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2024 Anglo-Celtic Plate in numbers, as records tumble.
The 2024 Sri Chinmoy 100k race did not disappoint. Records tumbled at the Anglo-Celtic Plate as European and National records were set, as were age group records. Personal bests were also recorded throughout the field.
Full results are HERE
Read our report in athletics weekly (AW) HERE
This post breaks down the numbers into a minor stat attack.
RECORDS SET.
All are subject to ratification.
Women
Sarah Webster set a New European record of 7:03:48. This works out to an average pace of approx 6min 49 sec per mile, or 4 min 14 sec per Km. The previous record of 7:04:03 was set by Florianne Hot in 2022.
NOTE: At the 2023 Anglo Celtic Plate in Craigavon, Sarah Webster set a new Great Britain record of 7:03:40, eclipsing Carolyn Hunter-Rowe’s long-standing 7:27:19 set 20 years previously in 1993. This time also improved the current European record of Florianne Hot. However, due to no doping control being present, it could not be ratified by European Athletics. ( A GB ultra record does not require doping control to be ratified .) Following Sarah’s run in Perth Doping Control was carried out.
Sarah also set a New Perth course record of 7:03:48. The previous record of 7:41:12 was set by Jo Wilson in 2022.
Melissa Gibson’s and Julia Davis’s times of 7:13:23 and 7:25:48 were also both inside the previous course record and put them 2nd and 3rd on the GB women’s All-time 100km rankings.
Before the 2022 race, the women’s course record at Perth had stood to Emily Gelder of Wales with 8:00:37 from 2011. This time stood until the 2022 race when Jo Murphy ran 7:41:12 and two other women broke 8 hours. In 2024, three British women ran under 7 hours 30 minutes in the same event. This has never previously been achieved anywhere in the UK.
Men
Dougie Selman set a new Perth course record of 6:34:28.This equates to approx 6 min 20 sec per mile or 3 min 57 per km. He is now 6th on the GB all-time 100km rankings. Matt Dickenson had set the previous mark of 6:39:34 when winning in 2022.
James Turner’s 6:34:38 and Joe Turner’s 6:35:37 are also inside the previous course record.
Similar to the women’s progress, 2016 saw our first sub-7-hour effort from the men when Paul Navesey ran 6:58:52. 2019 was to see three runners break the 7-hour barrier. In 2022, this rocketed to eight runners under 7 hours, a figure repeated in 2024.
I will write further on possible reasons for this improvement, in a separate upcoming post.
Other records set were.
Ciaran McGonagle with a newt New Irish record of 6:50:28 beating his own time of 6:57:32 that he set in 2023 at Craigavon.
Al Higgins with a new Mens V 50-course record of 7:58:36 Previously set by Johnny Breen with 8:28:25 from 2022.
John Duffy of Shettleston Harriers setting a Mens V 60 Scottish record of 8:50:59. The previous record being set by Bill Hutchison 8:58:51 from 2016.
Starting and Finishing Numbers.
100km on the roads, despite being one of the classic ultra distances, has never attracted the larger fields that trail races do both in the UK and across Europe. A brief look back at previous competitions shows us the very first Anglo-Celtic Plate held at Nottingham in 1994, still has the most competitors with 88 starters and 59 finishers.
Of all the ACP’s held in Scotland, 1998 in Edinburgh had 80 starters as its largest field with 52 finishers. 2024 in Perth saw fewer starters, with 71, but it had the higher number of finishers, with 54.
1995 Anglo Celtic Plate in Nottingham had 88 starters and 59 finishers.
1998 Anglo Celtic Plate in Edinburgh had 80 starters and 48 finishers.
2024 Anglo Celtic Plate in Perth had 71 starters and 54 finishers.
Despite the small fields, the event has always been a key event to develop 100km talent, often acting as a trial race, or key form indicator for the GB team selections for IAU European and World championships. This year was no exception
Closest finishes
2024, in Perth, saw a very close finish. Dougie Selman’s winning time of 6:34:28, to take the win from England’s James Turner, who recorded 6:34:38, was a very close 10 seconds.
The 2018 race in Redwick, Wales, had the closest ACP finish, when Scotland’s Rob Turner, with 7:00:30, held off England’s Anthony Clark, 7:00:37, by a mere 7 Seconds.
Perth 2024 times currently tops the Global 100km rankings.
The Individual results leave British athletes in the top 3 places, men and women, in the current world rankings for 2024.
Men’s 2024 ranking are HERE
Women’s 2024 rankings are HERE Source DUV Ultra Statistics.
Although Perth team results were between the Home Countries, if we are to play fantasy athletics and calculate a team result from 1st 3 GB runners, it would look like the below.
Women
Sarah Webster 7:03:48
Melissah Gibson 7:13:23
Julia Davis 7:25:48
21:42:59
Men
Dougie Selman. 6:34 28
James Turner 6:34:38
Joe Turner 6:35:37
19:44:43
Playing Fantasy Athletics on a global scale and comparing the 100km team results from the last world championship in Berlin in 2022, Great Britain would have won gold in the women’s team competition and silver in the mens.
2022 IAU World Championships Berlin
Womens Team
1. USA 22:24:36
2. France 22:16:46
3. Japan. 22:26:59
Mens Teams
1 Japan. 18:51:12
2 France. 19:55:10
3 South Africa. 20:05:58
It has to be noted that this year’s World Championships will be held in Bangalore, India, in December, where heat and humidity will be a significant factor. The IAU 50km championships, held in India in the autumn of 2023, although producing competitive races, did not produce exceptionally fast times.
A breakdown of stats from the 50km race, together with a chat with new British 50km road record holder Ronnie Richmond, will be posted in the next few days.
Read our Anglo-Celtic Plate preview HERE
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Adrian Tarit Stott.
The author is a former GB 24 hour ultra international with over 100 ultra race completions. He has also been involved organising ultra distance races for over 30 years. Still an active recreational runner, he is currently a member of UKA’s Ultra Running Advisory Group (URAG) and part of the selection and team management for both Scottish and GB ultra teams.He is also a freelance writer in his spare time, contributing articles and reports to several websites and magazines including Athletics Weekly and Irunfar.
