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1986 UK Athletics Championships

The 1986 UK Athletics Championships was the national championship in outdoor track and field for the United Kingdom held at Cwmbran Stadium, Cwmbran, Wales.[1] It was the fourth time the event was held in the Welsh town.

It was the tenth edition of the competition limited to British athletes only, launched as an alternative to the AAA Championships, which was open to foreign competitors. However, because the calibre of national competition remained greater at the AAA event, the UK Championships this year were not considered the principal national championship event by some statisticians, such as the National Union of Track Statisticians (NUTS). Many of the athletes also competed at the 1986 AAA Championships.[2][3]

Summary

The women's 5000 metres was dropped from the programme and replaced by a women's 10,000 metres event.

Fatima Whitbread won her sixth consecutive women's javelin throw UK title, while shot putters Billy Cole and Judy Oakes both won a third straight title. Amongst the men's 1985 champions, John Regis (200 m), Phil Brown (400 m), Kevin Capper (steeplechase), Geoff Parsons (high jump), Andy Ashurst (pole vault) and Mick Hill (javelin) successfully defended their titles. Kathy Cook was the only woman other than Whitbread and Oakes to have a repeat win. Sprinter Sandra Whittaker was the only person to reach the podium in two events.[2]

The main international track and field competition for the United Kingdom that year was the 1986 European Athletics Championships. UK champions Fatima Whitbread and Jack Buckner (5000 m) went on to become European champions, while Yvonne Murray (UK runner-up) took a 3000 m bronze.[4][5] The four countries of the United Kingdom competed separately at the Commonwealth Games that year as well. UK Championships athletes to become Commonwealth gold medalists there included Roger Black (400 m), John Herbert (triple jump), Liz Lynch (10,000 m), Sally Gunnell (100 m hurdles), Joyce Oladapo (long jump), Andy Ashurst (pole vault) and Billy Cole (shot put).[6][7]

Medal summary

Men

Event Gold Silver Bronze
100m Scotland Jamie Henderson 10.49 Fenton Campbell 10.63 Clarence Callender 10.69
200m John Regis 21.34 Stewart Weathers 21.43 Todd Bennett 21.47
400m Phil Brown 45.29 Scotland Brian Whittle 45.38 Roger Black 45.48
800m Peter Elliott 1:46.66 David Sharpe 1:47.01 Steve Crabb 1:47.14
1,500m Rob Harrison 3:35.74 John Gladwin 3:36.28 Wales Neil Horsfield 3:42.86
5,000m Jack Buckner 13:52.30 Mark Rowland 13:54.64 Scotland John Robson 13:56.61
10,000m Karl Harrison 28:21.93 Mark Dalloway 28:22.56 Peter Tootell 28:26.29
110m hurdles Wales Colin Jackson 13.73 Wales Nigel Walker 14.09 Wilbert Greaves 14.16
400m hurdles Max Robertson 49.99 Martin Gillingham 51.24 Mark Holtom 51.32
3000m steeplechase Kevin Capper 8:36.14 Colin Walker 8:37.87 Andy Taylor 8:37.89
10,000m walk Phil Vesty 41:54.87 Steve Johnson 43:40.89 Chris Smith 44:51.52
high jump Scotland Geoff Parsons 2.24 m Dalton Grant 2.15 m Fuzz Ahmed
Floyd Manderson		 2.10 m
pole vault Andy Ashurst 5.30 m Keith Stock 5.00 m Jeff Gutteridge
Brian Hooper		 5.00 m
long jump Derrick Brown 7.69 m John King 7.57 m Dwayne Heard 7.41 m
triple jump John Herbert 16.96 m w Mike Makin 16.35 m Lawrence Lynch 15.95 m w
shot put Billy Cole 18.68 m Graham Savory 17.68 m Andy Vince 17.56 m
discus throw Graham Savory 58.10 m Peter Gordon 56.58 m Jeff Clare 51.48 m
hammer throw Paul Head 67.48 m Mick Jones 66.52 m Andrew Tolputt 60.38 m
javelin throw Mick Hill 73.74 m Gary Jenson 73.50 m Peter Yates 72.14 m

Women

Event Gold Silver Bronze
100m Paula Dunn 11.65 Wendy Hoyte 11.70 Scotland Sandra Whittaker 11.75
200m Kathy Cook 23.80 Scotland Sandra Whittaker 23.92 Joan Baptiste 24.02
400m Angela Piggford 53.09 Suzanne Guise 53.40 Helen Barnett 53.46
800m Scotland Anne Purvis 2:01.63 Helen Thorpe 2:02.02 Lorraine Baker 2:02.74
1,500m Christina Boxer 4:08.68 Scotland Christine Whittingham 4:09.23 Suzanne Morley 4:11.48
3,000m Wendy Sly 8:52.94 Scotland Yvonne Murray 8:56.00 Christine Benning 8:56.30
10,000m Scotland Liz Lynch 32:59.59 Jill Clarke 33:27.71 Lynn Everington 33:34.03
100m hurdles Sally Gunnell 13.50 Lesley-Ann Skeete 13.57 Wendy Jeal 13.60
400m hurdles Yvette Wray 57.88 Simone Gandy 58.18 Jennie Pearson 58.91
5000m walk Lisa Langford 24:38.99 Vicky Lawrence 25:18.37 Julie Drake 25:30.25
high jump Diana Davies 1.88 m Northern Ireland Sharon McPeake 1.85 m Ann-Marie Cording 1.80 m
long jump Kim Hagger 6.39 m Joyce Oladapo 6.25 m Sharon Bowie 6.25 m
shot put Judy Oakes 19.00 m Myrtle Augee 17.00 m Yvonne Hanson-Nortey 16.12 m
discus throw Wales Venissa Head 55.74 m Julia Avis 52.90 m Karen Pugh 51.82 m
javelin throw Fatima Whitbread 68.98 m Sharon Gibson 55.84 m Karen Hough 55.46 m

References

  1. ^ "Hurdles joy for Jackson". South Wales Echo. 26 May 1986. Retrieved 29 March 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ a b UK Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
  3. ^ AAA WAAA and National Championships Medalists. NUTS. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
  4. ^ European Championships (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
  5. ^ European Championships (Women). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
  6. ^ Commonwealth Games (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
  7. ^ Commonwealth Games (Women). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-06.