For Jed Turner and myself this was our final year in the M60 age group at the BMAF Track & Field championships held in Derby.  Both of us are building up for the World Masters Championships which starts in Gothenburg in Sweden on August 13th.

Our approaches were very different, with Jed taking on a brutal 400m, 800m and 1500m treble over two days, and me concentrating on a single event, the 2000m steeplechase.  Trying to fit in various Tramlines events made for a frantic weekend.

Jed opened his account on Saturday with a fine 5.08 in the 1500m, claiming 10th place.  Later the same day he clocked a speedy 63 seconds in the 400m, finishing 6th overall.

Jed in the 400 metres.

On Sunday Jed returned for his strongest event, the 800 metres.  In a sizzling race he clocked 2.22.24, his best outdoor time of the season, achieving a fine 6th place.  At the front new M60, Andrew Ridley, ran the fastest ever time by an over 60, an astounding 2.11.22, just beating the previous record of 2.11.3 which has stood since 2010.

In the steeplechase I was pleased to regain top spot from Simon La Mare who edged me out in 2023.  Claiming 3rd place was Chris Finnill, who won the M65 age category.  Chris Finnill is an “ever present” – one of the very few people who have run every London Marathon since it started in 1981. There are now only 6 “ever presents” left, with Chris easily the youngest.  He ran the very first race as a 22 year old, and has now completed all 44 races since, including a very respectable 3.07 clocking in the 2024 race.

Jed and I will now turn our attention to the World Champs in Sweden, and, perhaps more realistically, to the M65 age category at the European Championships in Madeira in 2025.

Full results: here