Emily Williams lived up to her prediction of setting the UK’s fastest time for U15G 1500m when exactly one month from her smashing her 1500m PB and moving to the UK No2 at her favourite track at Watford, she again sliced nearly 3 seconds from her best to set the UK fastest time, and move to number 12 on the UK all-time list.
Emily again set the time at Watford, which seems to always be able to provide the right conditions, and quality of field for her to achieve her goals. On this occasion she was pitched up against her fierce rival, Molly Canham, the runaway UK leader in the 800m this season, who was looking for a quick time.
In near ideal warm & still conditions, with a sharp shower just as they were lining up at the start helping to cool them off, the race set off at a superb pace, being taken out by the older male athletes. Emily tucked in for the first two laps, and was right on target pace after 800m, with England colleague U17 Khahisia Mhlanga also in pursuit of a fast time, surging past Emily on the back straight. With 200m to go, Emily put in her trademark quality finish, closing down Mhlanga who had opened up 20m on her all the way to the line, to clock a super fast 4:28.73, to move 1 second clear of the U15G chasing pack in the UK 1500m rankings, with rival Molly Canham who also set a significant PB, finishing in 9th with 4:33.90.
Emily Williams delighted with 1500m race to become UK No1
Emily was delighted with her run and to be the UK number 1, an ambition for the past 3 years, and she caps a truly wonderful track season which has seen her win a Silver medal at English schools National 800m final, finish the 800m ranked 3rdin the UK & 3,000m ranked 9th. Emily now heads off to the London Marathon Young Athletes camp where all the UK’s best athletes will be participating in some group training sessions and attending seminars on related subjects like nutrition, all helping them become better athletes. She then has her 2-week rest and looks forward to the Cross Country season starting in late September.
Coach Shane Smith said “Emily has well and truly stepped up a gear on track this year following her breakthrough season on cross country, and she has shown she can compete with the very best in the UK at all the distances from 800m to 3,000m which is quite exceptional.” He added, “Although Emily is enjoying the limelight and success, we’re not getting carried away, Emily will return to the normal squad training sessions following her break where she will be just another member of the 50+ strong squad, and the 14 year old would not want it any other way!"
Also running at the Watford open was U20 Josh Cara who is finally edging into some form following the exertions of A levels, and Boyed by the news that he secured the top grades he needed for his first choice University of Cambridge where he will study medicine, Cara produced the best run of the season to smash his 3,000m PB by 10 seconds. The race saw Cara finish in a fine 10th in a huge field of 27 to record a time of 8:42.79 to move to 38th in the UK rankings, and Josh now eyes up the 1972 KTH club Record of 8:35 if can continue the momentum of this late season flourish.
Also running her first 3k in 10 weeks following an injury, U20 Claudia Nevett ran a fine race to finish is a very respectable 10:45.47 to show she has now fully recovered, and she will debate trying one further race before transferring on to cross country.
Congratulations on all athletes, & to Emily & her coach on the success this season.