically asked, “Is this meltdown?” – one of UKA’s main (and surviving) staff joked that I needed to cheer up a bit.

When quizzed about it last month, UKA chairman Ed Warner said: “There have been one or two surprises, but we had Peter Eriksson, Neil Black and Paula Dunn ready to slip into the main performance roles.”

On the number who jumped ship, he added: “It was not unusual. Such a turnaround is not much different to what we might have expected.”

Seb Coe also told AW during the winter: “It’s not unusual after a Games. That’s the time when all organisations – national governing bodies included – tend to spend some time [regrouping]. They want to pause and figure out what the next four years looks like.”

All of which is fair enough. But I wonder if these people would have left UKA if the Olympics was being held on British soil next year?

UKA confirmed the news on Wednesday, adding that the 60-year-old had asked to be released from his contract in order to return to Canada to be with his family.

Eriksson, who led the Paralympic programme to third finish on the medal table during the 2012 Paralympic Games before replacing Charles van Commenee as head coach for British Athletics, explained that he was ‘disappointed’ to be making the move, but that personal circumstances require it. He also added that he currently has no plans to take on a role elsewhere.

“Words cannot describe how disappointed I am to take this step,” he said. “There is no bigger job in athletics anywhere in the world. At present I have no plans, but accept that if I am to take any other job in sport it will be a step down.

“Athletics in Great Britain receives the best possible support through the National Lottery, and that, coupled with the performance structure here means it is every coach’s dream to hold this position.

“However no job is more important than family and children, and personal circumstances mean that mine need me to be back in Canada.”

Born and raised in Sweden, Eriksson began his sporting career as a speed skater, competing in the World Championships of that sport in the Seventies before switching his focus to athletics. He attended the 1980 Olympic Games as an apprentice team coach for the Swedish athletics team and two years later began coaching disabled athletes and that soon became his area of expertise.

He moved to Canada in the Eighties and became head coach for track and field athletes in the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association, where one of his most successful charges was multiple Paralympic champion Chantal Petitclerc.

In 2009 Eriksson was hired by UK Athletics as head coach and performance director for the Paralympic programme. As part of that role he has coached a handful of the country’s top disability athletes, including Hannah Cockroft who won two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

He had signed a five-year contract with UKA as head coach, which would have see him through to the 2017 World Championships in London, but he will now continue in his position until just the end of June, leading the GB & NI team to the European Team Championships in Gateshead.

Performance director Neil Black will then oversee head coach duties for the remainder of the summer, leading the GB & NI team at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.

Also describing Eriksson’s move as disappointing, Black said: “This is a big disappointment but it could not have been foreseen six months ago, and Peter has been open with us on the personal challenges he faces.

“Working with Peter we have put together a team of elite coaches leading each of the event groups based at the Institute and they will able to help me cover the head coach duties for the summer with minimal disruption. But for now we are looking forward to a strong team performance in Gateshead and I look forward to working alongside Peter towards this goal.”

UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos added: “This is very much about the human face of performance sport, it is easy to talk about what it means for us but this is a personal issue and whilst we would love for him to stay, we can only be supportive and wish him the best.

“He did a superb job as the Paralympic Head Coach, having joined us four years ago and built a strong team around him. The signs were there that he could make the same impact on our Olympic programme, and I know that he will want to sign off with a successful team performance in Gateshead next month.

“Neil Black will ensure stability for the ongoing programme, and we will review the structure at the end of the season, but what is most important right now is we continue to focus on Moscow and the job in hand.”

His half-marathon in Bath in March is quicker than anyone over the age of 46 has achieved in the UK this year. On the age-grading scale, it is 102.3% and worth the same as a 57:52 half by a 25-year-old. But what does it take to still be producing such incredible times at 40 years older than many of the world’s best and has he had to adapt his training as he has grown older?

Rees currently covers around 70 miles a week in training, including one long run of 14 to 16 miles plus two hard sessions, which usually include 5x90sec and 5x45sec at almost flat-out with 1min recovery and 6x3min at 5:10/5:15 per mile pace with 3min recovery or 8-10×2 min at 5:00 per mile with 2min recovery. He also does 4×1 mile at 5:20/5:25 per mile.

Rees says: “I’ll mix and match those with a tempo or pyramid session and use the rest of the week as recovery runs.” Clearly, those sessions would embarrass many good club runners 30-40 years younger. He adds: “I picked up those sessions from one of the old Cliff Temple manuals many years ago and have more or less used these sessions since then. I read once that Paula Radcliffe always liked to include 6x3min in her training schedule throughout the year. I’m training the same now as when I was in my forties.”

The Welshman says: “I started running in 1990 at the age of 37 when a mate of mine I used to run with at school 20 years previously asked me if l’d like to run with him in a local 10km at Cornelly in South Wales. It took him two months to persuade me to run and I reluctantly went along after hardly any training and we both ran 44 minutes.

“We both really enjoyed the run and then we started limited training going out for runs of 30 minutes about four times a week. It was another mate at work, who ran for Neath Harriers, who saw we were interested in running and asked us if we would like to come along and join in with them.”

From then on they started doing longer runs at the club and after a while began doing some harder sessions on a Tuesday evening. This was something completely foreign to them, running at a much faster pace and as Rees adds: “I was always at the back end of the group in the first couple of weeks, but I enjoyed it and within six months I had slowly progressed to move my way to the front of the group. After about 12-18 months I became their quickest runner and held all the club records!”

The man from Port Talbot started off by gaining advice on training and racing from the coaches at Neath, but he quickly realised that he had the potential to become really good and a local hero of his, Shaun Tobin, who was captain of Swansea Harriers, asked him if he’d like to go along and do some sessions with them while still remaining a Neath member.

He says: “I went along and was amazed by the difference in speed in their sessions. The coach there was George Edwards and over the years he gave me loads of advice. The runners that were with Swansea at the time included the fantastic pair of Ian Hamer and Nigel Adams and included so many other brilliant runners.

“My training developed greatly and I raced on average two to three times a month. There seemed to be many more distance races around then, like the Woking 10, Erewash 10 and Barnsley 10km. I remember the latter when Jon Brown ran 28:05 on a very hard course and that amazed me.”

Rees rates three races that he did in 1996 as special to him. He says: “I was probably running at my absolute best and I was running around 30:20 for all the 10km races that I ran in. There were so many runners around who were knocking out the same times.

“However, I did 14:20 over 5000m on the track at Watford in the British League and I remember being on the start-line looking around and at the likes of Paul Larkins, Dave Heath and Wayne Oxborough. They were blokes I’d only read about in AW and I was thinking, ‘I’m in trouble here!’ I hung on though, and came away with what I thought was a great time. I also ran 49:23 at the Woking 10 and 65:37 in the Bristol Half-marathon and those races were stand-out performances for me.”

Speaking of future goals, he says: “Fitness and injuries prevailing, my goals for this year are simple. I would like to have a go at all of the records from 1500m upwards, culminating with running the vets cross-country international in north Wales in November.”

After recent retirement from the Port Talbot steelworks where he worked for 33 years, he hopes to have time to train better, but points out: “I may not get much quicker now as nature will dictate that, but it will be a luxury to do sessions without working 12-hour night shifts. My training is done on an eight-day cycle, so I have a day off every week and make sure my recovery runs are fairly easy.”

With a glint in his eyes, he says: “I see myself competing for as long as possible and particularly if my health and fitness allow me to do so. I know you can’t defy nature, but my big objective is to limit the damage done by the advancing years for as long as possible!”

RECENT TRAINING WEEK AT 60

» Monday: 8 miles easy.
» Tuesday: Fartlek: 2x4min at 5:20/mile; 2x3min at 5:10/mile; 2x2min at 5:00/mile; 2x1min at 100% (2min recovery between efforts).
» Wednesday: (am) 40min recovery run (6:30-7:00/mile). (pm) 30min recovery run (6:30-7:00/mile).
» Thursday: 8 miles easy (6:30-7:00/mile).
» Friday: Tempo: 8 miles at approximately 5:50/mile (hilly).
» Saturday: (am) 40min recovery run (6:30-7:00/mile). (pm) 30min recovery run (6:30-7:00/mile).
» Sunday: 17 miles steady (6:00-6:30/mile).

» The above sessions are specific to the individual athlete and may not be suitable for other athletes

The 2008 Olympic 400m champion followed up her best-ever season-opener in Kingston earlier this month with third place at Friday’s IAAF Diamond League meet in Doha and will be hoping for the chance to demonstrate more of the same by securing her selection for Gateshead on June 22-23.

“Although this is essentially a team competition, it’s no different from any other once you’re out there on the track,” commented Ohuruogu. “You have to bring your ‘A’ game to succeed as there are plenty of girls wanting to win.

“I’m looking forward to the event and the whole season and trying compete even better than last year.”

Almost 20,000 tickets have been sold so far, with less than 2,000 tickets remaining for each day of the event which will see Great Britain look to make the most of the home advantage at the venue where Britain won the trophy for the first time 24 years ago, when the competition was known as the European Cup and featured separate men’s and women’s competitions.

UKA performance director Neil Black outlined the importance of the event, saying: “The event is being given the highest priority and we will be selecting the best possible team to try and win the two-day competition.

“I know the support from the local people will be fantastic and hopefully that will spur the team on to take the trophy.

“We will be looking for those who didn’t quite hit the highs at the Olympics to come through here – people like Shara Proctor, Tiffany Porter and Holly Bleasdale.”

UKA chief executive Niels de Vos added: “The last time the competition was here we won it and that is our intention again. We’ll pick the team early June and it will be selected to win and place athletes as high as possible – every point is vital.

“Hopefully, this will be the first full house at this competition and it can generate an electric atmosphere.”

Find more information on the event and tickets at www.gateshead2013.com.

Double European Indoor champion Shakes-Drayton will once again drop the barriers in favour of the 400m flat, while Scotland’s Eilidh Child, who won 400m silver and was a member of the golden GB relay team at the European Indoors alongside Shakes-Drayton, will contest the 400m hurdles.

Also in 400m action is Rooney and Nigel Levine, while Hitchon will compete in the hammer as Katarina Johnson-Thompson takes on both the high jump and the 100m hurdles.

Now in its 55th year, the historic Loughborough International Athletics match will see the Loughborough past and present squad go up against representative teams from England, Wales, GB Juniors, Scotland and a British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Select team.

Also among those confirmed to appear are Mark Dry (hammer), Jack Green, Rhys Williams and Niall Flannery (400m hurdles), Christian Malcolm (200m), Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Craig Pickering (100m), Anyika Onuora (200m) and Lisa Dobriskey (1500m).

The GB Juniors team will be led by world junior silver medallist Jess Judd, who will be joined in the middle distance events by Matthew Fayers. The sprints will see world junior finalists Sophie Papps (100m) and Dina Asher-Smith (200m) while Jazmin Sawyers and Morgan Lake will both be in action in the field, contesting the long jump and high jump respectively.

The meet starts at 11.30am, with the last event at 6.04pm. Tickets are available for £8 (£5 students/concessions) and you can find more information here.

Following two world record-breaking performances from Aled Davies and Hannah Cockroft just a week before, Nicholls (pictured with Cockroft above) shaved four seconds off Deborah Brennan’s 10-year-old mark by crossing the line in 4:12.56.

“It is an amazing feeling to break a world record, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” commented Nicholls. “As a distance I have only ever raced once before (in Birmingham), I hope it is a sign of my continuing improvement of form over all my distances and for the future.”

Also competing in Italy, double Paralympic champion Cockroft continued her fine form by clocking the fastest times in the 100m (18.16), 200m (31.86), 400m (62.49) and 800m (2:04.49), while David Weir’s training partner Jamie Carter also secured numerous victories with success in T33/34 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m.

Over in Holland and London 2012 Paralympic champion Aled Davies followed up his record-breaking performance at the BUCS Championships last weekend by winning both the F42 discus (45.73m) and the shot put (14.07m).

Lewis Hamilton raced on to the front cover of Athletics Weekly in 2008 after revealing how important running was – and since then AW has published details on how fellow Formula One driver Jenson Button has also showed impressive athletics ability.

Button smashed the three hours mark for the marathon back in December when he clocked 2:58:34 on the slow Honolulu course in Hawaii and went on to prove it was no fluke in Cannes in February when he clocked 79:07 for a half-marathon.

The McLaren driver and 2009 world champion is already well known in fitness circles for his exploits in triathlon – as he has completed several races in impressive fashion. But his ability as a runner is also above average. How did he break three hours in Honolulu? Button explains: “Training – you’ve got to train hard for it and it’s as much of a mental game as a physical game.”

To the racing driver though, it is also a means to an end and his triathlons and marathons are part of a fitness regime that aims to get him into shape ahead of the F1 season. Aerobic fitness is useful, plus physical strength to deal with the sharp bends and braking during races, while body weight is also crucial to success in the car.

The video below discusses what Button does in preparation for his races, including sprint and endurance training.

Video via lucozade

A simple and accessible ticketing process has been promised for next year’s Commonwealth Games, which will be held from July 23 – August 3, with access to sporting events starting from £15 for adults and half-price concessions available for children – a Commonwealth Games first – and the over-60s.

This ‘simple’ ticketing process will see just two or three price bands for most events, however for athletics, which is scheduled to take place over seven days from July 27, there will be six price categories.

The first phase of ticket sales will run from August 19 to September 16, with online applications as well as a postal application service available. Organisers have advised that it makes no difference whether applications for tickets are made first or last day of the four-week window and that tickets will only be allocated for the events requested, rather than taking the form of a ‘lucky dip’.

With athletes such as Usain Bolt and Jessica Ennis having stated their desire to compete, tickets for the athletics events are expected to be very in demand. For high demand sports and sessions that are oversold – such as the 100m final – an independent and computerised draw will select the successful applications.

A pricing example given by orgainsers is the 100m final where tickets start at £20 and go up to £30, £40, £60, £70 and a top price of £90. A half-price concession ticket of £15 applies to the £30 ticket. In an earlier round of the athletics competition the prices are slightly different, starting at £15 (the entry price for every sport), and increasing to £20, £30 and £40. Half price concessions apply across all these prices.

“We have listened and learnt from previous Commonwealth Games as well as the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” commented Glasgow 2014 chairman Lord Smith of Kelvin. “We’ve also conducted our own research. We’ve thought long and hard about the pricing, the process by which you’ll buy tickets, but also the way we communicate.

“This is a Games for everyone,” he continued. “And by that I mean success not just for the Organising Committee and our partners, but also for the people of Glasgow, Scotland and the Commonwealth.”

Take a look at a video of the highlights below and find a more in-depth report online here, as well as in this week’s AW which is out on Thursday May 16.

Video via the Samsung Diamond League Facebook page

Find online event coverage here and look out for a report in this week’s AW, out May 16.

But the action in Doha was only the beginning, as the weekend also saw Shaftesbury Barnet begin BAL defence in Lee Valley as well as various road races take place.

Shaftesbury Barnet begin BAL defence

At the British Athletics League Premiership on Saturday, Shaftesbury Barnet began the defence of their 2012 league title by sending out a blend of youth and experience to see off an afternoon long challenge from previous champions, Sale Harriers Manchester and Newham & Essex Beagles.

On a blustery afternoon they had wins from 18-year-old Michael Callegari through to 41-year-old British veterans’ record holder Tony Whiteman as they won by more than 50 points.

Also impressive was 2011 World Championships discus finalist Brett Morse who took victory in Lee Valley with a throw of 64.97m. With that throw the Birchfield Harrier bettered the Welsh Athletics’ ‘A’ standard of 60m for the Commonwealth Games, as well as the IAAF World Championships ‘B’ standard. You can find further coverage of the meet here and also in the May 16 issue of AW.

Elsewhere, Cardiff won the opening match of Division 1 at home as Bristol won Division 3 at the same venue. Division 1 action saw Joe Thomas step up to the 1500m to score maximum points for Cardiff with 3:56.72 and Rhys Williams follow up his fast 400m hurdles midweek mark with a win in 50.03, while Liverpool Harrier Michael Bomba threw 68.76m in the hammer.

Blackheath and Bromley Harriers won the opening match of Division 3 at Norman Park, while Bedford & County came out on top in Division 4 in Yeovil.

Pavey and O’Sullivan in road race action

Road race action saw Olympians Jo Pavey and Sonia O’Sullivan (pictured above, 65) take part in the Bupa Great Women’s 10k in Glasgow which saw Kilbarchan AAC’s Elspeth Curran claim victory  in a personal best time of 34:59.

Elspeth, who has also been the first female to cross the line in the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run 10k for the past two years, was followed home by Sarah Benson of Edinburgh AC in 35:11 and Gemma Rankin of Kilbarchan AAC 35:56.

Four-time Olympian Pavey, who is five months pregnant, said: ”Today for me was about fun, not speed and what fun it was! I’m hoping to compete in Glasgow 2014 and then I will go for it.”

Meggan Dawson-Farrell finished first in the wheelchair race, her 37:21 enough to secure top spot ahead of fellow Red Star AC athlete Jane Egan who crossed in 37:54.

At the Sheffield Half Marathon, Blackburn Harrier Ben Fish came out on top to take the win in 66:51, while Wakefield Harrier Julie Briscoe crossed the line in 76:15 for victory in the women’s race.

Over in Leeds and Bingley Harrier Ben Marriott won the men’s race of the Leeds Half Marathon in 73:08 as Lisa Mawer won the women’s race in 84:43. Mohammad Aburezeq (68:07) and Amanda Crook (74:31) came out on top at the Chester Half Marathon - Crook shaving over 12 minutes off her previous personal best to record a new race record for the fastest female finisher, a record which hasn’t been broken since 1985.

“I’m so thrilled that I achieved a new PB today in Chester,” commented Crook. “I have a seven month old baby, and tried to maintain my running throughout my pregnancy, but I didn’t expect to do so well today, I’m absolutely overjoyed. This is only my second ever half marathon distance, and I hope to be back next year to get an even faster time.”

A little further afield and the Volkswagen Prague Marathon saw victory for Nicholas Kemboi who crossed the line in 2:08:51 to claim Qatar’s first ever victory in the race’s 19 year history. The women’s race was won by US-based Kenyan star Caroline Rotich in 2:27:00.

“I started to believe I was going to win eight kilometers before reaching the finish line,” commented Kemboi. “I was on my own with my rivals behind me. But it wasn’t until I passed the finish line that I truly believed it.”

Jodie Williams victorious over 250m in Montgeron

Over in Montgeron and former World Youth and junior champion Jodie Williams secured victory by more than two seconds (30.33) over an unusual distance of 250m in what was her first race of 2013 after an injury ravaged 2012, as Olympic sprinter Anyika Onuora won the 100m in 11.57/-0.5 after a 11.53/1.4 heat at the European Athletics Outdoor Area Permit Meeting.

IAAF Grand Prix action in Belem saw Abigail Irozuru finish third in the long jump with 6.38m/0.4, while in Charlottesville steeplechase prospect Zak Seddon again showed good 1500m speed as he finished 11th in a PB 3:45.47 to again better UKA’s European junior standard of 3:47.00.

» For further coverage and results from this week’s action pick up a copy of the May 16 issue of AW

Her only defeat came when finishing runner-up against girls a year older in the English Schools Championships, but she put that right by bouncing back the following week to take victory in the SIAB Schools’ International.

Coached by Phil Kissi, Katy-Ann is the first ever Herne Hill Harrier to win the under-13 girls’ race at the National, let alone the Inter-Counties and National double. But the talented youngster names her SIAB title on her England debut as her favourite moment this winter, as she enjoyed representing her country and was pleased to take top spot against athletes older than her.

“I would sum this winter up as achieving everything that my coach and I aimed for,” Katy-Ann says matter-of-factly.

In addition to her individual successes, she also led her club to team victory on numerous occasions. She anchored the club’s under-13 girls’ team to Southern road relay and national cross country relay titles and the squad also went on to win the team award in the National.

These achievements make these youngsters the most successful team in Herne Hill’s 124-year history, especially as no young athletes’ team had even won medals at these championships previously.

Katy-Ann only started athletics in July last year. She had participated in a lot of different sports and had always enjoyed running, but was keen to try the sport properly. After a few low-key races, she ran 4:52.01 for 1500m at a Highgate Harriers open, which moved her to second in the UK under-13 rankings for 2012.

“From day one she showed promising signs and my views were confirmed three months later when I watched her run 4:52 on a windy rain sodden evening,” says Kissi.

“I am not surprised by her success this winter, as she has worked hard.”

Having done only a few races on the track, both coach and athlete think they did not really see what Katy-Ann was capable of last summer. That changed in the cross country season, as Katy-Ann won the UK Cross Challenge at Bristol in October and then finished second at Liverpool before winning again in Antrim in January. Now, the tall, long-striding teenager is looking forward to racing on the track in what will be her first year as an under-15.

“I didn’t get much time on the track last summer, so I don’t know what my favourite event is yet, or even whether I prefer cross country or track,” she says. “I want to focus on 800m and 1500m and continue my success into the next cross country season and as I get older.”

Athletics prowess is in Katy-Ann’s genes. Her mum ran internationally over 800m for Nigeria as an under-21, with a best time of 2:05, but she was unable to continue in the sport due to a lack of support. Katy-Ann’s older sister plays netball and her youngster sister is the Surrey under-8 lawn tennis runner-up. Katy-Ann also does a lot of other sports for fun at Ursuline High School in Wimbledon and Kissi is quick to praise his protégée. “Katy-Ann has been a breath of fresh air to coach, doing everything asked of her and not questioning any sessions,” he says.

Inspired by Mo Farah, Emily Chebet and the Dibaba sisters, Katy-Ann plays songs over in her head when she trains, although she admits that her mind just goes blank when she races and she does not know what comes into her head. Whatever she thinks about, it is clearly a winning formula!

» Brooks Sports are delighted to sponsor Young Athlete and are keenly working with Athletics Weekly to showcase some of Britain’s talented youngsters. The young athlete featured each week receives a Podium long sleeve T-shirt, emblazoned with the Brooks and Athletics Weekly logos. Support junior athletics via the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund, see rpmf.org.uk.

» For more performance stats on Katy-Ann visit Power of 10

On a blustery afternoon they had wins from 18-year-old Michael Callegari through to 41-year-old British veterans’ record holder Tony Whiteman as they won by more than 50 points. Shaftesbury only had two “A” string victories to go with 5 “B’s” but they had a better balanced squad compared to Sale’s nine wins and Newham, whose seven “A” and two “Bs” were not backed up in depth.

Perhaps the best performances of the afternoon were from Brett Morse (in the discus) and Alex Al-Ameen (battling a -3.5m/s wind for 13.98 in the high hurdles).

From the first event to the last the meeting was eventful. The “B” string high jump saw three athletes tie for fourth place, even on count-back and, in the final race, the 4x400m, only five clubs finished as Woodford pulled up and Sheffield and Sale were disqualified.

Elsewhere, Cardiff won the opening match of Division 1 at home as Bristol won Division 3 at the same venue. Division 1 action saw Joe Thomas step up to the 1500m to score maximum points for Cardiff with 3:56.72, while Liverpool Harrier Michael Bomba threw 68.76m in the hammer.

Match:
1 Shaftesbury Barnet H 351.33
2 Sale H Manchester 300
3 Newham & Essex Beagles 296.33
4 Enfield & Haringey 291
5 Woodford Green with Essex Ladies 265
6 Birchfield 233.33
7 City of Sheffield 233
8 Herne Hill H 197

» For more in-depth BAL coverage pick up a copy of the May 16 issue of AW

The year is young and world leads were always going to be there for the taking, but fans didn’t have to wait long to witness the first of the evening. The action kicked-off with the women’s discus where Croatian Olympic champion Sandra Perković broke the 15-year-old meeting record with 67.37m on her first throw to take her straight to the top of the world rankings.

Setting the bar high, none of her competitors were able to get close to her opening mark and she further extended her dominance with a final throw of 68.23m to win the competition. A throw of 63.92m from Zinaida Sendriute of Lithuania in the second round was enough to secure her silver, ahead of Germany’s Anna Rüh who finished third with 63.01m.

“I am very happy with the beginning of my season,” commented Perković. “I was out for a month so I was a little nervous. The atmosphere was great. My target now is the world title.”

Reese soars to 13th on world all-time list

Following in Perković’s world-leading meet record-breaking footsteps was fellow London 2012 gold medallist Brittney Reese. Having to contend with some fairly strong winds, the American long jumper didn’t get off to the best of starts. After fouling twice, Reese pulled out a jump of 7.04m to stay in the competition, before soaring to a world-leading 7.25m for a meeting record that also saw her to 13th on the world all-time list.

It was second-placed Blessing Okagbare who started the stronger, the Nigerian jumping a wind-assisted 7.14m (2.2m/s) to take the lead after her second jump to finish ahead of American Janay DeLoach-Soukup with a wind-assisted 7.08m. A jump of 6.82m from Britain’s Shara Proctor secured her sixth place in the competition, along with an ‘A’ qualifier for the Moscow World Championships.

It was also a PB, world lead and meeting record all in one for American Ryan Whiting in the shot as he followed up his win in Kingston on Saturday by throwing 22.28m in the fifth round in Doha to move to 12th on the world all-time list.

A South American record of 21.26m for Argentine Germán Lauro was more than enough to secure him second place, while American Reese Hoffa’s 21.01m to come from his first throw of the competition saw him place third. Double Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland failed to break 20m, finishing down in sixth with 19.96m.

Bondarenko sees off local hero Barshim

In the high jump, Bogdan Bondarenko was the surprise winner as he recorded an equal meeting record of 2.33m. Local hero Mutaz Barshim finished second with 2.30m while Russia’s Aleksandr Shustov was third with 2.27m. Britain’s Robbie Grabarz later admitted he had “a knee to my own face and a split lip” to show for the evening’s efforts, which saw him place fourth with 2.24m. He wasn’t the only casualty, as fellow Brit Samson Oni, who placed 11th with 2.19m, also required medical attention, and tweeted: “I’m hoping I haven’t completely snapped my tendon. If so this is not going to go down well. In hospital getting X-ray.”

Greek pole vaulter Kostadinos Fillippidis clearance of 5.82m saw him secure a world-lead, meeting record and national record mark equal to that of second-placed Malte Mohr from Germany. Mohr’s compatriot Raphael Holzdeppe was third with 5.70m. While in the javelin, Olympic and world junior champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago couldn’t make 80m, finishing sixth with 79.79m. Czech athlete Vítězslav Veselý stepped up to take victory with 85.09m, while Finland’s Tero Pitkämäki (82.18m) was second and Norway’s double Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen third with 81.51m.

Green takes tumble in 400m hurdles

The first event on track saw further disappointment for British 400m hurdler Jack Green who seemed to suffer a similar fate to that of the London 2012 Olympics when he clipped a hurdle and suffered a fall. Following a strong start he pulled up around the top bend and later tweeted: “”Now I have a long flight home to reflect on what went wrong. Joy!”

American Justin Gaymon also took a tumble, while his compatriot Bershawn Jackson also clattered the final hurdle, clearing the way for world-leader Michael Tinsley to capitalise on the error and take victory in 48.92 ahead of Jackson and South Africa’s Cornel Fredericks who crossed in 49.12 and 49.35 respectively.

Women’s hurdles action saw an American one-two-three  as Dawn Harper improved on her own world-leading mark set in Kingston on Saturday to cross the line in 12.60 for victory ahead of Kellie Wells (12.73) and Queen Harrison (12.74), with Britain’s Tiffany Porter recording an identical time for fourth.

Montsho wins 400m clash

With the likes of Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix, world 400m champion Montsho of Botswana and Olympic silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu all contesting the women’s 400m it was always going to be a tough one to call. In the end Montsho put an end to Felix’s winning streak at the meet, crossing the line in a world-leading 49.88 to prevent the three-time London 2012 gold medallist from making it 11 wins out of 11 in Doha. Ohuruogu never really seemed comfortable and held back before powering through on the final straight, however her time of 50.53 was her second-fastest ever mark in a pre-championship meet and certainly seems a signal of things to come.

Speaking afterwards Montsho said: “The fans helped me run this fast, and it’s a great way to start the season. I am confident I can run below 49 seconds and retain my World Championship title in Moscow.”

The women’s 1500m was an exciting affair which saw an expected battle between Sweden’s Abeba Aregawi and her former compatriot, Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba. With the pair level with Kenyan Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon at the bell, Aregawi kicked on the final straight to pull away from a tiring Dibaba who was pipped into third by world junior champion Kipyegon. Aregawi’s 3:56.60 was the first meeting record of the evening recorded on the track, with Kipyegon smashing her 4:03.82 PB by crossing the line in 3:56.98 and Dibaba also breaking the previous meet record with 3:57.54.

Rudisha reigns supreme in 800m

The men’s 800m was another highly anticipated race, with Rudisha going up against the likes of fellow Kenyan Timothy Kitum, the Olympic bronze medallist, and Ethiopian Mohammed Aman, who is the only athlete to have successfully challenged Rudisha over the last couple of seasons.

Looking fairly comfortable throughout, the Olympic champion saved himself for the kick and he had to work hard at the end. He held on to claim victory in a world-leading 1:43.87 ahead of Aman (1:44.21) who very much made his presence felt and proved he means business over the two-lap event. Kenya’s Job Kinyor finished third in 1:44.24 while Britain’s Michael Rimmer achieved the 800m World Championship ‘A’ qualifying standard by clocking1:44.97 for sixth.

A strong final kilometre from Kenyan Lidya Chepkurui in the women’s 3000m steeplechase helped her to a meeting record in a world-leading time of 9:13.75 in what was otherwise a race of quite a sedate pace. Ethiopians Sofia Assefa (9:14.61) and Hiwot Ayalew (9:17.60) followed her home.

Gatlin victorious in 100m as Gebrhiwet dominates 3000m

In the women’s 200m double Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce handled the bend well for a comfortable win in 22.48. Sherone Simpson made it a Jamaican one-two (22.73), with Myriam Soumare of France in third (22.81). While in the men’s shorter sprint event, all three medallists dipped under 10 seconds and despite a slightly untidy race Olympic 100m bronze medallist  Justin Gatlin dipped to take the win in 9.97 ahead of fellow American Michael Rodgers in second and Jamica’s Nesta Carter third, both crossing in 9.99.

The final event on track made sure the evening ended on a high with world junior cross country champion Gebrhiwet sending a warning to Mo Farah as he destroyed the 3000m field with a sub-54 last lap for the tenth world leading performance of the evening. The Ethiopian finished in 7:30.36 ahead of Kenya’s Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa (7:32.01) and fellow Ethiopian Yenew Alamirew (7:32.64).

Triple jump action saw Olympic and world champion Christian Taylor, who recently moved to train under his coach Rana Reider in the UK, leap to victory with 17.25m off a shortened approach. Benjamin Compaoré of France finished second with 17.06m ahead of Russia’s Alexey Fedorov with 16.85m.

» You can find full results from Doha here

Before Mo Farah and Galen Rupp did the one-two in London last August you had to wind the clock back to the Los Angeles Games of 1984 to find the last time African athletes did not finish in the top two medal positions in the 10,000m.

Alberto Salazar – the man who transformed British double Olympic champion Farah and American Olympic silver medallist Rupp from being the best in their countries to genuine world-beaters – has long believed those theories belong in the trash. He feels that, outside of Africa, distance running has suffered as a result of a psychological block against the Ethiopians and Kenyans.

“It’s been a hindrance for sure,” he says. “Since the Eighties, the Africans came on so strong for a lot of different reasons. And not only did the Kenyans and Ethiopians get better, but the rest of the world got worse and as a result, the margin between us just became huge. And people just gave up I think. They just said, ‘The Kenyans, the Ethiopians – they live at altitude, they’re bred at altitude, blah, blah, blah. We can never compete with them’.

“This is what I believe. I believe it’s a numbers game. There are a tremendous number of unbelievably talented great Kenyans trying to become professional runners and with running to school back and forth just as a means of locomotion, they’ve got a tremendous training background behind them before they even got in to competitive running.

“So they’ve got this headstart on you. And now I believe that the only way for Europeans and Americans to compete with them with our much lesser numbers of such talented runners, is that we gotta do everything perfect.”

So that is what he is doing. Salazar’s results with Farah and Rupp have seen him become the most sought-after distance running coach in the world. He knows the weekly mileage that some of Farah and Rupp’s competitors rack up is not sustainable long-term, so is focussed on matching that in different ways.

“Do we have Mo and Galen run 170 miles a week? Of course not – there’s an 80% chance that anyone doing that would get injured.

“So what we try and do is do everything else perfect so that the differences in muscular power, strength and co-ordination that we get with our strength training, allows them to cut that gap in terms of the miles and the crazy workouts.

“Their better biomechanics allows them to pick up seconds, better racing tactics, better finishing speed. That’s how I feel, we’ve just got a couple of diamonds and we’ve got to polish them perfectly to compete against the tons of raw diamonds coming out of Kenya.

“That’s the only way we can make it because we don’t have the pool that they have.”

» This is an extract from a three-page interview with Alberto Salazar in the May 9 issue of AW, which is available here

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The 19-year-old will so far be joined by eight fellow British London 2012 Paralympic medallists at the event in Birmingham, which forms part of the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix, with Hannah Cockroft, Richard Whitehead and David Weir also in action.

More than 140 athletes will compete in 18 events at the final meet of the global IPC Athletics Grand Prix series, which has included competitions in Dubai, Beijing, Sao Paulo, Grosseto, Arizona and Berlin, with the Birmingham event taking place one day before the IAAF Diamond League meeting is held at the same Alexander Stadium.

“This is the first time a Grand Prix series has been hosted, and to have the finale in Birmingham is great for the British athletes taking part,” commented Peacock, who will first compete at Manchester’s GreatCity Games on May 25 in what will be his first race since winning T44 100m gold at London 2012.

The Paralympic champion is also the world-record holder over the shorter sprint distance, but despite his dominance is not willing to take anything for granted and believes the standard of competition in Birmingham will mean the meet is an ideal way to warm-up for Lyon come July.

“The athletes competing have qualified by right to be in Birmingham for the IPC Grand Prix Final at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix, so I’m expecting another close race, just like the Paralympic Games,” he said. “I’m in a very competitive class, but I know on my day, I can beat anyone, so I’m going to go into the race with that mentality.

“It will be the final time I have the opportunity to compete against some of my rivals before the World Championships in Lyon, so it will give me a gauge of where I am, and what I need to do to add gold to the one I picked up in London last year.”

Athletes so far confirmed as competing at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham on June 29

MEN:

T43/44 100m: Jonnie Peacock
T42 200m: Richard Whitehead
T11/12 800m: David Devine
T53/54 1500m: David Weir
F44 (42) Discus: Dan Greaves
F31/32/51 Club Throw: Stephen Miller

WOMEN:

T33/34 200m: Hannah Cockroft
T37 400m: Bethany Woodward, Jenny McLoughlin
T53/54 1500m: Shelly Woods
F42/43/44 Long Jump: Stef Reid

The Olympic silver medallist heads a British contingent including the likes of Shara Proctor, Robbie Grabarz, Jack Green, Michael Rimmer and Tiffany Porter, and although she’ll be going in with a view to seeing off the likes of Olympic 200m champion Allyson Felix and world 400m champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana in the 400m event, the former Olympic champion knows not to get too carried away with what might come from this inaugural meet.

“It’s early season for everyone so I am looking to get out and enjoy a good, competitive race,” comments Ohuruogu.

“Doha is the first race of a long season, and in the end it’s just one race. It’s ideal to get your body going and get the legs turning but there is not really much you can pull out in terms of performance this early in the year.”

With the World Championships in August in her sights, and being known for competing strongly when it counts, Ohuruogu insists she’ll never be complacent. “It is something nice to be aware of my ‘Championship form’,” she says, “but sometimes you run the risk of getting a false sense of security and you end up letting your guard down. So I try not to think about it and I keep working hard”.

Felix is unbeaten in 10 races in Doha and despite adding her golden success in London last summer to her list of achievements, the American says there’s plenty more to come from her yet.

“It feels really great to have the 200 metres gold under my belt, but I feel there’s much more to do,” she explains.

Speaking ahead of Friday’s race, she adds: “It is an early season meeting and it’s like a test, but I like to go up against people in competition, so let’s see”

Also in action in Doha is world 800m record-holder and London 2012 champion David Rudisha who goes into the competition as clear favourite for the two-lap event. The involvement of the likes of fellow Kenyan Timothy Kitum, the Olympic bronze medallist, and Ethiopian Mohammed Aman, who is the only athlete to have successfully challenged Rudisha over the last couple of seasons, means victory in Doha won’t come easy for the pre-race favourite, with British duo Michael Rimmer and Andrew Osagie also lining up.

In the high jump competition Olympic bronze medallist Grabarz will go up against local athlete Mutaz Essa Barshim with whom Grabarz tied bronze with at the London Olympics last summer. They will also face competition in the form of Barshim’s younger brother Muamer, as well as Britain’s Samson Oni and the Russian trio of world silver medallist Aleksey Dmitrik, Aleksandr Shustov and Sergey Mudrov.

In the women’s 200m, double Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is sure to be eyeing the stadium record of 22.35 set by Romania’s Ionela Tirlea-Manolache back in 1999. With a PB of 22.09, it’s certainly a possibility, but the Jamaican will have to see off the likes of compatriot Sherone Simpson and American Charonda Williams, as well as Olympic semi-finalist Margaret Adeoye of Great Britain.

The men’s shorter sprint will see Olympic 100m bronze medallist Justin Gatlin, the experienced Kim Collins of St. Kitts & Nevis and American Michael Rodgers battle it out for the 100m title.

Six of the competitors Brit Tiffany Porter will face in the women’s 100m hurdles are from the United States, and with Lolo Jones, Dawn Harper and Queen Harrison among them it’s sure to be an exciting battle for victory. In the men’s 400m hurdles event, Britain’s Jack Green will face meeting record-holder LJ van Zyl of South Africa as well as London 2012 silver medallist Michael Tinsley of the USA.

Reigning Olympic Champion Brittney Reese will be looking to claim another Qatari victory in the long jump after her first in 2009. British record-holder Shara Proctor is also in long-jump action in Doha, as is Russian Yelena Sokolova, who Reese beat to gold in London, and Olympic bronze medallist Janay DeLoach Soukup.

Clear favourite in the men’s triple jump is Olympic and world champion Christian Taylor, who recently moved to train under his coach Rana Reider in the UK and believes he is ‘mentally stronger’ for having done so, while in the men’s javelin, Olympic and world junior champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago will face Norway’s double Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen.

» You can find the startlists for Doha here. Athletics Weekly will be covering the action via Twitter, as well as online and in next week’s issue, out May 16. Find more detailed information on the 2013 Diamond League schedule, including broadcast coverage, in the May 9 issue of AW.

Usain Bolt may have claimed 100m victory at the Cayman International Invitational on Wednesday, but his time of 10.09 is long way off Tyson Gay’s 9.86 mark set in Kingston on Saturday.

A hamstring injury meant the six-time Olympic champion had to miss running at the Jamaican International Invitational himself, but he insisted he was fully fit ahead of Wednesday’s race and went in with a view to beating Gay’s time.

As well as the time being much slower than he would have liked, questions were also raised on Twitter as to whether Bolt really did win the race.

The time of second-placed fellow Jamaican Kemar Bailey-Cole, who is a training partner of Bolt, was also recorded as 10.09, with people questioning whether it was indeed Bolt that crossed the line first.

Kelly Sotherton tweeted: ”I’m not convinced he really won from the video”, while LetsRun.com ‏tweeted: “@usainbolt only 10.09 in opener. Looked like he got beat to us, but meet organizers gave him the victory,” adding “Usain Bolt nearly beaten in season opener. Only wins after training partner lets up at finish” in a later tweet.

However, AW has received the official photo finish (below) which shows Bolt, running in lane four in a green vest, crossing just ahead of Bailey-Cole.

Other Cayman Invitational action saw Carmelita Jeter break 11 seconds in the women’s 100m to cross the line in a world-leading 10.95, while Lashawn Merritt ran 20.26 over 200m.

Video via great121ful

He says: “This year’s national is the muddiest course I have ever run on. I’m not sure how you can get a course muddier than that. Was there even a blade of grass on it?”

After graduating from St Mary’s College in 2009, he wasn’t sure what direction to take next. Gerrard says: “All I knew was that I wanted my running to keep progressing.” Through British contacts based at the University of New Mexico, a scholarship opportunity was suddenly offered. “It just felt like the right thing to do at the time, and I am so glad I went with it,” he adds.

He didn’t start structured athletics training until he was almost 16 after he ran a road race at the Easter Festival of Running on his homeland and gave a few local athletes a shock. He says: “I never looked back after that. I always knew I was fairly decent at running, but never realised my potential until I won a bronze medal at the English Schools 3000m that same year.”

Gerrard likes to get away to train at altitude as much as possible and he frequently uses Albuquerque for key training blocks. He has also been training in Kenya with the British Athletics squad. His coach, Art Acevedo, is based in Albuquerque and the Manx runner points out: “When I’m in New Mexico he is there every step of the way and he can oversee all of my training which really makes a huge difference to me. When I am not in Albuquerque, he will email and Skype my weekly training and I will get on with it as best I can. There is excellent communication between us at all times.”

Acevedo says: “Keith is incredibly disciplined and has the most drive and determination of anyone I know, but what really separates him from others is his mental toughness and ability to work out of his comfort zone. When it comes down to two runners of equal physical ability, the one who can manage their discomfort or go beyond their pain threshold will be the runner with a definite advantage. I think Keith has that advantage and his ability to tolerate pain is immense.”

Although most of his success has come at cross country, when asked what his favourite surface is, he admits: “Nothing beats flying round a fast 10,000m track race on a perfect night. I’m sure the roads will be something I will come to love too. I like all surfaces.” He deems the NCAA 10,000m final in 2011, where he finished seventh in 28:36, to be one of his best races.

He says: “The field was incredible that year. The three medallists all had season’s bests of sub-27:30. It was run on a boiling hot afternoon in Iowa and was previewed as possibly the best NCAA 10,000m field ever assembled. The other race that stands out is my first English senior national cross- country title last year – that race couldn’t have gone much better.”

Gerrard’s short and medium-term goals are to run faster over 5000m and 10,000m and he emphasises: “I’m not satisfied with my times! As far as championships go, the Commonwealth Games next year are a major target as I’ll be representing the Isle of Man. I’d also like to think I have a future on the roads and the thought of nailing a good marathon really motivates me.”

Gerrard says that no two weeks of training are ever exactly the same, but his coach has certain key sessions which will be repeated as fitness indicators at certain times. They also like to keep some privacy about certain sessions. Workouts and mileage are dictated by a number of factors including time of year, current state of fitness, and any up-coming targets. “Each session is tailored for me, and I’m never just thrown in with whatever a group is doing,” he says.

» The sessions above are specific to the individual athlete and may not be suitable for other athletes. For more performance stats on Keith visit Power of 10.

The Ethiopian, who added victory in the 10,000m at the London 2012 Olympics to her gold-medal winning performances in the 5000m and 10,000m at Beijing 2008, would have been making her debut over 26.2 miles at the Virgin London Marathon in April.

But she had to postpone her move up to the longer distance due to a previous problem with her lower leg re-emerging during training and is now adamant that she will be in good condition to challenge for victory over 10km in Manchester at the end of May.

“It will be an honour to see Dibaba on the start line,” said Peter Riley, Elite Athletes Manager of the Bupa Great Manchester Run. “She’s not just a track athlete and world record holder, but also a former world cross country individual champion on four occasions.

“Her performances on the roads cannot be underestimated either. She’s a solid performer over 5k and 10k distances, and she set the world 15k record in 2009. Last year, on her half marathon debut at the Bupa Great North Run, she won a thriller in a very fast time of 1:07:35.

“Having said that, during her career she’s raced sparingly over 10k on the roads. But the distance is made for her and I am certain she will strongly challenge the course record of 31:07 [Berhane] Adere achieved in 2006.

“Maybe if conditions are perfect we could see a major attack on the stellar UK All-Comers’ record of 30:38, which Paula Radcliffe roared to in 2002. It still remains a tough mark but you cannot rule that out.”

Despite only having a two-mile indoor race under her belt this year, the 27-year-old will be eager to add her name to the list of previous winners, which includes fellow Ethiopians Adere and Worknesh Kidane, as well as Ireland’s Sonia O’Sullivan, Kenyan-born Dutch runner Lornah Kiplagat and Kenyans Vivian Cheruiyot and Linet Masai.

Only British winners Jo Pavey in 2007 and 2008 and Helen Clitheroe in 2011 have broken the African dominance in a field which will total 40,000 runners.

The double Olympic champion, who also won 5000m gold in the Olympic Stadium at the London 2012 Games, will headline an elite field containing the likes of Scott Overall, Amy Whitehead and Steph Twell and will have his sights set on his fifth straight victory at the event.

An ever-present at the 10km central London road race since it started in 2008, Farah will be looking to use the event as an opportunity to assess his form and fitness ahead of the Moscow World Championships in August, where he will aim to retain his 5000m title as well as secure victory in the 10,000m.

The 30-year-old finished third in the inaugural Bupa London 10,000 in 2008 and has dominated the event ever since, winning four in a row and notching up British records in 2009 and 2010 as well as setting the men’s course record of 27:44 three years ago.

Farah will have to see off competition in the form of his former training partner Scott Overall, who finished runner-up behind Farah last year, in London, although Overall was forced to pull out of April’s Virgin London Marathon after 25km with a knee injury.

Amy Whitehead is to lead the women’s field as she makes her London 10,000 debut a month after finishing 13th in the London Marathon where she was the second Briton home behind Susan Partridge.

She will line up alongside Steph Twell, who will also be making her London 10,000 debut. With a 10km road PB of 32:35 she can be considered a real contender for the women’s title.

The London 10,000, which starts and finishes on The Mall and is the third race in the five-event RunBritain Grand Prix series, will also see teams of up to six runners from UK clubs competing for places in the UK 10km championship race, with the cumulative times of the first three finishers counting towards the team prize.

For more information on the Bupa London 10,000, which is organised by the London Marathon team, visit www.london10000.co.uk.

“In 10 years’ time I’d like to be one of the quickest men in the world, if not the quickest.

“If you’re going to think big, think the biggest.”

Rising British sprint talent Adam Gemili talks about his journey into athletics.

Video via TWSfeatures

Although perhaps best known as the man who guided Jonathan Edwards to his world triple jump record and Olympic and world titles, Stanley has also coached UK long jump record-holder Chris Tomlinson (pictured above) and Brazilian Jadel Gregorio, the 2007 world triple jump silver medallist, and Edwards believes Stanley’s appointment is “fantastic news for the sport”.

“I am delighted to hear Peter is the new Strategic Head of Coaching and Development for British Athletics,” said Edwards, who worked with Stanley throughout his career and has held the world record of 18.29m since 1995.

“As a performance coach he has achieved the ultimate with his athletes, and continues to bring the best out of them week in week out. More recently he has thrived as a national coach mentor, helping advise and develop the next generation of coaches.

“His appointment is fantastic news for the sport of athletics, and recognition of his talent and achievements in coaching.”

The North East man, who has worked as a national coach mentor since 2009, takes over a position which will involve managing the coach education and development programme as well as developing a link between coach development and elite performance and he emphasises that his role will be aimed at improving the quality at grassroots.

“Nobody’s born as an international coach,” commented Stanley. “Everybody’s got to work at it just like every athlete has to work at it. They’ve all got different talents and take different times to hone themselves. It’s exactly the same for coaching.”

Stanley’s current crop of athletes includes long jumper JJ Jegede, and triple jumpers Nony Mordi, Yasmine Regis and Nadia Williams, who he hopes to continue looking after.

“I’m absolutely delighted to have been given the role, but I’m under no misapprehensions about the size of the job,” said Stanley. “It covers the whole of the British Isles and it will mean hopefully bringing the home countries closer together. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.

“I want to push forward and accelerate the process of the formal coaching education system, I’d like to get everybody working together and have one team throughout. It’s a long term project; I want to get the sport as healthy as I possibly can with high participation and good retention of both athletes and coaches while creating more highly skilled coaches across Great Britain.”

» Look out for a two-page interview with Peter Stanley in this week’s AW, out Thursday May 9

Niall Flannery (Loughborough, pictured above, right) got the day off to a flying start, winning his fourth BUCS title in as many years in the 400m hurdles.

Supremely confident and sporting different coloured spikes, Flannery had overtaken everyone by 250m, despite being in lane three to come home 50m clear in 50.09. Jack Houghton took silver, with David Dempsey (Newcastle) third in a PB of 51.91.

Flannery also played his part in Loughborough’s relay success. Part of the men’s 4x400m team, Loughborough’s victory in that race rounded off their domination of the relays, also having won the women’s 4x400m as well as both the shorter relays.

The men’s 400m was an equally high-quality affair, with Nottingham Trent’s Michael Warner gaining victory in 46.90. Dan Putnam (Loughborough) had led through 200m, but tied up down the homestraight and had to settle for silver, ahead of teammate Christian Byron.

The men’s 110m hurdles provided plenty of drama in the form of two false starts from Edirin Okoro and pre-race favourite James Gladman. This left the door wide open for someone to step up and so they did. Junior David King (Bath) took his chance and recorded a big PB of 14.30 to take glory, ahead of Ben Kelk (Loughborough) and Onajite Okoro (Herts).

It was left for two Olympians to lead the way in the sprints, with Ireland’s Jessie Barr (UWE) emerging triumphant in the 400m hurdles in 58.03 ahead of Emily Bonnett (Southampton), who claimed silver for the second year in a row and Abigayle Fitzpatrick (Liverpool John Moores), who took bronze. Fellow Olympian Emily Diamond, who was part of the GB 4x400m relay squad in London, showed her class with an easy 200m win in 23.87.

The 800m had been highly anticipated as one of the races of the championship, with Irish European indoor 1500m representative Claire Tarplee (Loughborough) going head to head with world junior 800m finalist Emily Dudgeon (Cambridge). Ultimately, however, Tarplee proved too strong for her rivals, sprinting past the field in the final 100m with ease to come home clear to win her first BUCS medal in 2:07.66.

“I was always confident I could finish fast,” she said. “I have been training in Font Romeu and we got a solid block in there, including lots of hills. I am now targeting the World Student Games later this season and also hope to run in the European Team Championships.”

Brunel’s Melissa Courtney was a popular winner of the 1500m, making it a 2013 indoor and outdoor double. The two pre-race favourites Courtney and Gemma Kersey (Middlesex) established a lead before Kersey made a move at the bell. However, Courtney fought back and showed her strength by sprinting clear in the final 100m.

Emily Stewart was a class apart in the 2000m steeplechase, setting a new CBP of 6:36.60.

Bleaken just outside European Under-20 Champs qualifying time at Millfield

Loren Bleaken went to the BMC Young Athletes’ PB Classic at Millfield School on Monday planning to attack the European Under-20 Championships qualifying time, but it wasn’t to be for the reigning British and English Schools champion, as she finished just outside the 2:06 mark, crossing the line in the women’s 800m ‘A’ race in 2:07.48.

The 17-year-old dipped well under the mark when setting her PB of 2:04.59 at the BMC regional race in Exeter. But as her coach Adrian Clover explained, that mark won’t count as the qualifying period is from January 1 and she had the help of a male pacemaker at Exeter.

You can find full results from the meet here.

Cherono sets course record in women’s race at Belfast Marathon

Elsewhere on Monday and Belfast City Marathon action saw Joel Kipsang Kositany claim victory in the men’s race with the Kenyan crossing the line in 2:19.28, almost six minutes slower than the course record set last year.

Fellow Kenyans James Roitich and Freddy Sittuk claimed second and third spots respectively with 2:19.57 and 2:24.39.

At the other end of the scale there was a course record in the women’s race, as Ukrainian Natalia Lehonkova finished in 2:36.50 to shave more than two minutes off the previous mark.

Kenyan Helen Cherono Kosgei followed her home in 2:37.08, while her compatriot Sarah Kerubo finished third in 2:40.13.

Thomas Frazer of St Malachy’s AC was the top Northern Ireland finisher, crossing the line fourth overall in 2:26.24, while North Down AC’s Julie Balmer was also fourth overall in the women’s race, finishing as first Northern Ireland woman over the line with 3:00:29.

» Athletics Weekly has reported from all three days of the BUCS Championships (May 4-6) with full in-depth coverage in the May 9 issue of AW

Recent research has proven that the way our bodies respond to aerobic training is determined by our genetic make-up – specifically, variations of about 30 different genes. What that means, in short, is that you may well actually have been ‘born to run’.

With a unique, multi-disciplinary training in physiology, metabolism and genomics, Professor Jamie Timmons has been investigating the molecular basis for the highly variable responses observed following standardised exercise training for more than a decade.

Chair of systems biology in Loughborough, the UK’s leading exercise science university, and founder of XRGenomics.com, he is passionate about discovering how our genes impact on our ability to adapt to exercise.

The factors that will influence and impact an individual’s athletic performance are many and not always easily defined. There are always environmental and circumstantial factors that conspire to shape the outcome of any race, as well as, of course, the ability of the athlete and their performance on the day.

When a discussion of the impact of sports science on athletics is presented, it is important to see it within this bigger picture, and to have a clear and grounded perspective on what has been achieved over the decades. It is also rather exciting to speculate what the coming decade will bring!

Timmons says that if we examine the components of scientific influence on athletic performance, there would be two major subdivisions. Firstly, there are technical advances, such as new devices directly utilised during competition, and monitoring technologies that provide accurate and informative feedback to athlete and coach. Secondly, there are the knowledge-based advances, driven by discoveries within the field of the biological sciences, which have helped to maximise the physiological and psychological capacities of the athlete.

One of the most important of these scientific advances was as a result of the breakthrough work of Eric Hultman, who was responsible for discovering the glycogen depletion “wall” in his lab in Stockholm in the 1960s and inventing the Creatine supplementation in the early 1990s. Hultman’s observations reflect the understanding that without adequate fuel, muscle function declines. Staying adequately hydrated, controlling your body temperature and off setting glycogen depletion with glucose drinks, all work off of the basic energy metabolism principals defined by Hultman and exemplified by scientists at Loughborough University over the past decade.

So what more recent findings in the lab are going to be impacting performance and thinking on the track?

Well, the answer is in your genes. Recent research has proven that the way our bodies respond to aerobic training is determined by our genetic make-up – specifically, variations of about 30 different genes. To explain this more fully, each teenage athlete arrives with a “baseline” untrained aerobic fitness capacity, as well as a certain ability to increase this capacity. It is now possible for us to determine how well an individual will respond to aerobic training (in terms of increasing VO2max), by analysing these specific genes.

What we have discovered is that approximately 20 per cent of the population are unable to significantly increase their fitness capacity above their baseline fitness levels. These “low responders” can train as much as they like, but their aerobic fitness levels will not increase much above their baseline level.

The remaining 80 per cent of the population will see a response to aerobic fitness training to some extent, with approximately 15 per cent falling in to the “high responder” category. These high responders will find it relatively easy to increase their aerobic capacity, regardless of whether they start off with a high or low baseline.

But how can we take these laboratory observations of high and low responders and apply it to improvements on the track?

The first thing to state is that, so far, we can only robustly predict how an individual will respond to training aimed at improving aerobic capacity. Predicting gains in lean muscle will take another year or two. But what we do know, that a set of roughly 30 genes determines your VO2max gains from endurance training and perhaps explains why, despite early promise, some junior athletes fail to progress.

While early competitive performances don’t just reflect VO2max or physiological capacities (a good mental ability to compete is also key) – no amount of natural competitive spirit can overcome the laws of physics.

To perform at the highest level of endurance-based sports, you need a big aerobic “engine” as a starter, for one. An elite athlete performing any event that requires a sustained, high power output (in athletic terms I would classify this as any distance over 800m), requires a substantial cardio-respiratory capacity, reflected in a great ability to shift oxygen from the air to the mitochondria in their muscles (VO2max). An elite 10,000m runner, for example, will have a VO2max of higher than 80ml/ kg/min. To reach this level, an individual will need to have both a great baseline capacity (in their mid-teens) and a great capacity to increase their VO2max with years of training.

Generally speaking, you will know if you have good baseline potential. If you are good at running as a relatively untrained youth, then it will be self-evident. But will you be a high responder to years of subsequent training? Until now, there was no way of knowing, but a newly developed, simple DNA test can tell you.

The XRPredict+ DNA test involves filling out a short questionnaire and taking a swab from inside the cheek and sending it off to the lab. The sample is then analysed and the individual’s ability to improve their aerobic capacity through training is ascertained.

But what are the benefits or the dangers of knowing your future in this way? While there are always possible dangers of misinterpretation, if we can predict major physiological characteristics then we should be able to better direct younger athletes towards sporting events that they are most likely to succeed in, rather than taking a best guess during their formative years. Knowing which sport you may be best suited for at the earliest possible stage gives you a longer time to focus on the skills and knowledge required to compete within that discipline.

So should an athlete take the test and could professional sporting organisations use the test in their talent-selection process?

If an individual is involved in a sport that places very high demands on their aerobic system, then my advice would be that, yes, they should take the test. If they turn out to be a low responder and they don’t have the baseline level commensurate with the minimal expectancy for that sport, then they should perhaps choose a new sport, or a different position or role within their sport, which relies less on having a very high aerobic fitness.

An individual or coach may also wish to use the test and subsequent results to inform and shape their training regime. If you are a non-responder for gains in VO2max then it is plausible you may need more recovery periods between training, which could help you achieve some limited training gains. We are still working on proving whether that is the case or not.

In terms of how I see this area of research progressing, things are changing rapidly. The aim is that we will be able to start using these personalised tests to prescribe people different ratios of training and recovery. We will eventually be able to manipulate the exercise responses with nutrition and other permitted factors.

A simple set of baseline diagnostics will tell you when to train, when to rest and when and what to eat to maximise your genetic potential. For the professional athlete, this will seem a rather familiar recipe. However, the plan will eventually be science-fact and not science-fiction driven.

In the end, however, there is no arguing with the fact that how well you “picked” your mum and dad will continue to have a huge bearing on your ability to perform!

» Professor Jamie Timmons is a former Scottish junior international cross-country runner and one of the UK’s leading exercise scientists and a founder of XRGenomics. The XRPredict+ test is available to order at xrgenomics.com for £190

As well as including a preview to some highlights of the summer season and 12 pages of events to help plan your season, the May 2 summer preview special issue of AW features the ‘potential world beaters’ – our pick of the top 10 athletes destined for greatness this summer and beyond. Want to read our 2013 predictions? You can buy our summer preview issue here or download the digital version here, and join us as we get set for the summer.

While we wait to see whether this year’s predictions will come true, we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane to see how we fared in terms of last years predictions. 12 months on, you can judge who had the best crystal ball at the start of the Olympic summer…

Mel Watman, former AW editor, said Christine Ohuruogu (pictured above) was his No.1 tip and “with her celebrated pace judgement and competitive ability she would be tough to dislodge as Olympic champion”.

BBC athletics statistician Mark Butler also predicted Ohuruogu to win the Olympic title but without breaking the UK record.

Peter Matthews, the statistician and TV commentator, tried to look beyond the obvious big names and went for Genzebe Dibaba and Andy Pozzi.

Katharine Merry, the 2000 Olympic 400m medallist, tipped Goldie Sayers for a medal in London.

Jason Henderson, AW’s editor, predicted Martyn Rooney would have a successful 2012 season, while Steve Smythe, AW’s results editor, backed Andy Baddeley to succeed in an open men’s 1500m event, although he added: “He’s a long shot!”

Paul Halford, AW’s deputy editor, went for 400m hurdler Jack Green and Jon Mulkeen, AW’s then web editor, went for sprint hurdler Tiffany Porter.

Ian Hodge, the UKA statistician, had high hopes for the GB women’s 4x100m team, as did the omnipresent athletics fan duo of Jody and Bayo Furlong.

Steve Cram, the BBC commentator, simply predicted that Jamaica would enjoy huge domination at the London Games in both the sprints and the 4x100m relay.

» Grab a copy of the May 2 issue of AW for a full summer preview, including some highlights of the summer, 12 pages of events to help plan your season and a feature on the ‘potential world beaters’ – our pick of the top 10 athletes destined for greatness this summer and beyond

Alex Dunbar was arguably the surprise package of the championships so far. Boasting a 10k road PB of 31:45, it was fair to say that the St Mary’s student entered the race as something of an underdog. Tracked by GB international Ryan McLeod (Loughborough) for most of the race, Dunbar was left to do much of the leading. McLeod overtook Dunbar with four laps to go, but Dunbar was rallied and got himself back in front and stretched out his lead to win his first BUCS title in 30:51.53.

The winner of the women’s 25-lap event also set a PB, with Rhona Auckland (Edinburgh) taking the title in 34:07.61 from Rebecca Moore (Cambridge), who also set a PB of 34:27.85. Loughborough’s Beth Potter was third.

The only other finals on the track were in the shortest discipline. Adeseye Ogunlewe (Essex) took the men’s 100m in 10.41, although the wind reading was slightly over the legal limit at +2.3, with Marilyn Nwawulor (Middlesex) taking the women’s honours in 11.97.

In the field, Nick Cruchley won the pole vault with a 5m clearance, whilst BUCS indoor champion Nathan Fox took victory from Brunel teammate Michael Puplampu in the triple jump (16.13m to 15.77m). St Mary’s Zane Duquemin claimed his second victory of the weekend, having taken the shot title with a CBP on day one, with a 58.82m discus throw to finish nine metres ahead of his nearest rival. Tim Williams (Loughborough) won the hammer with 58.87m.

On the women’s side, Kitan Eleyae (Queen Mary) won the long jump with 6.14m from world junior bronze medallist Jazmin Sawyers (Sheffield), who jumped 6.07m. GB international Myra Perkins (Loughborough) won the hammer with 58.20m.

Several track events are shaping up to feature thrilling head-to-heads in the final on Monday. Last year’s world junior 800m finalist Emily Dudgeon (Cambridge) takes on Ireland’s European Indoor 1500m athlete Claire Tarplee (Loughborough) in the women’s 800m, while 2011 UK number one and world championships 1500m representative James Shane (Anglian Ruskin) returns after missing the whole of last season to go head-to-head with 1:47 800 athlete Guy Learmonth in the 1500m.

Record-breaking Rees runs strong in Bristol

Martin Rees set his third M60 world record of the year with his 32:54 at the Bristol 10k on Sunday.

Taking almost 30 seconds off the previous world best, the Welsh runner added the 10km result to the half marathon and 10-mile world records he has already set in Bath and Lampeter in 2013.

That wasn’t the only record broken in Bristol, as Gemma Steele broke the women’s course record by more than a minute to cross the line in 32:15.

The Charnwood AC runner, who won the RunBritain Grand Prix series in 2011, proved she is well over her injury woes to finish strongly in what is the second RunBritain event of the series, ahead of Selam Abere (32:21) and Katrina Wooton (32:23), who took almost a minute off of her PB.

Dave Webb won the men’s race, adding Sunday’s victory to his first-Brit finish at the Reading Half Marathon in March, the first event in the 2013 RunBritain Grand Prix.

Judd and Jones in action in Pavia

Jess Judd demonstrated a fine start to the season in Italy on Sunday, the young athlete running 4:14.43 over 1500m to secure third place in Pavia behind Italians Margherita Magnani (4:12.35) and Giulia Alessandra Viola (4:12.88).

Hayley Jones was victorious in the women’s 400m, crossing the line in 53.49, with fellow Brits Laura Wake and Meghan Beesley fourth and sixth respectively (53.99 and 55.05). Luke Lennon-Ford took the men’s 400m title in 47.10.

Strong start to season for Ohuruogu

Elsewhere and overnight action saw Christine Ohuruogu record her best-ever season opener with 50.58 in the 400m at the Jamaica International Invitational.

The result is sure to bode well for the London 2012 silver medallist, who finished just behind Jamaica’s Stephanie Ann McPherson who crossed the line in 50.43. Fellow Brit Shana Cox finished sixth in 51.90.

Tyson Gay also got his season off to a great start in Kingston, the American storming to 100m victory in 9.86 (+0.2) ahead of Jamaican Nesta Carter (10.03) and American Darvis Patton (10.07).

In the women’s 100m, Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown ran 11.01 to take the win ahead of Kelly-Ann Baptiste (11.06) of Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaican Carrie Russel crossed in 11.08 for third while American Allyson Felix had to settle for fifth place with 11.13.

Over in Japan and British Olympian Gareth Warburton finished fourth in the 800m in a time of 1:48.11 at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix. He was edged outside the top three by Kenyans Anthony Chemut (1:46.51) and Robert Biwott (1:46.98) and American Tyler Mulder (1:47.22).

In the 100m event Japan’s world junior record-holder Yoshihide Kiryu ran 10.40 for third place, finishing behind American Mike Rodgers (10.19) and Derrick Atkins (10.24).

» Athletics Weekly is reporting from all three days of the BUCS Championships (May 4-6), with full in-depth coverage in the May 9 issue of AW

There can be no disputing that Cardiff Met’s Aled Davies was the standout performer of the day, throwing a F42 world record in the ambulant shot putt with 14.68m.

Determined not to be outshone in the men’s shot competition, St Mary’s Zane Duquemin set a CBP of 18.87m. Duquemin also qualified with the furthest throw in the discus with 54.47m.

Izzy Jeffs also reasserted her dominance this year in the women’s javelin. The Loughborough athlete, who broke the championship record of Goldie Sayers in qualifying during last year’s event held at the Olympic Stadium, retained the title with a determined 53.29m.

The men’s blue riband 100m event looks set to provide a thrilling battle, with James Williams (Leeds) and Tremayne Gilling (Middlesex) the fastest qualifiers with 10.60. BUCS 60m indoor champion Andre Wright looked comfortable winning his heat in 10.70.

In the women’s equivalent, Brunel’s Shanice Harrison was fastest with 11.75. In the women’s 400m, last year’s silver medallist Emma Pullen (Cardiff Met) looked the class act, winning her heat in 56.01, but will likely be pushed by European junior 4x400m relay runner Kirsten McAslan (Bath), who looked equally dominant when winning heat one.

The women’s 800m looks poised to be one of the races of the championships, with Ireland’s European Indoor 1500m runner Claire Tarplee (Loughborough) set to go head to head with last year’s world junior 800m finalist Emily Dudgeon (Cambridge). The 400m hurdles could well be another highlight, with Ireland’s Olympian Jessie Barr (UE) only qualifying as a fastest loser having been overhauled by in-form Emily Bonnett (Southampton) in the closing metres of heat two.

» Athletics Weekly will be reporting from all three days of the BUCS Championships, with full in-depth coverage in the May 9 issue of AW

Back in 2003, Trans World Sport travelled to Sherwood Content in Jamaica to meet up with a 17-year-old Usain Bolt…

Video via TWSfeatures

The event, which this year moved from its traditional venue of Desenzano del Garda, kicks off the IAAF Combined Events Challenge series and saw 2008 Olympic silver medallist Andrei Krauchanka take the men’s decathlon title ahead of Bryant, the Belarusian claiming 8390 ahead of Bryant’s 7985. Not only was it a Multistars meeting record, but was also Krauchanka’s highest score since his silver medal-winning performance at the Beijing Games.

In far from ideal conditions, Bryant improved his decathlon PB by 148 points, which was helped by personal best performances in the 400m, discus, javelin and 1500m along the way.

Tweeting at the end of day one, Bryant said: ”Mixed bag! But over all up on my PB dec. Things are looking good for Gotzis. However need to get my decathlon consistence back, LJ Disaster.”

Moving from 12th to fifth on the UK all-time list, Bryant also became the only British athlete to have thrown further than 70m in the javelin within a decathlon thanks to his PB of 70.44m. However, his points total was an agonising 15 points short of the ‘B’ standard for the World Championships in Moscow and had Bryant jumped just 7cm farther in the long jump, generally one of his stronger events, he’d have broken 8000 points.

Poland’s Pawel Wiesiolek finished behind Bryant with 7727 points following numerous PBs, while fellow Brits Martin Brockman and John Lane failed to finish, Lane pulling out after finishing first and setting a 100m PB of 10.79 in the first event.

Over in the heptathlon competition and GB’s Jo Rowland improved her PB by 257 points to secure second with 5638.

Having finished day one in top spot, The Netherlands’ Anouk Vetter continued to lay down dominant performances to take the title with 5872 points ahead of Rowland.

Vetter’s younger compatriot Nadine Visser finished third with 5577 points.

GB’s Karla Drew started off strongly, setting PBs in the 100m hurdles and 200m, and her eventual 5368 points secured her ninth place, as well as a huge heptathlon PB.

The Turkish athlete, who has already served a two-year doping ban after testing positive at the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2004 as a teenage steeplechaser, could lose her Olympic gold medal as well as face a lifetime ban.

The IAAF also confirmed that Turkey’s European indoor 60m hurdles champion, Nevin Yanit, has also been charged with a doping offence.

Nick Davies, the IAAF’s deputy general secretary, told insidethegames: “The IAAF is now in a position to confirm that both Asli Cakir Alptekin and Nevin Yanit have been charged with anti-doping rule violations by the IAAF.

“Ms Cakir on the basis of abnormal blood values from her biological passport. Ms Yanit on the basis of multiple positive findings following target tests carried out in-competition and out-of-competition by the IAAF.”

In March, AW reported that Cakir Alptekin had tested positive for banned substances. In that report, AW detailed how a blog post from the editor of Athletics Weekly caused furore in 2012 as he debated whether the Turkish dominance of the women’s 1500m at the London 2012 Olympic Games was ‘delight or doubt’ after the Turkish one-two in the event was met with cynical indifference.

British athletes Lisa Dobriskey and Laura Weightman brought up the back of the field in the final of the 1500m at the London Olympics and at the time Dobriskey told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’ll probably get into trouble for saying this but I don’t believe I’m competing on a level playing field.”

If Cakir Alptekin is convicted and stripped of her London medal, her compatriot Gamze Bulut would move up to gold, Bahrain’s Maryam Yusuf Jamal to silver and convicted drug cheat Tatyana Tomashova of Russia would move to bronze medal position.

Pick up a copy of the May 2 issue of AW and you’ll find 12 pages of events to help you plan your season, as well as a feature on the ‘potential world beaters’, our pick of the top 10 athletes destined for greatness this summer and beyond.

To get you nicely warmed up, here’s AW’s five key moments in the coming months for fans of track and field – our ‘highlights of summer’. If you enjoy this, there’s plenty more where that came from – you can buy our summer preview issue here or download the digital version here, and join us as we get set for the summer.

» BT Great CityGames, Manchester – May 25
Get to Deansgate in central Manchester in good time, take your position, and pay nothing – the BT Great CityGames is surely the best value track and field meet of the summer.

In the past, Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay have ripped along the temporary straight and this year’s meeting is already attracting entries such as Olympic champion Greg Rutherford.

More info: www.greatcitygames.org

» European Junior Championships – July 18-21
If you enjoy combining athletics with a holiday and also have a passion for following the next generation of athletics champions, then you could do worse than book a trip to the European Junior Championships in Rieti, Italy.

A strong British team is sure to be at the event, which is a breeding ground for future talent.

More info: www.rieti2013.org

» BMC Oxford’s miles – July 20
This is the 50th anniversary year of the British Milers’ Club and the fourth grand prix meeting of this summer takes place at the spiritual home of the mile – Iffley Road.

The historic track at Oxford University is where Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile and in July the BMC is planning to stage a series of races over the classic distance.

More info: www.britishmilersclub.com

» Bolt returns to London – July 26
Usain Bolt will be the No.1 attraction when he races over 100m on the evening of Friday July 26 in the Olympic Stadium at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games.

Britain’s tax rules have been waived to facilitate the Jamaican competing on these shores and it will be an encore performance following his Olympic victories from 2012. The meeting also features Mo Farah, Jess Ennis, Greg Rutherford and a legion of Olympic champions.

More info: www.britishathletics.org.uk

» World Championships 10,000m final – August 10
On Saturday August 10 at 6.55pm local time in Moscow, Mo Farah will take his place on the start line to try to win the 10,000m title that eluded him in Daegu two years ago.

He goes into the World Championships as double Olympic champion and as the man everyone wants to beat. The 5000m is later in the week, so there will be huge anticipation for the first of his finals in Moscow.

More info: www.mos2013.org

» If you liked this, then you’ll love the May 2 summer preview issue of AW which includes 12 pages of events to help you plan your season, as well as a feature on the ‘potential world beaters’, our pick of the top 10 athletes destined for greatness this summer and beyond. You can buy a copy here.

In his first season he never finished outside of the top three and his rapid improvement helped to keep him motivated for further success. Davies says: “I was ambitious from the start, and to be honest I was only satisfied if I won – I haven’t changed much!”

Coach McKim adds: “Jonny started off by doing just one session a week and this evolved to two on most weeks by the end of his first track season. Last year he was doing 40-45 miles a week and at present this has increased subtly to 45-55.”

The young Reading athlete has increased his conditioning work through drills and body circuits with the realisation that some of his running sessions need to be tough to move on to the next level.

The duo are also much more focused and have such things as objectives, training cycles, training diaries and extensive preparation checklists to help in their thorough preparation so that Davies knows what he has to do on any given day. One of Davies’s short-term goals was selection for the World Cross, which he duly secured with his emphatic win in the under-20 trial race at Cofton Park, after winning the under-17 title the previous year over the same course.

Even though the Olympic Games in Rio are only three years away, Davies is looking to be there and then to go on to the 2020 Games and leave his mark. When asked if he has any role models, Davies is quick to say: “The Rob Squad! They are a group of legends and heroes and of course, my dad! He’s a very determined person when he puts his mind to something and this is what I try to emulate.”

The former world 100m junior champion will be defending his title in the short sprint after returning from training in Florida where he opened up his account with 10.27 and 21.34. Meanwhile, former world junior semi-finalist Deji Tobais will be trying to repeat his 200m win from last year at the event that spans three days from May 4-6.

Emelia Gorecka, the former European junior cross-country champion, is entered for both the 1500m and 5000m, while in the men’s 400m hurdles, Niall Flannery is seeking his fourth straight title and pole vaulter Sally Peake will be hoping to continue her indoor 4.40m form as she heads outdoors.

In the men’s pole vault Nick Cruchley and Mike Devereux will be favourites and also keenly awaited will be the appearance of Jazmin Sawyers, who won the world junior bronze in the long jump last year with 6.67m.

Other female field-eventers in action include 55-metre javelin specialist Isabelle Jeffs, 60-metre hammer throwers Abbi Carter and Myra Perkins and high jumper Emma Perkins.

The men’s javelin includes seven athletes who have thrown over 70 metres, including defending champion Joe Dunderdale, who has gone close to his PB already this year with 73.02m. Triple jumper Michael Puplampu, who won national indoor bronze this winter, should be favourite in his event, while discus thrower Zane Duquemin will be defending his title following a year in which he improved his PB to 63.46m. Aled Davies, the F42/44 Paralympic discus champion, headlines the many disability events on the programme.

Over in the West Country and another big entry is expected for the British Milers’ Club Young Athletes’ PB Classic at Millfield School on bank holiday Monday.

Among the top West runners already entered for the annual BMC opener is Team Bath AC’s Loren Bleaken, with the 17-year-old reigning British and English Schools champion planning to attack the European Under-20 Championships qualifying time of 2:06.

Coach Adrian Clover is working with the BMC to find a pacemaker to help Bleaken, who opened her season with a low-key 56.3 for 400m in the Avon League last weekend “We will do everything we can to try and help Loren get that time and any other girls who want to have a crack at it as well,” said Mike Down, one of the co-organisers from the BMC. “That is what these BMC meetings are all about.”

The meeting kicks off at 5.45pm with 800m races followed by 1500m and 3000m races for all ages.

Also in the West Country, the second event in the six-event runbritain Grand Prix series takes place in the form of the Bristol 10k on Sunday.

Bolt and Blake out, as Campbell-Brown and Felix clash over 100m in Kingston

Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake might be missing Saturday’s Jamaica International Invitational through injuries, but there are some exciting clashes set for the IAAF World Challenge meeting.

Six-time Olympic champion and world record holder Bolt has withdrawn because of slight hamstring strain and said: “I am disappointed to miss the Kingston meet as I love running in front of my home crowd in Jamaica.”

Bolt, who hopes to recover in time to race in the Cayman Invitational on May 8, added “I’m told it is only a Grade 1 strain so hopefully I will be OK soon.”

USA’s Allyson Felix will go up against Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica over 100m, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure will also line-up in the event. US record holder Tyson Gay will race in the men’s event.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will also be racing on home soil as she contests the 200m, while GB’s Christine Ohuruogu will run 400m in what will be her season debut over the individual distance, with Shana Cox also on the startlist. GB’s Andy Turner is also in action on the Caribbean island.

Lennon-Ford and Judd in action in Italy

Also competing overseas will be Luke Lennon-Ford, who is to run 400m in Pavia on Sunday.

Meghan Beesley, Laura Wake and Hayley Jones will all contest the women’s 400m at the meet, while Jess Judd will be in 1500m action.

» AW will be reporting from the BUCS Championships this weekend, look out for coverage online as well as an in-depth report in next week’s AW, out May 9

The 50-year-old, who was also found not guilty of two rape accusations, had denied all charges and claimed he had consensual relationships with two of the athletes he trained after they had turned 16.

The Ipswich Star reported that Judge Goodin told Benson: “Over the years you ruthlessly and repeatedly betrayed the trust of parents and daughters, callously and adroitly exploiting the relationship between you and parents and between you and the child and between the child and parents.”

Such was his success in cross-country circles, the Ipswich Harriers man was part of the GB management set up at the World Cross and also held prominent positions in England teams, plus commercial young athlete summer training camps.

Benson was an official team coach, for example, with UK Athletics at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on home soil in Edinburgh in 2008, although he has been banned from coaching since this case came to light.

Among his numerous coaching successes was Tom Sharland, who was leading European in the junior men’s race at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Dublin. He also coached Kieran Clements to the 2011 English Schools cross country title, although the youngster was working with a new coach in the run-up to his bronze medal-winning performance at the Euro Cross in December last year.

Sporting a ponytail and ear-rings for many years, Benson was a distinctive character and he was also a teacher at Copleston High School, although his offences occurred in his out-of-school athletics life.

The court heard how Benson groomed the teenagers for his “own benefit and sexual gratification” and that he managed to enter the girls’ lives to the extent of spending time at their homes and on holidays.

Det Con Wendy Leah told the Ipswich Star: “The sentencing is a reflection of the serious nature of these offences, in which three young females were subjected to sustained sexual abuse over a long period.

“Stephen Benson was in a privileged position of trust when he committed these offences, and had gained the friendship and trust of his victims and their families, before he abused them in this manner.

“He was carrying out these offences over a period of 20 years, and at separate times, he became a significant part of each of the young victim’s lives.

“The victims involved in this case have been extremely brave in coming forward and re-living these events in order to achieve justice. I hope the verdict passed today provides some level of closure and allows them to continue to recover from these traumatic experiences.”

Serpentine Running Club credits a running boom since the turn of the century for its 2200-strong membership. But it is not all about quantity for the “Serpies”, as there is significant quality among members across a range of areas of the sport.

Top athletes currently are Nick Torry (2:19 in London Marathon 2012), Richard Phillips (Wales international in mountain running), Becky Glover (world-class triathlon age- grouper), Sandra McDougall (third in Surrey cross-country championships this season and first in the Surrey 10km champs 2012), Andrea Clements (first place in the first leg of the national four-stage road relays last year) and Hilary Walker (club president and ultra-distance record-holder).

The club was formed in 1982 after the first London Marathon by a group who wanted to train for the next one. By the early Nineties the club was competing in cross-country, track and field and road running, but it almost folded in the late Nineties. However, aided by an increasing interest in running, combined with the launching of the club’s extensive website, the club enjoyed a revival early in the 21st century.

But that’s not all the Serpies have done to deserve the honour of Club of the Month! Find a two-page feature with the low-down on Serpentine Running Club in the May 2 issue of AW, which is available here.

Pauley, meanwhile, receives the honour of Ambassador of the Month, with the Poole AC coach (pictured right) recognised for his success and love of variety.

Coaching by the motto “variety is the spice of life”, Pauley has enjoyed plenty of success with his athletes. However, not only does Pauley want his athletes to reach their potential, but he also wants them to enjoy their sport and develop lifelong friendships.

Although Pauley enjoyed running at school, he was only persuaded to start competitively in 1981, running with colleagues who were part of Barclays Bank Athletics Club. He joined Poole in 1983 and ran at county level on all surfaces. He achieved many county medals at a time when, he says, “standards were very respectable”.

However, it was in 1988 when the then club coach Paul Whent made the decision to start a junior section that Pauley’s presence really began to be known. He explains: “I took up the offer to support Paul and attendance numbers started to grow. I enjoyed the experience immensely and as my performances plateaued, I devoted more time to coaching and less to competing myself.” From this day on, Pauley has never looked back, remaining involved and taking on increasing responsibilities.

Read more about Pauley’s achievements in the May 2 issue of AW, which is available here.

Every month, we will announce the winners of the Athletics Weekly Club and Club Ambassador awards, which are supported by Ronhill and assisted by Hilly Limited and Ridgeway Textiles. The awards reinforce our joint commitment to grassroots club athletics and will culminate in our annual awards. You can enter here.

Winning clubs receive £150 of Ronhill kit and a trophy, while the chosen ambassador gets £100 of kit and a trophy.

» Read more about what Serpentine Running Club and Mark Pauley have done in order to deserve their awards in the May 2 edition of AW, which is available here or digitally here

Paralympic champions David Weir and Richard Whitehead will also be competing around St James’s Park at an event which will include the UK age- group championships and offer big cash prizes.

Also among the athletes bidding for the first senior titles are James Brewer, Charlie Grice, Rob Mullett, Chris Warburton, Charlene Thomas, Emma Jackson, Lennie Waite and Alison Leonard, while members of the public will vie with club runners from around the country to establish their own personal mile markers.

The Bupa Westminster Mile, organised by the London Marathon in partnership with Westminster City Council, is designed to celebrate the mile as one of the most iconic races in athletics. From the first official world record exactly 100 years ago, to Roger Bannister’s legendary four-minute mile in 1954, it remains special event for runners and fans alike.

“Britain has an amazing heritage in the mile, with Sir Roger Bannister being the first person to run under four minutes and more latterly the 1980s world record holders Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram,” commented London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher.

“We believe that this exciting new event can carry on the great work that London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games did to inspire a generation by providing the competition and an iconic venue to deliver on that commitment.”

Entries close on May 7, visit bupawestminstermile.co.uk for more details.

The 22-year-old clearly has the potential to break a mark that has lasted a span of eight world outdoor championships and believes that, if anything, his new mental strength gained from his moved to the UK earlier this year could mean that mark doesn’t make a ninth when Moscow comes round.

The American moved from the United States to live in the East Midlands town of Loughborough earlier this year to join coach Rana Reider, who took a full-time coaching role with the UKA in 2012.

Taylor was back in the States this weekend competing at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, where he dominated to record a meet record of 17.12m. He had previously admitted that one of the biggest challenges he’s faced since moving to England is the change in climate.

“Obviously weather is the biggest thing,” he said. “I’m used to being in sunny Florida every day and then I come here and it’s snowing in March.

“It’s just different and I think it’s made me mentally stronger to deal with the different elements. I’m trying to make the best of it but it’s definitely been a transition.”

After coming from warm-weather training in South Africa, Taylor has been in Loughborough now since January and although he is still getting used to life in Britain, he is convinced it has been his best winter training by far.

“For sure I’m definitely stronger, faster, better,” he said. “I do believe I’m way further ahead than I was last year. I’m in a group with so many strengths; practicing jumps with British record-holders, then to sprints with three of the quickest in the country, it pushes you to your limit, producing the best in everyone.”

He continued: “I obviously had confidence coming from the World Championships but the Olympics are the pinnacle so having those two behind me back to back literally I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

But he added: “There’s still not that world record by my name, having respect for the man that did it and having respect for that actual jump.”

Looking ahead a few months, Taylor confirmed: “Obviously I’m going to go back for the World Championship. It’s my title to defend now – and that’s pretty cool to say – but I do think I can get the world record.

“If I put little things here and there together and execute, I genuinely believe I have a good chance. Even speaking to Mr Edwards himself I believe he has been on ‘team Taylor’. No one wants to see their record broken but he’s kind of accepted I might have a chance!”

With triple jump competition strong in 2013 with Taylor, Will Claye of the United States, Teddy Tamgho of France and the former world champion from Britain, Phillips Idowu, Taylor believes that chance is made more likely by the fact that he is training with the enemy, as it were.

“Before it was Philips going to competitions and just dominating,” he said. “Not taking anything anyway from the other jumpers but he is on another level. It’s not only going to help me, but help him and that also helps UK athletics as a whole.

“We can do more competitions together which is going to bring our level of competition up. Spectator-wise it’s going to give them more of a show.”

» Christian Taylor spoke to Charlie Gibson. Read a more in-depth interview with Taylor in the April 11 issue of AW, which is available here

Of the 1,200 Lloyds TSB Local Heroes supported since the initiative began in 2008, 45 Local Heroes competed at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Speaking at the launch of the 2013 programme, Paralympic champion Richard Whitehead, a Lloyds TSB ambassador and SportsAid alumnus, commented: “Having been in the position of these young athletes myself, I understand how important it is to have support from family, experienced athletes and partners such as Lloyds TSB.

“The funding and support provided through the Local Heroes programme makes a significant difference to their development.”

The Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme provides young athletes with both financial and practical support. For each year the Local Heroes are on the programme they receive £1,000 towards training costs and are provided with opportunities to learn about becoming an elite athlete. In Scotland, where the programme will operate as the Bank of Scotland Local Heroes, a total of 12 track and field athletes form part of the 82-strong intake for 2013.

Sprinter Kyle Powell, hurdler Niall Flannery and triple jumper Laura Samuel are just three of the track and field athletes to be benefiting this year, and they spoke in the video above about what it means to be a part of the programme.

To find out more about the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme visit www.lloydstsb.com/localheroes or to follow future stars visit www.facebook.com/lloydstsblocalheroes.

Track and field athletes on the 2013 Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme:

Joshua Bain (Throws)
Thomas Bosworth (Middle/Long Distance)
Sean Clare (Throws)
Harry Coppell (Jumps)
Martin Crutchley (Throws)
Niall Flannery (Sprint)
Nathan Fox (Jumps)
Jermaine Hamilton (Sprint)
Jonathan Hay (Middle/Long Distance)
Aisha Naibe-Wey (Sprint)
Isobel Pooley (Jumps)
Kyle Powell (Sprint)
Laura Samuel (Jumps)
Adelle Tracey (Middle/Long Distance)

Track and field athletes on the 2013 Bank of Scotland Local Heroes programme:

Rhona Auckland (Middle/Long Distance)
Meggan Dawson-Farrell (Middle/Long Distance)
Neil Gourley (Middle/Long Distance)
Ross Low (Sprint)
Maria Lyle (Sprint)
Collette Martin (Middle/Long Distance)
Jade Nimmo (Jumps)
Myra Perkins (Throws)
Elizabeth Potter (Middle/Long Distance)
Kimberley Reed (Throws)
David Vernon (Middle/Long Distance)
Kirsty Yates (Throws)

After smashing all of her PBs on the track in 2012 and running for England for cross country, the Hallamshire Harrier is on the right road to emulating the achievements of her father.

Carl Thackery ran 27:59 for 10,000m, 61:04 for the half- marathon and 2:12:37 for the marathon and still holds the Commonwealth records for one hour and 20,000m on the track. Like his daughter, he excelled on all surfaces, placing 20th at the 1987 World Cross and helping GB to team silver, in addition to placing third at the World Half-marathon and 14th in the 1986 European 10,000m on the track.

Although Calli is well aware that she has a long way to go in order to surpass her dad’s achievements, it is clear the father and daughter have a healthy rivalry. “He goes on runs with me occasionally but he still beats me!” she says.

“Maybe one day when I get fitter and he gets older I will finally be able to say I’ve beaten him. I am so proud of what my dad achieved and I hope he has passed on his natural ability to me. I hope one day I can follow in his footsteps and be nearly as good as him, or better still, be better than him!”

Carl is also quick to point out his daughter’s talents. Calli says: “He believes that if I maintain my commitment and dedication and keep working hard, I have the ability to go far.”

Calli has already shown glimpses of her talent, winning silver in the England Athletics under-15 800m in 2007, before repeating this feat indoors at under-17 level in 2009 to go with a bronze at the UK School Games. However, it was in 2012 when she really came into the limelight. The year started with her gaining her first England vest when she ran for her country at a cross country race in Spain. She then won the BUCS indoor 3000m title, before improving all of her personal bests on the track to 2:10.63, 4:21.73 and 9:27.27 respectively.

“It was my dream come true running for England and I loved the experience,” she says. “But I was disappointed to narrowly miss out on GB selection as a junior at the Loughborough International for 3000m.” The ambitious youngster hopes to make up for this by being picked for the European Under-23 Championships this summer.

Calli does a lot of training on her own, but benefits from having started training with Aaron Thomas’s group just over a year ago, as she has significantly increased her mileage. One of her favourite sessions is 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 800, 600, 400, 200 on the track. “I definitely feel like I’ve worked every fibre in my body after I’ve finished,” she says.

It was Calli’s mum, Rachel, who first spotted her daughter’s running ability at a school sports day. She had enjoyed sprints and cross country as a teenager and knew that if Calli had inherited her dad’s genes, she would be a good athlete. After initially joining the Linford Lions group at Don Valley, Calli trained with Bill Broad at Hallamshire Harriers from the age of 12 and she is full of praise for all he has done for her.

“Bill made me believe in myself. Without him I wouldn’t be here today. Sadly when he had a stroke in 2010, I almost packed in athletics as he could no longer coach me, but I stuck at it and went to Aaron,” she explains.

» Brooks Sports are delighted to sponsor Young Athlete and are keenly working with Athletics Weekly to showcase some of Britain’s talented youngsters. The young athlete featured each week receives a Podium long sleeve T-shirt, emblazoned with the Brooks and Athletics Weekly logos. Support junior athletics via the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund, see rpmf.org.uk.

» For more performance stats on Calli visit Power of 10

On Tuesday news that Arzhakova had received a two-year ban for doping broke, with messages of congratulations to Sharp on her promotion to gold spreading across the twittersphere.

But, away at a training camp in San Diego, it was Sharp’s mother Carol who called the athlete at 5am US time to break the news.

“I woke Lynsey up at 5am her time in the United States because I wanted to tell her this myself rather than her hear it elsewhere or see on the internet,” she explained.

“She just broke down in floods of tears. It is nice, yes, but there is a bit of anger there at missing out on place on top of the podium to someone who has now failed drug tests,” she added, echoing the reaction Sharp had herself given on twitter.

“It makes me sick that I was denied the opportunity to do a lap of honour and stand on the top of the podium with my national anthem playing”, she tweeted, having used the hashtags #cleansport and #drugcheatsout in a previous tweet.

Speaking later on to UKA, Sharp added: “My reaction to this news, if confirmed to be true, is a mixture of disappointment, satisfaction and elation. I’m disappointed that yet another athlete has been discovered breaking the rules of the sport in order to beat others and win medals, and I’m disappointed further that this athlete competed in the same event as me.

“However I draw satisfaction from the fact that the system is working, that the athlete in question has been caught and will serve a ban. I am elated that my effort on the track has paid off and that a clean athlete is now European Champion. It’s a happy day for me and a happy day for athletics.”

The Russian athletics federation said that Arzhakova had received a two-year ban for an “abnormal haemoglobin profile in her biological passport”.

The 23-year-old’s ban began on January 29 of this year, with any results from July 12, 2011, to be annulled. This means, as well as being promoted to European 800m gold, Sharp is also set to move up to European under-23 silver.

Scottish Athletics advised that they would be looking to hold a medal ceremony for Sharp, possibly at the governing body’s annual awards dinner in autumn.

“You always feel more than a little sorry for athletes in these circumstances – because the very nature of testing afterwards and retrospective bans means they are denied that wonderful and deserved moment of glory standing on top of the podium,” commented Nigel Holl, chief executive of Scottish Athletics.

He continued: “We would love to be involved in any formal presentation to Lynsey of a gold medal by European Athletics and make that as grand and as fitting an occasion as possible.”

The details of Arzhakova’s ban were announced along with the news that London 2012 discus silver medallist Darya Pishchalnikova has also received a suspension, but for 10 years as she failed a drugs test for the second time.

Re-testing on a sample taken from the Russian athlete in May has come back positive for the anabolic steroid oxandrolone.

The 27-year-old’s results from May 20, 2012, will be annulled, and as a result she is set to lose her Olympic medal from London.

The 23-year-old Russian, whose ban began on January 29, 2013, is to be stripped of all her results from July 12, 2011, meaning she will lose her European title.

This means, as well as being set for promotion to European 800m gold, British runner Lynsey Sharp is also set to move up to European under-23 silver.

Reacting to the news, Sharp tweeted: ”It makes me sick that I was denied the opportunity to do a lap of honour and stand on the top of the podium with my national anthem playing”, using the hashtags #cleansport and #drugcheatsout in a previous tweet.

Reports on Tuesday also confirmed that London 2012 discus silver medallist Darya Pishchalnikova has also received a ban, but for 10 years as she failed a drugs test for the second time.

Re-testing on a sample taken from the Russian athlete in May has come back positive for the anabolic steroid oxandrolone.

The 27-year-old’s results from May 20, 2012, will be annulled, and as a result she is set to lose her Olympic medal from London.

These bans follow the news that Austrian distance runner Susanne Pumper has also received a suspension of eight years for a second doping offence.

Others will of course have been just as busy and some more successful, but very few achieve as Sabrina has on limited training off at most three sessions per week. Only recently has the third session, a run on the hilly avenues of Greenwich Park, been introduced.

It adds to timed track runs and intervals on her local track. It is not a heavy load, yet doesn’t have to be, for Sabrina is supremely fit – she is the current year eight British modern biathlon (swim/run) champion and the Kent 200m freestyle swim champion.

She explains that it was sibling rivalry which first set her on her way. “On one occasion my school held a mini-marathon,” she recalls. “My sister took part and all my friends wanted me to beat her.” Natasha – two years the elder – was then already a member of Cambridge Harriers and not surprisingly came out on top but Sabrina, as she states now, was hooked on the experience.

“For one thing I felt a sense of freedom and knew I had to join the club when old enough,” she continued. She has since emerged as the most successful member of the famous south London club in recent years in terms of medals and recently came out on top in the under-15 Borough Challenge event at the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon, following her previous successes in the under-13 age group. Ironically, though, it was at a race in which Sabrina was outside the first three – the Southern inter-counties in 2010 – that people began to notice her talent.

“It was my biggest race up to that point, and again my sister was running,” she explains. “I finished sixth in the under-13s, she came 20th as an under-15 – so I did get the better of her. Seriously, I was meeting some of the best girls outside of Kent for the first time and knew how important it was to be seen to be successful on the wider stage.”

Sabrina had tangible cross-country success in the pre-Christmas period of the following winter with her victories in the London Schools and London Youth Games, but it was in the second half of 2011-12 that she really made a mark.

Two wins, at the Kent Championships and Kent Schools, were predictable, but the best was yet to come – first in the national at Parliament Hill and a fortnight later a glorious victory in the Inter-Counties. A bronze medal from the English Schools and second place in the SIAB International completed a winter season any athlete would have been proud of.

Coached by Mark Newell, she says one of his assets is how he varies the training between speedwork and distance runs. “Not only that,” adds the teenager, “he attends most of my races and having your coach and family there makes you want to do well.”

Under Newell’s supervision, Sabrina’s track sessions take place at Sutcliffe Park – a venue within jogging distance of her home in Blackheath – where she works out with Alfie and Noah Armitage-Hookes, two of the best young male athletes in Kent, and good friend Megan Marchant.

» Sabrina spoke to Steve Roe. Brooks Sports are delighted to sponsor Young Athlete and are keenly working with Athletics Weekly to showcase some of Britain’s talented youngsters. The young athlete featured each week receives a Podium long sleeve T-shirt, emblazoned with the Brooks and Athletics Weekly logos. Support junior athletics via the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund, see rpmf.org.uk.

Japan’s Yoshihide Kiryu has become the fastest ever 17-year-old over 100m as he equalled the world junior record for the distance (pending ratification) with 10.01 at the Mikio Oda Memorial in Hiroshima.

The time, which was clocked in the heats, matches Darrel Brown’s ten-year-old world junior record and Kiryu went on to run a wind-assisted 10.03 in the final.

Read more on this feat in the IAAF’s report: www.iaaf.org/news/report/kiryu-equals-world-junior-100m-record

Video via funayoimushi

Britain’s golden European Indoor Championships relay quartet of Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, Christine Ohuruogu and Perri Shakes-Drayton finish second in an incredibly tight 4x400m race with the USA at the Penn Relays.

Shakes-Drayton narrowly lost out to Olympic 400m finalist Francena McCorory by just two hundredths of a second on a thrilling anchor leg as she brought the team home in a time of 3:22.58 – the third quickest time ever by GB & NI and the first ever podium finish for a GB & NI team at the event.

Video via McKaylaPerfect10

Lynsey Sharp, Marilyn Okoro, Tara Bird and Jemma Simpson smashed the previous record of 8:19.9 set back in 1992 when they crossed the line in Philadelphia in 8:13.46 for fourth place in a race won by the USA in a time of 8:04.31, which also broke the American record (8:17.91) for the distance.

Shortly afterwards, Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, Christine Ohuruogu and Perri Shakes-Drayton lined up in the women’s 4x400m and demonstrated similar fine form to that that secured them gold in Gothenburg in March.

Shakes-Drayton (pictured above) was narrowly pipped into second by America’s Olympic 400m finalist Francena McCorory on the anchor leg. She crossed the line in 3:22.58, a time that equals Britain’s third-fastest time ever to secure a podium finish for a GB & NI team for the first time at the event.

Men’s 4x100m action saw GB finish fourth behind Jamaica and two USA teams as James Ellington, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Danny Talbot and Andrew Robertson ran 38.99, but that was to be the only result recorded for the GB men at the event, as teams for the distance medley relay and 4x400m failed to complete.

Martyn Rooney took a tumble in the 400m second leg of the distance medley relay, while Michael Bingham also fell in the 4x400m.

Victory for the US women in the 4x800m and 4x400m was just the beginning, as the Americans won four out of the six USA vs The World events, also coming out on top in the men’s 4x100m and 4x400m.

In Des Moines, Drake Relays action saw Cuba’s Yarisley Silva see off London 2012 pole vault Olympic champion Jenn Suhr of USA. Clearing 4.85m, Silva moved up to equal fourth place on the all-time list at an event that saw many world-leading results recorded, including USA’s Jenny Simpson, the 2011 world champion, who returned to form with a world-leading 4:03.35 in the 1500m.

GB’s Steve Lewis finished third in the men’s pole vault event with 5.50m while in a top quality 100m hurdles race Tiffany Porter finished sixth with 12.94.

Over at Stanford and British hammer record holder Sophie Hitchon followed up a throw of 69.67 in Berkeley the day before with a UK-leading throw of 70.53m at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in Stanford. Sarah Holt was second with 67.70m.

Mark Dry also came out on top in Stanford to make it a GB hammer double as he claimed victory in the men’s competition with 73.75m.

In the 10,000m Chris Thompson ran 27:40.81 for fourth, while Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee crossed the line in 28:32.48 to finish second in the ‘B’ 10,000m event.

Zak Seddon’s 8:34.42 for 11th place in the 3000m steeplechase rankings was just over two seconds outside the Moscow ‘B’ standard, but was over half a minute inside the European junior standard, while Luke Caldwell took over 10 seconds off his 5000m PB to finish 15th in 13:29.94, his result well inside the European under-23 standard.

At the IPC Grand Prix in Sao Paulo Paralympic T12 100m silver medallist Libby Clegg won both the 100m and 200m, clocking 12.53 in the 100m and 25.97 in the 200m.

Back on home soil and the Greater Manchester Marathon offered a sense of deja vu as a gritty home defence from Dave Norman saw him pip Andi Jones in the closing stages, as he did in 2012, to take the win, despite his blog post explaining he had missed training earlier in the year due to frostbite.

The Altrincham and District athlete crossed the line in 2:20:19, ahead of Jones in 2:22:29 and Michael Glowacki in 2:26:45, and commented: “It’s a real shock. I didn’t expect to win.

“Andi has a much faster PB than me and I knew he was coming here to try and lower it. Hopefully, I’ll be back to try and make it three out of three next year. But I would like to break my PB of 2:18.34.”

Edinburgh AC’s Issy Menzies finished 22nd overall with 2:42:24, a massive improvement on 2012 winner Rebecca Johnson’s time of 3:05.26. Liz Cocks was second in the women’s race with 2:43.30 with Jocelyn Payne third in 2:45.58.

Jake Harrison of Leicester Tri Club took the win at the Marathon of the North, crossing the line in 2:42:24. Stephen Tilford of Wakefield and District followed him home in 2:45:34 as Paul Attley of Gateshead Harriers finished third in 2:46:09.

First woman home was Jess Riches in 3:20:55, followed by Marie Sly in 3:21:46 and Sarah Black of Hartlepool Burn Road Harriers in 3:22:15.

The inaugural Half Marathon of the North was won by Mark Hood of Sunderland Harriers in 1:11:07, while in the women’s event, Stacey Rogers of Wallsend Harriers was first in 1:22:24.

The Sunderland City 10km event was won by Eritrean Weynay Ghebresilasie of Sunderland Harriers in 32:51 as Aly Dixon of Sunderland Strollers won the women’s event in 36:58.

» For more in-depth results and coverage from this weekend’s action be sure to grab this week’s AW, out Thursday

Although he wasn’t selected on the final day of the NFL draft, the British discus record-holder with 68.24 tweeted “Should be making an announcement shortly,” before confirming that he will be signing with the 49ers, but as an undrafted free agent.

“Proud to announce that I will be signing with the San Francisco @49ers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” tweeted the 21-year-old, with his message provoking both replies of congratulations and also ones of sorrow that he will be departing the world of athletics, at least for the time being.

Speaking after the draft, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is reported to have labelled Okoye an ‘Adonis’.

“He’s just an Adonis,” he said. “Just a great physical specimen of a man. Our Creator created a beautiful man.”

The world No.5 discus thrower from last year surprised the athletics community a few weeks ago when he revealed that he intended to switch from the discus to American football. At that time Okoye said he had attracted interest from five teams, adding that he would like to return to athletics in his late-twenties.

Earlier this month AW published a statement from Okoye’s “very disappointed” coach, John Hillier, who said: “He was on the verge of breaking through, in my opinion, to being the best in the world. I would like what’s in his best interests and I honestly believe it would be in his best interests to stay in the sport.”

With only a couple of years in the sport behind him, Okoye, who reached the Olympic discus final last year, was picked out by the current world record-holder, Jurgen Schult, according to Hillier, as the one who would break his 27-year-old mark of 74.08m.

Following the London 2012 Olympics, Okoye announced that after careful consideration he had chosen athletics over possible careers in rugby and law and that he might aim for Rio 2016.

But he impressed at the Super Regional Combine, despite having never played American football, with a report for CBS Sports labelling the athlete’s stats in a series of tests “eye popping”.

He clocked 4.78 seconds in the 40 yards, 35 inches (88.9cm) in the vertical jump and 125 inches (3.18m) in the broad jump (standing long jump).

Reports claim that Okoye will sign a three-year contract with the 49ers and play in the defensive line.

His coach, Arwyn Davies, says: “It’s taken him three or four years to mature into an athlete capable of handling the amount of training (required for him) to reach international status.

“His training has seen a shift in the workload, more intensity with more frequency. The volume of his runs has also increased and added to this a structured strength and conditioning schedule, mobility and postural control routines and you have a general outline of what he does on a weekly basis.”

Davies thinks Thomas’s breakthrough race was at the Aviva Indoor International in Glasgow last year, a race he won by almost two seconds in 1:47.35.

He said: “Joe was in fantastic shape going into the race. His training had been going to plan and the stopwatch suggested he could not only produce a big performance but take it to the rest of the field on the day. He went on to record 1:46.33 in Stockholm a few weeks later.”

Thomas has a positive outlook and like most athletes he prefers certain aspects of training. He accepts that during the course of a 12-month period, (whether it’s a single or double-periodised year) that there are going to be aspects of training which aren’t as enjoyable as others.

Davies adds: “Joe enjoys racing both indoors and outdoors and he has the necessary attributes to be competitive whoever he is competing against.”

The disappointment of Thomas missing out on Olympic selection was probably felt more by the coach than the athlete, said Davies.

“We tried just about everything we could to get him injury-free and be able to compete after his injury during the semi-final of the World Indoors in Istanbul, but it just wasn’t to be.”

The Welsh duo have a good understanding of what is required to succeed, what is and isn’t acceptable and a mutual respect and recognition of each other’s personalities. Davies emphasises: “We have lots of fun and enjoyment and appreciate one another’s company, which certainly makes life easier!”

The partnership was forged in 2007 when they met at a national junior league event in Derby and they did their first workout on the Monday after that race at a wet and windy Leckwith Stadium. Davies thinks that Thomas has all the attributes to succeed as a middle-distance athlete – fast, strong, explosive and dynamic.

He adds: “He has speed and strength endurance in abundance, his conditioning is very good and the work he completes in the gym is helping make him a more resilient athlete, one who can cope with the physical demands and stresses of his event. Missing out on London 2012 last year has given him an added incentive for Rio in 2016 and he’ll be aged 28 when that comes around so that’s the plan.”

The double Olympic champion will headline the team’s challenge for victory as they look to make the most of the home advantage at the venue where Britain won the trophy for the first time 24 years ago, when the competition was known as the European Cup and featured separate men’s and women’s competitions.

“I am delighted that Mo Farah has made himself available for the European Athletics Team Championships in Gateshead,” commented UK Athletics head coach, Peter Eriksson.

“To be able to field your strongest team is what any head coach would want in order to continue building on our GB team successes.

“To have a double Olympic champion lining up will be great for the team and the home crowd, and I expect Great Britain to be in the mix for the title across a weekend of great athletics action.”

The competition, which takes place over two days on June 22-23 and now combines team scores, is most likely to see 30-year-old Farah compete over 5000m or perhaps the 3000m, with the team going up against opponents from Belarus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Ukraine and Turkey.

Previous editions of the event have seen Germany and Russia crowned champions, while Britain has finished third, second and fourth.

Farah was victorious over 5,000m at the inaugural Team Championships event, as it is now known, in 2009. He followed up his success in Portugal by defending his title a year later in Norway.

Perri Shakes-Drayton is another big name who hopes to feature in the team come June. Despite her recent success over the flat, the 24-year-old dismissed speculation that she might make a sole switch to the flat, confirming her interest in competing in the 400m hurdles at the Gateshead International Stadium.

The initial capacity of the event sold out within just three days, with the additional 600 places taking the total number of entrants to 6,100.

“To sell out in just two minutes is phenomenal,” remarked event director Sara Birkinshaw.

“There is clearly a huge appetite for a marathon in Yorkshire and we’re fulfilling that demand, not only by putting on an event, but having it in such a beautiful location and being able to create a really flat course – which is very attractive to long-distance runners.”

With a course that is said to be flatter than London, New York and Paris, the Yorkshire event, which takes place on October 20, has received entries from runners from across the UK, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, the USA and the Caribbean.

Starting and finishing at the Heslington campus of York University, the marathon route winds through Walmgate Bar, Parliament Street and St Helen’s Square. Landmarks along the route include the Mansion House, the famous Betty’s tearooms and the imposing York Minster. Runners will leave the city walls via the ornate Monk Bar and then journey on around the Vale of York and the villages and towns of North and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

The marathon is organised by a new company under the Jane Tomlinson’s For All Events umbrella – the organisation set up as a fundraising legacy to the late Yorkshire fundraiser and campaigner Jane Tomlinson CBE who raised almost £2m for charity by tackling a series of endurance challenges, despite being diagnosed with incurable cancer.

Although places in the marathon have all now sold out, entries are still open for the James Potter Eggs Yorkshire Marathon Corporate Relay, where teams of six friends or colleagues share the 26.2 mile distance. For more information visit www.theyorkshiremarathon.com.

You can find a map of the marathon route here.

The car manufacturer will support British athletes through the ‘Road to Sochi and Rio’ initiative as they sponsor both the BOA and the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and become the Official Automotive Partner of the two teams, Team GB and ParalympicsGB

The BOA has said it is looking to raise £42 million over the next four-year cycle to Rio 2016, with the unveiling of Nissan as a first major sponsor on Thursday a step towards that goal.

Speaking at a media briefing in Central London, Lord Sebastian Coe (pictured above), chairman of the BOA, commented: “I am delighted that Nissan, a company that is recognised globally for excellence and performance, is partnering with Team GB on the ‘Road to Sochi and Rio’.

“The BOA played an important role in enabling me to pursue my Olympic dreams and compete for Team GB, and now, thanks to partners like Nissan, today’s athletes can be afforded the same support.

“Nissan has invested heavily in British industry and now it is backing Britain in the greatest sporting arena in the world.”

Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of the BPA, also welcomed the partnership, adding: “I am delighted by this deal and would like to welcome Nissan into the Paralympic family in the UK.

“We are delighted that, following on from the inspiration of London, they have sought actively to support the BPA in this country alongside their becoming the first Paralympic partner of the Rio 2016 Games.

“We firmly believe that successful sponsorships are based on shared values and a vision for what can be achieved, and look forward to working closely with Nissan over the next four years to implement this.”

February last year saw Nissan unveiled as a ‘tier one’ sponsor and the automotive partner of the Rio 2016 Games. As part of that, the company will supply over 4,500 vehicles to support the Olympic and Paralympic events.

In terms of cutting costs, the state of the BOA’s finances following London 2012 has seen the number of staff at the organisation reduced by more than half, with performance director Sir Clive Woodward and chief executive Andy Hunt among those to have departed since the London Games.

Made up of two substances, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, Omega-3 is integrated into the structure of the body and plays a key role in allowing enzymes and other catalytic molecules to function. This means it is essential for normal functioning but is also a powerful and natural anti-inflammatory that can reduce pain and stiffness from hard training and from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, and can also help prevent overuse injuries in athletics.

An adequate dietary intake of fish oils is essential but, though eating oily fish or an equivalent can help improve your levels of Omega-3, they can never give you the concentrations required to get some of the real additional benefits. Many athletes already take Omega-3 supplements, but many more are unaware of the real benefits this relatively simple and easy-to-take supplement offers for improving both their health and their athletics performance.

Muscle damage and injury prevention

One of the main benefits of taking Omega-3 is the prevention of muscle damage and the reduction and prevention of soft-tissue injuries. Muscle damage can range from the pain you feel in the days following a long hill run to the chronic overuse injuries suffered by many athletes.

The muscle damage sustained during long runs and other strenuous athletic events leads to the degradation of protein structures within the body’s muscle and soft tissue. Following this, the body could require between 72 and 96 hours to fully recover, during which pain and inflammation may increase due to muscle damage, reducing muscle function, and thus performance.

Many athletes will treat these issues using over-the-counter painkillers to mask the pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the inflammation, or alternative treatments such as amino-acid supplementation or the traditional approach of icing.

The problem is that masking or hiding the pain simply creates bigger issues in the long term as you continue to stress already damaged tissues. There are also potential side-effects of the regular use of anti-inflammatory drugs, and alternative treatments such as icing have been shown to be relatively ineffective when scientifically tested.

Omega-3 is known to be an anti-inflammatory, which reduces the production of leukotrienes and prostaglandins, suppresses the T-cell response, and prevents cytokine production. As well as this anti-inflammatory effect, Omega-3 has been shown to increase the rate of activation of key enzymes that control protein synthesis, which decreases in the rate of protein breakdown that occurs with damage.

Omega-3 supplementation has also been shown to affect collagen metabolism, increasing collagen production in the tendons and ligaments. Taken together, these effects aid recovery from hard training but also address the symptoms of common problems such as sprains, strains, and overuse injuries, allowing a faster return to training.

Scientific studies have used Omega-3 supplementation prior to purposefully inducing muscle damage through strenuous activity (people volunteer for this)! These studies showed a marked suppression in both pain and skeletal muscle circumference (a simple measure of inflammation) and an increase in the range of motion no later than 24 hours after the damage occurred.

Another study showed that after inducing muscle damage using a high volume of intense plyometric movements, taking high levels of Omega-3 limited losses in muscle function. Participants reported no increase in pain 24 hours after the damage was caused and saw only a 3% loss in explosive power, which was fully recovered by 48 hours after the damage occurred.

Compare this to alternative methods such as amino acids, which have been shown to produce only a 15 % reduction in pain 48 hours after damage occurs; bromelain and ibuprofen, which can mask the pain but have been shown to have no positive benefits in the management of muscle damage; and icing, which has been shown to have a similar lack of positive benefits.

Mental fatigue and improved cognition

As well as preventing injury and promoting recovery, supplementing Omega-3 can have other tangible benefits for athletes.

Many athletes look to nutritional supplements as a way of improving their physical performance, but few consider the very real impact these can have on their mental performance, whether this is judging distance, race pacing or strategy, or motivation and mental toughness.

When athletes physically push themselves or have to concentrate for a protracted period, they become mentally fatigued, they lose concentration, make simple mistakes and overlook things. When mentally fatigued, individuals also feel tired and drained and this affects their performance as it becomes harder to maintain pacing or perform at a high level.

Electroencephalogram in those undertaking Omega-3 supplementation has shown a reduction in the beta-2 band alongside an increase in theta and alpha bands, which suggests an improvement in cognitive functioning. Further, electromyography has shown a significant improvement in psychomotor reaction times, suggesting an improvement in nervous system activity.

Omega-3 supplements have also been shown to improve oxygen-rich blood flow to active areas of the brain during mental activities, which may boost cognitive abilities. This means Omega-3 can potentially help us make better, more accurate decisions and to react faster.

Research participants have also shown improvements in the ability to sustain attention for long periods. Additionally, they have also shown a reduction in mental fatigue, meaning that Omega-3 supplementation may be beneficial in improving attention, focus and concentration.

Studies have shown that mental fatigue leads to mistakes in judgement, timing and fine motor skills and a reduction in the amount of raw power we can produce. In studies where mental fatigue has been induced, participants perform significantly worse in both running and cycling time trials.

Omega-3 supplements

A typical individual would need a minimum of 1g of Omega-3 each day in the form of a supplement. Preferably, most individuals would take twice this amount and athletes and others involved in strenuous activities would need to take significantly more – 3-4g or perhaps 5g on a really tough day of training.

A range of Omega-3 supplements are available. The cheaper ones from places like China and Korea can sometimes be very low in purity (typically less than 30-40%), meaning that the majority of the capsule (almost two thirds) is filled not with Omega 3, but with another oil. This means that each capsule will have a smaller effect.

Athletes also need to be more savvy and increasingly cautious about what supplements they are taking. A company in Edinburgh is producing a product suitable for use in competitive athletics. Edinburgh Biotech Ltd produce TakeOmega3, which is made in facilities licensed by the Medical Health and Regulatory Authority, is HFL-tested, which ensures that it is safe for athletes to use and meets all the competitive legislation. These capsules are also over 85 per cent Omega-3, which means fewer capsules are needed to see the positive effects.

Conclusion

Omega-3 offers a range of potential benefits to athletes. A significant amount of evidence shows its role in the prevention and recovery from muscle damage and for the improvement and reduction in mental fatigue. Some evidence suggests Omega-3 supplements can improve body composition by increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing fat mass and that it can boost the lung function of athletes during and after exercise.

While Omega-3 is found in oily fish, seafood and seaweed, it is advisable to take a regular supplement for both health and performance benefits. Athletes are often looking for an extra performance edge, either from their training or from their diet and Omega-3 supplements may be just the thing they have been looking for.

While it potentially seems less glamorous than supplements that have complicated names and come in high-tech looking packaging, Omega-3 can have a real and measurable effect on your athletic performance.

Kukri Sports will supply all England delegation and competition wear for Glasgow 2014, as well as produce a range of replica team products for fans.

The agreement between CGE and Kukri comes after months of consultation and research, including the involvement of a panel of athletes who fed into the design process.

Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes (pictured above), who is now the president of CGE, said: “I know how important a high quality and bespoke kit is to the athletes and their ultimate performance, and I’m delighted Kukri have met our objectives and risen to the challenge.

“It will be great to see athletes involved in the kit design process, which was certainly a deciding factor in our search for our official kit supplier.”

Based in Preston, Lancashire, Kukri has offices across the Commonwealth and currently supplies team wear for more than 76 sports and partner elite English teams including England Netball, London Wasps plus Somerset and Lancashire County Cricket Clubs. In 2008 and 2011 they provided England’s kit for the Commonwealth Youth Games.

The six-time Paralympic champion, who was denied a record seventh London Marathon victory on Sunday, says he has identified a select number of international meets that work with his programme, the World Championships not being one of them.

“After a long chat with my coach I want to reduce the number of international meets I commit to,” commented Weir. “I can spend a long time away from home at international competitions and with a young family I’d like to reduce the amount of time I’m travelling so I can spend more time with them.”

The 33-year-old also announced that the IPC Grand Prix final does form part of his plans for 2013 and that he will compete in the T53/T54 1500m on June 29 at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.

The event in Birmingham will be the seventh and final meet of the inaugural IPC Athletics Grand Prix series and will play host to over 140 athletes competing in 18 events.

Weir, who won four golds at the London 2012 Paralympics in the 800m, 1500, 5000m and marathon, explained that he is looking forward to competing in a major IPC event again in front of a home crowd.

“The profile of Paralympic sport has really risen since London 2012 and the development of the IPC Athletics Grand Prix Series is a really positive step ensuring the momentum keeps going,” he said.

“The British public are so supportive of the Paralympic movement and it’s brilliant for the sport that we have another high profile event back in Britain so soon after the Games. I’m really looking forward to racing at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix in Birmingham. It’s not a track I know well but the British crowd are always very vocal in their support, so I’m sure that will give me the boost I need.”

The Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham also includes IAAF Diamond League action which takes place on June 30. Six Olympic champions have so far been confirmed as taking part, including Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion Mo Farah and Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford.

A runners-up prize of £200 is also on offer, along with £100 for third place and £50 for fourth place in those events.

In the under-15 and under-13 boys’ and girls’ age groups, meanwhile, the winners will get £200, with £100 for the runners- up, £50 for third and £25 for fourth.

The prizes mean that not only prestige is at stake but also hard cash for teenage runners keen to compete in this exciting new event in central London. Those interested should enter soon, as entries close on May 7.

The series of one-mile races around the edge of St James’s Park is being organised by Westminster City Council in partnership with the London Marathon Trust and Bupa, forming part of the council’s long- term Olympic and Paralympic legacy.

The event gets underway on the Mall, the site of the Virgin London Marathon finish line as well as some of the most memorable moments from last summer’s Games, and the route takes entrants past landmarks including Horse Guards Parade and Wellington Barracks before finishing outside Buckingham Palace.

In addition to young athletes’ races, there will be events for elite and senior age groups, senior and junior wheelchair races, plus visually impaired athletes in the T11-13 categories.

To enter go online to bupawestminstermile.co.uk. Entries close on May 7 and costs £8 for adults and £6 for juniors, with Westminster residents receiving a £1 discount.

» You can find out more about the event in our news piece we published following the event launch in January

The National Lottery Anniversary Run, which will be the first sporting event to take place inside the Stadium since the Games, will see participants run the final 300m to the Stadium finish line.

Entry to the July 21 event opens on Thursday (April 25) at 9am with places allocated on a first come, first served basis. There are 10,000 spots available, with 750 of those going to Newham residents who gain a free place in a ballot.

“It is fitting that the first people to run on the track since the end of London 2012 will be members of the British public, who did so much to make the Olympic and Paralympic Games such a success,” commented double Olympic champion Farah at the event launch.

“Running down the home straight to win gold for Britain last summer was one of the greatest experiences of my life and it is wonderful that people will experience the chance to run on the track as part of The National Lottery Anniversary Run.”

Read more about the National Lottery Anniversary Run here.

Visit www.nationallotteryrun.com for more details and to apply for tickets.

Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, Christine Ohuruogu and Perri Shakes-Drayton will be on the hunt for Great Britain’s first ever podium finish at the event, as GB enters teams for the first time.

GB became the first nation to have won both titles at the same championships with victory in both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays in Gothenburg and UKA endurance coach Terrence Mahon believes that the team being sent to the Penn Relays proves how seriously they consider their opposition, which will include formidable line-ups from Jamaica, Russia and USA.

“The Penn Relays will give us the chance to see where we are as we approach the outdoor season,” commented Mahon. “We’ve seen some encouraging displays already at the European Indoors and also some strong performances last weekend,” he continued, with Shakes-Drayton having run a personal best of 23.27 over 200m recently.

“I have no doubt that the team assembled have every chance of winning the first medal for GB & NI at the event, but as with every year, the relays attract some strong opposition, so we’ll have to be at our very best,” he added.

The men’s 4x400m squad includes three of the four gold medallists from Gothenburg, with Michael Bingham, Richard Buck and Nigel Levine joined by Olympic 400m semi-finalist Conrad Williams and European Indoor finalist Richard Strachan.

The men’s 4x100m relay team will be made up of two London 2012 Olympians – James Ellington and Danny Talbot – and they will be joined by Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Andrew Robertson as the team looks to improve on the time of 38.91 set by the GB & NI team in Gainesville last week.

There will be no women’s 4x100m team for GB & NI, however, a fact that Jeanette Kwakye ‏was quick to comment on via twitter.

“Oh.. What’s that I see?” she tweeted. “GB teams for 4×400 men and women and 4×100 men entered for Penn Relays but no 4×100 Women. *slow clap*”

On announcing in March that Great Britain would be entering teams into the Penn Relays for the first time, UKA’s performance director,‭ ‬Neil Black commented: “Historically we’ve competed at the Penn Relays in an unofficial capacity, athletes have come together as individuals and/or made teams to go along and compete.

“This year is the first year we are attending as a GB team. We’ve got a combination of young developing athletes along with the more experienced athletes.”

Following the team announcement on Wednesday, UKA advised AW that they would have liked to have entered a women’s 4x100m team, but that Penn Relays did not invite Great Britain to enter one.

Although not able to include any of GB’s young developing athletes in a women’s 4x100m team, 18-year old Matt McLaughlin is set to make his senior international debut in America, as he forms part of a distance medley team which also includes Chris Warburton, Martyn Rooney and Joe Thomas.

Warburton will run the first 1200m leg, before passing on to Rooney and then Thomas who will run their 400m and 800m legs respectively. McLaughlin will finish with the 1600m.

“It gives us a good opportunity to get international competition for a lot of these athletes,” Mahon said of the Penn Relays. “It puts them in a position where they’re going to run against the best athletes in the US, Kenya, Jamaica, etc in an environment in which they are safe and free to take some risks and try some different things.

“They’re estimating 40,000 people in the stadium so it gives them good championship-style competition and there’s a learning curve to that. Giving them these types of experiences, I think, is important for their long-term development.”

For the first time in its 118-year history, the Penn Relays will also put on a women’s 4x800m relay in 2013. Marilyn Okoro, who ran 2:01.95 in at the Mount SAC Relays last weekend, and Olympic semi-finalist Lynsey Sharp, who finished behind Okoro in the race clocking a time of 2:02.63, will be joined by 2008 Olympian Jemma Simpson and senior debutant Tara Bird, the daughter of two-time Olympian Gladys Bird, as they attempt to break the GB record of 8:19.9 set in 1992.

Great Britain & Northern Ireland team for the Penn Relays:

MEN

4x100m: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Andrew Robertson, James Ellington, Danny Talbot

4x400m: Michael Bingham, Richard Buck, Nigel Levine, Conrad Williams, Richard Strachan

DMR: Chris Warburton, Martyn Rooney, Joe Thomas, Matt McLaughlin

WOMEN

4x400m: Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, Christine Ohurougu, Perri Shakes-Drayton

4x800m: Tara Bird, Marilyn Okoro, Lynsey Sharp, Jemma Simpson

The National Lottery Anniversary Run, which will be the first sporting event to take place inside the Stadium since the Games, will see participants run the final 300m to the Stadium finish line on the same track that the likes of Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis, Jonnie Peacock and Mo Farah raced on to win gold.

Entry to the July 21 event opens on Thursday (April 25) at 9am with places allocated on a first come, first served basis. There are 10,000 spots available, with 750 of those going to Newham residents who gain a free place in a ballot.

“It is fitting that the first people to run on the track since the end of London 2012 will be members of the British public, who did so much to make the Olympic and Paralympic Games such a success,” commented double Olympic champion Farah at the event launch.

“Running down the home straight to win gold for Britain last summer was one of the greatest experiences of my life and it is wonderful that people will experience the chance to run on the track as part of The National Lottery Anniversary Run”.

The Anniversary Run follows on from last year’s National Lottery Olympic Park Run, which was the first public event inside the Stadium. Runners will have the chance to bring two friends or family members to sit in the Stadium and cheer them on to their own moment of glory.

Organised by Nova International in conjunction with the London Borough of Newham, the National Lottery and the London Legacy Development Corporation, the event will also include a shorter family fun run for which there are more than 2000 places available.

Entry to the five-mile event will cost £27.50, while family fun run entry is £7. Visit www.nationallotteryrun.com for more details and to apply for tickets.

Knowle & Dorridge prides itself on its motto as “a club for all abilities that is easy for people to slot into”. It is clear that the Warwickshire club cultivates a friendly atmosphere and a strong social side, but it has also enjoyed notable success in the three years since it was founded.

The club was the first to be promoted out of division three of the Birmingham Cross Country League in its first year and has now enjoyed two years in division two. Each year they take a team to the national road relays in Sutton Park and, for the last two years, have also taken part in the Warwickshire Road Race League.

Last year the team finished second and five of the club’s athletes finished in the top ten overall – no mean feat for a league that fielded 371 runners. Having hosted the Warwickshire Cross Country Championships last year, the club now hosts its own race as part of the Road Race series, with the ‘K&D Arden 9’ taking place on June 23 this year.

The ethos of the club is best summed up by Geoff Lewis when he says: “I have retired from work and Knowle & Dorridge has become an important part of my life. I have made more local friends in the past three years via the club than I ever did in the 41 years of commuting and working. I may not be as good a runner as I was, but I am a much happier one. Competition is very important, but our club is more than that.”

Hourd, meanwhile, receives the honour of Ambassador of the Month, with the Notts AC coach (pictured right) recognised for his passion and commitment.

A sprints coach at the club, Hourd first got involved in athletics when his daughter Emma showed an interest 12 years ago. Since then Emma has remained a loyal member and competes regularly for the women’s team, while Hourd has helped out on club nights, before taking his UKA level one and two coaching qualifications and developing his own training group, which has grown to include a range of athletes, many of whom have won national medals.

Among Hourd’s protégés are Ryan Gorman, who clocked a European indoor age-14 best of 21.76 for 200m this winter when winning the England Athletics under-17 title, and Charlotte McLennaghan, who as a junior girl won last year’s English Schools 200m and finished the season as the top under-15 athlete in the UK at 100m and 200m.

He coaches by the motto of ‘positive mental attitude’ and has even had t-shirts printed for his group with these words on.

Every month, we will announce the winners of the Athletics Weekly Club and Club Ambassador awards, which are supported by Ronhill and assisted by Hilly Limited and Ridgeway Textiles. The awards reinforce our joint commitment to grassroots club athletics and will culminate in our annual awards. You can enter here.

Winning clubs receive £150 of Ronhill kit and a trophy, while the chosen ambassador gets £100 of kit and a trophy.

» Read more about what Knowle & Dorridge and Dave Hourd have done in order to deserve their awards in the April 4 edition of AW, which is available here or digitally here

A three-minute personal best of 2:30:46 at the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday was enough to secure Scottish athlete Partridge a spot on the marathon team, her time being 14 seconds inside the ‘A’ qualifying standard for the championships as well as inside the qualifying standard for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Her performance in London, which saw her finish as highest placed British female, adds to her consistent marathon record, with the 33-year-old Steve Jones-coached athlete having been the leading Briton in the 2011 World Championships.

Partridge will be joined in Moscow by Sonia Samuels, who gains selection thanks to her current ‘A’ qualifying standard of 2:30:56 set at the Berlin Marathon in September.

“The performances at the weekend were very encouraging and I’m delighted to be able to select Susan Partridge and Sonia Samuels to represent GB & NI at the IAAF World Championships,” commented British Athletics head coach Peter Eriksson.

“Our endurance programme has already made a lot of progress and I’m confident that both athletes will perform well in Moscow and enable us to continue moving forwards.”

The GB & NI team will be without Derek Hawkins in Russia, as the Scot has decided to focus on improving his track performances before returning to the marathon.

Hawkins, who followed up his debut run of 2:14:04 from Frankfurt last October by finishing as first Brit in 13th place in London with a time of 2:16:50, said: “If I ran at the World Championships it would be my third marathon in ten months and I don’t feel that I could prepare well enough to do myself justice.

“My plan now is to take a break from the marathon and work on improving my 5000m and 10,000m times, I’ll then return to the marathon when I feel ready to progress again.”

Alyson Dixon, who was narrowly outside the qualifying mark for Moscow with her 2:31:08 set at the Brighton Marathon, expressed her disappointment at not being a part of the team on Twitter, but added that missing the World Championships has made her more determined to make next year’s Commonwealth Games and see through an “attack on sub 2.30″.

“As expected I haven’t made the team for the World Champs,” she tweeted. “But it’s not the end of the world, just the beginning of an attack on sub 2.30!”

She later added: “I didn’t run the time needed so can’t complain. Just got to focus on running fast in autumn now instead.”

Video via LondonMarathonTV

Video via LondonMarathonTV

The 23-year-old credits consistency in her training for her vein of good form and plans to build on her training base ahead of the outdoor season. Her favourite training sessions are those which involve technical hurdles work, including lots of drills over the barriers.

Solomon spends a lot of time working on her technique by doing lead and trail leg drills, focusing on quick movement and the correct body position. She says: “When these sessions go well it’s the best feeling. They can also be the hardest sessions because when things aren’t clicking, it can be really hard to stay calm and not get frustrated.”

Solomon admits that the gruelling fitness and weights sessions that she does are necessary to get her stronger. A typical training week in the winter involves two track sessions incorporating running and hurdling, hills and three sessions in the gym for weights and circuits. She also does a DVD workout twice a week and yoga to aid her cardiovascular fitness and flexibility.

She trains at Catford, Brunel and Crystal Palace with Michelle Bovell, her hurdles and running coach, and Adam Dowsett, who guides her strength and conditioning. Lloyd Cowan also offers advice when she needs it.

Solomon reveals how her training has clicked into place: “This year’s training has been good. I have been consistent and I’ve worked hard to remember all the little things like my post-training protein shakes and vitamins. Adam is a great strength and conditioning coach and oversees many of my weights sessions to help make improvements to my technique and encourage me. More importantly he has helped me to understand what I’m doing in the gym and why, so I actually enjoy my weights sessions now.”

Solomon enjoys being part of a small training group and does much of her running with the boys in order to get the best out of herself. Inspired by short and long-term goals, her aim in training is to constantly improve and do each session better than the last one.

TYPICAL TRAINING WEEK IN NOVEMBER

» Monday
(am) Yoga session.
(pm) Track session: Warm-up: jog two laps, stretch and any rehab work that needs to be completed; active warm-up drills: eight different drills done over 20m, each drill done three times; running drills: high knees on the spot x 4, then over 20m x 4, 3 strides over 40m, 60m and 80m with a jog back; hurdle walk-overs with seven hurdles; five different drills. Main session: 100m, 200m, 300m, 200m, 100m. Circuit with 12 different fitness and core exercises: 30sec on, 30sec off.

» Tuesday
(am) Work-out DVD.
(pm) Gym session: Warm-up using cross-trainer or spin bike for 10min then stretch and any rehab; weights session (increasing weight for each set): Power cleans 5 reps x 5 sets, leg press 5 reps x 5 sets, step-ups 5 reps x 5 sets, bench-press 5 reps x 3 sets, lat pull-ups with 5kg dumbbell 5 reps x 3 sets; weighted circuit (5 exercises) 10 reps x 3 sets; ab circuit.

» Wednesday
(am) Yoga session.
(pm) Track session: Warm-up: jog two laps, stretch and possibly rehab. Jog 5-7min to hills (hill is 70m) 10 hill runs, 8 hill runs, 6 hill runs. Jog back to track and complete an ab circuit.

» Thursday
(am) Work out DVD.
(pm) Gym circuit: Warm-up using cross-trainer or spin bike for 10min then stretch and , if necessary, rehab. Weights session circuit set-up: dead-lift 5 reps; hang-clean 4 reps; explosive pull-ups 3 reps; push-press 2 reps. (4 sets of each with 1min recovery after each set of four exercises). 10 sledge pulls over 30m with 25% bodyweight. Shoulder circuit.

» Friday
Rest day.

» Saturday
Track session: Warm-up: jog three laps, stretch and any rehab work that needs to be completed. Active warm-up drills: eight different drills done over 20m, each drill done three times. Running drills, a drill, b drill and c drill*. On-the-spot high knees, slides, low cycles, medium cycles and high cycles, then moving over 30m. Hurdle work: foot taps working on improving hip strength – 30sec, 40sec, 50 sec, 1min with 1min recovery between sets. Hurdle walk-overs working on trail and lead leg positioning. Six runs over 60m. Leg circuit: overhead squat, squat jumps, high knees, split lunges and hip raises (30sec on – no recovery x 5).

» Sunday
Gym session: 1 hour of cardio mixed between cross-trainer, treadmill, spin bike and stepper. Weights: full squat 5 reps x 5 sets; hang clean 5 reps x 5 sets; glute raise weight with bar 5 reps x 5 sets; shoulder-press 5 reps x 3 sets; walking sledge pulls.

A-B-C drills *The A-drill is very similar to a high-knees drill. Some athletes will clap under the thigh each time they lift their leg. I keep my arms in the running position and focus on pushing forward. B-drill is an extension to the A-drill. When the leg is in the air you extend from the knee straight out in front and pull the ball of your foot back toward the floor quickly. C-drill is also known as “Russian legs”. The legs are kept straight and you bounce from one foot to the other staying on the balls of your feet and pumping your arms. Again the focus is on moving forward rather than just up and down.

» The above sessions are specific to the individual athlete and may not be suitable for other athletes

The 17-year-old Tanni Grey-Thompson-coached athlete crossed the line in 12:39, taking an impressive 20 seconds off her previous course record to finish ahead of under-17 men’s winner Will Smith and claim the 2013 title.

Jones, who recently won the women’s senior race at the Silverstone adidas half marathon and competed over 400m, 800m and 1500m at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, wasn’t alone in her course record feat. Defending champion Charlotte Moore also smashed her previous course record on her way to under-14 girl’s victory and Issac Towers bettered the previous mark set in 2011 on his way to winning the boy’s result.

This, Jones says, helps to prove how wheelchair racing is growing as a sport, with the London 2012 Paralympic Games having been the perfect way to showcase it.

As we discuss how wheelchair racing has grown in recent years, inevitably our conversation turns to six-time Paralympic champion David Weir, who was denied a record seventh senior London Marathon victory on Sunday.

“What David did in London last year was unbelievable,” commented Jones. “The whole country was behind him. Since then so many people have tried different sports.

“There’s so many new people coming through and that’s great for wheelchair racing.

“It’s such a good sport, you just need to showcase that. That’s all it needed and I think London 2012 did that for the sport.”

Jones was joined in London by last year’s under-17 men’s runner-up and multiple world junior champion Smith who is trained by Weir and his long-term coach Jenny Archer.

Smith, who is part of the Weir Archer Academy, stormed to success over the last three miles of the main marathon course and said that having the support of the Academy had been invaluable to his development.

“To be able to work with Jenny and Dave, there’s no one better, really,” said Smith. “To have that personal experience and relationship with David is fantastic. He’s been there and done it all so he knows what it’s like, he knows what it takes and all the little things that make the difference.”

Smith’s success wasn’t shared by Weir who was unable to claim a record seventh London Marathon win in a race that was won by Australian Kurt Fearnley and saw a collision occur between Josh Cassidy, the world’s fastest wheelchair racer, and Olympic champion Tiki Gelana next to a feeding station.

London Marathon organisers later descibed it as “a racing incident which happened in the midst of two fiercely contested battles between some of the best marathon competitors in the world”, adding that both athletes have accepted that it was an accident.

Speaking afterwards, Cassidy said: “With wheelchair racers and elite women on the road at the same time, and our fields getting bigger, this sort of accident can happen.”

Reports following the event indicated that the start times may be reviewed by event organisers in order to prevent anything like this happening again in the future. Tweeting after the race, Cassidy said: “The wheelchairs MUST finally start first next year so this doesn’t happen again, or worse.”

In other London Marathon news, Monday saw event organisers announce a five year extension to its sponsorship deal with Virgin Money. The banking division of the Virgin Group of companies will continue as London Marathon sponsor until at least 2017, with the race changing its name from the Virgin London Marathon to the Virgin Money London Marathon from 2014.

» See this week’s issue of AW, out Thursday April 25, for in-depth coverage from all of Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon and Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon races

Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon was won by Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia in 2:06:04, while the first Brit home was more than 10 minutes behind. Derek Hawkins of Kilbarchan was the No.1 domestic runner with 2:16:50, followed by John Gilbert of Kent AC (2:17:43) and Phil Wicks of Belgrave Harriers (2:19:07).

This blog is in no way critical of those runners. They are the best British male runners in the 2013 race and should be applauded.

No, instead the criticism should be directed toward the runners who did not put their neck on the line, the athletes who have marathon potential but are failing to reach it, plus the coaching fraternity who have collectively failed over the past two decades to nurture a British-born male marathon winner.

Even Hawkins was mildly embarrassed to be first Brit home with a time that was about four minutes slower than he hoped for. It was also only his second marathon, with his debut having come in Frankfurt in October.

Back then, he clocked 2:14:04 and he said on Sunday: “What I felt at 12 miles here in London was the same as I felt at 40km in Frankfurt. It was just a bad day. A strange race. I never felt very good.”

The No.1 British hope Scott Overall also had a bad day when he pulled out at 25km. The Blackheath & Bromley athlete, who had enjoyed such a promising breakthrough in Berlin in 2011 when he clocked 2:10:55 to qualify for the Olympics, suffered an IT band injury a month before London, missed two weeks’ training and made a late gamble to race – a gamble that with hindsight did not pay off.

So Overall was scuppered by bad luck, but if there had been a greater volume of British contenders in the field then there would be more chance of success. It is, as they say, a numbers game.

Individual fortunes in the 2013 race aside, it is simply poor for the top British man in London to run more than a minute-and-a-half slower than the women’s world record. Indeed, Paula Radcliffe would have been the No.1 British athlete – male or female – if she had replicated her historic 2:15:25 from 2003 on Sunday.

While world standards have moved on, British (and indeed European) standards have gone backwards. Martin’s winning time from 1993 was 2:10:50 – exactly six minutes quicker than the top Brit in 2013. And prior to London 1993, Martin didn’t even have a shoe sponsor as he was considered too old and he wasn’t the No.1 British contender either.

Below Martin, there were seemingly an endless number of Britons who ran in the 2:13-2:16 range but didn’t even get a look in when it came to international selection. Athletics Weekly’s coaching editor, David Lowes, is one of the many. As he wrote in this blog this week, he clocked 2:15 back in the 1980s and at the time he didn’t think it was very good at all, such were the standards.

Indeed, Jon Brown – who was fourth in the Olympic marathon in 2000 and 2004 – tweeted on Sunday: “Marathon performances don’t fall out of the sky; questions need to be asked about long term strategy for UK endurance.”

Looking back, Martin was not alone either. Others Brits to win London in its early days in the 1980s included Hugh Jones, Mike Gratton, Charlie Spedding, Steve Jones and Allister Hutton.

So where did it all go wrong? There is no doubt that “cultural” factors are huge. The British working-class men who rolled up their sleeves and put in the hard yards minus the distractions that we have today have been gradually replaced by African athletes desperate to escape poverty and who are now far more likely to compete in races like London due to improved transport and global communications.

To demonstrate their will to win, for example, the 2013 champion Kebede used to run 6km after school to gather firewood for a dollar a day in order to make ends meet. In comparison, British youngsters are ferried to school in cars by parents who are then too worried to let them run out in the streets and play. Meanwhile the amount of sport and PE they do seems to shrink every generation. Throw in the fast food and computer games culture and number of alternative pursuits and pastimes and it is a formula of failure when it comes to marathon running.

Rather than give up, though, perhaps there is more the sport can do in order to turn things around. Altitude and group training, which has been introduced more in recent years and is in fact funded by the London Marathon itself, definitely helps. Although this winter it became apparent that maybe too much emphasis is given to it and athletes should punctuate it with harder and regular racing.

Cross country undoubtedly has its benefits too and is becoming a lost art. The UK Cross Challenge circuit, English National and World Cross Country Championships were bereft of many top British male runners this recent winter. On this point, it’s worth remembering that Martin placed 34^th in the World Cross just one month before winning the London Marathon in 1993.

Then, in the London Marathon on race day, there are too many cases of British contenders who have to endure most of the 26.2 miles alone. Linked to this, BBC would help generate more excitement and a sense of achievement if they actually showed some of the 2:14-2:30 brigade.

On the good side, there is Farah’s tilt at the London Marathon title in 2014 to look forward to. The anticipation ahead of the event will be immense, but British athletics should not let it mask the wider problem of how few Britons, if any, are following in Farah’s footsteps.

The 17-year-old New Marske athlete crossed the line in 12:39, taking 20 seconds off her course record to secure her fourth victory in the event.

Jones, who recently won the senior women’s race at the Silverstone adidas half-marathon and competed over 400m, 800m and 1500m at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, was followed home by Scotland’s Sammi Kinghorn, who only took up the sport less than 18 months ago, and Lauren Rowles.

“It was such a good race, it was really hard at first,” said Jones. “It’s been such a good year and it’s only just starting. There’s lots of meets coming up so I’m really excited to see how it goes.” This will be Jones’ final year as a Mini London Marathoner and she explained she’s still undecided as to whether or not she will move up to the senior event next year.

Although David Weir was denied a record seventh senior London Marathon victory on Sunday, there was win for Will Smith, who is trained by the six-time Paralympic champion, in the Mini London Marathon.

Although finishing just behind women’s winner Jones, 12:41 was more than enough to secure him the under-17 men’s wheelchair title. Previous holder of the under-14 boy’s course record Jack Binstead finished second, with Ben Rowlings third.

Impressively, Jones wasn’t alone in her record-breaking feat, as in the under-14 races defending champion Charlotte Moore smashed her previous course record with 14:33, finishing ahead of Kare Adenegan and Catherine Stott. In the boys’ race, Isaac Towers’ 13:22 was also a course record and secured him victory ahead of Graham Spencer and Daniel May.

The wheelchair events kicked off an exciting morning of racing which saw athletes from across the UK compete in what has become one of the biggest events for teenage distance runners and the official UKA road race championships for young athletes.

First held in 1986, more than 2000 athletes run over the last three miles of the marathon course, starting at Old Billingsgate and finishing under the London Marathon gantry in The Mall.

Inter-Counties champion Jac Hopkins was one of the favourites going into the under-17 men’s race, but a trip at around the two-mile mark took him out of the running for the 2013 title. After a close sprint-finish, Alex George (South West) finished in 14:34 for the win ahead of Zak Miller (North West) and Liam Dee (East), and he later admitted that the race would almost certainly have turned out very differently had Hopkins not suffered a fall.

“Jac tripped at about two miles, he looked like he was in a bit of trouble and someone went across him and just took him out,” said George, pictured above. “I reckon it would have been a completely different race if he was there because he wouldn’t have let it get that slow.

“He hit the ground pretty hard which is a bit of a shame because he’s had a class season. I would have loved to have raced him in the last couple of hundred metres to see what I had against him.”

Just two seconds separated the three runners, with George and Miller both recording the same time. North West won the team title.

In the under-15 boy’s race there was a win for first-time Mini London Marathoner Jamal Lewis (East). English Schools winner Ben Dijkstra (East Midlands) finished three seconds behind him, crossing the line in 15:08 to lead his team to the title, while London’s Alex Yee finished third, his result also securing him first spot in the Borough Challenges event for Lewisham.

Ben Hooper also made the most of his debut at the event by winning the under-13 boys’ race in 16:27, leading a South East one-two for the team title. Having only started training in August, he now hopes to make an impact on the track in either the 800m or 1500m. Team-mate Thomas Kendrick was second and John Howorth (North West) third.

Having continued to make their mark on the cross country scene this winter, the Clay sisters – Alex and Bobby (South East), who were both part of Britain’s bronze medal-winning junior team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Poland in March – were in action in London, making a rare venture into the world of road running.

Both competing in the under-17 women’s race, younger sister Bobby, who moved up to the older race category this year, made up for the disappointment of finishing runner-up to Annabel Mason (Yorkshire & Humberside) in the 2012 edition of the under-15 race by finishing four seconds ahead of the National cross champion in 16:24. Mason’s team-mate, Bronwen Owen, pipped the elder Clay sister into fourth place with Yorkshire & Humberside taking the team title.

Speaking after the race, Bobby explained: “I’m really pleased because last year the race went pretty much the same but with about a mile and a bit to go Annabel surged past me and I tried to go but I had no response.

“It was quite demoralising because I’d worked so hard the whole way and just lost it. Today I ended up in the lead of the pack, when rather I would have liked to have been at the back of the pack, but thought I can’t let that happen again!”

The under-15 field was led by Inter-Counties champion Harriet Knowles-Jones (North West) and after what she described as a “really aggressive start” she soon found her place and pushed on to take the win in 16:47, comfortably ahead of Scotland’s Gillian Black and team-mate Rosie Johnson. She also led North West to the team title.

In the under-13 event, English cross-country champion Katy-Ann McDonald, who only took up athletics seriously last July, led London to the team title with her win in 17:24, 12 seconds ahead of Emily Gray (North West). Jordon Waine (East Midlands) was third.

In the Borough Challenges, Lydia Hallam (Havering) won the under-17 women’s race, Wandsworth won the team title. Sabrina Sinha (Greenwich) added to her under-13 victories in recent years with a win in the under-15 race and Bromley won the team title, while Katy-Ann McDonald (Wandsworth) won the under-13 event to lead her team to the team title too.

Jamie Finnigan (Hounslow) won the oldest boys’ race as Barnet won the team title, Alex Yee (Lewisham) won the under-15 event as Haringey secured top spot in the team standings and George Groom won the under-13s as Wandsworth secured a third team title.

» Read the senior women’s race report here and the senior men’s report here. Find full in-depth coverage in next week’s AW, out Thursday April 25.

The Ethiopian took victory in 2:06:04 after a battle of attrition that saw the early stages run at a phenomenal sub-2:02 pace.

The brutal pace – which saw runners hit halfway in 61:34 – led to carnage in the latter stages as a succession of race leaders bit the dust. First Stanley Biwott of Kenya broke away and looked the likely winner, before fellow Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai then hit the front at 23 miles and seemed poised to retain the crown he won in 2011.

Then Kebede, who won Olympic bronze in 2008 but was controversially left out of the Ethiopian team for the London 2012 Games, decisively passed Mutai in the final mile to score a thrilling, last-gasp finish.

Mutai held on to second with 2:06:33, with Ayele Abshero of Ethiopia third in 2:06:57, Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia fourth with 2:07:46, last year’s winner Wilson Kipsang of Kenya fifth in 2:07:47, Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda sixth in 2:08:05, Yared Asmerom of Eritrea seventh in 2:08:22 and Biwott fading badly to finish eighth in 2:08:39.

World record-holder Patrick Makau also struggled. The Kenyan was dropped from the early stages – even though he was running at 2:05 pace – although he battled on to clock 2:14:10.

A silence was observed at the start of the race in respect of the Boston bombing tragedy from earlier in the week. But on the course the noise and atmosphere was tremendous as good weather and the sight of Farah drew huge crowds.

Kebede also got a great reception during the exciting final stages. The 26-year-old Ethiopian has a great story too – when he was a child he used to run 6km after school every day to help his father collect firewood for $1 a day.

Amazingly, Farah said the early pace – which included 28:56 at 10km – was not that fierce and didn’t bother him unduly. He did, however, admit he made a real “mess” of getting drinks at the water stations and that it was a big lesson ahead of his full debut next year.

“I made a real mess of it. It really opened my eyes,” he said, while probably oblivious to the chaos that had occurred in the women’s race with Tiki Gelana clashing with wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy.

With Farah dropping out just before halfway at Tower Bridge and London Olympian Scott Overall pulling out at 25km after an injury-hit build-up, the first Briton to finish was Derek Hawkins in 2:16:50. With Susan Partridge being top Brit in the women’s race, it meant Scotland produced the leading domestic athletes on Sunday.

But Hawkins’ time was more than a minute slower than Paula Radcliffe’s world record and also came on the 20^th anniversary of Eamonn Martin’s feat of becoming the last British man to win the race.

Perhaps this is something Farah can put right next year.

» The next issue of Athletics Weekly, out on Thursday April 25, features in-depth coverage from the 2013 Virgin London Marathon, including elite race coverage, wheelchair races, top age-group performances and Mini Marathon action.

The 28-year-old Kenyan was runner-up in the Olympics last year and the 2011 World Championships, while she also finished third in London last April.

But on Sunday she blasted clear of reigning world champion Edna Kiplagat in the closing stages to win in 2:20:15.

The race was marred when Olympic champion Tiki Gelana clashed with wheelchair racer Josh Cassidy just before the 10-mile mark and fell to the ground. It effectively took her out of the race, although she battled on gamely to finish 16th in 2:36:55.

With Gelana dropped, the Kiplagats from Kenya – Edna and Florence – forged ahead, together with Jeptoo. Much stronger in the closing stages, Jeptoo surged away to finish just one second outside her PB, with Edna Kiplagat clocking 2:21:32 in second.

Yukiko Akaba earned a surprise third place in 2:24:43, while Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia was fourth in 2:24:43.

Susan Partridge was the British performer of the day as she smashed her PB with 2:30:46. For the Scottish runner, who is now coached by UK record-holder Steve Jones, it was inside the qualifying standard for the IAAF World Championships in Moscow and also next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The 33-year-old went through halfway in 73:52 as she went on to smash her PB of 2:34:13 by more than three minutes.

Second Brit home was Amy Whitehead, who went through halfway in 74:49 before slowing in the second half to clock 2:34:14 – frustratingly outside her PB of 2:33:44.

Not far behind on the clock was Hayley Haining, the Scottish athlete clocking a fine 2:36:52 from the mass start.

Wheelchair races were won by Kurt Fearnley and Tatyana McFadden as Britons David Weir and Shelly Woods failed to make the podium. Weir especially will be disappointed as he was aiming to win a record seventh London Marathon title, but he finished fifth in a mass sprint-out down The Mall.

» The next issue of Athletics Weekly, out on Thursday April 25, features in-depth coverage from the 2013 Virgin London Marathon, including elite race coverage, wheelchair races, top age-group performances and Mini Marathon action.

The most recent British male winner of the London Marathon is well placed to offer his advice. The 54-year-old stormed to victory over the 26.2-mile course on his first attempt at the distance in 1993, famously out-sprinting Mexican Isidro Rico. His winning time of 2:10:50 remained a PB, despite four other positive marathon experiences in later years.

Martin admits he never expected 20 years would go by without another British athlete winning, but says that if anyone can do it, Mo Farah can.

The 30-year-old claimed victories in the 5000m and 10,000m at the London 2012 Olympics and is to run the first half of this year’s London Marathon as a “dry run” ahead of his marathon debut in the city next year.

Prior to his London Marathon success, Martin broke the British 10,000m record with 27:23.06 at his first attempt in the event in 1988 before winning  the Commonwealth 10,000m title in 1990. His UK record was the fourth quickest ever for the distance at that time.

Although he could have made his marathon debut earlier, Martin says he was right to focus on the shorter distances for as long as he did and thinks this is something that the present crop of athletes need to take on board in order to improve the standard of British men’s marathon running.

“We had a good spell with me, Paul Evans and Richard Nerurkar all winning big marathons, but we were all Olympians on the track as well,” he told AW. “I think that is a message to the current 5km runners that they need to be looking towards the marathon. To be successful at the marathon, you need to be a world-class 10,000m runner first.”

He suggests that Britain needs to assemble a quality group of 5km runners, who build up to the marathon over the years, as they develop the strength. “I certainly did not expect 20 years to go by after my title before another British athlete won,” he says. “But Mo (Farah) has a chance next year. He has all of the credentials.”

» This is an extract from a feature on Eamonn Martin included in the April 18 issue of Athletics Weekly, which came out on Thursday. Martin was interviewed by Emily Moss.

London 2012 fever continued with people who had pre-registered their interest for event tickets through the British Athletics website rushing to secure spots to see the likes of Usain Bolt, Jess Ennis, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford return to the Olympic Stadium for an Olympic encore on July 26 and 27.

The Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games celebrate the one-year anniversary of the London 2012 opening ceremony and include two days of London Grand Prix action as well as the IPC International Challenge event on Sunday July 28, for which tickets are still currently available.

Around 65,000 tickets were available for each day of the London Grand Prix and in the battle between demand and supply, it seemed demand had won.

In response to an AW tweet asking whether people had been successful in securing tickets, Simon Loughran tweeted: “No, thanks to the incompetence of British Athletics/Ticketmaster. Pathetic show.” While Jane Wilson ‏tweeted: “No – despite priority code,website was never working so totally pointless. really angry and upset.”

At the other end of the scale to complaints about the website not being able to deal with the high demand, Christopher Hewitt tweeted: “Friday night Centre of the home straight!!! Can’t wait.” Jackie Mason tweeted: “feel so lucky to be returning to the amazing stadium to see amazing athletes #anniversarygames.”

British Athletics assured their Twitter followers that there had been no problems with the website, advising: “People are buying tickets and the website is working. Very high demand but all working :).”

» Did you manage to get tickets? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below, sending us a tweet or getting vocal on Facebook

The appearance of Mo Farah on the start line of a marathon for the first time will attract much media publicity but even with the double Olympic champion due to drop out at halfway the race promises to be one of the best ever at this distance.

Of the 22 men in history who have run below 2:05, seven are in the field and that includes world record-holder Patrick Makau and defending champion Wilson Kipsang (pictured above), both of Kenya.

A further four men have broken 2:06, while Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda should be capable of challenging them despite his relatively “slow” PB outside 2:07.

It is 20 years since a British man last won this race and the wait is set to continue, however, the interest will centre on selection for the World Championships as far as Brits are concerned. Of the entries only Scott Overall, who ran 2:14:15 in Fukuoka in December, and Derek Hawkins, who clocked a debut 2:14:08 in Frankfurt in October, have made the 2:15 standard.

Kipsang comes to London in good form, having won the New York City Half in 61:02 in March, while new talent Ayele Abshero of Ethiopia will be one to watch as he takes on his third 26-miler. The 22-year-old won the Dubai Marathon in 2:04:23 last year, before dropping out of the Olympic marathon later on in the year.

Also look out for Ethiopian rising star Feyisa Lilesa and Kenyans Stanley Biwott, Geoffrey Mutai, who will be making his London debut, experienced campaigner Tsegaye Kebede and the 2011 winner Emmanuel Mutai.

Women’s race

The women’s race doesn’t quite have the depth of the men’s and misses debutant Tirunesh Dibaba, who pulled out last month.

However, the field does feature Olympic champion Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia, who is the favourite. Not only does she have the coveted title, but she is also the fastest.

Three other athletes have sub 2:20s to their names and another seven have broken 2:25 but on paper it looks a simple Kenya v Ethiopia battle for first.

Japan’s Yoko Shibui is one of those three athletes with a sub-2:20 PB, although over the last few years she has looked past her best. She is joined by sub-2:20 Kenyan runners Florence Kiplagat, the former World Cross champion, and Edna Kiplagat, the reigning world champion while Priscah Jeptoo, who can lay claim to being the world’s most consistent marathoner, will also be in action.

British athletes have won the women’s race a record seven times, but this is one of the weakest domestic line-ups. The late withdrawal of Olympian Freya Ross leaves Susan Partridge to take over as probably the most likely leading home challenger.

Also look out for former track star Meselech Melakalmu of Ethiopia and Chicago Marathon winner Atsede Baysa, also of Ethiopia. Japan’s Yukiko Akaba is a two-time London top-six finisher, while Portugal’s Jessica Augusto goes in as leading European.

Wheelchair races

David Weir equalled Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s feat of six London Marathon victories in 2012 and this weekend he is going for a record-breaking seventh victory.

After last year’s Virgin London Marathon, Weir won four gold medals at the London Paralympics. This included the 26.2-mile race on the final day of the Games where he out-sprinted Switzerland’s Marcel Hug and defending Paralympic champion Kurt Fearnley of Australia – and all three medallists will line up in London again on Sunday.

Other rivals include nine-time Boston Marathon winner Ernst van Dyk, 2010 London champion Josh Cassidy and world record- holder Heinz Frei, who won three London Marathon titles in the 1990s.

Shelly Woods could make is a GB double victory as she chases her third London Marathon title. The line-up on Sunday features many of the Paralympians that Woods faced in September, including the whole top six. They were led home by gold medallist Shirley Reilly of the USA, Woods took silver, while the bronze went to Sandra Graf of Switzerland.

IPC Marathon World Cup

This year’s event will feature a new set of races for disability athletes called the IPC Athletics Marathon World Cup which will include races for athletes with a visual impairment (IPC athletics classes T11-T13) and athletes with limb impairments, such as amputations (T42-T46). Entries include GB’s Richard Whitehead, the double amputee who was one of the stars of the 2012 Paralympics.

Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon

First held in 1986, more than 2000 athletes take part in the three-mile Mini Marathon race that has gone on to become one of the biggest events for teenage distance runners and the official UKA road race championships for young athletes.

Contenders in the under-17 races this year include Inter- Counties champion Jac Hopkins and English Schools winner Matt Shirling, while the Clay sisters – Bobby and Alex – are part of a strong U17 women’s line-up that includes National Cross champion Annabel Mason.

The under-15 fields are led by Inter-Counties champion Harriet Knowles-Jones, with English Schools winner Ben Dijkstra and Inter-Counties gold medallist Dan Evans in the boys’ category. In the under-13 age group, Thomas Kendrick and Katy-Ann McDonald are among the favourites.

In the wheelchair races, British Paralympian Jade Jones defends her title in the under-17 women’s race, while Charlotte Moore and Michael McCabe, winners of the under-14 wheelchair races in 2012, will move up to under-17 level this time.

» You can find more on each of the athletes mentioned in our men’s and women’s race previews as well as a more in-depth look at Sunday’s action in the April 18 bumper London Marathon special issue of AW, which is available here

It is also in the genes, as my maternal grandfather was reputed to have been a reserve for the British team for the 1908 Olympic Games marathon. Charlie ‘Runner’ Allen, as he was known, would have felt much empathy with the mass of runners in London on Sunday. Like the majority of them, he would be unprepared to run 26.2 miles, as his training would have been spasmodic and mainly consisting of the odd weekend race.

Little did he know back then, as the majority of Sunday’s competitors also believe, that it takes years of serious running to be anything like prepared to race 26.2 miles. Most on Sunday will just hope to get around the streets of London in one piece, but that is not how it should be.

As a carthorse type of runner, 6ft 4in tall and 12-and-a-half-stone in weight, I had more in common with most of the entrants on Sunday, in that I was not of the ideal shape and weight to run one mile, yet alone 26.

However I believe that, if we carthorses put enough miles in over enough years, we can make a reasonable hash of completing the distance in a decent enough time. In my case it took over 20 years of running to get down to the 2:26:15, which was my lifetime best at the age of 43.

Too late for this weekend to get all those years of work in before Sunday, so the advice has to be to just take it easy this week. Do not go out for a ten mile run the previous day just to see if you can do it.

Twenty First Century man, or woman, wants instant solutions to problems but with the marathon there are no instant solutions, just hard work over a long period of time. If you don’t feel right this weekend then back out and put 12 months more work in and run better next year.

On the day, just start slowly and work into the race. Too often over recent years runners have gone charging off as if to the first fence in the Grand National and then come to grief as the going gets tougher. So just take it steady at the start no matter what your level of fitness.

Oh, and do not wear earphones. They are dangerous. Wearing them is dangerous enough in a race, as you will not be able to hear any marshals communicating with you, but neither should you wear them in training, as you will not hear any traffic coming your way.

After the race you will be stiff and remain so for quite a few days. You may well find this is eased by walking around for much of Monday. Keep the joints moving, do not stay still for long as you will lock up. After winning my world veterans title I spent the following day walking around the Vancouver World’s Fair which took place at the same time. It was good therapy.

» Martin’s blog post is the fifth and final in our series of Virgin London Marathon race-week blogs by AW writers. You can find the other blog posts here and grab a copy of this week’s issue of Athletics Weekly, which came out on Thursday, for some last minute marathon advice from former World Cup Marathon winner Richard Nerurkar

The Brit, who won four gold medals at last year’s Games, is the only member of the field racing on home soil and faces tough competition including the fastest on paper, Canada’s Josh Cassidy.

After taking his final victory at the Paralympics last year, he said he felt that his competitors had conspired against him as the favourite.

“That’s just racing,” he said on Friday. “You deal with it and plan for that. I’ll just do my own race and hopefully that’ll get me my seventh victory.”

Weir also said he was hoping to inspire the next generation of British elite wheelchair racers, having set up with his coach, Jenny Archer, the Weir Archer Academy following his Olympic success.

He had the idea long before London 2012 when seeing a dearth of British wheelchair racers on the circuit.

“It would be nice to see more representing Britain in Rio and beyond,” he said. “I might be a bit too old when they start doing marathons. Hopefully they’ll be a bit quicker than me by then and their should be a good number of athletes coming through the academy.”

Weir picked out one member, Justin Levene, who will make his debut in the race on Sunday. “He’s only been training for six or seven weeks and I’ve never seen anything like him. He’s got the technique, the desire, everything.

“The technique is the hardest thing to get and he’s got it straight away. I think he might get under two hours in his first marathon. If I can inspire the next generation, that’s what I want to do.”

The 35-year-old, who also won silver in the 4x100m relay in Athens as Britain beat the US to gold, failed to file his whereabouts information with the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on three occasions within 18 months.

In a statement, USADA said: “Crawford was a member of the USADA National Testing Pool from 2001 through the beginning of 2013, which consists of a select group of athletes subject to certain whereabouts requirements in order to be located for USADA Out-of-Competition testing.

“Crawford failed to comply with the whereabouts requirements and, as a result, accrued three Whereabouts Failures within an 18-month period.”

However, reports quoting Crawford’s coach, Bobby Kersee, suggest that the sprinter retired last year. ”A person who hasn’t put on spikes all year, a married man trying to take care of his family and what does he get for the end of his career – a two-year ban? I don’t understand,” Kersee is said to have told The Associated Press.

Crawford followed up his gold and silver Olympic medals from Athens with silver in the 200m and the 4x100m relay at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The Californian originally finished fourth in the 200m, with the race won by Usain Bolt, but he moved up to second place when Wallace Spearmon and Churandy Martina were disqualified for lane infringements. However, Crawford did not believe Martina should have been disqualified, so later gave him his medal.

USADA confirmed that Crawford’s two-year period of ineligibility began on April 17, 2013, the date he received the sanction. As a result of the violation, the sprinter has been disqualified from all competitive results achieved on and subsequent to November 17, 2012 the date of his third whereabouts failure.

“It’s not as easy as just turning up to the race and racing,” double Olympic champion Mo Farah commented on his decision to run the first half of this year’s Virgin London Marathon ahead of making his debut over 26.2 miles next year.

“There’s a lot of stuff that goes on,” he added, “it’s important that you can deal with that stuff and deal with the race well as well.”

Farah also reiterated the fact that he really will be only running half of the course this year, with bookmakers said to be placing odds on him to run the full route.

“I’m telling you I’m not going to finish the race,” he said. “If you’ve got money to waste you could put it to the Mo Farah Foundation and I’m sure it will go to good cause!”

Video via LondonMarathonTV

With a course that is said to be flatter than London, New York and Paris, the Yorkshire event, which takes place on October 20, already has entries from runners from across the UK, France, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, the USA and the Caribbean.

The initial capacity of the event sold out within just three days and the additional places, which will take the capacity of the inaugural event to 6,100, will be released for sale on Friday April 26.

“We knew the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon would be popular, but I think it is fair to say it took even us by surprise when it sold out in just three days,” said event director Sara Birkinshaw.

“The demand was so high we could probably have sold out the event twice over. Since January we have had an enormous number of requests to increase capacity. The course goes right through York’s ancient city walls, which is fantastic, but, obviously, they restrict the sheer numbers of people we can put on the route for 2013.

“However, after discussions, we have now been able to increase capacity of the event to 6,100. It’s great news for the event but also for the many people who missed out on a place in January.”

The additional places will only be available to those registered on the official Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon waiting list – via www.theyorkshiremarathon.com – by midnight on April 22. Only those registered by that time will be able to gain access to the registration system when the places go on sale at 9am on Friday April 26.

The marathon is organised by a new company under the Jane Tomlinson’s For All Events umbrella – the organisation set up as a fundraising legacy to the late Yorkshire fundraiser and campaigner Jane Tomlinson CBE who raised almost £2m for charity by tackling a series of endurance challenges, despite being diagnosed with incurable cancer.

The attributes for a marathoner are obvious – loads of endurance, after all, it’s almost exclusively aerobic in nature. There are no short-cuts in terms of training – logging up large mileages are necessary, although the diversity in those distances will vary from athlete to athlete. Some world-class performers are known to record some weeks as high as 200 miles for a seven-day period while others only just eclipse 100 miles as part of their regimes.

It is unusual for anyone to begin their careers at the classic distance of 26 miles 385 yards and most will have started their fledgling athletic careers in the middle distances before progressing on to the 5000m and 10,000m events. Almost all will have participated in cross-country events on a regular basis before training specifically for the marathon and that will also include competing frequently in 10k road races as well as 10 mile and half-marathon events to develop their feel for the longer event.

The need for at least a 10 year ‘training age’ is vital (and much longer in most cases) to build great endurance resources. Of course, to be able to run a good marathon also requires great mental strength and the ability to focus for two hours and more with no wavering of concentration. The best runners in the world are naturally gifted with an essential mix of slow twitch muscle fibres that allow for excellent economy and efficiency with little energy wasted.

While most runners will ‘run’ a marathon (aiming to run at a pre-set pace with the end goal a specific time), the very best will ‘race’ the distance, almost with track tactics, covering any surges or seemingly suicidal paces. With the possibility of a two hour marathon for a male athlete drawing ever nearer, the ability of such an athlete will have to be immense with not only the resources to sustain a fast pace, but also world-class times over much shorter distances.

A two hour marathon makes frightening reading: 26x1mile in around 4:34 per segment; 2xhalf-marathon in 60min; 4×10,000m in 28min 32sec; 8x5000m in 14min 16sec. If we equate that to ‘sessions’ the stats are extraordinary – 104x400m in 68.5sec or 208x200m in 34sec – unbelievable sessions in their own right and all with no recoveries! It therefore doesn’t take anyone with a great knowledge of athletics to realise that such a super-human performance would require someone who could run the half-distance in at least 57min – a time that is quicker than the current world-best.

So what is the difference between a reasonable 2hr 15min performance and a world-best of 2hr 03min? The answer is 12 minutes! Is there a difference in the training philosophies between the two though? Realistically you would think there would be and for some there will be much more volume and faster efforts. However, many who are hovering around the 2hr 15min zone may be concentrating on too many miles and neglecting the quality of their sessions and races especially at the shorter distances.

Now no disrespect to anyone in the UK, but 2hr 15min should be a ‘walk in the park’ to any athlete who considers themselves to be an elite athlete. After all, I did it almost 30 years ago and I limped and hopped the last 12 miles with a painful calf injury. Why are more Britons not doing this or indeed running two to three minutes faster? The answer surely can’t be due to lack of talent – it must be down to poor or incorrect training strategies and perhaps even lifestyles that are just too easy?

Another possible reason is that those who are marathoners tend to class themselves solely as marathon runners. Although the marathon may be their specialist distance, the fact that most only run a maximum of two per year means that their ‘bread-and-butter’ event will almost certainly be 10k and this is what needs to be run frequently to develop faster-than-marathon pace attributes. This ultimately makes running at marathon pace easy, as long as the endurance-base is given utmost attention.

The major reason why the African runners are churning out super-fast times at will is that they have a massive natural background in endurance running and that they are able to do ‘tempo’ sessions at a much faster pace over a much longer distance. Simply, for them, running at marathon pace is easy! There are many athletes in the UK who are in effect addicted to big mileages and are leaving their best performances on the training ground. Although a variety of sessions are essential in a specific build-up period (usually around 12 weeks), it is the accumulation of at least a year’s work that brings success on race day. The specific training block is the ‘fine tuning’ period where extra mileage, pacing and general preparation is done and where the mind is finally focused towards the goal race.

Although running ‘middle distance’ type sessions will have little benefit for the marathoner, short-end speed is vital to be able to run economically. A look at the sharp-end at this Sunday’s race will see an African (almost guaranteed) coming down The Mall looking like a track runner, high hips and knee-lift and with very quick feet and that will have been the recipe for almost the entirety of the distance. Long gone are the days when the best were more akin to ‘plodders’ and relying on strength and sheer guts, although those attributes are more than useful.

Today’s champions are literally running like clockwork and eventually when all the best in the world get together in the same race in near perfect weather conditions on a pancake flat and smooth course the possibility of the dream sub-2hr will definitely gain momentum. Is it possible? Only maybe presently … in the real world it equates to running well over a kilometre faster than anyone has before, but then again, that’s exactly what Paula Radcliffe did in 2003!

Good luck to everyone on Sunday and I sincerely hope that we have at least six Brits with sub-2hr 15min times with a couple approaching 2hr 10min. Will it happen? … that’s all down to what training has been amassed not only over these last 12 weeks, but probably over the last four years. Be positive, run evenly and focus from start to finish and anything is possible, as long as you believe it!

» David’s blog post is the fourth in our series of Virgin London Marathon race-week blogs by AW writers. You can find the other blog posts here and grab a copy of this week’s issue of Athletics Weekly, out Thursday, for some last minute marathon advice from former World Cup Marathon winner Richard Nerurkar

The Kenyan, who is among the favourites to beat a field of 36,000 around the capital on Sunday in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators, said: “When you are running and you are thinking something like that can happen, you can’t concentrate. We should have no fear during the race because security matters will be put in place and we will run feeling free.”

London Marathon chief executive Nick Bitel gave further assurances today regarding security surrounding the race, stating that additional security checks would be in operation around the city.

Bitel said: “It’s about putting out the right numbers to send the right message. It’s not about budget, it’s not about the money. It’s about ensuring the police are able to do what they do every day here in London in making people feel safe and secure.

“London is one of the safest cities in the world. We saw last year at the Olympic Games the Metropolitan Police led in incredible security effort around the Games.”

Meanwhile, organisers confirmed today that they would be laying on pacemakers to reach 20 miles at 2:03:30 pace at the request of the elite athletes.

World record-holder Patrick Makau, who clocked 2:03:38 in Berlin in 2011, is among arguably the greatest men’s field ever assembled for a marathon.

See the April 18 edition of Athletics Weekly for our preview of the Virgin London Marathon.

According to the internet time calculator that I normally use, someone who is capable of 2:30 for the marathon could typically do 32:36 for 10km off the same fitness, though obviously this varies according to the individual, dependent largely on mileage background and natural strength versus speed capacity.

Yet while 437 runners in the UK beat 32:36 for 10km on the roads last year, only 59 bettered 2:30 for the marathon. Of course, some of this will be down to fewer people running the marathon distance as against shorter events and the fact you have far fewer attempts at 26 miles. However, I’ve long thought that many are under-performing at the marathon.

So why might this be? Why aren’t more breaking the two-and-a-half hour barrier?

First, so many are getting the pace wrong. Take a look at any flat marathon (London is not the best example as it has a slightly easier first half) and you would be staggered to see how many at around this level run much quicker over the first 13.1 miles than the second.

Pacing the marathon is not an easy task, especially for beginners, and even the most experiences can get it wrong occasionally. However, if you’re getting it right, you should be thinking during the first half at least that it feels easy. I can recall on the one occasion that I broke 2:30 (2:28:32 in London 2011), that I was thinking at about 16 miles, “This is a marathon – isn’t it supposed to be hard?”

Now on that occasion, it could be argued that I went off too slowly as I ran a massive negative split, so you have to be careful of this too, but by the far the biggest problem is starting too quickly.

I also wonder whether many are putting in enough miles in their training. Of course, some individuals can beat 2:30 on their debuts without increased mileage and just rely on their talent. But for most of us, if you want to run as well over the marathon as you do at shorter distances, you will need a lot more miles in the bag.

Built up gradually over five to ten years, 100 miles per week, including two or three hard sessions shouldn’t leave you feeling tired.

With this, a few long runs of around half an hour longer than you expect to take for the marathon are important too – just to get used to the distance.

Another big mistake I always see is people trying to merge their long runs and long marathon-paced tempo runs into the same session. Long MP runs are “long” in the sense of being longer most of your runs, once you add in a short warm-up and warm-down. However, they should be quite a bit shorter than the longest long run distance that you are used to. But they are not “long runs”, which should be all about time on your feet at an easy pace.

When it comes to race day, one last thing that might not receive enough attention is that of hydration and nutrition. Perhaps I am being too clinical in planning exactly how much I will consume in the way of carbs and water and when, but it strikes me that this is a precise business.

You don’t want to consume too much liquid – after all, take just half a litre more than you need and you will end up 500g heavier and two seconds per mile slower, in theory. On the other hand, some can lose a lot more than a litre per hour in sweat and, according to many – though not all agree – being more than 2% dehydrated can worsen your performance.

Even with such meticulous planning, I don’t pretend to have got the matter of hydration and carbohydrates right yet. Some have been lucky with the gung-ho approach, while for others perhaps this is their downfall.

» Paul’s blog post is the third in our series of Virgin London Marathon race-week blogs by AW writers. You can find the other posts here and grab a copy of this week’s issue of Athletics Weekly, out Thursday, for some last minute marathon advice from former World Cup Marathon winner Richard Nerurkar

The news is no surprise, as it was common knowledge that negotiations were at an advanced level. But the fine details have been ironed out – and the UK’s unique tax rules relaxed – and the official announcement was made on Wednesday that he would be among 12 Olympic champions and four world record-holders so far signed up for a meeting that is set to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the London 2012 opening ceremony.

Due to the British tax rules which ordinarily would fleece Bolt of any potential profit from such a race in London, he has not raced in Britain since 2009 except for at the Olympics. Now, the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games will be his final competition before the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.

“I’m looking forward to coming back to the UK, especially with it being a year since winning three gold medals in the Olympic Stadium,” he said. “The crowd were amazing at the Games, and I hope they will be out again in their numbers at the end of July.

“I haven’t competed at the London Diamond League since 2009 but it has always been a great meet with lots of Jamaican support – it almost feels like running at home.”

British Olympic champions Jess Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah also compete. Ennis will race world and Olympic champion Sally Pearson in the 100m hurdles and the Olympic heptathlon champion also competes in the long jump, while Rutherford faces Aussie rival Mitchell Watt in the long jump.

Farah will race the non-Diamond League 3000m event, while his training partner Galen Rupp will join fellow American and Olympic 1500m silver medallist Leo Manzano in the Emsley Carr Mile.

In a veritable galaxy of stars, other big names set to compete include world sprint hurdles record-holder Aries Merritt, Olympic 400m champions Kirani James and Sanya Richards-Ross, Olympic pole vault gold medallists Renaud Lavillenie and Jenn Suhr, two-time Olympic shot put champion Valerie Adams, plus world 400m hurdles champion Dai Greene.

Other Brits signed up include Christine Ohuruogu, Holly Bleasdale, Andrew Osagie, Shara Proctor, Andy Turner and Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

These events take place on the Friday and Saturday, with Sunday’s disability athletics action featuring many of the Paralympic medallists from last year.

A week before the race you can’t get any fitter and while I like to run every day, the distances are greatly reduced and the effort sessions are confined to short sharp efforts with an aim to get speed into my legs but not take too much out of myself. My final track session are usually controlled 200m efforts. I run just a few miles on Friday and Saturday but many like a complete day off.

Just as important as the running in the last week is to get plenty of rest, eat sensibly (upping the carbs) and make sure you are well hydrated. While all runners have to attend the Marathon Expo to pick up their number, try and stay off your feet as much as possible there and elsewhere and don’t spend ages talking to everyone you know! (Unless it’s the AW team of course, stand 252! – ed)

Try and get extra sleep during the week before. It isn’t always easy to sleep well the night before the race due to nerves, often sleeping in a strange place or having to get up earlier than normal to eat a breakfast before the race, so it’s important to have some sleep in hand.

There are lots of toilets at the marathon starts but never enough for 35,000 so try and go as much as you can before getting to the start area. Some people just like to stay in the queue and soon as they visit the toilet to go back to the end of the queue and start again as they’ll be ready to go again by the time they have reached the front again.

During the race you may feel you need to stop during the first five miles to have a loo stop but as long as you don’t overdo the drinking on the run and are topping up, then you may find after about 10 miles that the dehydrating effects on running has eased the pressure on the bladder.

Do note that while it is important not to get dehydrated, it is almost as dangerous to drink too much, so just take on enough fluid to satisfy thirst and keep the mouth wet. If it is hot and sunny though, you will need to take on slightly more liquids, but be sensible.

It is also important to eat enough beforehand to be fuelled but not that much that you feel full, bloated and have stomach pains.

During the race most athletes like to take on gels. It varies per person but between three and five should aid the onset of fatigue slightly but only take them on if you are used to them as they can be unsettling to a delicate stomach and dry throat in the second half.

The most important aspect of how you do on the day is the pacing. Some like to see it as a 20 mile warm-up and 10km race. For example, you get to 20 miles as easy as you can and only get into race mode once you are past 20 miles.

The major failing of most marathoners is that the adrenaline means they feel great early on and run faster than they should. If you do run the first half-marathon a few minutes too fast, there is a good chance the second half could be up anything from five to 30 minutes slower than you hoped.

Most runners will have run half-marathons in their build up, and from that should have a rough target. For example, if you have run slower than 1:30 in your half-marathon, you are not going to break three hours but could target a time between 3:15 and 3:30.

As a rough guide, doubling your half-marathon time and adding 10-15 minutes (20 for those slower than four hours) should give a realistic target.

I have run around 70 marathons and still find those last 5 miles hard but I have the knowledge if I have done the training, pace it well, stay reasonably hydrated and get some boosts from gel, that I am going to be able to maintain a reasonable pace through those last few miles when it hurts the most.

Try and enjoy the race as much as possible. You are taking part in one of the world’s greatest marathons in one of the world’s greatest cities so relax and enjoy and then focus really hard in those last 10 kilometres.

A bit about Steve (pictured above, second from the left)…

Sunday’s London Marathon will be my 32nd London Marathon and my 30th in succession.

My PB of 2:29 dates back from the very first London Marathon in 1981 and I rather foolishly missed the 1983 edition after suffering an injury in the build up, though I was fit by race day and could have run 2:40 had I not decided to go to another race which I won.

As the 1983 London race was slightly short though, I can lay claim to have run all the London Marathons that have taken place over the proper distance!

Now into the M55 category, I’m not going to get any quicker and after peaking in 1981, I am more proud of my consistency (see below) than my PB, though my 55-59 time will be way down on the other times this year. Having run my first sub-3 in 1976, I am hopeful I can extend the sub three span from my first to last to a 38th year at this year’s marathon, which I believe is the best by a British runner.

Under 20
2:41:35: Barnsley 1979

20-24
2:29:42: London 1981

25-29
2:35:02 London 1985

30-34
2:38:15: London 1988

35-39
2:44:21: London 1994

40-44
2:42:10: Austin 2002

45-49
2:43:53: London 2006

50-54
2:43:40: London 2008

55-59
? London 2013

» Steve’s blog post is the second in our series of Virgin London Marathon race-week blogs by AW writers. You can find our first London Marathon blog post from AW editor Jason Henderson here and grab a copy of this week’s issue of Athletics Weekly, out Thursday, for some last minute marathon advice from former World Cup Marathon winner Richard Nerurkar