The quickest ‘On Camp with Kelly’ 800m race to date took place at the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on Friday 13 August, with three athletes setting personal bests and two setting season’s bests. Four ‘On Camp with Kelly’ athletes competed against three overseas athletes and two of the UK’s other leading 800m runners in the race which opened the programme on Friday evening.
Pacemaker Karen Harewood moved quickly to the front followed by the quickest athlete in the field, Lenka Masna of the Czech Republic, Vicky Griffiths (Liverpool Harriers), Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand and then Celia Taylor. These positions remained the same as Harewood went through the bell in 59.19. When she stepped off the track on the back straight, Masna was in the lead from Hamblin and Taylor, with Vicky starting to fade.
Masna held on to the lead to win in 2:00.72 from Hamblin, who clocked a season’s best of 2:00.96 with Taylor improving her personal best to 2:01.16 in third. Then came the four ‘On Camp with Kelly’ athletes with strong finishes – Alison Leonard fourth in a personal best of 2:01.82, Charlotte Best fifth in a season’s best of 2:01.88, Dani Christmas sixth in a personal best of 2:02.54 and Vicky sixth in 2:04.74. Sarah Kelly (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers) was eighth in 2:05.45 while Polish athlete Angelika Cichocka did not finish.
Alison said: “I really enjoyed the race and it was very well paced. I thought I had messed up as I was in sixth place after 200 metres but I managed to move through well at the end.”
Charlotte added: “I’m pleased, I ran a season’s best and after my injury problems running in the 2:01s is a bonus. I’m happy and think there’s more to come.”
Dani said: “I went through faster than ever before up to 600 metres and I paid for that in the last 100 metres where I am usually strong. But I can’t complain as I ran a personal best. It was a good experience.”
Emma Jackson (City of Stoke - second to right on pic above) set a new personal best and Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 2:00.88 in the main 800m race on Saturday. Emma ran bravely, going with the brisk pace and lying in fourth when Alysia Johnson led the field through the bell in 57.42 seconds. Emma fought hard on the back straight to stay with the leading group and although she paid for the brisk early pace on the home straight fought hard to finish in ninth place. The race was won by Russian Mariya Savinova in 1:58.64.
Stacey Smith (Gateshead Harriers) was unsuccessful in her attempt to run under the Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 4:10.00 in the 1500m on Friday 13 October. The race didn’t help Stacey in her quest as the field dawdled through the first two laps, passing 400m in 72 seconds and 800m in 2:19.5. When the pace picked up on the third lap Stacey did her best to stay with the front group but finished in 11th place in 4:13.71, though this was her second fastest time ever. She was passed on the home straight by Laura Weightman (Morpeth Harriers - on picture below) who set a new personal best of 4:12.95 for ninth place. Charlotte Browning finished 15th in 4:19.49. The race was won by Kenyan Nancy Langat in 4:07.60.
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Nikki Hamblin
Emma Jackson
Stacey Smith
Photos Mark Shearman
