Manchester kicked started the first British Milers Club Grand Prix of the 2019 season two weeks ago and top athletes from the last event are set to compete in Loughborough again next weekend.

The evening of Saturday 15th June, Loughborough University track will welcome some of the best distance athletes in the country in search of quick times and fantastic pacing that BMC Grand Prix always offer. You’ll be able to watch the live stream here.

Manchester saw countless early-season personal bests and junior athletes chasing U20 and U23 European junior qualifying times. Some hit their targets spot on and one of those athletes was 18-year-old Oliver Dustin. He managed to secure his first BMC Grand Prix win in the Men’s 800m A Raceand also dipped below the European U20 qualifying time of 1:49 with a time of 1:48.01.  He pipped Alex Botterill to the post in a late surge and Botterill looked to have the win even metres before the line. However, his efforts weren’t in vain as he too earned himself a sub 1:49 performance. Self-coached Grace Brock from Cornwall was another athlete with a qualifying time for the European U20s in Sweden under her belt. She clocked 16:08.82 in her debut 5000m race.

No novices of the BMC Grand Prix, British internationals Jess Judd and Lynsey Sharp were top of the leaderboard in their respective events. Judd clocked 15:39.00 in the 5000m ahead of Claire Duck in rather dull conditions as one of the last events of a very packed evening. Sharp held off junior international Keely Hodgkinson, in a modest 2:06.56.

Loughborough is set to see many of these athletes return for seconds, as they attempt to improve on their first Grand Prix performances. Leading entries in the women’s 800m so far include Hannah England, Leah Barrow and Keely Hodgkinson. 

The women’s 1500m looks to be a close one as most leading entries have lifetime bests around the 4:14 mark, including Emily Hosker-Thornhill, part of the GB World Cross team and Isle of Man athlete Rachael Franklin. 

The men’s 1500m sees international interest, with Australians Adam Pyke and Adam Fogg toeing the line with the likes of Morpeth athlete James Young who set a big lifetime best OF 3:44.47 in the men’s A race in Manchester. 2017 European U20 silver medallist Markhim Lonsdale will go in the 800m, with his PR of 1:46.97 from that same year.