Another extraordinary day for Great Britain at the European Masters Championships in Madeira as they leapfrog Germany in the medal table

On day four of the European Masters Championships (October 12), British 1500m runners exceeded the haul of the 400m runners the day before as they won an astonishing nine golds in the discipline.

Golds went to Chris Loudon, Ellie Stevens, Paul Grange, Dean Richardson, Andrew Ridley, Jed Turner, Anna Garnier, Colin Spivey and Sarah Roberts. Together with golds in the throws (Jo Rowland, Evaun Williams and Rachel Wilcockson) multi-events (Rowland) and cross-country (Betty Stracey and team), Britain jumped past Germany to top the medal table. Britain has 37 golds, 29 silver and 24 bronze to Germany's 33, 35, 26 with France now a distant third (24, 19, 22).

Loudon, who won world indoor medals in March in both the 800m and 3000m, this time focused on 1500m and he triumphed by two seconds with 4:01.67, beating France's Olivier Galon. Britain had five of the top nine with Michael Holness the best of the rest in sixth with 4:08.20.

Also winning the W40s was 10,000m and multi world indoor champion Stevens. The US-based runner triumphed in a time of 4:33.19 from team-mate Laura Haggarty (4:41.01) with Alexis Dodd fifth in 4:53.60.

Britain also won M45 gold through Paul Grange who was making his international masters debut. An assured run and strong finish saw him take the victory in a time of 4:06.62 from Italy's Francesco Nadalutti (4:08.19).

World indoor champion from 2019/2023 Dean Richardson, who was team manager in Florida, this time focused on competition and won M50 gold. He was timed in 4:07.51 and took the victory from Spain's Victor Martinez (4:10.01) with Les Newell fifth in 4:21.71.

There was an one-two in the M60 race as world champion and world outdoor record-holder Andrew Ridley out-kicked world indoor champion Rob McHarg – the respective times were 4:35.75 to 4:37.83.

A gold looked likely in the M65 race, with most eyes on world indoor champion at 800m, 1500m and 3000m Dave Clarke or European indoor champion John Thomson. Clarke had to drop out with a bad hamstring pull while battling for a medal and Thomson looked set for gold but a late kick by Jed Turner gave him a shock win in 4:56.78 to Thomson's 4:57.12. At the previous championships in Pescara two years ago, Turner had failed to make the final in both thee 400m and 800m.

World W70 mile record-holder and 2022 world W65 champion Anna Garnier won a slow tactical race in 6:48.65. Former Brit and former champion Alison Bourgeois was second in 6:51.86 in the colours of Switzerland. Lynn Jenkins, who ran the cross-country earlier in the day took bronze in 7:04.77.

Sarah Roberts had also run the cross-country and after second places there and at 400m, she returned to a gold medal winner with a 6:21.83 with her gold medal winning cross-country team-mates Anne Dockery third in 7:05.29 and Carolyn Gale fifth in 7:25.29.

Following his 400m gold, Colin Spivey won the M90 1500m in 8:50.36. World champion Mark Symes controlled the M55 race but was unable to resist the strong kick of Netherland's Andrew Larsen who won in 4:14.80 to Symes' 4:17.04 but his time was a British outdoor record, beating his world title winning 4:17.45 last year.

Former British senior 10,000m champion and defending champion Jill Harrison finished second in 5:47.34 behind Sweden's Karin Wahlstedt (5:33.06).

Betty Stracey was second in the W85 1500m in 10:50.18 to Ireland's Ann Woodlock (9:49.04), having won cross-country gold in the morning.

Kat Sutton missed W35 1500m bronze by five thousands of a second with a time of 5:04.08 as eight metres covered the leading quartet.

Elke Hausler (5:35.46) was a close fourth in the W60 race just behind Austrian bronze medalist Sabine Hofer who a few hours earlier had won cross-country gold. The race was easily won by Ireland's world champion Anne Gilshinan who came close to the world record. Her 4:57.93 gave her a 33 second victory.

Ireland were expected to win in the M70 race but multi champion Joe Gough was headed by Peteris Arents' 5:22.15. Dave Bedwell was fifth in 5:38.43.

Anna Critchlow was fourth in the W55s in 5:23.14 and Caroline Hale sixth (5:42.56) as Sweden's Marie Dasler led the way in 5:07.08. Sarah Swift was fifth in the W50 race in 5:20.48.

Though it was scheduled for Saturday the W35 hammer was not completed until well past 4am. World masters runner-up Rachel Wilcockson won gold with 55.97m backed up by two other 55 metre throws.

She won by 11 metres and her British teammates Caroline Holdsworth (40.79m) and Suzanna Wise (40.25m) were also fifth and sixth.

In the W40 hammer which also finished a day late, Joanne John (48.52m) took bronze as Ireland's Rachel Aker (54.04m) took gold.

The W35 shot only happened a few hours after the hammer at a different stadium. Jo Rowland, who was making her masters debut this year, won with a 13.54m throw from Germany's Sandra Buttner (12.00m) with a sleep-deprived Holdsworth (11.32m) and Wise (8.99m) third and sixth.

Rowland gained her second gold of the day in the heptathlon as she won by 269 points with a score of 5120. Her marks were 15.44 in the hurdles, 1.59m in the high jump, 13.32m in the shot, 27.16m in the 200m, 5.37m in the long jump, 33.56m in the javelin and 2:21.79 in the 800m. Rebecca Perry was third with 4352 points with mars of 15.74, 1.44m, 10.46m, 24.92, 4.63m, 23.57m and 2:32.68.

Jodie Albrow won W40 bronze with marks of 12.47, 1.41m, 9.07m, 29.01, 4.68m, 31.57m and 2:36.60 as gold went to France's Elodie Valle (4943). Jenny O'Connor was fifth W55 (4466)

Alastair Hill was second in the M75 Decathlon with 6387 points as gold went to Finland's Jarmo Lipasti's 6486. Hill's marks were 15.65 at 100m, 3.93m at long jump, 10.24m at shot, 1.38m at high jump, 80.54 at 400m, 16.47 at 80m hurdles, 29.43m at discus, 1.80m at pole vault, 34.15m at javelin and 7:30.87 at 1500m.

Evaun Williams won W85 gold - her fourth so far with a 7.31m throw over a metre clear of the opposition.

Claire Cameron was fourth in the W65 shot with 8.94m and Caroline Marler was fifth in the W70 event with 8.01m.

The cross-country races were held up in the mountains away from Funchal at 4000 feet altitude due to the lack of a suitable venue close or at sea level.

However the availability of grass did mean the lap was just 1km which meant 8 laps for the majority of competitors. This did cause some problems as did a loose herd of goats who spurted through the scenic and tough course at one point.

The British team were much weaker than normal but had their successes but though the only individual gold went to W85 Betty Stracey but there were team golds. Stracey ran 57:13 for the 6km ahead of Norway's Eva Carlsen.

Geoff Newton (35:34) gained M80 silver in the 6km race and along with Michael Johnson and Phil Brennan who all placed in the top six, Britain won team gold. Viktor Kiessel of Luxembourg won the M70+ race in 26:44 as France's Roger Godard took M80 individual gold with 33:51. Britain were sixth in the M70 team race.

The overall women's W70+ race was won by Ireland's Christine Kennedy (29:54) with Dot Kesterton third in 31:59. Ireland's Eileen Kenny (32:45) won the W75 race from 10,000m champion Sarah Roberts (33:51) who was making  her cross-country debut and, along with Anne Dockery who took bronze and Carolyn Gale in sixth, Britain's W75 team secured gold. The W70 team with Lyn Jenkins and Louise Rowley took bronze.

In the M55-65 race over 8km, Portugal's Joaquin Figueiredo won by a minute in 29:36. Simon Mugglestone, who placed second in the 5000m, was fourth M55 and just two seconds off of the medals in 30:52. Close behind came M60 10,000m champion Chris Upson (30:58) as he took silver behind Ireland's Pauric McKinney's 30:41.

Malcolm Eustace took M65 silver in 34:08 behind Spain's Jesus Sacristan (32:31) and led the team to bronzes. Britain M55 and M60 teams were fourth and fifth respectively.

The younger men's race over 8km was dominated by Poland's M35 Andrzej Starzynska, who won by over a minute in 26:18. Carl Hardman was the fourth M40 in 28:26 but led Britain to team silvers with fifth M50 (29:31) as part of the team.

The overall women's race was won by Sweden's W35 Liduina Van Sitteren in 32:13. The leading Briton was W60 Clare Elms (36:06) who finished just ahead of W45 steeplechase medalist Jacqueline Etherington (36:08) and both won individual bronzes.

Elms had been clear in first W60 at 6km but feeling unwell after heat exhaustion in the 10,000m and possibly the altitude she had to ease back and was overtaken by 10,000m champion Hofer. The W50 team led by Val Woodland in sixth, took W50 bronzes.

In the M65 100m semis, world record-holder John Wright was easily fastest with 12.53 while Steve Peters (13.07) and John Browne (23.20) topped M70 qualification. Darren Scott (12.08) was the fastest M55. Heptathlon medalist Rebecca Perry (12.17) was the quickest W35 and Lisa Boland (12.60) topped W40 qualification. W55 Christine Harrison-Bloomfield (13.11) and W70 Helen Godsell (15.41) were also quickest.