BMC 1998 Merit Rankings

Inspired by Peter Matthews' national merit rankings, the BMC Merit Rankings take account of performances made in BMC races only, on the following basis:

i) best times and number of performances at that level;

ii) number of winning performances and the margins of their victories;

iii) win-loss record against other ranked athletes;

iv) performances in the 'special BMC events' i.e. the BMC NIKE Grand Prix Final incorporating the BMC Championships at Solihull;

v) the style of the athlete's racing, i.e. whether they are willing to take up the pace, and

vi) the distances athletes are prepared to travel to get fast races.

The rankings are therefore meant to reward consistent excellence by BMC members prepared to travel throughout the season. They are not meant to predict what would happen in an idealised race. Non-members are excluded and members who only ran once are listed as "not-ranked". Places in the last three years BMC rankings are in brackets. Times for women set in mixed races are discounted slightly in the rankings.

Men's 600m / 800m / 1,000m

1 McIlroy IRE (new) 1:46.7:

1 WythGP, 2 Batt;

2 Hart (1, 1, 2) 1:17.8 / 1:47.0:

1 Wat 10/6, 3 Batt, 1 SolGPF;

3 Lees U20 (23, -, -) 1:47.69:

3 WythGP, 2 SolGPF;

4= Tulba (15, 18, -) 1:48.43:

1 SwinGP, 2 CardGP, 4 WatGP;

4= Shone (new) 1:48.39:

2b WythGP, 7b SwinGP, 4 CardGP, 2 WatGP,

3 SolGPF;

6 Moss U20 (new) 1:48.43:

1d WythGP, 2b SwinGP, 4 SolGPF;

7 McKay (2, -, -) 1:48.5 / 2:21.8:

2 WythGP, 8 Batt, 1 Stret 14/7, 2k Stret 18/8,

dns SolGPF;

8 Donkin (13, nr, -) 1:48.3 / 2:22.4:

1 WatGP, 3k Stret 18/8k;

9 King (8,9, -) 1:48.51:

4 WythGP, 3 Card GP, 1 Belfast;

10 Griffin (-, 13, -) 1:49.0:

5 WythGP, 1b Batt, 5 CardGP, 5 WatGP;

11 Young (9, -, -) 1:49.13:

6 WythGP, 3 SwinGP;

12 Hall (14, -, -) 1:49.1:

2b Batt, 6 SwinGP, 6 CardGP, 2b WatGP;

13 Edwards (11, -, -) 1:49.7:

1b WythGP, 3b Batt, 5 SwinGP, 9 CardGP,

9 WatGP;

14 Dupuy (19, -, -) 1:49.8:

4b WythGP, 4b Batt, 6b SwinGP, 7 WatGP,

1 Toot 18/8, 3b SolGPF;

15 Hooton (-, 3, -) 1:49.71:

6b WythGP, 5b Batt, 1b SwinGP, 7 CardGP:

16 Yates (6, -, -) 1:49.49:

4 SwinGP, dns CardGP, dns SolGPF;

17 Thompson T (new) 1:49.8:

3 Stret 28/4, 1f WythGP, 4b SwinGP, 1b WatGP,

7 Stret 18/8;

18 Swift-Smith (3, 8, -) 1:49.7:

dnf WythGP, 10 Batt;

19 Cuddy (4, 19, -) 1:49.8:

11 Batt, 9 SwinGP, 4 Stret 14/7;

20 Mayo J (-, 5, -) 1:50.02:

1 Antrim, 7b Batt, 3b SwinGP;

21 Wilson (28, 27, -) 1:50.2:

3b WythGP, 1 Jarrow 27/6;

22 Hackley (new) 1:50.5:

2c WythGP, 2 Jarrow 27/6, 5 Stret 14/7,

4b WatGP, 5 Stret 18/8;

23 Openshaw (nr, -, -) 1:50.6:

1 Stret 19/5, 2 Stret 14/7;

24 Knight (7, 7, 3) 1:50.8:

6b Batt, 9b SwinGP, 1 Fins 28/6, 1b CardGP;

25 Bullock (new) 1:50.62:

1c WythGP, 2 Stret 18/8, 4b SolGPF;

26 Mills (new) 1:50.72:

2 Fins 28/6, 1 Wat 1/7, 2 Toot 19/8, 2 Fins 23/8,

5b SolGPF;

27 Feasey (new) 1:50.77:

7 Stret 19/5, 5 Wat 1/7, 1 Fins 23/8, 6b SolGPF;

28 Girvan (16, -, -) 1:51.14:

8 SwinGP, 4 Belfast;

29 Thornton (new) 1:50.8:

5 Stret 19/5, 5c WythGP, 6 Stret 14/7, 4c WatGP,

3 Stret 18/8, 7b SolGPF;

30 Scanlon (26, -, -) 1:50.9:

2 Wat 1/7, 4 Stret 18/8;

not ranked

Whiteman (nr, - ,- ) 1:47.5: 4 Batt;

Mayock ( - , - ,- ) 1:47.8: 5 Batt;

Winrow (new) 1:49.05: 2 SwinGP;

Donaldson (27, 16, 9) 1:49.18: 1b SolGPF;

Despite setting a new BMC record over 600m and regaining his 800m BMC Championship, Andy Hart loses the number 1 ranking he has held for the last two years to the spectacular James McIlroy, whose performances are described elsewhere in this issue. Lees’ 1:47.69 at Solihull was the fastest ever in a BMC race by a junior but Chris Moss was the highest placed junior in the Grand Prix. Tulba and Shone are hard to separate - the latter improved his time in every race and won the men’s overall Grand Prix. We can only rank McKay and Donkin on what they achieved in BMC races. Standards in BMC races are getting better and better - 1:48 no longer guarantees a place in the “A” race and 11 of the top 30 set season’s bests in “B” races.

Men's 1,500m / Mile

1 Caddy (2, 1, 1) 3:40.9 / 3:58.5M:

1 WythGP, 5 Batt, 2 Exeter, 1 Derry, 3 Bath;

2 Gillespie (1, 4, 4) 3:57.6M:

1 Exeter, dns Bath;

3 Tulba (15, -,-) 3:42.3 / 3:59.7M:

8 Batt, 1 Tooting, 11 SolGPF;

4 Mayo T (new) 3:41.2 / 4:00.02M:

4 WatGP, 4 SolGPF;

5 Hart (-, 5, 3) 3:42.55 / 4:01.7M:

1 SwinGP, 6 Bath;

6 Stephenson (new) 3:43.85 / 4:01.7M:

3 Exeter, 2 CardGP, 7 Bath;

7 Graham (-, 27, 2) 3:41.5:

dns WythGP, 6 Batt, dns SwinGP;

8 Glenton (6, -, -) 3:41.9 / 4:03.0M:

dnf Exeter, 7 SwinGP, dnf CardGP, 5 WatGP,

8 Bath;

9 Graffin, Andrew (new) 3:45.3 / 4:02.05:

7 WythGP, 2b WatGP, 10 Bath, 6 SolGPF;

10 Sharp (22, -,-) 3:43.66;

1 Wat 29/4, 9 WythGP, 4b Batt, 3 SwinGP,

6 CardGP, 8 WatGP;

11 Scanlon (-, 13, -) 3:44.79 / 4:04.50M:

6 WythGP, 5 SwinGP, 4 CardGP, 1 Sol 29/7,

7 SolGPF;

12 Green (4, -, -) 3:44.3 / 4:05.42:

3 WythGP, 10 Batt, 4 Stret 4/8, 9 SolGPF;

13 Davoren (nr, 24, 20=) 3:43.99 / 4:08.08M:

2 WythGP, 4 SwinGP, 13 WatGP, 13 SolGPF;

14 Poore (14, 14, -) 3:44.78:

5 WythGP, 3 CardGP, 8 WatGP;

15 Datema HOL (new) 3:45.0 / 4:05.70:

2b WythGP, 10 SwinGP, 7 CardGP, 1b WatGP,

10 SolGPF;

16 Feasey (new) 3:43.5 / 4:08.6M:

8b WythGP, 11 SwinGP, 8 CardGP, 2 Sol 29/7,

7 WatGP, 2 Tooting, 5 Wat 9/9;

17 Mills (20, -,-) 3:45.4:

1b Batt, 9 SwinGP, 12 WatGP, 2 Wat 9/9;

18 Bullock (new) 3:45.7:

2b Batt, 10 WatGP;

19 Thie (new) 3:45.8 / 4:03.9M:

5 Exeter, 9 CardGP, 4b WatGP, 11 Bath, 8 SolGPF;

20 Moorhouse (new) 3:46.5 / 4:09.24M:

3b Batt, 1b SolGPF;

21 Neill (new) 3:46.1 / 4:07.32M:

7 WythGP, 11 WatGP, 12 SolGPF, 3 Wat 9/9;

22 Smith (13, 29, -) 3:46.4 / 4:08.75M:

12 CardGP, 2 Stret 4/8, 3 Stret 1/9, 15 SolGPF;

23 Dixon (new) 3:45.90 / 4:13.86M:

1b SwinGP, 5 CardGP, 6 Stret 4/8, 4 Stret 1/9,

16 SolGPF;

24 Davies (23, 17, 18) 3:46.5 / 4:14.56M:

6b WythGP, 6b WatGP, 5b SolGPF;

25 Livesey U20 (new) 3:46.5:

1b WythGP, 1 Stret 23/6, 5b WatGP;

26 Renfree (25, 30=,-) 3:46.8 / 4:20.5M:

1b CardGP, 8b WatGP, 15 Bath, 6 Stret 1/9,

dnf b SolGPF, 4 Wat 9/9;

27 Thompson U20 (new) 3:47.0:

3 Millfield, 9b WatGP;

29 Bolt U20 (new) 3:47.07:

3b Wat 10/6, 11 CardGP;

29 Garrett (-, -, -) 3:48.2:

3b SwinGP, 2b CardGP, 4 Sol 29/7, 10b WatGP;

30 Illidge (-, -, -) 3:47.5:

10 Wat 10/6, 2b Stret 23/6, 7b CardGP, 1c WatGP,

5 Stret 1/9;

not ranked

Yates (-, -, -) 3:39.5: 2 WatGP;

Openshaw (nr, -, -) 3:39.7: 3 Batt;

Bruton IRE (new) 3:40.78: 1 CardGP;

Agar CAN (new) 3:42.88: 2 SwinGP;

McIlroy IRE (new) 3:59.48M: 2 SolGPF;

East (new) 3:44.86: 6 SwinGP;

Wilson (nr, -, -) 3:45.51: 8 SwinGP;

Finch (-, 16, -) 3:45.69: 4 WythGP;

Ian Gillespie had the best performance of the year at Exeter, but injury prevented him from completing the season. Many top athletes had just a single performance and therefore Neil Caddy regains his number one ranking with a series of consistently good performances. Philip Tulba places highly despite his disappointment at Solihull and Tom Mayo finally made his breakthrough. Incredibly, six BMC members made the Commonwealth Games final!

Men's 3,000m - 10,000m

1 Clarkson (new) 7:59.6 / 13:52.4:

4 Lough, 3 SwinGP, 1 Stret 14/7, 4 WatGP;

2 Moorhouse (new) 8:02.0 / 13:48.5:

2 Stret 14/7, 2 WatGP;

3 Mowbray (6) 7:59.97 / 14:02.51:

2 WythGP, 8 Batt, 2 SolGPF

4 Poore (new) 8:02.88 / 14:05.45:

3 Lough, 6 Batt, 1 SwinGP;

5 Cullen IRE (new) 8:00.2 / 14:07.16:

8 Lough, 4 WythGP, 7 Batt, 4 CardGP;

6 Whalley (1) 11:03.2 / 14:07.73:

1 Millfield, 9 Lough;

not ranked

Openshaw (new) 7:58.92: 1 WythGP;

Wild (new) 7:59.59: 3 CardGP;

Finch (new) 13:52.94: 1 Lough;

Clarkson and Moorhouse were the only members inside 14 minutes for 5,000m who ran more than once - Clarkson gets top ranking on with his Stretford victory. Mowbray was BMC Champion at Solihull and Poore is unlucky having 1-0 records against both Clarkson and Mowbray. It was disappointing that few of our top runners chose to support the BA Endurance Initiative - the overseas runners brought in to “enhance” the series had little opposition.

Women's 600m / 800m / 1,000m

1= Davies A (6, 7, 6) 2:04.6:

3 CardGP, 1 WatGP, 4 SolGPF;

1= Gibson (4, nr, -) 2:04.61:

3 Batt, 1 SwinGP, 4 CardGP, 2 WatGP;

3 Mersh-Fenn (nr, -, -) 2:05.2:

2 SwinGP, 3 WatGP, dns SolGPF;

4 Newcombe (new) 2:04.75:

3 Stret 19/5, 4 WythGP, 1 CardGP, 2 Stret 18/8;

5 Sterne (-, nr, 5) 2:04.81:

3 SwinGP, 2 CardGP, 7 WatGP;

6 Blakeman (new) 2:05.33:

2 WythGP, 6 WatGP, 1 Jarrow 22/8, 2 SolGPF;

7 Lynch IRE (new) 2:06.87:

5 CardGP, 3 SolGPF;

8 Raven (1, -, -) 2:07.78:

1 WythGP, 4 SwinGP, dnf WatGP;

9 Beecroft (5, 19, -) 2:06.8:

5 Stret 19/5, 7 SwinGP, 3 Stret 14/7, 9 CardGP,

4 WatGP, 7 SolGPF;

10 Prendeville IRE (new) 2:07.3:

1 Londonderry, 8 CardGP, 5 WatGP;

11 Buller (new) 2:07.56:

1b WatGP, 5 SolGPF;

12 Jordan-Smith (7, 5, 19) 2:07.9:

4 Batt, dns SwinGP;

13 Carter U20 (new) 2:08.2:

3 Stret 18/8, 6 SolGPF;

14 Aston (13, -, -) 2:08.2:

1 Stret 19/5, 9 WythGP, 5 SwinGP, 1 Stret 14/7,

6 Stret 18/8, 1mx Stret 1/9, 8 SolGPF;

15 Brady (15, -, -) 2:09.61:

4 Stret 19/5, 1b WythGP, 1 Jarrow 27/6,

1b Cardiff GP, 5 Stret 18/8, 9 SolGPF;

16 Parkinson (-, 16, 10) 2:08.6:

2 Stret 14/7, 4 Stret 18/8;

17 King (10, 8, 12) 2:08.9:

5 WythGP, 1 Wat 1/7, 8 WatGP;

18 Mitchell Julie (new) 2:08.44:

2 Wat 1/7, 7 CardGP, 9 WatGP;

19 Fryer (14, 10, 16) 2:09.4:

6 Stret 19/5, 1mx Stret 23/6, 5 Stret 14/7;

1mx Stret 4/8, 1b Stret 18/8, 3mx Stret 1/9;

20= Riley U17 (new) 2:10.5mx:

1mx Stret 28/4, 2b WythGP, 3mx Stret 23/6,

5mx Stret 1/9;

20= Brownhill U20 (new) 2:09.6mx:

2mx Stret 28/4, 3b WythGP, 2b Stret 18/8,

2mx Stret 1/9;

not ranked

Modahl (nr, -, -) 2:01.93: 1 SolGPF;

Pattinson (11, -, -) 2:08.30: 6 CardGP;

Smithson (-, 20, -) 2:08.4: 2 Stret 19/5;

Quinn-Thom (-, -, -) 2:08.4mx: 1mx Belfast;

In a superb year Lynn Gibson and Angela Davies take joint honours. Davies was 2-0 vs Gibson but Gibson had the best overall sequence in a year in which there were five British athletes inside 2:05. Alex Carter and Cath Riley set the fastest times in Britain by an U20 and U17 respectively. Diane Modahl set a new BMC members’ record in the Grand Prix Final.

Women's 1,500m / Mile

1 Gibson (3, 1, -) 4:14.84x:

2 WythGP, 1 SolGPF;

2 Pattinson (4, 11, 6) 4:15.0:

1 WythGP, 1 SwinGP, 1 Stret 1/9, 2 SolGPF;

3 Smithson (-,-,-) 4:17.6:

6 WythGP, 4 SwinGP, 2 CardGP, 1 WatGP,

2 Stret 1/9, 5 SolGPF;

4 Colleran (9, -, -) 4:19.0:

2mx Stret 14/7, 1mx Stret 18/8, 3 Stret 1/9,

3 SolGPF;

5 Parkinson (4, 4, 2) 4:19.96:

1 Stret 20/6, 4 Stret 1/9, 4 SolGPF;

6 Griffiths S (new) 4:20.3:

3 WythGP, 2 SwinGP, 3 CardGP, 3 WatGP;

7 Fitzgerald IRE (new) 4:21.00:

3 SwinGP, 6 CardGP;

8 Lynch IRE (new) 4:20.5:

7 WythGP, 6 SwinGP, 4 WatGP;

8 York-Morris (new) 4:20.5:

5 WatGP, 2 Wat 9/9;

9 Parker-Lamb (-, nr, -) 4:20.9:

7 Stret 23/6, 1 Sol 29/7, 6 WatGP, 9 SolGPF;

10 Bull (new) 4:21.7:

5 SwinGP, 7 WatGP, 1b SolGPF;

11 Brown (new) 4:23.0:

7 CardGP, 12 WatGP, 6 SolGPF, 1 Wat 9/9;

12 O'Hare (7, 16, -) 4:21.86:

4 CardGP, 14 WatGP;

13 King (-, 9, 3) 4:22.79:

5 CardGP, 3mx Stret 18/8;

14 Wannell (new) 4:23.46:

9 WythGP, 7 SwinGP;

15 Quinn-Thom (-, -, -) 4:22.8:

14 WythGP, 9 WatGP, 8 SolGPF;

16 Pimblett (8, 6, -) 4:23.5:

2 Stret 23/6, 2mx Stret 18/8, 5 Stret 1/9, 11 SolGPF;

17 Field (13, 12, -) 4:25.52:

4 WythGP, 9 CardGP, 4 Sol 29/7, 11 WatGP;

18 Carter U20 (new) 4:25.3:

2mx Stret 28/4, 8 WythGP, 4 Stret 23/6, 6 Stret 1/9;

19 Carville (-,19,-) 4:24.2:

1 Wat 29/4, 11 WythGP, 8 SwinGP, 8 CardGP,

10 WatGP;

20 Ingman (14, -, -) 4:26.1:

6 Stret 23/6, 7 Stret 1/9, 10 SolGPF;

not ranked

Jones (6, 10, -) 4:20.61: 1 CardGP;

Bowyer (-, 3, -) 4:21.6: 1mx Stret 14/7;

Henaghan (nr, -, -) 4:25.65: 5 WythGP;

McPherson K (nr, 20,-) 4:25.6: 5 Stret 23/6;

Helen Pattinson went into the Grand Prix final unbeaten and with the three fastest winning times, but was beaten there by Lynn Gibson who thus regains the number one ranking she held in 1996. Pattinson however got her revenge in the Commonwealth Games Final. Smithson had a fine breakthrough at Watford and it was pleasing to see a noticeable increase in standards at this event.

Women's 3,000m - 10,000m

1 Talbot (-) 9:15.25 / 15:52.61:

2 WythGP, 1 SwinGP;

2 Heasman (3) 9:16.5mx / 15:57.24

1mx Stret 19/5, 5 WythGP, 1mx Stret 23/6,

3mx Stret 14/7;

3 Gunning (-) 9:16.6 / 16:10.8:

3 Millfield, 9 WythGP, 2 SwinGP;

4 McPherson V (2) 9:21.2 / 16:07.7:

1 So’ton, 3 Stret 18/8, 3 Birm;

5 Fairweather (-) 9:23.38 / 16:07.34:

3 Lough, 8 WythGP;

6 Pimblett (nr) 9:18.6mx / 16:34.51:

2mx Stret 19/5, 13 WythGP, 1mx Stret 14/7

7 Ingman (-) 9:19.4mx:

1mx Stret 2/6, 2mx Stret 14/7

8 Wannell (6) 9:27.8 / 16:52.6:

4 Millfield, 7 Lough, 2 Cwmbran, 2 CardGP,

8 Birm;

9 Gascoigne U20 (-) 9:25.95 / 17:22.97:

6 Millfield, 5 Lough, 15 WythGP;

10 Waterlow (-) 9:30.08 / 16:19.72

6 Lough, 10 WythGP;

11 Bentley (1) 9:26.5mx:

12 Lough, 2mx Stret 23/6, 4mx Stret 18/8;

12= Joiner (5) 9:33.89 / 16:44.2;

8 Lough, 2 Batt;

12= Thackray (-) 9:39.14 / 16:29.57;

9 Lough, 11 WythGP, 3 CardGP;

not ranked

Pavey (nr) 8:58.2: 1 Millfield;

Davies A (-) 15:50.59: 1 WythGP;

A dramatic increase in standards resulting from the 5k at Wythenshawe, however the best sequences were from non-members (Krzywicki and Young) which left Liz Talbot to just take top ranking from Heather Heasman. Amber Gascoigne set a BMC Junior 3,000m record.