With the indoor season finished, it is time to focus attention on the outdoors and the athletes beginning to chase the OQT for Paris.
Next weekend (16-Mar), there is a big 10,000m event in USA - The Ten (imaginative title) - with a handful of Brits looking to hit the qualifying times.
Provisional Entry List - Men:
Jack Rowe (2022 PB 28:20.31)
Patrick Dever (2023 PB 27:23.88)
Charlie Hicks (2022 PB 27:40.16 / 2023 SB 27:57.47)
Sam Atkin (2020 PB 27:26:58)
The OQT for 10,000m is 27:00.00 so at first glance it is not immediately obvious that any of the guys are going to be able to get close to it at this point in the season. That being said, they all set new PBs for 5,000m in Boston last month so they would seem to be in good form going into the race. Guess it will all come down to the pacemakers.
Provisional Entry List - Women:
Jess Warner-Judd (2022 PB 30:35.93 / 2023 SB 31:09.28)
Megan Keith (Possibly first 10,000m on the track as there is no Po10 history for her in the event
Amy-Eloise Neale (2023 PB 31:17.81)
The OQT for Paris is 30:40.00 and we already have Eilish McColgan with the standard - indeed she set her time of 30:00.86 at this event last year. Currently both Keith and Warner-Judd are in qualifying positions by virtue of their world rankings (Keith's earned through her cross country results) but given the prevailing attitude within UK Athletics, if they want to go to Paris they are going to need to get the time.
If their cross country results are anything to go by, they have both wintered well - Warner-Judd improved her 10K PB by 28 seconds in January whilst Keith slashed her PB by 3 minutes.