Masters excel on the Ayo Falola Dream Mile assembly in north London as the primary race sees historical past made.
The Ayo Falola Dream Mile at Lee Valley on Wednesday (Feb 4) supplied two world information and 4 additional UK information whereas moreover 4 British athletes went inside 4 minutes within the mile for the primary ever in a UK indoor race, Steve Smythe studies.
Andrew Ridley broke his personal world report within the M60 mile with 4:44.12 whereas Clare Elms regained her W60 world mark with a time of 5:25.07.
British marks had been set by M35 Harry Wakefield (3:59.07), M50 Kojo Kyereme (4:26.62), M80 Peter Giles (6:48.50) and under-15 Madison Kindler (4:51.34).
One of the best and quickest mile race got here within the males’s A race in Wakefield’s race as Jack Higgins (3:56.89) out sprinted twin brother Ted (3:57.05).
Elms, British masters’ most prolific middle-distance record-setter ever (with 27 present British bests and 10 world marks) had run a world over-60 mark on this assembly two years in the past of 5:30.89, though that report was crushed a couple of days later by the earlier record-setter and her good pal American Sue McDonald (5:30.73).
That report lasted till November 2024 when crushed by Eire’s world champion Anne Gilshinan (5:27.66) which then fell to new to the age group and US Olympian and a number of world W55 champion Michelle Rohl (5:26.65) in January this yr.
Elms had damaged Rohl’s 3000m W60 world report in Cardiff on the identical day Rohl set her mile mark and in good type for simply her second indoor race of the winter she focused the American’s mark with even-paced working. That she did with 4 quarters throughout 81 seconds after being a couple of seconds down on Rohl’s time at midway.
It was additionally the quickest mile by a 62-year-old or older indoors or out and already the holder of the world out of doors W60 information at 1500m (4:56.85) and mile (5:18.97) she right here added the indoor mile to her world indoor report at 1500m and was simply inside her 2025 mark of 5:03.1, however there was no official timing at that time for it to be formally ratified.
As she was solo many of the race and working conservatively, Elms is assured she will be able to go a lot faster however could have to given the nice variety of middle-distance information within the age group over latest years.
Elms’ race was received by W40 Laura Haggarty in 5:04.54 after a courageous effort by the Scot to interrupt the British better of 4:58.81 lately set by a number of world champion Ellie Stevens.
Although behind the older Elms, European medallist Nikki Sturzaker went high of the W50 world rankings for 2026 with 5:30.44.
World and European out of doors champion Ridley improved his personal world mark from final yr to go together with his world out of doors marks at 1500m (4:21.21) and mile (4:41.81).
Already having set a 800m report this winter, he was anticipating to be up towards nice rival Rob McHarg, who had crushed him in an epic world report 1500m within the British Championships final winter. Nevertheless the Scot was unable to race and as a substitute Ridley tucked in behind M55 world champion Mark Symes and was by means of midway simply over 2:20 and looking out sturdy and decided.
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Symes was concentrating on a world mark of his personal in chasing Tony O’Brien’s 4:38.10 from December as O’Brien needed to watch the race after injuring himself warming up.
Symes kicked arduous during the last two laps however wanted extra assist and fell slightly below three seconds brief with 4:41.05.
Three seconds again, Ridley ran 4:44.12 to take a second off his mark which final yr broke McHarg’s report set within the earlier race.
Wakefield (above, crimson vest) completed fourth in a well-paced mile behind the Higgins twins who carried on their sensational winter type and Joe Tuffin (3:59.06) however extra importantly he additionally broke 4 minutes and his 3:59.17 took practically 10 seconds off of Dave Proctor’s four-year-old M35 mark so as to add to his age group information set in the summertime.
World indoor champion Kyereme took 5 seconds off of European champion Dean Richardson’s month-old mark by ending second within the C race in 4:26.62.
The mark was solely three seconds wanting Sean Wade’s 10-year-old world mark and Kyereme might have benefited from extra pacing assist having gone to the entrance a lot sooner than deliberate however he powered by means of the ultimate lap to eclipse the earlier British finest.
Peter Giles although set probably the most important margin for a British report when his 6:48.50 improved Doug Milsom’s earlier M80 finest by nearly a minute.
However for being solo nearly a minute behind his a lot youthful opponents and after a really quick begin, skilled musician Giles fell simply six seconds wanting the world report as he added to his lengthy listing of achievements since turning 80. It was his first alternative to run an indoor mile since becoming a member of the M80 ranks.
Whereas a lot of the main focus was unusually on older athletes – the 2 world report races had been run instantly after the senior A races and earlier than the BMC programme of 800m races – there was an excellent junior run too.
Madison Kindler, who has dominated the cross-country races this winter together with a giant victory within the South of England Championships, completed strongly within the ladies’s B race and her 4:51.34 narrowly edged Shaikira King’s mark from 4 years in the past.
The ladies’s A race noticed a transparent win for in-form Molly Hudson (4:32.36) forward of Saskia Millard (4:43.81) and that point was a observe report.
Choose of the BMC races after the miles was the ladies’s A race which noticed Abigail Ives (2:02.07) lead house Beneath-20 Lyla Belshaw (2:04.85).
