The British Championships take place this weekend at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. They act as the trials event for the World Championships which take place in Tokyo in September, meaning there is plenty on the line. With a number of complexities within the UKA Selection Policy, James Rhodes runs through what is at stake in the 800m, 1500m and 5000m.
The British Championships timetable can be found here, and the UKA Selection Policy for the World Championships can be found here.
Note: n/c means not competing in the specific event at the British Championships.
Men’s 800m
WA Q: 1:44.50
Max Burgin, Henry Jonas, Ethan Hussey, Callum Dodds, Elliot Giles (n/c), Justin Davies
UKA Q: 1:45.25
Alex Botterill, Ben Pattison*, Jake Wightman* (n/c), Tiarnan Crorken*, Josh Kerr* (n/c)
*: not within World Ranking quota at the time of writing
With a flurry of qualifying standards secured in recent weeks, the men’s 800m once again promises to be one of the events of the weekend. It is also one of the more complex to explain in terms of Tokyo qualifying. There are many ifs and buts within what follows.
Thanks to his bronze medal in Budapest in 2023, Ben Pattison is guaranteed selection – subject to meeting two conditions. First is having the standard or being within a World Ranking position. Second is meeting this criterion in the UKA Selection Policy:
“provided in the Panel’s expert opinion they have demonstrated current form that gives confidence in their ability to fulfil the Performance Objectives of the Championships. This will involve an assessment of the athlete’s performances and performance consistency during the 2025 outdoor season”.
Currently, he does not have the standard or a World Ranking position. That means he cannot be selected. However, he has until 24 August to get either. With a season’s best of 1:46.08 (at the time of writing), he is the sixteenth fastest Brit this outdoor season. Only the Selection Panel can decide if he has met the policy requirements.
Photo: James Rhodes
What does this mean? If Ben meets the above, there are only two spots available. If he meets the above and is not in the top two at the trials, it is top-two-or-bust for the rest of the field.
Five are due to compete who have run inside the World Athletics standard of 1:44.50 during the qualifying window. Five does not go into three (or possibly two).
They are led by Max Burgin, following his 1:42.36 PB at the London Diamond League. Callum Dodds, Ethan Hussey and Henry Jonas have also joined the list this week. Callum did so thanks to a good run in Brescia (1:44.50), hitting the standard exactly. Ethan and Henry did so at the London Diamond League (1:44.30) and the European U23 Championships (1:44.10) respectively. They, alongside Justin Davies – who ran 1:44.35 in Belfast in May and won silver at the recent European U23 Championships – are all due to race.
Elliot Giles has the standard also but is contesting the 1500m in Birmingham.
As so many have the World Athletics standard, there is no opportunity for the UKA standard to come into play. Alex Botterill and Tiarnan Crorken are racing this weekend and have the UKA standard, with Alex currently in a World Rankings position. However, he’ll need to get inside 1:44.50 to have any chance of being selected.
Other notable entrants include Tolko Olympians Daniel Rowden and Oliver Dustin, Kyle Langford, Reece Sharman-Newell and Tom Randolph.
Photo: James Rhodes
Men’s 1500m
Men’s 1500m
WA Q: 3:33.00
Josh Kerr (n/c), George Mills (n/c), Neil Gourley, Elliot Giles, Jake Wightman, Adam Fogg
UKA Q: 3:34.90
Henry McLuckie*
*: not within World Ranking quota at the time of writing
As reigning World Champion, Josh Kerr has a wildcard for Tokyo. This means two things. Firstly, Great Britain can take four men in the 1500m – an added bonus in a highly competitive event. Secondly, since he is not required to contest his preferred event, Josh will race over 5000m this weekend. His absence over 3.75 laps has no material impact on the selection of others.
That means there are three spots to fill, with two going to the top two this weekend. That assumes the top two have the standard but, given the quality of those racing, that seems a likely scenario.
Ordinarily, the third spot would likely go to the third-place finisher in instances like this. That might still happen – but of course it can’t be that easy. One curveball comes from George Mills, who fractured his wrist when falling at the London Diamond League and will not compete this weekend. One has to assume there is a high probability of him being given the discretionary third spot, off the back of his 3:28.36 in Paris last month.
That leaves four to (likely) go into two. They are Jake Wightman, Neil Gourley, Elliot Giles and Adam Fogg. All are racing this weekend, and there is no clear favourite. Elliot has the fastest time of the four this season, with 3:31.13 at the Rome Diamond League in June. Jake, however, ran 3:31.58 at the London Diamond League less than a fortnight ago (where Giles ran 3:32.51 and Gourley 3:33.69).
Photo: James Rhodes
Adam ran a 3:49.85 mile during the indoor season which gave him the qualifying standard. He has however not looked in that shape so far this outdoor season, with a best of 3:35.24. Also due to race are Tom Bridger, Tom Keen, Archie Davis and Sam Charig, who have all set lifetime bests this season.
Men’s 5000m
WA Q: 13:01.00
George Mills (n/c)
UKA Q: 13:10.50
Scott Beattie*
*: not within World Ranking quota at the time of writing
George Mills has said he wants to double in the 1500m and 5000m at the World Championships. As noted above he will not be racing this weekend but, as the sole athlete with the qualifying standard, he is all but guaranteed selection. That is of course subject to recovering fully from his fractured wrist.
Scott Beattie is the only athlete with the UKA standard, but he would need a considerable boost to his World Ranking to reach the quota for an invite.
Notwithstanding, an exciting race is set to unfold with Josh Kerr stepping up in distance. The 1500m World Champion has a PB of 13:23.78, set in 2021, and last raced the distance in 2023. He’ll be joined by the likes of Will Barnicoat, fresh from success at the European U23 Championships, Rory Leonard, James West, England Champion Jack Kavanagh and Charles and George Wheeler.
Women’s 800m
WA Q: 1:59.00
Keely Hodgkinson (n/c), Jemma Reekie, Georgia Hunter Bell, Phoebe Gill (n/c), Katie Snowden (n/c)
UKA Q: 1:59.25
N/A
Two laps, plenty of intrigue. Will we see Keely in Tokyo? What event(s) will Georgia do? Let’s try and break things down. There’s five with the standard, but only two are competing for spots this weekend. Phoebe Gill has announced she will not compete this season as she continues her recovery from a stress fracture, whilst Katie Snowden is focusing on the 1500m.
Olympic Champion Keely Hodgkinson does not compete this weekend, as she continues her long-term recovery from injury. Similar to Ben Pattison, she is guaranteed selection subject to demonstrating current form. She has the standard (and assumedly a medical exemption for this weekend) and has three weeks to show the panel her form.
She is due to race at the Lausanne Diamond League on 20 August. Social media videos show her training in spikes, which is encouraging, but it will be over a year since her last race (the Olympic final). One presumes any decision about a trip to Tokyo will come after that race in Switzerland.
Back to this weekend. Keely’s training partner Georgia Hunter Bell is the fastest athlete over 800m this year. She is (at the time of writing) entered for both the 800m and 1500m, but is expected to compete over two laps in Birmingham. The benefit of being an Olympic medallist is she is guaranteed selection in the 1500m if she wants it. Therefore, she might as well tick off automatic qualifying in the 800m and leave her options open.
Photo: James Rhodes
Jemma Reekie just needs a top-two finish to guarantee selection. Based on her experience and track record at the British Championships, that feels a formality. She has finished inside the top two in her last six British Championship appearances, including victory in 2021. You have to go back to 2017, eight years ago, to find her not on the podium.
Going into this weekend, no one has run inside the UKA consideration standard of 1:59.25. Someone without the standard is guaranteed to finish on the podium, possibly in the top-two. They will have three weeks to chase the time.
Potential for this include Abbie Ives (1:59.49 this season), Issy Boffey (2:00.05) and Grace Vans Agnew (2:00.45).
Women’s 1500m
WA Q: 4:01.50
Georgia Hunter Bell (n/c), Laura Muir, Revee Walcott-Nolan, Katie Snowden, Jemma Reekie (n/c), Melissa Courtney-Bryant (n/c)
UKA Q: 4:02.90
Erin Wallace
We get to an event that is relatively straightforward in terms of Tokyo qualification! As an Olympic medallist, Georgia Hunter Bell – who is racing over 800m this weekend – is guaranteed selection if she wants it.
If she does, it leaves two spots on the team up for grabs. Three athletes will compete this weekend holding the standard; Laura Muir, Revee Walcott-Nolan and Katie Snowden. Assuming the top-two on Sunday come from these trio, it is simple – they will be automatically selected.
As things stand, if Georgia chooses to race the 800m only in Tokyo, the third 1500m spot would go to whichever of Revee, Laura and Katie has not been automatically selected.
Photo: James Rhodes
The possible complication depends on how Erin Wallace runs this weekend. With a PB of 4:02.74, she is inside the UKA consideration standard and is inside the World Ranking quota. However, the British Athletics selection policy is clear that WA Q trumps UKA Q. So, she would have three weeks to chase 4:01.50 or lower if she wants to get on the plane to Tokyo.
Recent World University Games medallist Sarah Calvert, Shannon Flockhart, Eleanor Strevens and Ava Lloyd are also due to race this weekend.
Women’s 5000m
WA Q: 14:50.00
Hannah Nuttall, Innes FitzGerald, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Megan Keith (n/c)
UKA Q: 14:57.50
Calli Hauger-Thackery* (n/c)
A fortnight ago, the London Diamond League played host to a special 5000m in which Hannah Nuttall, Innes FitzGerald and Megan Keith ran inside the World Championships standard. Hannah and Innes set big PBs in the process, Innes also breaking the European U20 Record.
The trio joined Melissa Courtney Bryant in the race for Tokyo, who ran 14:48.20 in Los Angeles in May.
With the trials for the 10000m having been held in June, Megan Keith is already guaranteed selection over 25 laps. She is no longer on the entry list for the 5000m and one assumes is focusing only on the longer distance.
Photo: James Rhodes
It makes the qualifying picture in the 5000m much simpler, the three left with the standard will be selected, unless there is a significant upset coming.
Also due to race this weekend are Phoebe Anderson, Paris Olympic marathoner Clara Evans-Graham, Alex Millard and Eloise Walker.
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Source: fastrunning.com