A late starter to athletics, Wakefield clocks 1:47.46 on Saturday in north-west England

A British M35 record in the 800m, two qualifying standards for the World University Games and a UK under-20 No.1 performance for 2025 were among the highlights for the opening British Milers' Club Grand Prix of the season at Bury.

Starting with the latter first, teenager Jessica Lark won the 1500m A race in a personal best of 4:11.36. That slashed almost six seconds off the PB she recorded during the indoor season and not only lifted the 17-year-old straight to the top of the UK under-20 rankings for this year but was also well inside the qualifying standard of 4:20.00 for the European Under-20 Championships.

It also puts her 10th in the UK under-2o women's all-time rankings for the distance, edging out her training partner Ava Lloyd in the M11 Track Club of Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows.

The top two in the men’s 800m race were both delighted with their evening’s work. Ben Gardiner won his first A race in a PB of 1:47.06.

While Gardiner committed himself from the gun runner-up Harry Wakefield admitted afterwards he struggled with the early pace and only grabbed second after a strong finish to overhaul the Sale Harriers pair of Elliot Savage and Andrew Thompson.

But Wakefield had plenty of reasons to celebrate as his PB of 1:47.46 was a British M35 record, carving almost two seconds off his previous best set last year.

Wakefield is only in his third season as a track athlete after starting in team sports and then cycling before moving into running.

Like Gardiner, 19-year-old Eleanor Strevens is a student at Birmingham University and she was also delighted with her first A race success in the 800m with a PB of 2:05.61.

MAY 24
BMC GRAND PRIX - WORLD ATHLETICS CHALLENGER, Bury (Manchester)

Men: 800: A: 1 B Gardiner (Ton) 1:47.06; 2 H Wakefield (Salf, M35) 1:47.46; 3 E Savage (Sale) 1:47.62; 4 A Thompson (Sale) 1:47.75; 5 R Elston (Charn) 1:48.39; 6 J Morrison (W Ches) 1:48.72; 7 H Ware (BMH) 1:49.49; 8 J Mungin (Kilb, U20) 1:49.68. B: 1 T Chamberlain (Jer) 1:49.09; 2 J O'Brien (Sale, U20) 1:49.50; 3 T Cheesbrough (Norw, U20) 1:49.51; 4 N Smith-Mills (Notts) 1:49.54; 5 J Sispal (Leam) 1:49.84; 6 J Kinrade (Shrews, U20) 1:49.98; 7 B Nolan (Wig D) 1:51.26; 8 L Richardson (B&R) 1:51.45. C: 1 M Riddell (Tyne, U17) 1:50.78; 2 L Watt (A'deen) 1:50.81; 3 J O'Leary (IRL) 1:51.26; 4 F Goddard (Sale, U20) 1:51.41; 5 S Clarke (SinA) 1:51.74; 6 K Crawford (A'deen) 1:51.88. D: 1 A Street (Kilb, U17) 1:51.89; 2 C Chambers (Soton, U17) 1:52.08; 3 T Loynes (Neath, U20) 1:52.27; 5 J Marwood (Salf, U20) 1:52.68. E: 1 R Taylor (Falk, U17) 1:53.01; 2 L Morris (IRL, U20) 1:53.04; 3 B Stratton (B'burn, U20) 1:53.21; 6 T Corwood (Vale R, U20) 1:54.50. F: 1 F Lupton (Tm E Loth, U20) 1:52.64; 4 L Ward (S'port W, U20) 1:54.48; 6 C Hendry (Falk, U20) 1:55.26; 7 O Gill (B'burn, U20) 1:55.26. G: 1 J Ryan (Mans, U20) 1:54.15; 3 J Rowley (Macc, U20) 1:55.52; 4 O Brooks (Wharf, U20) 1:55.56; 7 C Pearson (C&S, U17) 1:58.45. 1500: A: 1 A Ludewick (Herne H) 3:45.84; 2 B Kebede (Clay) 3:46.23; 3 T Shaw (York) 3:48.46; 4 D Galloway (Tel) 3:49.27; 5 F Buchanan (St. Michael's Enniskillen, U20) 3:49.30; 6 O Murray (IRL) 3:49.42; 8 M Waterworth (Phoe, U20) 3:50.60; 10 E Grime (Salf, U17) 3:56.71. B: 1 A Brown (A'deen) 3:44.26; 2 K Kudlis (LAT, U20) 3:44.59; 3 S Hopkins (Salf) 3:46.87; 4 O Schofield (Sale, U20) 3:48.44; 7 D Proctor (Sale, M35) 3:50.47; 9 J Hurrell (Chelm, U20) 3:50.63; 13 M Clark (Prest, U20) 3:55.85. C: 1 O MacDonald (Giff N, U20) 3:50.06; 3 R Vanadzins (LAT, U20) 3:51.93; 5 K Fulton (Moorf, U20) 3:51.96; 7 A McWilliam (Lass, U20) 3:52.42. D: 2 E Nederheim (SWE, U20) 3:53.72; 4 A Budding (Leeds C, U20) 3:54.58; 5 D Watson (NSP, U20) 3:55.25; 6 C O'Neill (IRL, U17) 3:55.41. E: 3 J Alexander (Gars, U20) 3:51.41. F: 2 J Trangmar (St Ed, U20) 3:55.39; 3 G Noble (Sale, U20) 3:55.46; 4 Z Ferguson (Roth, U20) 3:56.09; 5 W Steadman (Chelm, U20) 3:57.22; 9 F Dobson Emmas (Traff, U17) 4:04.82. 5000: A: 1 J O'Farrell (Newry) 14:00.04; 2 G Watson (Chelt) 14:01.85; 3 C Stephenson (R&Z) 14:15.55; 4 J Richardson (Hallam) 14:15.87; 5 R Warner-Judd (B'burn) 14:17.40; 6 D Gillett (Western Tempo) 14:18.10; 7 F Brodie (Morp) 14:18.44; 8 M Bostock (Leeds C) 14:19.91; 9 M Ramsden (B'burn) 14:27.44; 10 P Winkler (Morp) 14:29.78. B: 1 C Benyan (C&C, U20) 14:27.12; 2 A Darood (Sky) 14:28.57; 3 H Pickard (Stock H) 14:31.00; 4 O Donkin (Bart D) 14:31.06; 5 W Sutcliffe (Wirr) 14:33.68; 9 O McGloin (Lag V, U20) 15:03.27; 10 A Rawley (AUS, U20) 15:08.19. 3000SC: A: 1 M Hanrahan (IRL) 9:12.35; 2 J McGraw (BRAT) 9:17.23; 3 K Rasmusen (DEN) 9:17.80; 4 A Baird (I'ness, U20) 9:35.90; 5 P Kelly (Mid U) 9:42.57

Women: 800: A: 1 E Strevens (E'bne, U20) 2:05.61; 2 B Trow (Shrews, U20) 2:07.06; 3 H Cameron (A'deen) 2:07.79; 4 G Langdon (Read, U20) 2:09.34; 5 B Taylor (St Ed, U17) 2:11.29. B: 2 L Langan (York, U20) 2:10.91; 3 C Casey (Foyle V, U17) 2:11.01; 4 L Codling (Newp, U17) 2:11.61; 5 E Norris (New FJ, U17) 2:11.88. C: 2 E Jha (Vale R, U20) 2:12.35; 3 P Henson (Leeds C, U17) 2:13.08; 5 M Rosen (Barn, U20) 2:14.54. 1500: A: 1 J Lark (W Ches, U20) 4:11.36; 2 H Dixon (Camb H) 4:13.97; 3 S Calvert (Living) 4:14.85; 4 T Brockley-Langford (Salf) 4:15.82; 5 J Bailey (Lev V, U20) 4:16.39; 6 I Jones (W&B, U20) 4:16.50; 7 A Stratton (Blackburn / Loughborough Students) 4:16.56; 8 A O'Donoghue (IRL) 4:17.30; 9 M Harris (Chelm) 4:18.82; 10 C Young (M&M) 4:24.35; 11 S O'brien (IRL) 4:24.47; 12 Z Gilbody (Tel, U20) 4:27.98.

B: 1 H Kinane (Swan, U20) 4:23.39; 2 Z Redmond (Kilb, U20) 4:25.09; 3 R Lopez Ramirez (MEX) 4:27.11; 4 O McGhee (R&N, U17) 4:27.55; 6 L Adolfsson (SWE, U20) 4:29.30; 7 Z Hunter (Leeds C) 4:29.49; 8 I Burke (Sale) 4:29.72; 9 E McKee (Willow, U17) 4:31.89. C: 1 M Bellwood (Keigh, U20) 4:29.52; 2 G Bell (Lev V, U20) 4:36.94; 7 S Hutchinson Thompson (Salf, U17) 4:42.63; 9 C Dege (AUS, W40) 4:52.44. D: 5 L Smith (Stoke, U17) 4:43.59. 5000: A: 1 E Sundqvist (SWE) 16:13.90; 2 C Fagan (IRL) 16:19.45; 3 R Roberts (CNDR) 16:36.00; 4 K Hawkins (Salf) 16:36.77; 5 M McClelland-Brooks (I'clyde, U20) 16:42.70; 6 A Millerick (IRL) 16:46.28; 7 A McGreevy (Lag V) 17:12.97. 3000SC: A: 1 A Wills (Brack) 10:15.50; 2 I King (Mil K) 10:57.81; 3 A Michalec (THH) 11:17.96