1979 UK Athletics Championships explained

1979 UK Athletics Championships
Host City:	Birmingham, England
Stadium:	Alexander Stadium
Level:	Senior
Type:	Outdoor
Previous:	1978
Next:	1980
Games:	UK Athletics Championships

The 1979 UK Athletics Championships was the national championship in outdoor track and field for the United Kingdom held at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.

It was the third edition of the competition limited to British athletes only, launched as an alternative to the AAA Championships, which was open to foreign competitors. However, due to the fact that the calibre of national competition remained greater at the AAA event, the UK Championships this year were not considered the principal national championship event by some statisticians, such as the National Union of Track Statisticians (NUTS). Many of the athletes below also competed at the 1979 AAA Championships.^{[1] [2]}

Two athletes claimed a third straight title: Geoff Capes in the men's shot put and Meg Ritchie in the discus throw. Athletes to claim a second consecutive UK title were David Black (10,000 m), Chris Black (hammer throw), David Ottley (javelin throw), and Sue Reeve (long jump). Heather Hunte won her first titles in the 100 metres and 200 metres, beating out Kathy Smallwood and Beverley Goddard in both events.^[1]

The main international track and field competition for the United Kingdom that year was the 1979 European Cup. The secondary status of the UK event at national level was indicated by the fact that the six individual medallists at the European competition were all absent from the championships in Birmingham. Several of the European women's relay medallists did compete however, including Hunte, Smallwood and Joslyn Hoyte-Smith.^{[3] [4]}

Medal summary

Men

100 metres		10.40		10.47		10.51
200 metres		21.06		21.21		21.24
400 metres		47.01		47.19		47.22
800 metres		1:49.16		1:49.22		1:49.66
1500 metres		3:43.31		3:43.52		3:43.65
5000 metres		13:36.53		13:39.37		13:39.78
10,000 metres		28:46.03		28:58.00		28:58.88
110 m hurdles		13.95		14.29		14.37
400 m hurdles		50.76		52.22		52.24
3000 metres steeplechase		8:39.15		8:43.33		8:46.75
High jump		2.13 m		2.10 m		2.05 m
Pole vault		5.40 m		4.90 m		4.50 m
Long jump		7.69 m		7.64 m		7.34 m
Triple jump		15.72 m		15.70 m		15.38 m
Shot put		19.00 m		17.62 m		16.66 m
Discus throw		55.32 m		51.40 m		51.38 m
Hammer throw		66.68 m		65.06 m		63.06 m
Javelin throw		74.72 m		72.88 m		70.14 m

Women

100 metres		11.30		11.37		11.43
200 metres		23.15		23.18		23.30
400 metres		52.24		53.54		53.74
800 metres		2:01.53		2:02.04		2:03.03
1500 metres		4:15.65		4:16.13		4:16.54
3000 metres		9:08.38		9:09.48		9:11.18
100 m hurdles		13.28		13.61		13.78
400 m hurdles		56.93		58.17		58.99
High jump		1.86 m		1.78 m		1.78 m
Long jump		6.30 m		6.28 m		6.21 m
Shot put		16.43 m		16.35 m		16.34 m
Discus throw		56.80 m		50.42 m		47.72 m
Javelin throw		53.32 m		48.28 m		47.00 m

Notes and References

1. http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/uk.htm UK Championships
2. https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm AAA WAAA and National Championships Medalists
3. http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/epm.htm European Cup (Men)
4. http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/epw.htm European Cup (Women)