National titles were up for grabs on the south coast as Mark Scott and Verity Ockenden led the charge in Portsmouth.
After last year’s hurricane-forced cancellation, the much-loved Great South Run is back bigger and better for its 35th anniversary, with more than 25,000 runners taking to the smooth and fast-paced streets of Portsmouth.
Among the weekend’s events, Sunday’s 10 mile race hosted the British Athletics 10 Mile Championships, which attracted some of Britain’s best road running talent.
In the men’s elite race, Mark Scott showed his class over the rarely run distance to claim national title honors in an impressive 47:21, seeing off the challenge of Jake Smith, who crossed the line in 47:53. Charlie Brisley completed the British podium in 48:47 to round out the top three in the competition. Iceland’s Baldwin Magnusson finished 2nd overall in 47:39.
Scott, who has a strong road and track pedigree, looked collected throughout, accelerating down the middle. His win improves on his seventh place finish at the Great North Run in September.
In the women’s race, Verity Ockenden took a hard-fought victory, clocking 56:37 to seal her first national title over the distance. She was closely followed by Kate Estlea-Morris, who took silver in 56:46, and Beth Kidger, just two seconds behind in 56:48.
Ockenden, an indoor bronze medalist over 3000m, has finished second and third in previous years and was able to complete his medal collection this year.
This year’s event also marked a celebration of the Great South Run’s rich heritage, with the 2025 edition marking 35 years since its founding.
From Liz McColgan’s wins in 1995 and 1997 to Eilish McColgan’s record and European best of 50:43 set in 2021, the race has long proved the talent of British talent. Past winners also include Paula Radcliffe, Sir Mo Farah and three-time champion and local favorite Chris Thompson.
Paul Foster, CEO of The Great Run, said: “Congratulations to Marc and Verity for their performances today. It was a great line-up of athletic talent that made for an exciting race.
“The Great South Run has created an incredible legacy, with countless incredible moments and achievements, as well as breaking British and European records along the route. Our winners join a veritable roll call of previous British winners.
“It was great to be back after last year’s hurricane cancellation and today did not disappoint. It was a real showcase of the best British sporting talent.”
