Henry Dover breaks 42-year-old championships best in Bedford

One of the highlights of the two-day England Athletics Under-17 and Under-15 Championships in Bedford was the under-17 men’s 3000m where there was not only an exciting finish but one of the oldest championship records in the book fell.

With 8:24.06, English Schools 1500m champion Henry Dover edged Oscar Schofield’s 8:24.09 PB and both broke Jonathan Richards’ 42 year-old championships record of 8:26.92 set in 1980.

There was also a championship record in the under-17 women’s race from the Innes Fitzgerald. The Exeter athlete, who set a British under-17 record at the SIAB Schools International of 8:59.67, was content to win in Bedford by over 20 seconds in a championships record of 9:21.28 from Fleur Todd-Warmonth, who missed three months of racing in the summer after some impressive early season races.

Teddy Wilson, still only 15 years old was close to his 100m PB set in the European Under-18 Championships (10.53) as he won the under-17 title by over three metres in 10.58 (0.1).

Ireland’s Lemar Lucciano won the under-15 race in 11.08 (1.7) as English Schools 200m champion Xavier Taylor improved his PB to 11.15 to lead the British challenge.

The wind was less favourable in the under-17 women’s 100m as European under-18 200m winner Faith Akinbileje ran 11.93 into a strong 2.5m/sec headwind after a 11.77 (0.1) semi-final. She also won the 200m in 23.96 (-0.9) by six metres.

Nell Desir, who ran a Welsh record of 11.77 in the Welsh Championships, also found the conditions less conducive in the final after a 11.97 (0.1) semi but her 12.10 (-1.2) still gave her a clear two-metre under-15 victory and she also added the 200m gold in 24.67 (-1.4) with a six-metre margin for her fifth England title in the last year.

Dean Patterson, who was disqualified from the European Under-18 Championships 200m final after winning the semi-final, was a clear five-metre winner of his speciality in 21.44 (-1.0).

Farrell Fabusiwa, only 13 years of age, impressively won the under-15 title in 22.86 (-1.4) ahead of 100m winner Lucciano.

Welsh under-15 300m champion Gethin Griffin went inside 37 seconds for the first time in the heats and then improved to 36.21 to win the final.

Gethin Griffith (Mark Shearman)

Under-17 Niamh Le’Gall (39.11 PB) and under-15 Shiloh Omotosho (39.94) took the girls…