Midsummer Open 3 - 21/7/2021

26 July 2021

The third Midsummer Open of the year had been dubbed the distance special with the focus being on the 3000/5000m. Unfortunately for our athletes soaring temperatures made fast times even harder than normal.

This, however, didn’t stop English Schools and English U20 Champion Kaitlyn Sheppard from smashing the club U20 5000m record set way back in 1989 by over 2 minutes. Sheppard was making her 5000m track debut and looked confident racing against all male athletes much older than herself. Sheppard went out fast and despite fading slightly in the last few laps held on for a very impressive 17:14.4. The time ranks Sheppard 6th in the UK U20 rankings meaning she now ranks in the top 10 in the 1500, 3000 and 5000.

Also racing over 5000m was M50 Dan Minors and M50 Andy Gore, whose determined running earned them both top 20 UK ranking places. Minors ran a PB of 17:20.9 and Gore was just 9 seconds behind in 17:29.1 Unbelievably this was Gore’s second event of the evening having also raced in the 3000m around an hour before. Gore was 3rd in the 1st, and quickest, 3000m race in 9:56.4, meaning in one evening he placed himself 21st in the UK M50 3000m rankings and 18th in the 5000m. The incredible Martin Ford ran a 3000m SB of 15:51.1 making him number 1 in the UK M75 rankings clear of 2nd by almost 5 minutes. Georgia Palmer took 3rd place in race 2 in 10:45.6, her second quickest 3000m ever, a brilliant performance in such tough conditions. Making it three 3rd places in 3 races was Harriet Smith. The U15 athlete looked in control throughout the race and also ran her second quickest time, 12:11.4.

In the field events it was Sulaiman Ouiles turn to impress jumping a new PB of 3.60m and move up to 11th in the UK U17M rankings. Bexley Turbard also jumped well, clearing a best of 3.10m.

9 Harriers participated in the shot put with F55 Ruth Bird throwing the furthest with a best of 9.90m for 2nd female overall. There were PBs for Oliver Risborough and Oliver Belbeck as they finished 1st in the U17M and U15M events respectively, separated overall by just 2cm, Risborough threw 9.49 and Belbeck 9.47. M45 Mike Curneen threw a SB of 8.59. Cicely Moore threw a huge PB of 7.65m, 1.04m further than her previous best set earlier this season. Linsey Hutchins also made a big step up throwing over 7metres for the first time ever with 7.12m. Harriers took a 1-2-3 in the U15G shot put led by Florence Hampton with 9.40. Alana Hazell was 2nd with 9.18 and distance specialist Ellis Woolley was 3rd with a PB of 6.27.