A reminder of the European Masters Athletics Championships in Madeira 2025. Steve Smythe was present in Madeira, both as a competitor and as chronicler. Here is the fifth of his reports from the Championships, a chance to look back at some highlights. These words have also been published in Athletics Weekly. BMAF is grateful for the chance to repeat them here.
The pictures of John Wright, Steve Peters and Sarah Loades are by Jonty Mitchell
Manic Monday – British Masters dominate with 18 golds on Day five
After nine golds at the 1500m, the previous day Britain again excelled at the European Masters to easily pull away from Germany at the top of the medal table.
At the halfway stage of the Championships, Britain now have 58 golds to Germany’s 50.
On Monday there were nine 100m wins through John Wright, Steve Peters, Christine Harrison-Bloomfield, Darren Scott, TJ Ossai, Rebecca Parry, Lisa Boland, Helen Godsell and Kathleen Stewart while there were 5000m victories for Ellie Stevens, Clare Elms and Sarah Roberts plus field wins for Evaun Williams and Neil McLellan and hurdlers Damaine Benjamin, Stefan Wilcockson, Sarah Loades and Emily McMahon.
Despite a hefty 2.5mps headwind, M65 400m world champion here John Wright came close to breaking his world 100m record with a 12.26/-2.5 and was followed in by British team-mate Pat Logan (12.83).
Another one-lap champion and masters legend Steve Peters also led in a GB one-two and his 13.29/-3.0 gave him a M70 metre victory over John Browne’s 13.43 as again the headwinds slowed times.
The 1999 World championships senior representative Christine Harrison-Bloomfield won the W55 100m easily in 12.90/-1.2 from Denmark’s Mette Jepsen’s 13.23.
TJ Ossai narrowly won the M50 race in 11.42/-0.9 just ahead of Italy’s Andrea Portalatini (11.44).
European indoor 60m champion Trevor Hodgson was sixth in 11.95.
In the M55 race, Multi record-holder over the years Darren Scott (11.96/-0.5) defeated Austria’s Eduard Gonaus (12.01) to make up for the disappointment of earlier dropping out of the decathlon.
Bronze went to Russell Whiting (12.10) with former champion Guiseppe Minetti fourth (12.22) and Kevin Craven fifth (12.23) as the UK had four of the top five.
Rebecca Perry, who was third in the W35 heptathlon, again showed her speed with a 12.30/-2.8 victory from France’s Sandy Demarles’ 12.48.
Stacey Downie took bronze in 12.55 with Katy Lord sixth (12.95).
Lisa Boland comfortably took W40 gold in 12.49/-2.5 with Belgium’s Wendy Ovaere (12.72) second and Charles Sheeran sixth (12.91).
Helen Godsell dominated the W70 race and her 15.34/-2.0 gave her five metres margin on Swede Lilly Wizen while Doreen Craig (17.35) was fourth in 17.35.
Anne Nelson was sixth in 17.66.
For a astounding margin for a short sprint, Kathleen Stewart won the W85 race by over six seconds as her 19.57 easily bettered Greece’s Smaragda Mandyla’s 25.66.
Dot Fraser’s 26.46 gave Britain another bronze.
It was three in four in the M80 race for Britain but Germany’s Friedhelm Adorf won in 15.01/-2.8 from Victor Novell (15.66), Allan Long (15.90) and James Smith (16.08).
Italy’s Antonio Rossi was first in the M75 100m in 14.16/-3.3, a metre ahead of James Lindsay’s 14.31.
Britain also gained silvers in the W75 race with Germany’s Hillen Von Maltzahn (16.91) leading home Sally Hine (17.18).
Italy’s Mario Brigida won the M35 100m race in 10.92/0.00 with Duayne Bovell fourth (11.19) and Byron Robinson sixth (11.26).
Sweden’s multi champion Lion Martinez impressively won the M45 race in 10.96/0.4 with William Poole missing out on by bronze by 0.01 with a 11.56.
Julie Hicken was fourth in the W60 race in 14.59/-0.93 with Monica Dessi (14.37) giving Italy another gold.
All-time great Nicole Alexis of France won the W60 race in 14.29 with Angela Kelly fifth in 15.88 and Claire St Coleman sixth in 15.92.
Isaiah Adekanmbi was fifth in the M40 race in 11.79 which was matched by M60 Vincent Ellie’s 12.92/1.3 and Karen Burles’ 13.32.
Having already won golds at 10,000m and 1500m, Ellie Stevens maintained her dominance over her W40 competitors as she ran 16:54.36 to win the 5000m.
She was followed home by GB’s Danielle Hodgkinson (17:08.33) whole Lisa Gawthorne finished fifth (18:17.04).
Another multi world champion winning over twelve and a half laps was W60 Clare Elms.
Suffering in the heat in the 10,000m and the altitude in the previous day’s cross-country it was back to the heat.
However, this time cautious in the midday sun, she followed Sabine Hofer of Austria until 800m to go and a 3:35 final kilo gave her a 12 second win in a championships best 19:37.66 to reverse the results of the two previous races in Majorca and achieve a complete set of medals.
Sarah Roberts gained her fourth gold and sixth medal in Madeira as she won the W75 5000m race in 23:11.23 ahead of Italy’s Lucia Soranzo (23:26.81) with Anne Dockery fourth (25:26.31).
In the W80 race held within it, Pauline Rich was second with a time of 34:03.00.
Britain took three of the first four places in the W65 race (Jill Harrison (21:45.11), Siam Davies (22:32.31) and Marian Grace (22:56.40) but ended up second best to Italy’s Oriona Martignano’s 21:04.96.
Lisa Finlay was second in the W55 event in 18:50.47 as the race was won by Sweden’s Marie Dasler (18:37.29).
The 1500m winner Anna Garnier controlled the W70 race from the front but former Brit Alison Bourgeois this time got the better in an exciting finish with the Swiss winning in 23:08.69 by just four thousandths of a second.
Lyn Jenkins was fourth (25:50.83) and Lesley Joyce sixth in 29:13.57.
The 2023 800m champion Nikki Sturzaker was third in the W50 5000m race (18:54.70) with Belgium’s Sandrine Host (17:43.96) the winner.
Emily Proto finished fourth in the W35 race in 20:50.55 as the race was won by Sweden’s Liduina Van Sitteren’s 17:53.66
British Hurdlers also had a great day.
Damaine Benjamin won the M35 400m hurdles title in 54.14 from compatriot Lewis Robson (55.55) who had already won 400m bronze.
Stefan Wilkinson (58.02) won the M40 race in 58.02 just ahead of Spain’s Alejandro Hernando (58.33).
Emily McMahon dominated the W75 200m hurdles in a near record 41.11, eight seconds clear of the opposition.
Sarah Loades was a clear winner of the W50 300m hurdles as her 49.53 gave her over two seconds on Germany’s Tina Schulz (51.99).
Richard White who was third in the 400m, improved his fortune over the M65 300m hurdles taking a very close second in 46.59 as he was pipped by Vytautas Zaniauskas of Lithuania in 46.55.
Tennyson James was fifth (49.39).
Lucinda Cash-Gibson was third in the W35 race in 66.38 as Sweden’s Jonna Tilgner was an easy winner in 62.18.
France’s Louis Clautour won the M70 300m hurdles in 50.89 with Ian Wiloughby fourth (56.65).
Italy’s Antonio D’Errico (44.38) won a very competitive M60 300m hurdles with Adrian James a close fifth (45.12).
Neal Edwards finished sixth in the M50 400m hurdles in 62.27.
There were also titles for the throwers.
Neil McLellan comfortably won M45 javelin gold with a 62.93m throw with Italy’s Hubert Goeller (59.28m) second.
Neil Moore was sixth (50.44m).
Evaun Williams continued her W85 throws domination with a 18.70m discus giving her another gold by over five metres.
Catherine Holdsworth was second in the W35 discus with a 35.47m throw as Aline Leclere of France took major honours with a mark of 38.78m.
Suzanne Wise (31.26m) just missed out on bronze by 21 centimetres but ended up fifth.
Jo Willoughby was second (4.48m) in the W60 long jump as Germany’s Birgit Burzlaff (4.55m) headed her.
Clint Nicholls was third in the M45 high jump with a 1.80m leap with Bernard Prevel (1.90m) the winner
Lloyd Powell finished fourth in the M35 high jump with a 1.85m leap in a competition won by France’s Michael Salomon’s two-metre jump.
Cara Maker was fourth in the W45 long jump (4.96m) as Switzerland’s Laura Imberti easily won the gold with a 5.69m leap.
Louise Wood was also fourth in the W55 long jump with a 4.52m jump.
Claire Cameron was fourth in the W65 discus as she threw 24.27m.
Roy Chambers (46.84m) missed the medals by 27 centimetres in the M35 javelin as Portugal’s Roque Tavares (50.85m) won gold.
Lukas Novotny of the Czech Republic won the M40 javelin event with a 56.19m throw as Stewart Cawson finished fifth (50.70m).
Already a M90 double medalist Warwick Dixon finished fifth in the shot with a 7.13m throw.
Emily Fry was sixth in the W40 long jump with a 4.93m leap a position matched by M50 javelin thrower Mark Stone (43.82m) and W65 long jumper Gaye Clarke (3.43m).
Janet Smith was sixth in the W60 discus with a 26.42m throw.
Pics
John Wright (Jonty Mitchell)
Steve Peters (Jonty Mitchell)
W75 Sarah Roberts 5000m
W70 Anna Garnier 5000m
W55 Christine Harrison-Bloomfield
W55 Lisa Finlay 5000m
W60 Clare Elms 5000m
Neil McClellan M45 Javelin podium
W50 hurdles winner Sarah Loades (Jonty Mitchell)