Melissa Courtney’s record breaking summer continued in Birmingham where she lowered the 18-year-old Welsh outdoor best over 3000 metres.

Having written the great Angela Tooby out of the record books after 32 years some six days earlier with her 15 min, 04.75 sec time over 5000 metres in Berlin, she surpassed Haylett Tullett over 3000 metres in the Diamond League meeting in the Midlands at the weekend.

This time she chopped four seconds off her previous best over the distance as she came home in fifth place just behind fellow Brit Eilish McColgan in 8.39.20 to move into third place on this season’s UK rankings – one place higher than she finished in 2017 with her previous PB of 8.43.72.

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While Tooby, Wade and Tullett have been the dominant Welsh middle distance running figures of the past 40 years, Courtney has emerged as the new queen of distances from 1500 metres up to 5000. This month she has moved to the top of the 3000 and 5000 rankings and she is just behind Wade in the Mile.

Her bronze medal winning run over 1500 metres (4.03.44) at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April moved her into third place behind Tullett (3.59.95) and Wade (4.00.73) over that distance and at 800 metres she is ranked 13th.

There are still two more Diamond League meetings to come in Europe, so Courtney’s amazing summer may not be over yet.

Melissa Courtney’s Record Breaking August
5000 15:04.75 Berlin 12 Aug 18
3000 8:39.20 Birmingham 18 Aug 18

2018 PB
1500 4:03.44 Gold Coast 10 Apr 18

Still To Come
Mile 4:19.41 Kirsty Wade Oslo 27 Jul 1985
Mile 4:23.15 Melissa Courtney London 9 Jul 2017