12th June 2023
Warner and Snook take senior titles at the British Grand Prix of Race Walking
Heather Warner (coach: Martin Bell, club: Pembrokeshire) and Chris Snook (Andi Drake, Aldershot Farnham and District) took the senior titles at the British Grand Prix of Race Walking over 20,000 metres at Leeds Beckett Athletics Centre on Saturday (10). There was also a British U23 record for Pagen Spooner (Andi Drake, Hyde Park Harriers) over the 20,000m distance.
Despite the unseasonably hot conditions the women’s all time list was rewritten. Warner moved to second on the UK all-time list behind Davies as she clocked 1.40.29:39 to take the UKA title, while Bethan Davies (Andi Drake, Cardiff) clocked 1:43:24:85 to take the silver.
Abigail Jennings (Verity Snook, Aldershot Farnham and District) clocked the second best performance of her career over the 20km/20,000 metres distance with a time of 1:47:50:29 to take the bronze medal in the UKA Championships and the England and RWA Championships. She also moved to number three on the UK all-time list.
The runner up in the England and RWA Championships Pagen Spooner in her debut over the 20km/20,000 metres distance battled the brutal conditions to clock a new British Under 23 Record of 1:55:23:18. This also moves her to fourth on the UK all-time list behind Warner, Davies and Jennings.
In the men’s race, Chris Snook clocked a track personal best of 1:35:10:08 to take the UK, England and Race Walking Association Championships.
In the junior men’s 10,000 metres, Jonathan Ellerton (Noel Carmody, Blackheath and Bromley) battled the hot conditions to take the UKA and England Championships in 1.01.43.86.