James West, Almi Nerurkar win SportsShoes Podium 5km races

James West won the men’s race in 13:49 and Almi Nerurkar claimed the women’s title in 15:54 at the SportsShoes Podium 5km in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, on August 16.

West finished one second ahead of Jimmy Whelan after the pair separated themselves from the field during the opening kilometre. The Tonbridge athlete made his decisive move in the closing stretch to beat the former Australian cyclist, while Abdi Darood and Alex Durrant shared a close fight for third and fourth in 14:00 and 14:01.

The victory came only days after West placed 12th in the European 5000m. His 13:49 also lowered his previous best from a Podium race in 2024 by four seconds. West had been targeting a sub-13:30 mark needed to qualify for the World Road Running Championships before the selection deadline.

Nerurkar led the women’s race after running alongside Tilly Simpson, Eleanor Curran and Holly Weedall during the early stages. Simpson remained her closest challenger before Nerurkar created the gap late on. Simpson finished second in 16:06, with Curran third in 16:07 and Weedall fourth in 16:17.

The race was Nerurkar’s first road appearance of the year after a track season in the United States. She had also finished fifth at the UK 5000m championships. Her previous road outing was a personal-best 5km performance of 15:35 in Barcelona on New Year’s Eve.

West’s win followed two 5km races in the same week, while Nerurkar used her return to the roads to record a winning performance after an inconsistent season in the United States. The results placed both athletes at the front of the elite fields in Greater Manchester.