Callum Wilkinson and Bethan Davies were yesterday the stand-out performers at the Molly Barnett and England 10k Senior Race Walking Championships held on a cold day in Coventry reports Ian Richards.

The duo had contrasting performances at the previous weekend's British Indoor Championships in Sheffield, with Davies smashing the British Indoor Record over 3000 metres in 12.44.99, whilst Wilkinson was disqualified whilst in 2nd place in the last kilometre.

10km road walk men

With pre-race favourite Tom Bosworth not toeing the line due to a cold, Callum Wilkinson cut out the early pace alongside training partner Cameron Corbishley. Wilkinson opened up a small gap on Corbsihley shortly after halfway. Corbishley put in a big effort to close the gap and retake the lead, but he was disqualified, leaving the way clear for Wilkinson to set a new British Junior Record of 41.31 to take the England Senior Title. This removed Darrell Stone’s long standing record of 41.47 from the books set 29 years ago in 1987. This was also just faster than 41.34.63 Wilkinson set on the track in when finishing 7th in the European Junior Championships last summer. It also moved him into the top 10 on the Senior All Time list.

Fellow Junior Guy Thomas also overcame the disappointment at Sheffield the previous weekend to take the silver medal in 45.12 to move 2nd on the UK Rankings for 2016. Under 17 Chris Snook took the bronze medal with a personal best of 47.45 ahead of Tom Partington (under 20) 48.42.   

10km road walk women

Cardiff’s Bethan Davies set a new Welsh Record and became only the second British Woman after Jo Atkinson to break the 45 minute barrier in clocking 44.59 on the twisting and testing course. Davies built on the previous week’s performance in removing well over a minute and a half from her previous best (46.42) set in the same competition in 2014. This sets her up perfectly for her first 20k of the season in the IAAF Race Walking Challenge Meeting in Dudince in Slovakia in 2 weeks, where she will look to take a substantial chunk of her existing pb of 96.07 set at Hillingdon in October last year.

In second place in the race was Italian, Bristol resident Tatyana Gabellone, who made up for the disappointment of being disqualified in Sheffield last weekend in 47.16. Pembroke Harriers Heather Lewis clocked 48.09 in 3rd place to move to 2nd on the UK Rankings for 2016. Taking the English Title in 4th place in the race was Junior Emma Achurch who clocked her second fastest ever 10 Kilometres in 48.09.

Full results in the section Results or directly download from this link: click here

 

 

Molly Davies and Emma Achurch after the race

 

 

 

 

Callum Wilkinson after the race