UK Championships 5000m

Last year I ran a personal best in this race, I was happy to finish 11th in 14:13 so it's definitely a track I like running at. This year the race was looking like it was going to be a tough one but as Mo decided not to run, Chris and Nick who I both train with decided to run the 1500m.

This caused some controversy amongst users of the online running forums but as an athlete who competes over 5000 I love to see UKA helping those guys out who are trying to achieve the A standard qualifying time of 13:20. They weren't going to get anything out of running the 5000 at the trials apart from a last km and a medal. Yes I know a medal is fantastic to win but I personally would take representing my country at the World Champs over a national medal. It's marginal but there isn't a greater honour!

Back to the race, I went in thinking a top 5 finish would be great as on paper I think I was ranked about 12th on personal bests. I knew training had been going well and I was fairly confident I could run around the 14 minute mark. My plan was to just sit in and not do any of the work, if it was slow I knew I could really wind up at the end and you never know what happens on the last lap and if it was fast well, i've got myself a nice fast race to try and get a pb.

The first 3k was pretty easy for me, I hated not being able to take up some of the running as I really wanted to push on and get the race going but I had to stick to the game plan. I think we went through in 8:28, not consistent laps but all of them were between 67 and 70 seconds. Again the 4th km was of a similar pace and I think we hit 4k in 11:22 so the pace was slowing. There was still a good group of us and I kept looking around waiting for someone to make a long run for home but it never came. We did another lap in around 67 then Scott push on with 600 to go, he put in a 30 second 200 round to the bell. I felt it quicken and was on it straight away through the bell and round to the back straight. We hit the wind and he kicked again, I didn't want to commit myself just yet as I wasn't really sure at that point my legs could go up a gear. As we go to 200 to go, Scott kicked again and Lee (we trained together in Portugal and share the same coach) came past me but as he did he was beginning to slow while Scott was still accelerating. I was thinking I'm not getting done like this in the last 200 and at 150 I really kicked hard for home but Scott went again so there was no catching him. In the home straight I was racing to hold onto second and after a few glances at the big screen I could see I was well clear of Lee.

With a last lap of around 57 seconds much to my surprise I'd managed to dip under 14 minutes for the first time. What a way to do it! Looking back running round at 67's and 68's I was in such a comfort zone and I think I could, in the right race, lap at 66 pace and still finish strong, not quite as strong as a 2:35 last km but certainly stick at 2:45 km splits throughout. So the next stop for me is to get out and run in the 13:40's and prove to myself all this training has worked. Roll on the next one.

BBC's coverage of the final km.

Coming up to 1 lap to go.

Crossing the finish line... I have no idea why I felt to need to touch Scott's hair.

On the podium.