Sprinter clocks wind-assisted sub-10 to beat Jeremiah Azu and Louie Hinchliffe on the first day of the Novuna UK Champs in Birmingham

A couple of years ago Zharnel Hughes memorably won the UK 100m title amid a Mancunian monsoon. On Saturday he retained the title under blue skies in Birmingham following a deluge of false and faulty starts.

The first day of the Novuna UK Championships was notable for a number of disqualifications in the sprints. Moments before the men’s 100m final at just after 7pm local time, Daryll Neita was DQ’d for a false start in the women’s 100m. The men’s final also failed to cleanly get away with Ade Adewale in lane three fortunate to escape a DQ.

Instead, the starter waived a green card to the athletes and, as the gun fired for the second time, the race saw Hughes storm to victory in 9.94 (2.2) as Jeremiah Azu was runner-up in 9.97 and defending champion Louie Hinchliffe third in 10.01.

Hughes didn’t enjoy a fantastic start but soon got into his stride and powered into the lead, glancing to his right to exchange some trash talk with Azu in the final metres.

“I was trying to have fun, which was most important,” said Hughes, gently playing down the incident. “I was happy to see that I went sub-10. It was great to have such great support today and a big shout out to everyone I ran against.”

Azu started his year by winning the world and European indoor 60m titles and here ran a season’s best. After early season injuries – a stress fracture and hamstring pull – the 2024 winner Hinchliffe is working his way back into shape and said he was pleased with his third place after the injury-hit build-up.

Azu said: "I am finishing races healthy, my life outside of track is great, I really can’t complain. I have to keep working hard and hopefully I can go to the world championships and be competitive and mix it with the best in the world."

Hughes plans to return on Sunday to run the 200m despite having a difficult weekend emotionally due to a recent family bereavement.

“I’m grateful to be here this year,” he added. “It was inspiring to be here and hear my name from the fans. To get a sub-10, I’m happy, although to get the win was the most important for me today.”

Earlier, Thomas Young clocked 11.19 to win the ambulant men’s 100m after having clocked 10.98 in his heat a few hours earlier.

“The heat showed I can go sub 11,” he said. “I was hoping to go a bit quicker in the final but these championships are about one thing – and that is winning.”

Saturday was also packed with heats on the track. Among these, Max Burgin led the 800m qualifiers with 1:46.02 with world bronze medallist Ben Pattison among those joining him in a strong final on Sunday afternoon.

A slow first heat in the men’s 1500m which was won by Elliot Giles in 3:48.29 meant that eight runners from the second heat progressed to the final, just as long as they ran quickly enough.

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Joe Wigfield did most of the work to ensure this, but he was unfortunate to then finish ninth in the race, missing out on a spot in the final by one place, as Tom Keen, George Couttie and Neil Gourley headed the qualifiers.

After being one of the top events in recent years, though, the 2025 men’s 1500m isn’t as strong due to the absence of Josh Kerr, George Mills and Jake Wightman.

In the 400m hurdles rounds, Tyri Donovan was quickest with 49.39 ahead of Sunday’s showdown with reigning champion Alastair Chalmers and Seamus Derbyshire. “It is my title and it is going to be a really good battle,” said Chalmers.

More articles about the Novuna UK Athletics Champs here. 

Full results here