A look ahead to the British Masters Championships in Birmingham

With more than 600 British veterans preparing to travel to Lyon for the World Masters Championships next month, the British Masters Championships in Birmingham this weekend (July 25-26) gives many of them a final chance to hone their speed and skills.

Darren Scott looks to improve his world M45 200m mark but faces Jason Carty as M60 Steve Peters is in action in all three sprints. Averil McClelland contests the W55 sprints, while former Commonwealth medallist Michelle Thomas goes in the W35s.

New W65 Nancy Hitchmough challenges Angela Copson in the 1500m and is also going over 800m. W50 Sally Read-Cayton warms up for competition in the special invitation 400m at the IAAF World Championships, as Clare Elms just goes in the 1500m here.

In the distance races Gordon Lee (M45) is the quickest 5000m runner entered, while the M70 events will see Martin Ford race Peter Giles. In the walks, M65 Ian Richards, M75 Arthur Thomson and M50 Francisco Reis are likely winners.

Also competing is Irie Hill, who has raised her own W45 PV world record to 3.75m this year. In the high jump, W40 Ayamba Akim is favourite. Carole Filer seeks more W55 high and long jump golds. In the W35 throws, Eleanor Gatrell warms up for the Worlds in shot and discus. Simon Bennett has been out to 60.55m in the M40 javelin this year and he competes here too.

Three times in the past year 1956 Olympic 3000m steeplechase finalist Eric Shirley has run faster than current British records at 200m or 400m but in every case the marks were not recognised by the statisticians. This weekend the 85-year-old hopes to alter the record books.

Shirley is not the oldest competitor as Deol Dalbir-Singh, 89, and James Sinclair, 90, go in the 100m, while Charles Eugster hopes to better his own 100m and 200m world records in the M95s.

The post Athletes to hone speed and skills at British Masters Championships appeared first on Athletics Weekly.