Busy and successful week for Hannah Viner

Hannah Viner capped an intensive nine days of racing by placing 11th in the Vitality London 10,000. Her time of 34:35 was close to her PB, and followed a timing of 4:52 in the Westminster Mile the previous day. The previous week, Viner scored double victories over 800m and 1500m in the Southern League at Watford, setting a personal best of 2:14.4 in the shorter event. Then mid-week Viner set a further PB of 16:37.21 over 5000m in a British Milers Club race at Eltham.

"It was a bit nerve-wracking to be in the elite field in both races this weekend, and to line up alongside Jo Pavey in The Mall", Viner commented. "This season has got off to a good start and I'm looking forward to the Southern Championships and the England Under 23s next month".

Rosalind Zeffert moved to sixth on the UK V55 100m list with a timing of 15.1 in the Southern League at Watford. She doubled up by recording 33.2 for 200m.

Lia Radus, 16, ran a 1500m season's best of 4:41.35 at the British Milers Club Grand Prix at Watford.

Anna Barnett, 19, gained silver in the Kent U20 discus championships at Ashford with a throw of 30.36m.

Ellie Edwards, 21, opened her outdoor season by recording 12.54 for 100m at the Trafford AC Grand Prix at Stretford.

Aron Yona, 13, set an 800m PB of 2:34.39 at the Watford Open Graded Meeting.

Israeli success in the European 10,000m Cup at Parliament Hill

Kenyan-born Israeli athlete Lonah Salpeter, 29, took gold for Israel in the women’s European 10,000m Cup at Parliament Hill. The race was incorporated into the Highgate Night of 10,000m PBs, and also served as the principal GB selection race for the European Championships later this year.

Salpeter, who moved to Israel 10 years ago and worked as a nanny, dominated the 25-lap race from start to finish. Taking up position immediately behind the designated pacemaker, she moved to the front just before halfway. Salpeter quickly established a lead of 20 to 30 metres, then gradually extended it to finish 10 seconds clear of Ancuta Bobocel of Romania. Her winning time of 31:33.03 improved by 6.6 seconds the Israeli record that she set three weeks previously.

“This meeting was so nice,” said Salpeter. “It’s the first time I have run with a crowd where they come so close to the inside lanes of the track. The track felt shorter because they were so close.”

She continued, “I am now a full-time athlete. My next race is probably a 15km in Valencia, and I am aiming for the 5000m and 10,000m at the European Championships."

In the men's race, also serving as the European 10,000m Cup, the three-strong Israeli contingent placed fifth in the team event. Their top individual performer was Girmaw Amare who placed ninth in 28:15.41.

Stellar performances by Eden Davis and Gilad Nachshen

Eden Davis, 19, led off the GB junior 4x100m relay team towards victory at the Loughborough International Meeting. Recording 39.53, they consigned the England team to second place, while teams from Wales, Ireland and GB were disqualified or did not finish. Davis went on to set a season's best of 10.59 in the individual event.

Davis commented, "I feel I got out well in the relay and set the rest of the guys up for a good race. My individual race was a bit frustrating after I got called back three times but I managed to stay calm and perform".

Gilad Nachshen, 14, extended his lead at the top of the UK U15 800m rankings when he reduced his PB to 2:00.32 at the Watford Open Graded Meeting. His Shaftesbury Barnet teammate Bini Bloom, also 14, improved his best to 2:19.09 at the same meeting.

Jack Davis-Black, 13, recorded an excellent 4:50 in the YMCA Mile at Crouch End. Participating in a 141-strong field in the Years 7-10 age group, Jcoss pupil Davis-Black was only headed by two other runners, both two years his senior.

Adam Firsht, 15, set a new PB of 2:03.40 in winning his 800m heat at the U17 Sussex Championships at Crawley. He placed fifth in the final that same afternoon with a time of 2:04.19, again inside his previous best. His brother Joshua Firsht, 17, finished fourth in the U20 400m event in 53.20.

Lucie Wolfenden, 16, placed fifth in the U17 Greater Manchester pole vault championships, equalling her best with a clearance of 3.10m.

In her first pole vault competition of the year, Sophie Dowson, 19, scaled a height of 3.60m to achieve fifth place in the British Universities Championship at Bedford.

Medals up for grabs at the County Championships

Eden Davis, 19, gained a double victory at the Hertfordshire Championships at Watford, taking the U20 100m in 10.96 and 200m in 22.74. Jessica Hurley, 18, took silver against senior opposition in the 1500m steeplechase, setting a personal best time of 5:46.7.

Idan Gal-Shohet, 17, needed a jump of just 6.04m to secure U20 long jump gold at the Middlesex Championships at Lee Valley. Maayan Radus, 13, took silver in a close race in the U15 1500m, approaching her personal best in a time of 4:51.6. Rosalind Zeffert moved to eighth in the UK V55 rankings when finishing seventh in the 100m in 15.64. Zeffertt also placed sixth in the 200m in 33.82, having faced a headwind in both races.

Emma Taylor, 17, set shot, hammer and javelin marks of 7.52m, 21.21m and 30.18m respectively at the Youth Development League at Reading, entering the national rankings in the javelin. In all cases she was using the full weight senior implement for the first time in competition.

Lucie Wolfenden, 16, set a new pole vault personal best of 3.10m in the North of England League in Flintshire, North Wales.

Gold for Eden Davis at BUCS

Eden Davis anchored the East London University 4x100 metre relay team to a fine victory in the British Universities Championships at Bedford. The squad recorded an impressive time of 41.00. Davis, 19, placed fifth in the individual 100m event, recording 10.87 against a headwind. “I wasn't totally happy with my individual performance, but it is early in the season and I should not be peaking yet," Davis commented. "I'm happy that we worked really well as a team and were able to get the baton round cleanly and take the win.”

Some days previously, Davis had contested his first 100m event of the season at the Lee Valley Sprint Open, recording 10.71. Honing his speed at the same meeting, middle-distance specialist Gilad Nachshen, 14, reduced his 200m PB by more than a second to 24.25.

Hannah Viner moved to the top of the UK U23 rankings for the distance when she completed the Mid-Cheshire 5K in 16:44. Highgate Harrier Viner placed ninth overall. Viner reported, "It had been raining all day but it cleared up an hour before the race so conditions were perfect. I went out hard but I wasn't wearing a watch and wasn't aware of my position in the women's race. I am a little disappointed in my time, but it was a road PB and the race came at the end of a heavy training block. It should be a good springboard for the summer."

Maayan Radus, 13, recorded 4:49.82 for 1500m at the Watford Open Graded Meeting, cutting her personal best by almost 6 seconds. Her sister Lia, 16, set a season's best of 4:43.80 at the same meeting, three days after taking 1500m victory at the Eastern Young Athletes League at Reading.

Matti Harris, 15, improved his personal bests for 800m and 1500m in the space of four days, with times of 2:14.04 at the Watford Open Graded Meeting and 4:40.4 in the Eastern Young Athletes League.