MASSIVE congratulations to Ellie Wallace for retaining her England Athletics Championships 5k road title on Friday.
The North Somerset AC runner (pictured above at the recent Bristol Track Club 5k at Odd Down) won the title for the first time in August, a victory that earned her a first England vest at the Armagh International 5k in February.
Wallace proved she loves the Mid-Cheshire 5k course – the event hosted the national championships again – as she raced to an emphatic victory in a time of 15mins 40secs.
That not only gave her a sizeable advantage of 16 seconds but was also a personal best carving eight seconds off the time she recorded when winning the title last year.
“It was a phenomenal run,” said coach Julian Emery.
“To defend an England title is brilliant and she beat a good field of women as well. It is going so well for her.”
Wallace, who ran a PB of 9mins 12.33secs for 3000m in Gloucester the previous weekend, will win another England vest for her victory for the Home Countries’ International, In Cardiff, in August.
There was also an amazing PB for Bristol & West AC’s Kate Maltby in fifth place. Maltby, who is now racing as a veteran over 35, clocked a time of 16:07 to shave one seconds off the time she set in Germany six years ago so it is great to see her racing so well again from her base in the Lake District.
Women: 1 Ellie Wallace 15:40 (PB); 2 Amelia Samuels (W&B) 15:56; 3 Lauren McNeil (Hallamshire) 15:59; 4 Rachael Franklin (Manx) 16:05; 5 Kate Maltby (B&W, W35) 16:07; 6 Gemma Steel (Charnwood) 16:09.