GB women’s 800m relay record lowered in USA

The quartet of Lynsey Sharp, Marilyn Okoro, Tara Bird and Jemma Simpson recorded a time of 8mins 13.46secs to knock six seconds off the previous mark set in 1992, and finish fourth.

The United States won the race in 8:04.31, but Team GB head coach Peter Eriksson was thrilled with the performance.

“The 4x800m was a British record by six seconds and I think the girls did really well,” he said.

“Tara Bird was really strong on the last leg which was great to see from the youngest on the team.”

The women’s 4x400m team of Eilidh Child, Shana Cox, Christine Ohuruogu and Perri Shakes-Drayton, were pipped to the post by the home nation in a tight race.

The line-up, which won gold at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, missed out on gold by just two hundredths of a second in 3:22.58, with Shakes-Drayton running the anchor leg.

There was also a fourth-placed finish for James Ellington, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Danny Talbot and Andrew Robertson in the men’s 4x100m race in 39.99secs.

However, both the men’s distance medley relay and 4x400m teams failed to complete their events.

Joe Symonds retained his title in the Three Peaks race on Saturday in impressive style, winning by five minutes in a time of 2:54.39, almost a minute and a half faster than last year.

A member of Edinburgh club Hunters Bog Trotters, Symonds soon headed the large field and led at the top of Pen-y-Ghent.

After two hours running, at Chapel-le-Dale, Symonds was four minutes clear of four times winner Rob Jebb (Bingley).

Jebb was still in second place on the final peak, Ingleborough, but was pushed into fourth place on the run-in to Horton in Ribblesdale by Carl Bell (Keswick) and Karl Gray (Calder Valley Fell Runners).

It was a fine effort by Gray, fifth last year. He made huge inroads in the last part of the race and was the leading veteran. His third place equalled his performance in this race four years ago