Middle-distance runner continues fine summer as Josh Kerr impresses over 5000m, Neil Gourley wins 1500m and Phil Norman wins exciting steeplechase battle

Fans of Max Burgin always have their heart in their mouth due to his injury-hit history. But fresh from a 1:42.36 PB in London two weeks earlier and after looking so relaxed in his heat at these Novuna UK Athletics Championships, the Halifax Harrier was the hot favourite in Sunday’s 800m final.

He didn’t disappoint as he led from the start despite blustery conditions, stretching away on the final lap to clock 1:43.92 – just outside William Tanui’s long-standing championship record of 1:43.90.

In the battle for the minor medals, Tiarnan Croken of Preston Harriers clocked 1:45.56 to pip Alex Botterill’s 1:45.57 as recent European under-23 medallist Justin Davies was fourth and 2023 world bronze medallist Ben Pattison, on the comeback from injury, jogged in last in 1:51.58.

"When you have a few seconds advantage over everyone else coming into the race, you always feel a responsibility to lead from the front," said Burgin, "so that is why I went out like I did.

"That kind of jeopardy (to get top two) has been the case at trials for the last few years, so it is nothing new to any of us, so it makes it an exciting race, I guess."

Josh Kerr might light work of the 5000m at these championships as he breezed to victory by nine seconds, waving to the crowd Ovett-style in the final metres.

His winning time of 13:44.73 didn’t get close to Dave Bedford’s championships record of 13:17.2 from 1972. Neither will it worry Olympic and world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

Still, it was a fine demonstration of stamina by the world 1500m champion as he prepares to defend his crown in Tokyo.

With British record-holder George Mills absent due to a recent operation on a broken wrist sustained at the London Diamond League – plus James West missing due to injury – it meant a couple of big contenders were not here.

But after some slow cagey early stages, Rory Leonard surged with four laps to go and threw in a 61-second lap which only Kerr was able to go with.

Kerr then breezed past Leonard with 950m to go, immediately building a big lead and he clocked around 2:01 for the final two laps as Jack Kavanagh pipped Leonard for silver with Will Barnicoat outsprinting Charlie and George Wheeler for fourth.

“This is my second ever British title,” said Kerr. “I am very lucky to be able to come and race over the 5000m amongst a great field. It was always going to be tough out there over the last mile but I really enjoyed the first eight laps. That was fun!”

The men’s 1500m has gone from being one of the showcase events of the champs to being a rather more modest affair in 2025. This is largely, of course, due to the absence of Kerr, Mills and Jake Wightman, the latter of whom fell ill a few days earlier.

After slow heats on Saturday, the final on Sunday wasn’t much better as Gourley clocked a mere 3:47.06 to beat Elliot Giles with Sam Charig third and Tom Keen fourth in the last lap burn up.

The final metres were not short of drama, though. After Charig led into the home straight, Giles moved past into the lead but then Gourley began his charge on the outside. With a few metres remaining, Giles drift out toward Gourley and the two men’s arms clashed.

Giles was lucky not to fall, as he did in the 800m final 12 months earlier, but he held his feet and finished runner-up.

"It feels good to take three in a row," said Gourley. "The British Champs is always fun but there is also so much to lose.  The goal today was obviously top two and that was achieved.

"Elliott (Giles) apologised for the near miss at the finish line, I don’t think he realised how close we came but it is all good as we are both on that plane."

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Giles added: "I was disappointed with the way I finished, I stepped wider than I should have, it was sort of a heat of the moment panic, so I didn’t look too good. I panicked a little bit, which happens, but it is frustrating. I think after last year (the fall at UK champs), that’s why I was worried. But we qualified and I’m healthy, so there are positives."

One year after winning the Olympic trial but controversially losing out on selection for Paris in agonising fashion, Phil Norman successfully defended his 3000m steeplechase title with 8:40.47 as he held off Zak Seddon.

Norman clocked 8:18.65 in 2024 – just 15 hundredths of a second outside the UKA standard but within World Athletics’ requirements – and he suggested it might be his last UK Championships.

This year’s race was slower and more tactical as Mark Pearce led in the closing stages. Yet Norman had too much for his rivals again to win his third UK crown ahead of 10-time national medallist Seddon as Pearce faded to third with Thomas Chaston, the son of multiple British steeplechase champion Justin Chasten, finishing fourth.

“I wasn’t sure if I would be here after last year, so it was about nine weeks ago that I decided to do the championships,” said Norman. “I have been training as usual through the winter, but I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do in the summer, so I reached out to my coach and said ‘I want to do the champs, will you draw me up the plan to get me there’. So, I am happy I could come here and do myself and my coach proud.”

With 19:51.83, Cameron Corbishley took the 5000m race walk title with ease and was just 11 seconds outside his PB as he sharpens his speed ahead of potentially contesting the 35km at the World Championships.

More articles about the Novuna UK Athletics Champs here. 

Full results here.