The British Athletics 100km Championships in Mallory Park, Leicester, on Saturday incorporated the Anglo-Celtic Plate Home Countries International

Henry Hart and Kelsey Price emerged victorious at the British Athletics 100km Championships in Leicester on Saturday (May 3), Adrian Stott reports.

The course was a 4.872-kilometre loop with some undulations on each lap. Runners ran a part lap, then 20 circuits of the motor racing circuit.

England's Rob Payne was the early leader, with a small group including previous winner Jarlath McKenna, Henry Hart, Kieran McGonigle, Shaun Dixon and Gary Marshall not far behind.

Payne still led at halfway, but Hart emerged from the chasing group to take the lead by 40 miles and was never headed.

Increasing pace slightly, Hart stayed strong to the end, running negative splits to record 6:37:18, moving him to 10th athlete on the GB 100km all-time list. On the undulating Mallory Park course, which was variously described as challenging and tough by the runners, it was an excellent time.

Hart came into the race having recorded PBs at the marathon (2:18:45) and 50km (2:50:33) in recent months, indicating that 100km, at an elite level, continues to attract competent marathon runners looking to challenge themselves over longer distances.

England’s Shaun Dixon took second in 6:56:13, with Ireland’s Ciaran McGonigle third in 6:59:44. McKenna, in fourth, 7:06:07 took third in the GB Championships.

The men's team competition, decided on the cumulative time of each nation's first three finishers, was not decided until the final hour. Scotland's first three runners stayed strong to hold off England, with Ireland in third.

In the women's race, the England trio of Steph McCall, Katie Young and Belinda Houghton were running together with Kelsey Price and Northern Ireland’s Karen Wilton a few seconds back.

It was Price who proved the stronger in the second half of the race, to take the title in 7:44:21, five minutes ahead of Houghton in 7:49:57. Katie Young gave England a clean sweep of the podium, taking the third spot in 8:05:47.

This gave England’s women a clear win in the home countries team competition. Scotland were second and Ireland third.

For Price, it was a great way to celebrate her selection earlier in the week for the GB 24-hour team for the IAU World Championships in France, in October. Her time puts her 13th athlete on the women's all-time British 100km rankings.