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 Relays at Battersea and
the BMC NIKE Grand Prix Final incorporating the BMC Championships at Scotstoun;
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 five years BMC rankings are in brackets. Times for women set in mixed races are
discounted slightly in the rankings.
1 Hart (1, 2, 1, 1, 2) 1:46.97:
3
Batt Pk, 1b CardGP;
2 Donaldson (5, nr, 27, 16, 9) 1:47.65:
2
Lough 10/5, 2 Lough 14/6, 3b CardGP,
2
SolGP;
3 Moss (-, 6, -, -, -) 1:47.75
1
Lough 14/6, 7 CardGP, 3 SolGP;
4 Graffin, Andrew (19, -, 22, -, -) 1:49.1:
1
Toot 19/7, 1 ScotGPF;
5 Swift-Smith (2, 18, 3, 8, -) 1:48.28:
1
WythGP, 2 WatGP, 2 Wat 2/8;
6 Speaight U23 (4, -, -, -, -) 1:48.74:
6
WythGP, 5 CardGP, 2 Stret 25/7,
1
Wat 2/8, 6 SolGP;
7 McKay (-, 7, 2, -, -) 1:48.56:
3
Wyth GP, 4 Stret 11/7
8 Donkin (3, 8, 13, nr, -) 1:48.72:
1
Stret 30/5, 4 WythGP, 9 Batt Pk,
3
Stret 11/7, 8 WatGP, 2 ScotGPF;
9 Mayo J (15, 20, -, 5, -) 1:49.07:
1b
Batt Pk, 1 Wat 12/7, 3 WatGP,
6
ScotGPF;
10 Watson (-, -, -, -, -) 1:49.05
2
Stret 30/5, 2c WythGP, 7 Stret 11/7,
1b
WatGP, 1 Stret 25/7
11 Cuddy (8, 19, 4, 19, -) 1:48.98:
1
Stret 16/5, 3 Stret 30/5, 8 Batt Pk,
3
CardGP, 8 Stret 11/7, 4 WatGP
12 Shone (12, 4=, -, -, -) 1:49.25:
3
Wat 7/6, 6b CardGP;
13 Clark (11, -, -, -, -) 1:49.24:
1b
Wat 7/6, 7 Batt Pk, 5 WatGP,
7
Wat 2/8, 7 Bedford;
14 Rogers (new) 1:49.61
3
Stret 16/5, 8 Stret 30/5, 7b WythGP,
2b
Batt Pk, 8 CardGP, 9 Stret 11/7,
4b
WatGP, 4 ScotGPF, 1 Stret 5/9
15 Bailey (new) 1:49.46
4 Stret 16/5, 5 Stret 30/5, 10b WythGP
5b
Batt Pk, 1b Stret 11/7, 5b WatGP,
3
Stret 25/7, 1b SolGP, 5 ScotGPF,
3
Stret 5/9
16 Mulvaney U20 (23, -, -, -, -) 1:49.86:
2
Stret 16/5, 8 WythGP, 3 Wat 12/7,
4
Wat 2/8
17 MacLean U23 (new) 1:49.82:
4
Wat 12/7, 2 Wat 30/8
18 Graffin Allen (-, -, -, -, -) 1:50.1:
6
Wat 12/7, 2 Tooting, 1c ScotGPF
19 Dixon (-, -, -, -, -) 1:49.74:
3
Lough 10/5, 1 Lough 24/5, 7b CardGP
20 Mayo T (13, -, -, -, -) 1:50.68:
1 Sol 24/5, 5b Stret 30/5, 4c Stret 30/5
3b
Batt Pk, 6 Wat 30/8
21 Rees Jones (new) 1:50.21
4 Stret 30/5, 1 Stret 27/6, 6 Stret 1/7
22 Parker U23 (-, -, -, -, -) 1:50.22
3
Lough 14/6, 8b CardGP, 2b WatGP,
3
Wat 2/8
23 Bolt U20 (24, -, -, -, -) 1:50.4
1 Wat 10/5, 1 Sol 19/7
24 Edwards (6, 13, 11, -, -) 1:50.47
3b
WythGP, 12 WatGP
25 Ashe (-, -, 20, 26, -) 1:50.36
5
Wat 7/6, 3 Wat 30/8
26 Thie (-, -, -, -, -) 1:50.52
7
SolGP, 4 Wat 30/8
27 Hall (29, 12,14, -, -) 1:50.09
1b
WythGP, 6 WatGP, 8 SolGP,
9
Wat 30/8, 2 Wat 6/9
28 Knight (14, 24, 7, 7, 3) 1:50.87
9
Wat 7/6, 1c Batt Pk, 9 Wat 12/7,
9b
WatGP, 1b Wat 2/8, 11 Wat 30/8
29 Brown (new) 1:50.89
11
Wat 7/6, 7b Batt Pk, 2c WatGP, 1 Sut Pk,
4b
Wat 2/8, 3b SolGP, 2 Bedford, 7 ScotGPF
30 Davoren (-, -, -, -, -) 1:51.1
6b
Batt Pk, 5 Wat 2/8, 1 Brighton
not ranked
Whiteman (-, nr, nr, -, -) 1:47.81: 1 WatGP
Caddy (-, -, -, 11, 18) 1:47.89: 5b CardGP;
Turnbull IRE (7, -, -, -, -) 1:48.8: 1 Lough 10/5
Lees U23 (30=, 3, 23, -, -) 1:49.26: 2 Wat 7/6
King (nr, 9, 8, 9, -) 1:49.55: 7 WythGP
Andrews U20 (9, -, -, -, -) 1:49.67: 4 CardGP
Tulba (-, 4=, 15, 18, -) 1:49.76: 2 Wat 12/7
Andy Hart truly has been the athlete of these BMC merit rankings. In the six years of these rankings at 800m, he has been 1st four times and 2nd in the other two years. No other athlete in any event comes close to his loyalty and consistency. Donaldson and Moss made good progress, and BMC Champion Andrew Graffin is difficult to rank, winning both his races, but only placing 24th on time. Tom Mayo really did do two races at Stretford on 30th May, both in 1:55.
1 Graffin, Andrew (2, 9, -, -, -) 3:39.79 / 5:01.28:
2
Batt Pk 25/6, 1 Wat GP;
2 East (nr, nr, -, -, -) 3:40.59:
2
WythGP, 2 Shapwick;
3 Maclean U23 (17, -, -, -, -) 3:41.19:
1
Wat 2/8, 2 ScotGPF;
4 Ashe (4, -, 11, 2, 6) 3:41.36:
11
CardGP, 1 Wat 12/7, 2 Wat GP;
5 Thie (22, 19, -, -, -) 3:42.85 / 4:01.7M:
4
WythGP, 12 CardGP, 2 Stret 22/8,
2
Yeovil, 2 Wat 6/9, 3 Shapwick, 2 SWGP;
6 Davoren (8, 13, nr, 24, 20=) 3:43.13:
1b
Batt Pk 4/6, 7 CardGP, 4 Wat 12/7,
4
WatGP;
7 Bolt U20 (25, 28, -, -, -) 3:42.36 / 4:15.56:
13
CardGP, 5 Wat 12/7, 3 WatGP, 2 Bath,
4
Shapwick, 3 SWGP;
8 Graffin, Allen (9, -, -, -, -) 3:43.29 / 5:02.90:
3
Batt Pk 25/6, 5 WatGP, 3 Scot GPF;
9 Sharp (11, 10, 22, -, -) 3:43.88 / 4:02.0M;
9
Batt Pk 4/6, 8 WythGP, 5 CardGP,
9
WatGP, 1 SolGP, 3 Yeovil, 5 ScotGPF.
10 Bowditch (new) 3:42.59:
1
Stret 25/7, 1 Stret 22/8
11 Swift-Smith (-, -, 16, -, -) 3:43.01 / 4:02.45M:
8
Batt Pk 4/6, 2 CardGP, 8 SolGP
12 Tulba (-, 3, 15, -, -) 3:43.56:
4
CardGP, 7 WatGP
13 Moorhouse (-, 20, -, -) 3:43.41 / 4:02.35:
7
Batt Pk 4/6, 9 CardGP, 3 Stret 22/8
14 Tedd (new) 3:43.54:
7
WythGP, 8 WatGP
15 Morris Michael (new) 3:43.52
5
Stret 27/6, 11 WatGP, 5 SolGP, 4 Stret 22/8
16= Mayo T (5, 4, -, -, -) 3:44.07 / 4:00.60;
4 Batt Pk 4/6, 11 WythGP, 18 CardGP,
2 Wat 12/7, 14 WatGP, 4 Yeovil;
16= Bouchamia ALG U23 (new) 3:43.34 / 4:04.30M:
10
Batt Pk 4/6, 5 WythGP, 14 CardGP,
19
WatGP, 9 SolGP
18 Stephenson (-, 6, -, -, -) 3:49.66 / 4:00.4M:
18 WatGP, 1 Yeovil
6 Stret 11/7, 2 Sol 19/7, 1c WatGP,
3 SolGP, 1 Stret 5/9
20 Thompson C U20 (-, 27, -, -, -) 3:44.66
1 Millfield, 2b CardGP, 3 Wat 12/7, 6 SolGP, 5 Shapwick
21 Taylor (new) 3:44.79
6 Stret 16/5, 3b WythGP, 4 Stret 11/7,
1b WatGP, 2 Wat 2/8, 7 SolGP, 5 Stret 22/8,
8 Stret 5/9
22 Renfree (-, 26, 25, 30=, -) 3:44.88:
3
Lough 10/5, 9 WythGP, 4 ScotGPF
23 Soos U20 (new) 3:47.36 / 4:28.19M
2
Millfield, 5b WythGP, 6 Wat 12/7
13
WatGP, 14 SolGP, 8 Bath
25 Grime (-, -, -, 7, -) 3:45.79
15
WatGP, 2 Stret 25/7
26 Nicolson (12, -, -, -, -) 3:44.70:
10
CardGP, 16 WatGP
27 Skinner U23 (-, -, -, -, -) 3:46.72
12
WythGP, 15 CardGP
28 Mulvaney U20 (-, -, -, -, -) 3:48.13 / 4:10.93
4b
Batt Pk, 5b WatGP, 3 Stret 8/8,
11
SolGP
3 Stret 30/5, 6b Batt Pk 4/6, 1 Sol 19/7,
4 Wat 2/8
30= Davies M (30=, 24, 23, 17, 18) 3:47.28 / 4:15.83M
16 CardGP, 3b WatGP, 12 Wat 2/8, 3 Bath
30= Ingle U23 (-, -, -, -, -) 3:48.87 / 4:06.7
3b
CardGP, 7c WatGP, 1b SolGP
5
Yeovil, 4 Watford 6/9, 5 Bath, 4 SWGP
not ranked
Dixon (nr, 23, -, -, -) 3:40.42: 1 WythGP;
Openshaw (-, nr, nr, -, -) 4:00.88M: 5 Batt Pk
Heath (-, -, -, -, -) 4:01.06M: 6 Batt Pk
Andrew Graffin continued to improve, making his breakthroughs at Battersea and Watford prior to gaining Olympic selection. Michael East and Angus Maclean show great promise for the future. Matt Davies is the only athlete to make the rankings for the sixth successive year, a record for this event. Steve Sharp won the BMC Nike Grand Prix at Scotstoun whilst Allen Graffin’s 3rd place at Scotstoun was his third race of the afternoon.
1 Jones (new) 7:54.12 / 28:00.50
1b
WythGP, 6 CardGP, 2 WatGP
2 Bowditch (new) 7:52.27 / 13:28.22;
3 WythGP, 2 Batt Pk, 1(3k) SolGP
3 = Openshaw (2, nr, -) 7:55.12 / 13:37.97:
6
WythGP, 6 Batt Pk, 6 Stret 11/7,
1
Stret 25/7, 7 SolGP;
3= Stewart (nr, -, -) 7:56.80 / 13:38.37:
7
WythGP, 4 Stret 11/7, 4 SolGP;
5 Graffin Allen (new) 8:15.44 / 13:41.42;
2 SolGP, 1 ScotGPF
6 Moorhouse (nr, 2, -) 7:53.11 / 13:42.35
1 Stret 30/5, 4 WythGP, 8 Batt Pk,
8 Stret 11/7
7 Passey (new) 7:53.68 / 13:52.97
5
WythGP, 11 Batt Pk, 9 Stret 11/7, 5 SolGP
8 Tromans (3, -, 5)
8:05.45
/ 13:57.31 / 29:05.28
14
WythGP, 14 CardGP, 11 Stret 11/7,
14
WatGP
9 Lane (new) 13:58.44 / 29:38.93
14
Stret 11/7, 17 WatGP
10 Wetheridge (new) 7:59.35 / 14:05.95
13
WythGP, 12 Batt Pk
not ranked
Stephenson
(-, -, -, -, -) 7:53.23: 4 CardGP
Davies
(7, -, -) 7:57.48: 9 WythGP
Andres Jones, a member of our 1996 4 x 1,500m junior relay team, won the AAA title in his Olympic qualifying time at Watford and Kris Bowditch ran the fastest 3k and 5k times by a member, getting his Olympic qualifying time at Battersea Park. Both set BMC member’s records. Mike Openshaw and Glen Stewart both ran consistently well, whilst Allen Graffin is the first athlete to rank in three events in the same year.
1 Caffel U23 (nr, -, -, -, -) 2:03.48mx:
1 CardGP, 1 Wat 30/8, 1 Wat 6/9;
2 Carter U23 (3, 13, -, -, -) 2:03.78mx:
1 Lough 10/5, 1mx Stret 22/8, 1 Stret 5/9;
3 Fenn (-, 3, nr, -, -) 2:06.13:
4
WythGP, 1 SolGP
4 Newcombe (1, 4, -, -, -) 2:05.69:
5
WythGP, 2 SolGP, 2 ScotGP;
5 Simpson U17 (new) 2:06.72:
1
Millfield, 3 SolGP
6 Ross U20 (8, -, -, -, -) 2:06.38:
7
WythGP, 3 ScotGPF;
7 Fryer (2, 19, 14, 10, 16) 2:07.71:
6
WythGP, 1 Stret 11/7, 2 WatGP,
1mx Stret 25/7;
8 Evans (9, -, -, -, -) 2:07.07:
1b
WythGP, 3 CardGP, 3 WatGP,
1
Wat 2/8, 6 ScotGPF;
9 Bowyer (-, -, -, 1, -) 2:07.7:
1
Lough 10/5, 1 Lough 24/7
10 Raven (-, 8, 1, -, -) 2:08.26mx:
3
Lough 10/5, 1mx Stret 27/6, 2 Wat 2/8
11 Smithson (-, -, -, -, -) 2:08.75
1
Stret 27/6, 2 Stret 11/7
12 Griffiths S (14, -, -, -, -) 2:08.77
4
Stret 27/6, 1 Stret 8/8
13 Quinn U20 (new) 2:08.84
2b
CardGP, 2 Stret 8/8
14 Lynch U23 IRE (-, 7, -, -, -) 2:08.90
8
WythGP, 3 Stret 8/8, 5 Wat 30/8
15 Lamb (-, -, 17, 3, 15) 2:09.14
2 Batt Pk, 2 Sol 19/7
16 Blakeman (-, 5, -, -, -) 2:09.11
3 Sol 19/7, 1 Stret 25/7,
4 Stret 8/8,
5 SolGP
17 Bouchard (-, -, 18, -, -) 2:09.08
1 Stret 16/5, 2 Stret 30/5, 2b WythGP
3 Stret 27/6, 2 Stret 25/7, 2 Stret 5/9
18 Butler (18, 9, 5, 19, -) 2:07.88:
1
Stret 2/5, 1 Stret 30/5, 9 WythGP,
6
Stret 27/6, 4 Stret 11/7, 5 Stret 8/8,
4
ScotGPF, 4 Stret 5/9
19 Reed U20 (new) 2:09.50
7b
WythGP, 1b CardGP, 5 WatGP,
7
SolGP, 5 ScotGPF
20= Andrews (-, -, 12, -, 7) 2:09.80
3 Stret 30/5, 2 Stret 27/6, 3 Stret 25/7
20= Brady (11, 15, 15, -, -) 2:09.78:
5 Stret 27/6, 2 Stret 22/8, 3 Stret 5/9
not ranked
Modahl (-, nr, nr, -, -) 2:02.73mx: 1mx Stret 5/9;
Pattinson
(nr, nr, 11, -, -) 2:05.0mx: 1 Stret 8/8;
Once
again, the races in the Grand Prix were disappointing, but there were fine runs
by Caffel, Carter and Modahl in mixed races.
Many old names reappear whilst Paula Fryer is the only athlete to appear
in the rankings for the sixth successive year.
The depth has improved significantly, with no athlete outside 2:10.
1 O'Sullivan IRE (new) 4:06.39mx
1re4
Batt Pk, 1mx WatGP, 1 WatGP
2 Yelling L (-, -, -, -, -) 4:16.75
2
SolGP, 1 Bedford, 1 Wat 30/8
3 Newport (1, -, nr, nr, 1) 4:15.28:
2
Lough 10/5, 2 WythGP, 1mx Stret 25/7
4 Carter U23 (nr, 18, -, -, -) 4:17.98:
1 Lough 10/5, 3 WythGP, 3 CardGP
5 Smithson (-, 3, -, -, -) 4:18.32:
1mx
Stret 30/5, 6 WythGP, 1 CardGP
6 Scott (3, -, -, -, -) 4:18.42:
5
WythGP, 8 WatGP
7 Griffiths S (6, 6, -, -, -) 4:20.16:
10
WythGP, 1 ScotGPF
8 Lynch IRE (4, 8, -, -, -) 4:18.79:
2re1
Batt Pk, 9 WatGP, 2 ScotGPF
9 Fitzgerald IRE (7, -, -, -) 4:18.8R:
2re2
Batt Pk, 11 WatGP
10 Bull (9, 10, -, -, -) 4:23.6:
1b
WatGP, 2 Bedford
11 Doughty (8, 17, 13, 12, -) 4:22.75:
6
CardGP, 2b WatGP
12 Lamb (12, 9, -, nr, -) 4:22.19:
7
WythGP, 12 WatGP
13 Jelbert U17 (new) 4:23.96:
1
Millfield, 4 SolGP
14 Sharp (10, 19, -, 19, -) 4:22.30:
5
CardGP, 7b WatGP, 8 SolGP, 4 ScotGPF
15 Bouchard (new) 4:23.7
1mx Stret 11/7, 1mx Stret 8/8, 1 Stret 22/8
16 Wannell (11, 14, -, -, -) 4:23.72:
11
WythGP, 7 CardGP
17 Gunning (new)
4:24.52
1mx Sol 21/6, 5 SolGP, 6 Wat 30/8
18 Wilkinson (new) 4:25.45
4b WatGP, 7 SolGP, 3 Bedford
19 Lee (new) 4:25.50
3b
WatGP, 12 SolGP
20 Moore U17 (new) 4:25.53
2
Millfield, 4 Wat 30/8
not ranked
Nolan IRE (new) 4:16.82: 4 WatGP;
Parkinson (-, 5, 4, 4, 2) 4:17.85: 5 WatGP;
McCambridge IRE (new) 4:17.68: 6 WatGP;
Henaghan (-, nr, nr, -, -) 4:18.04: 7 WatGP;
Caffel (-, -, -, -, -) 4:18.14: 4 WythGP;
Modahl (-, -, -, -, -) 4:18.36: 1mx Stret 16/5;
As last year, most of the fast times were set by overseas athletes who ran just the once, which makes the efforts of Sonia O’Sullivan so very special, effectively breaking the BMC record on three occasions, the fastest in a relay, the fastest in a mixed race, and the fastest in a women only race. A week after her efforts in Watford, she ran 4:01 in Oslo, this confirms our belief that really top athletes can run up to 6 seconds faster over 1,500m in paced European races. Liz Yelling had a fine series of races in late August, and Zoe Jelbert and Charlotte Moore are the most promising juniors.
1 Pavey (-, nr, nr) 8:53.7mx
2mx CardGP, 1mx Sol 19/7
2 McCambridge IRE (new) 9:02.35 / 15:39.40
3mx
CardGP, 3 Stret 11/7
3 Yelling L (4, 1, -) 16:03.75 / 33:07.9
6
Batt Pk, 8 WatGP
4 Parkinson (-, -, -) 9:02.67mx / 15:56.64
2mx Stret 27/6, 5 Stret 11/7, 1mx Stret 22/8
5 Newport (1, nr, -) 9:05.86mx / 15:48.50:
dnf
Batt Pk, 1mx Stret 25/7, 1 SolGP
6 Ingman U23 (2, 7, -) 9:16.42 / 16:10.25:
5
WythGP, 9 Batt Pk,
7 Henaghan (-, -, -) 9:22.68 / 16:01.96
7
Wyth GP, 6 Stret 11/7
8 Wannell (nr, 8,6) 9:31.01 / 16:32.13:
1
Millfield, 10 Stret 11/7
9 Heasman-Knight (-, -, -) 9:31.93:
3
Stret 30/5, 9 WythGP
10 Waterlow U23 (3, 10, -) 9:35.02mx:
10
WythGP, 6mx Stret 25/7
11 Hyde Peters W35 (5, -, -) 9:38.1mx:
6mx CardGP, 2mx Sol 19/7
not ranked
Colleran (-, -, -) 9:17.43mx: 3mx Stret 25/7;
Morris (-, -, -) 9:28.68: 8 WythGP
Wyeth W35 (nr, -, -) 9:33.09mx: 5mx Stret 25/7;
After almost two years out Jo Pavey returned to run a couple of low key mixed races, and broke her own BMC record each time. Amanda Parkinson made a fine debut at this event, but, like last year, many of the top performances are by non-members. Liz Yelling set a BMC member’s record when finishing 8th at Watford.