The competition was fierce at Bedford as the nation’s leading age-group athletes tried to earn places in the GB teams for next month’s European U23 and U20 Champs in Tallinn

After a one-year break due to the pandemic, the England Athletics Under-23 and Under-20 Championships returned this weekend and the first day of the event in Bedford on Saturday (June 19) saw some top-class action.

Athletes were striving to win selection to the European Under-23 Championships on July 8-11 in Tallinn, with younger athletes aiming for the European Under-20 Championships on July 15-18, which is also in the same Estonian city. The World Under-20 Championships in Kenya is still happening in August, incidentally, but British Athletics has decided not to send a team.

The under-20 100m races were particularly exciting with Toby Makoyawo of Woodford Green with Essex Ladies (pictured above, far left) clocking 10.64 (-2.0) to beat Derek Kinlock (above, centre) and Tyler Panton (above, right) convincingly.

In the under-20 women’s 100m the race was much closer as Nia Wedderburn-Goodison pipped Joy Eze by just one hundredth of a second as the Harrow athlete, who is only 16, clocked 11.80 (-2.0) into the headwind.

The under-23 100m titles, meanwhile, went to Kristal Awuah of Herne Hill Harriers with 11.67 (-2.4) and Jona Efoloko of Sale in 10.55 (-1.7).

In the field, Charlotte Payne of Reading AC threw 60.92m in the under-20 women’s hammer to beat Kirsty Costello’s 59.19m.

Elizabeth Korczak took the women’s under-20 javelin with 50.38m – a European qualifier with a last-gasp final round effort.

Lazarus Benjamin and Reuben Nairne both cleared 5.05m in the under-20 men’s pole vault with the fast-improving Benjamin, 17, of Sale Harriers winning on countback.

In the under-20 women’s pole vault, another Sale athlete, Sophie Ashurst, continued her progress with a victory in 4.10m.

Ben Pattison, who won silver at the European U20 Championships two years ago, impressed in the under-23 men’s 800m with a fast second lap to take gold in 1:50.95.

Abigail Ives front-ran her way to victory in the under-20 women’s 1500m with a 4:25.23 victory.

Lucy Hadaway also produced a fine long jump win with the City of York athlete soaring out to 6.53m (1.7) in the under-23 women’s category.

In the 3000m steeplechase, Sheffield runner Alfie Manthorpe showed his versatility as a distance runner by taking the under-23 gold in 9:11.18.

The action continues with the second and final day on Sunday (June 20).