Harrow beat Thames Valley – National Athletics League round-up

We look at the second round of matches from the nation’s leading league for British athletics clubs

The second series of matches in the 2025 season got underway as clubs in the Premiership again battled things out while the second-tier events began to indicate who would make the qualifying match next month.

The standard of performances in the top flight improved markedly but the difference in standard between them and the four mini area leagues remains stark.

PREMIERSHIP, round 2, Derby, July 5

The Premiership saw City of Sheffield decamp to Moorways Stadium in Derby for their home match and three-time winners Thames Valley Harriers sought to bounce back from their defeat to Harrow in the pervious match.

However, it was not to be, as despite narrowly taking the lead in the match near the closing stages, Thames Valley had to concede to local rivals Harrow at the death albeit by just two event points. The championship now looks likely to be Harrow’s after two narrow match wins.

Harrow got off to the best of starts in the field, as Euro indoor jumper Alice Hopkins won the women’s long jump with 6.10m and Olympian Nick Percy took the men’s hammer with a 59.74m fifth round effort. However, Thames Valley also started well as Nicole Kendall won the women’s 400m hurdles in 59.05.

Harrow responded with a 2:08.97 800m victory for Sofia Vidak, so that after five events had been scored, they led their rivals 82 to 75 and were still just ahead after nine: 148 to 142.

On the track, Windsor’s Tyri Donovan bettered his own National league 400m hurdles record with a 48.46 personal best clocking, as Euro finalist Jake Minshall was also inside 50 seconds for Birchfield. Windsor took their second win when favourite and 2023 World Championship thrower, Charlotte Payne, was out to 68.73m in the fourth round of the women’s hammer.

Sheffield also got early points on the board as Rob Shipley took the men’s 800m with 1:50.53 and later had former European under-20 champion and Commonwealth silver medallist Adam Hague take the men’s pole vault. This was on countback over Shaftsbury’s James Steyn after both were over 5.21 metres.

The wins continued to be spread around as 2021 Olympian Phil Norman had a run-away 2000m steeplechase victory with a 5:33.74 clocking for Woodford Green with Essex Ladies but his club lay third after 12 events as Harrow had a three-point margin over TVH and 44-point advantage over them.

After 15 events, Harrow led the Valley by 10 points as the top two drew 60 points clear of third placed Woodford.

The wind was kind to the men’s long jump and Harrow had the best two on show as Daniel Emegbor’s legal 7.47 headed Efe Uwaifo’s windy 7.34m, but Thames Valley responded as Sam Callaway won the women’s discus with 50.96m.

Birchfield had been having a lean time before William Ritchie-Moulin won the sprint hurdles in 13.97.

After 17 events it was still neck and neck between the top two as the rest dropped further back in the standings. Emma Nwofor, for Harrow, got the better of Harrow’s Marli Jessop with 13.25. in the women’s sprint hurdles.

Glasgow Jaguars had also been having a thin time in the early stages of the match but then had Emma McLennan, the English schools third placer, go second on the 2025 2000m steeplechase lists with a 7:05.08 clocking.

Lee Thompson has been winning national and international medals since 2017 but here, improved his personal best over 400 metres by 0.62 of a second to 45.58 as his Sheffield club were vying for third place in the match.

Poppy Malik improved Harrow’s chances with a 52.45 women’s 400m win so that after 26 events her club still led but only by five points over their TVH rivals, whilst the rest of the clubs were 140 points down.

Freya Jones had also won for Harrow with a 51.35 metre women’s javelin victory, as her clubmate Sophie Hamilton took second and maximum points were theirs.

Both 1500m races went to Thames Valley but then, as the wind got up the 200m races were held into it and Luke Dorrell won the A string for Harrow but the Valley’s Daniel Offiah matched his 21.51 by taking the B string.

It had been close in the team stakes all day but after 32 of the 38 events, Harrow had finally begun to pull clear of Thames Valley and were 14 points up. They had to thank third ranked Adelaide Omitowojou’s 13.12m triple jump against a wind and Angus Lockhart’s 16.71m men’s shot as well as a personal best 2.20m high jump win from Divine Duruaku.

Thames Valley then closed again and went two points up after 35 events and had Ella Burfitt and Charlotte Buckley to thank for a women’s 3000m double and Felicia Miloro for a 4.12m pole vault leap.

Third placed Birchfield were nearly 200 points down and just ahead of Sheffield. The stags had posted a double in the men’s 3000m where Kadar Omah got home ahead of Omar Ahmed in 8:17.90. They also had Olympics Bob Slayer Adele Nicholl take the women’s shot with 16.66m.

Shaftesbury Barnet, who finished last in the opening match had languished in the doldrums for most of the day and had to wait for the final field event, the men’s javelin before Euro team thrower Daniel Bainbridge gave them a victory with a 71.62m final round throw.

His efforts were almost certainly in vain as his club look destined to compete in the mini area leagues next year.

Match: 1 Harrow 640; 2 TVH 638; 3 Birchfield 427; 4 Glasgow Jaguars 418.5; 5 WSEH 415.5; 6 Sheffield 413; 7 WG&EL 411; 8 Shaftesbury 320

100 (0.6): 1 J Smith (TVH) 10.49; 2 L Dorrell (Harr) 10;51; 3 S Greenhalgh (Glas) 10.73

200 (-3.4): 1 L Dorrell (Harr) 21.51; 2 L Francis (WSEH, U20) 21.72; 3 K Aiken (SB) 21.77. B (-2.4): 1 D Offiah (TVH) 21.51

400: 1 L Thompson (Sheff) 45.58; 2 V Dos Santos Soares (TVH) 46.60; 3 E Okoro (Bir) 46.70

800: 1 R Shipley (Sheff) 1:50.53; 2 N Smith-Mills (Harr) 1:51.37; 3 D Brookling (WSEH) 1:53.82

1500: 1 W Perkin (TVH) 3:55.58; 2 N Johnston (Harr) 3:56.98; 3 J Vaughan (Bir) 3:57.15

3000: 1 K Omah (Bir) 8:17.90; 2 O Ahmed (Bir) 8:22.32; 3 T Butler (SB) 8:23.23

110H (0.6): 1 W Richie-Moulin (Bir) 13.97; 2 J Dean (WSEH) 14.27; 3 R Hedman (WG&EL) 14.34

400H: 1 T Donovan (WSEH) 48.46; 2 J Marshall ( Bir) 49.47; 3 B Francis (Glas) 50.55

2,000SC: 1 P Norman (WG&EL) 5:33.74; 2 T Fawden (Harr) 6:01.88; 3 O Newton (TVH) 6:13.74

HJ: 1 D Duruaku (Harr) 2.20; 2 K Walker (Sheff) 2.06; 3 J Heath (Sheff) 2.06

LJ: 1 D Emegbor (Harr) 7.47/1.8; 2 E Uwaifo (Harr) 7.34/2.4 (7.10/1.0); 3 C Henderson (WG&EL) 7.18/0.3

TJ: 1 D Bainbridge (SB) 71.62; 2 B Pearson (Bir) 68.52; 3 M Allison (WSEH) 65.87

PV: 1 A Hague (Sheff) 5.21; 2 J Steyn (SB) 5.21; 3 T Whalley (TVH) 5.01

SP: 1 A Lockhart (Harr) 16.71; 2 C Osammor (Sheff) 16.28; 3 R Allen (TVH) 16.23

DT: 1 N Percy (Harr) 59.74; 2 G Thomson AB) 56:17; 3 A Peck (Glas) 53:04

HT: 1 J Norris (WSEH) 73.98; 2 J Paget (TVH) 71.70; 3 T Campbell (WSEH) 71.74

JT: 1 D Bainbridge (SB) 71.62; 2 B Pearson (Bir) 68.52; 3 M Allison (WSEH) 65.87

4×100: 1 TVH 40.27; 2 WG&EL 40.52; 3 Glasgow 40.63

Women

100 (-0.4): 1 L Ashmeade (Sheff) 11.77; 2 L Evans (TVH) 11.86; 3 G Daley (WG&EL) 11.95

200 (-1.7): 1 L Evans (TVH) 23.99; 2 H Mahgoub (Bir) 24.26; 3 M King (Harr) 24.47

400: 1 P Malik (Harr) 52.45; 2 A Abberley (Sheff) 54.77; 3 K Christie (Glas) 54.77

800: 1 S Vidak (Harr) 2:08.97; 2 A Testar (Sheff) 2:10.16; 3 L Keisler (WG&EL) 2:10.21

1500: 1 C Buckley (TVH) 4:28.29; 2 S Lecoutre (Harr) 4:31.63; 3 C Cameron (Glas) 4:37.28

3000: 1 E Burfitt (TVH) 10:06.59; 2 C Buckley (TVH) 10:07.57; 3 R Walsh (Glas) 10:12.35

100H (-1.3): 1 E Nwofor (TVH) 13.25; 2 M Jessop (Harr) 13.47; 3 J Clark (WG&EL) 13.59

400H: 1 N Kendall (TVH) 59.05; 2 S Fisher (Harr) 60.34; 3 O Brennan (WSEH) 61.13.

2,000SC: 1 E McLennan (Glas) 7:05.08; 2 A Aberle-Barker (Harr) 7:12.70; 3 H Slade (SB) 7:15.95

HJ: 1 L Walliker (WG&EL) 1.75; 2 P Rogan (TVH) 1.70; 3 C Coates (Sheff) 1.70

LJ: 1 A Hopkins (Harr) 6.10/0.3; 2 G Forde-Wells (WG&EL) 6.06/1.9; 3 T Yue (WG&EL) 6.04/2.2 (6.01/-0.4)

TJ: 1 A Omitowojou (Harr) 13.12/-1.4; 2 M Jackson (TVH) 12.80/3.0 (12.29/-1.0); 3 M Ylekhue (Harr) 12.56/1.4 & 12.56/0.0

PV: 1 F Miloro (TVH) 4.12; 2 I Turner (Harr, U20) 4.01; 3 H Jupp (WG&EL) 3.71

SP: 1 A Nicholl (Bir) 16.66; 2 S Callaway (TVH) 14.86; 3 V Vidhi (Sheff) 14.76

DT: 1 S Callaway (TVH) 50.96; 2 A Gosling (Sheff) 50.41; 3 S Mace (TVH) 50.33

HT: 1 C Payne (WSEH) 68.73; 2 K Presswell (TVH) 59.94; 3 A Barnsdale (Sheff) 59.91

JT: 1 F Jones (Harr) 51.35; 2 S Hamilton (Harr) 49.80; 3 H Court (TVH) 47.76

4×100: 1 Glasgow 46.05; 2 TVH 46.31; 3 Harrow 46.46

Mixed 4×400: 1 Birchfield 3:22.31; 2 Sheffield 3:22.67; 3 Harrow 3:23.49

Standings after 2 matches: 1 Harrow 16 (1284); 2 TVH 14 (1266); 3 WSEH 10 (859); 4 Glasgow 9 (854); 5 Birchfield 9 (829); 6 WG&EL 7 852.5; 7 Sheffield (5 (767.5); 8 Shaftesbury 2 670

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP EAST, Stevenage, July 5

The Ridlins Wood track saw first round winners Chelmsford again seek to win over Herts Phoenix but both were headed by Blackheath & Bromley after seven events as Mary Adeniji took the long jump with 6.03m and the ‘heathens held on to win the match.

Blackheath had originally wound up with a narrow 12-point win over Herts Phoenix but as they failed to field a full complement of officials narrowly lost out to their rivals. After two matches Herts Phoenix lead narrowly over Chelmsford.

The hosts again threw in their top M45 Paul Grange, the M45 all-time 800m second best ever who won with 1:55.16

Blackheath improved their chances in the men’s long jump as English Schools third placer Abraham Sharif won with a 7.43m personal best leap and, after 12 events, headed Herts Phoenix by 23 points.

It was still close after 24 events as Blackheath were just 10 points up on Herts Phoenix as Chelmsford were 42 points down in third. They had Zara Obamakinwa, the BUCS champion and junior British record holder, dominate the women’s discus with a 55.26m best to make amends for a lack lustre performance in the opening match.

Blackheath’s wins kept coming as Anastasia Davies won the sprint hurdles in 14.00 but there was no wind reading given and then their Aryan Padaruth won the men’s javelin with 68.34m and Jack Kavanagh the men’s 3000m in 8:17.46. Their final win came in the men’s sprint relay as Herts Phoenix responded with a win in the mixed 4x400m event

Chelmsford had Megan Harris win the 5000m in a personal best 17:09.51 to keep themselves in contention for a shot at the Premiership.

Match: 1 Herts Phoenix 574; 2 Blackheath & Bromley 559; 3 Chelmsford 508; 4 Havering 451; 5 Belgrave 423; 6 Herne Hill 368

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP NORTH, Wavertree, July 5

Hosts Liverpool were seeking to improve in this second-round match after coming last of the five competing clubs in the first-round match that saw City of York come out ahead of Sale and Trafford. This time it was Sale who won the match, but they still trail City of York in the overall standings but both seem likely to contest the Premiership knockout match.

After five events had been scored Sale had posted three wins and narrowly led York and Trafford, before Hannah Blood’s 56.44m hammer throw victory helped them pull ahead of York by 18 points after eight events.

Despite some modest performances, Sale continued to pile up wins, with seven out of the first 11 events and led York by 44 points.

After 26 events had been tallied Sale still led with a margin now of 73 points over York with their Samuel Ebonine winning the men’s long jump with a 7.22m leap and Marcus McLean the men’s 200m in 21.51. Their club still won despite losing 20 points by n ot having a full complement of Officials.

Match: 1 Sale 600.33; 2 City of York 549.33; 3 Notts 511; 4 Trafford 495; 5 Liverpool 457.33

Standings after 2 matches: 1 York 11 (1243.33); 2 Sale 11 (1145.33); 3 Trafford 7 (1026); 4 Notts 7 (1000); 5 Liverpool 4 (863)

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SOUTH, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, July 5

Hosts Kingston & Polytechnic hoped that the Weir Archer Centre would help them improve from last place in the first-round match where Bournemouth, Crawley and Tonbridge staked their claim for a place in the qualifying match and it was Crawley who came out on top overall.

Despite nine A string wins, none of Crawley’s performances were really top drawer but they piled up enough points to see off Tonbridge and look certain to go to the qualifying match.

Crawley had a good start winning four of the first seven events and led Tonbridge 133 to 102 with K&P also scoring well after Pippa Wingate won the first event, the women’s hammer.

Then after ten events led K&P by 33 points and still led by 47 points over Tonbridge and York after 27 events after Katie Mackison had won the women’s javelin with 43.81m.

Tonbridge had been building up points with modest performances before throwing in former English National cross country champion James Kingston into the fray in the men’s 3000m. He had no easy ride and after a tight battle just got the nod on Bournemouth’s asylum seeker Abdi Elmi in 8:14.16 to 8:14.18. Ryan Webb took the high jump for Bournemouth with 2.06m.

City of Portsmouth finished last in the match but did have Serena Vincent win the women’s shot with a 16.80m putt.

Match: 1 Crawley 540; 2 Tonbridge 492.5; 3 Kingston & Poly 448; 4 Bournemouth 378; 5 Southampton 311; 6 Portsmouth 294.5

Note, Officials points not yet added

Standings after 2 matches: 1 Crawley 11 (1083); 2 Tonbridge 9 (1003.5); 3 Bournemouth 9 (967.5); 4 Portsmouth 5 (714); 5 Kington & Poly 5 (702); 6 Southampton 4 (655)

NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP WEST, Basingstoke, Hampshire, July 5

Swansea Harriers were run-away winners of the first match from the then hosts Yeovil and repeated the dose here, but the Down Grange track gave hosts Basingstoke & Mid Hants a chance to challenge after their fourth spot in that match.

They did so by taking an early overall lead, from Yeovil, despite not having any wins in the first four track events but three for Swansea wins ensured that it was they who narrowly led from Basingstoke and Yeovil after eight events.

The Welsh club had fifth ranked junior Lucy Harris win the women’s discus with 41.72 metres, then Sam Davies the high jump with 2.11 metres.

The hosts then saw Sammy Ball over a personal best 4.70m in the pole vault to close on Swansea after 13 had been scored. Yate had the odd victory, the best of which was Freddie Cooper’s 5:51.05 personal best in the 2000m steeplechase.

However, after 32 events Swansea led from Basingstoke by 46 points as the rest trailed thanks to Patrick Swan’s 17.47 shot put victory.

Winchester & District again finished last in the match but had fifth ranked under-17 Lexie Trott win the women’s pole vault with 3.31 metres.

Their under-20 Jessica Howells, the third ranked under-17 heptathlete last year, then won the women’s javelin with 46.41 metres.

Swansea’s win was comprehensive but their performances were well below what they might have to achieve to contest the Premiership if they are successful in the qualifying match. Yeovil and Basingstoke will vie for the second spot in the next match.

Match: 1 Swansea 591; 2 Basingstoke & MH 505; 3 Yeovil 429; 4 Cardiff 375; 5 Yate 358; 6 Winchester & D 310

Standings after 2 matches: 1 Swansea 12 (1226); 2 Yeovil 9 (957); 3 BMH 8 (904.5); 4 Cardiff 7 (833); 5 Yate 3 (752); 6 Winchester & D 2 (609)