The pair also booked their places in the Great Britain team for September’s World Athletics Road Championships Half Marathon.
For the second year in a row, the Bath Half attracted the cream of British distance running as it featured British Athletics’ official test race for the Copenhagen World Athletics Road Championships Half Marathon.
The men’s race was an exciting four way battle between Joe Wigfield, Phil Seseman, Alfie Manthorpe and last year’s champion Jake Smith over 13.1 miles.
Smith staged a series of attacks over the 13.1-mile mark but was unable to shake off the trio and dropped just before his rivals took off in front of Bath’s historic Royal Crescent.
Wigfield, who entered the field with a qualifying standard of 61:30, was strongest in the sprint, winning in 62:07. Seseman chased him home in 62:13, with Manthorpe third in 62:14 and Smith fourth in 62:31.
Alex Bell, a 2021 Olympic 800m finalist, produced a superb solo performance in the women’s race, pulling clear of Jess Warner-Judd in the early stages to set a personal best of 69:15.
Notably, the time was also within the qualifying standard of 69:30 set by British Athletics for the half marathon at the World Road Championships, meaning he also confirmed a place in the British team to Copenhagen. Warner-Judd finished second in 71:21, followed by Lauren McNeil in third in 71:50.
Wigfield said: “It was good, but difficult. The conditions were a bit windy but it was fine. Jake (Smith) got us out and we all felt like we could carry each other to the finish line in a sprint and luckily I was the strongest up the hill and I was able to hold it together. I didn’t expect it to be so fast, but I wanted Jake to do it.
“I wanted that (GB) vest (at the World Athletics Championships) to come and I’m now looking forward to the post-season. So to win and get that qualification is a real bonus.”
Bell said: “I was very happy today. I had some tired legs leading up to this race, but I really surprised myself. My coach told me I was doing well, but I wasn’t sure, but he was right all along.
“I’m not down and I’ve never been to Bath, but I’ll certainly be back after some hill training. I used my 800m pedigree for the last stages so that set me up really well for the final.”
Click for full results here.
