For the Record
in a matter of weeks this summer young Ellen Weir soared to the top of the All-time HW Women's rankings for 3000m (9:36.40) and 5000m (16:34.29), and will be competing for GB in the Women's A Final of the 5000m at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia today, 18 July.
Here Ellen looks back on the 5,000m record that set her on the road to Tallinn, and looks forward to the race:
'It was really hot at Watford but fortunately the 5000m was at night when it was a bit cooler', she says.'Ours was the last race at 9pm which is the latest I’ve ever raced. I found it really strange as I like to go to bed early and it was close to my bedtime! The endorphins afterwards also meant it was impossible to fall asleep.
'There were lots of really fast seniors in the race as well as pacemakers taking me and the other girls of my age through at the U20 qualifying pace for the European Championships, so for the first 3000m we just followed, which wasn’t too painful – but the last 2000m was the most pain I have ever experienced in a race. Because I knew what time I needed to get, I couldn’t slow down, though. On the last lap my legs felt numb and after the race they were very, very sore.
'Being in a paced race is so different to a Championships,' she has realised with a jolt. 'At Watford I knew that as long as the pacers were going at the right speed, I didn’t have to think about anything other than focusing on keeping with them, whereas in Manchester at the British Champs I just panicked a bit', she admits. 'It was a mix of being on such a big stage and not being very used to ‘racing’ racing. Previously on the track I’ve mostly done Open meetings where I have been running to try to get good times, rather than competing against girls of my own age'.
Racing at the English Schools Championships, also in Manchester (and in which she competed in the 3000m, and not the steeplechase as originally planned) was, she says, 'a similar experience – but now I know that I have that feeling of panic I hope I can acknowledge it and push on through it in Tallinn'.
Before leaving for Estonia Ellen and her fellow endurance athletes took part in a Zoom session with World and European medallist over 800m, Jenny Meadows, who is looking after the group. 'She said that she and the staff can give us as much or as little help as we want in terms of coaching and helping with race plans, etc,' Says Ellen. She was also due to have a last minute Zoom session with Laura Weightman, European and Commonwealth medallist over 1500m, through the BMC Mentor Scheme, which is designed for young athletes to have the chance to learn from an experienced senior international. 'I had a session with Laura before the Watford race, and she told me to run my own race, not focus on other people and enjoy it as much as I could', says Ellen. 'So I am hoping to use some more good mentor-tricks to help control the nerves in Tallinn!
'The European Championships will be my last track meeting of the season', she says. 'After that I’m going off rock climbing in Snowdonia, and then it will be the cross country season, which I’m really looking forward to. Racing over the country is so much more interesting than track racing, and I really like hills and mud!'
And talking of rankings...
More great runs from Charlie Eastaugh (left) who clocked a new PB of 1:53.23 in the 800m at the BMC Regional Race Meeting at Eltham on Weds night (14 July), which lifts him to 14th on the All Time Men's Track and Field ranking list. A few days earlier Fred Slemeck also notched up a PB of 31:41.49 at the FASTFriday 10000m in Walthamstow, which puts him 21st on the all time list, just behind HW legend, Pete Mulholland.
Still winning in the SAL
There was another clear win for HW in the second SAL match at Kingston on 11 July.
The final results have yet to appear on the Power of Ten, so there will be a full report in the next newsletter.
And a win in the Ebbisham League, 10 July
In the first match of this summer's Ebbisham Boys League at Coulsdon, HW finished in first position with 132 points, ahead of Kingston & Poly in second with 129, and Dorking & Reigate in third with 88 points.
In the U15 100m there were wins and PBs for Conor Kelly (11.9) in the A race and Shawn Bell (12.1) in the B race. In the U13 100m, there was another win double, with Elliott Turbin taking the A race in 12.5 (PB) and Matthew Wehrle the B race in 14.1. Conor Kelly struck again in the 200m, winning the A race in 24.2 with Javon Blake taking the B race in 26.2 (both PBs) and the Elliott and Matthew Combo won the U13 200m in 24.8 and 28.3 respectively, with a PB for Elliott. Shawn Bell won the U15 300m in 39.9 with Matt Weisz winning the U15 800m in a PB of 2:22.1 Michael Banks took the 1500m B race in 5:08.5. – yet another PB – and there were victories too in the U15 and U13 4 x 100m relays.
On the field, Conor Kelly continues to leap higher and higher. He won the U15 high jump in a new PB of 1.72, with Javon Blake winning the B event with 1.30. Elliott Turbin took the U13 high jump, clearing 1.50, while Thomas Whorton won the B event long jump with 3.89.
Full results