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One of the best and biggest overseas contingents ever for a BMC Grand Prix created some classy line-ups which inspired the top Brits to personal and seasonal bests throughout the programme. Out of 344 finishing performances, 121 were personal bests and a further 125 were seasonal bests as the sheltered Watford track produced its usual magic despite the wind being slightly stronger than normal.

Charlene Thomas in the 1500m led the 15 marks that were selection standards for this year's major international championships. Thomas's hopes of representing Britain at a second consecutive world outdoor championships look good after a comfortable 1500m A race victory in 4:06.87 – a sensational time given she had little competition. The Wakefield Harrier may have been expecting a race from UK indoor champion Stacey Smith and Poland's 4:02 runner Sylwia Ejdys, but typical aggressive racing put her clear of the field early on with only the pacemaker to chase. Her time represented a 'B' standard for this year's IAAF World Championships in Daegu. A clocking of 4:05.90 or lower would have secured not only the 'A' standard which will surely be needed, but would have matched the mark required for the $5,000 top prize for winning her event. She had to make do with the knowledge that that the 'A' mark and her PB of 4:05.06 are within reach in a more competitive race. Germany's Corinna Harrer was second in 4:09.63, while Smith was third in 4:10.10 having moved through the on the last lap.

UK-based Somalian Moumin Geele led six others under 14 minutes in the men's 5000m A race. Although he felt the start was a little slow in hindsight and he was around two seconds off his target with 13:37.41, Geele was happy with his second-best ever time. The 25-year-old Newham & Essex Beagle, whose application for a GB passport has been going on for years, feels his best of 13:34.66 and time of 13:20 are within his grasp this season. The first GB-eligible athlete to cross the line was Luton AC's John McDonnell, whose 13:56.17 was a 12-second PB. Two places behind was another 19-year-old, Cardiff AC's Adam Bitchell, who recorded 13:57.61 to knock 39 seconds off his best as both gained the qualifying time for the European Under-23 Championships in Ostrava.
Simon Jones took the B race in 14:06.57 by overhauling Jon Pepper in the finishing straight, the first six setting PBs.

The women's 5000m A race was no less productive in terms of great performances. With 14 PBs for the 17 finishers, the race won by Germany's Sabine Fischer was arguably the race of the night. Bedford & County's Katrina Wootton was on her own for much of the race as she chased pacemaker Emma Pallant and Fischer on her way to 15:43.77 for second. However, after going through halfway on pace for around 15:30, she faded and at 600m was caught by Sonia Samuels and Gemma Steel, who raced much of the twelve and a half laps together. However, the former UK 1500m champion reacted positively to pull away over the last 400m and was ultimately untroubled as she came within four seconds of her PB. Sale Harrier Samuels revised her best by 12 seconds to finish third in 15:44.24, while Lauren Deadman (15:46.34) overtook Steel (15:47.21) for fourth. For prolific road racer Steel, who beat Paula Radcliffe to finish second at the recent Bupa 10,000 and has represented Britain at the World Cross, this was remarkably her debut 5000m on the track.
Hannah Walker (15:48.69) and Kate Avery (15:55.54) both set European under-23 qualifiers.

The men's 1500m A race was dominated by overseas athletes, but Birchfield Harrier Adam Cotton was the pick of the Brits with a BMC under-20 record in fourth. He clocked 3:41.33 behind Spanish winner David Bustos to gain the qualifying time for the European Under-20 Championships in Tallinn, one of five athletes to do so. In eighth was 17-year-old Charlie Grice, whose 3:42.86 took nearly six seconds off his best. The Youth Olympic Games 1000m bronze medallist thus closed in on the UK age-17 best of 3:40.09 held by Steve Cram. Last but by no means least in the A race was U20 Jonathan Hay, with 3:43.61, while Richard Goodman (3:6.84) and Tom Curr (3:46.82) also set marks for Tallinn in the B and C races respectively.

Eilish McColgan continued her fantastic season with a clear victory in the 1500m B race. The Dundee Hawkhill Harrier already has the Ostrava qualifying marks in the steeplechase and 5000m this year and was just outside the 1500m equivalent of 4:13.00 with 4:14.44. Georgia Peel was second with 4:16.55, a season's best which was easily inside the European juniors mark for the 17-year-old.

The men's 3000m steeplechase has been a poor event in Britain in recent years so there was hope that Andy Vernon, after his 13:27.85 at 5000m in April, could go some way to rectifying that in his first appearance in the event for seven years. He was ranked third Junior in the UK in 2004 with 9:05, but here was never on the pace of the leaders and struggled to 8:51.61 for third. He put some of it down to poor technique at the water jumps and hopes to have one or two more efforts at the event this summer. Runner-up James Wilkinson found himself behind Morocco's Dacha Abdellah for the second time in as many weeks. With 8:45.44, he was just four hundredths off the PB he set in the Moroccan capital on June 9.

The 800m A races failed to quite live up to expectations, although there was a big PB for the winner, Lynsey Sharp – 2:02.48. The Edinburgh AC athlete was by far the slowest in the field on paper. With PBs ranging from 1:57.32 to 2:01.82, she could have been outclassed. Ukraine's Yuliya Krevsun, who was fourth at the 2009 World Championships, led behind the pacemakers for the first lap, British international Marilyn Okoro a couple of metres adrift. Sharp was last but one at the bell, two to three seconds behind the first pacemaker, who split 57 seconds. Sharp accelerated down the back straight but was not much nearer the front with 200m to go and was fifth coming off the bend. Poland's Angelika Cichocka was second in 2:02.64 with Charlotte Best, Emma Jackson, Krevsun and Okoro next across the line in that order.
In the lower-string races Katie Snowden, Rowena Cole and Sarah Kelly went below the European Juniors standard of 2:07.5.

Kleberson Davide, who had run a PB 1:44 last month, came all the way from Brazil especially for this race and looked as though he was in a hurry to get back as he sped through the first 200m. The pacemakers had to work to get in front at the half-lap point, reached in a suicidal 23 seconds. Only Sweden's Mattias Claesson resisted this pace and 400m was reached in 50.35. Through 600m in 1:18, the runners were slowing drastically and Germany's Robin Schembra held on to win in a disappointing 1:47.71. Cardiff's Gareth Warburton was three hundredths back in second , just ahead of Davide. The B race was quicker as another German, Soren Ludolph was 1:47.33.

World Championship B Standard
W1500m Standard 4:08.9
Charlene Thomas – 4:06.7

European U23 Championship Standard
W1500m Standard 4:13.0
Stacey Smith -4:10.10

M5000m Standard 14:05.0
John McDonnell – 13:56.17
Adam Bitchell – 13:57.61

W5000m Standard 16:15.0
Hannah Walker – 15:48.69
Kate Avery – 15:55.54

European U20 Championship Standard
W800m Standard 2:07.5
Katie Snowdon -2:05.26
Rowena Cole - 2:05.74
Sarah Kelly – 2:06.26

M1500m Standard 3:48.0
Adam Cotton – 3:41.33
Charlie Grice – 3:42.86
Jonny Hay – 3:43.61
Tom Curr – 3:46.82
Richard Goodman – 3:46.84

W1500m Standard 4:22.0
Georgia Peel - 4:16.55

BMC U20 Members Record
Adam Cotton – 3:41.33

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