THE main event in the UK race calendar took place on Sunday when the British Indoor Championships were staged at the National Indoor Arena.

Around 2,500 competitors from 28 different countries were in action and nearly all of the Old Wrecks Club members travelled to Birmingham.

World Champion Anna Bailey of Hanley Swan, still suffering from a back problem, nonetheless took gold in the Women's 50-54 class in 7.11.2, some 31 seconds ahead of the silver medallist.

Maria Scotland (OW), always a borderline heavyweight, had managed to reduce her weight below the lightweight limit for the first time, and was rewarded with a silver medal, second only to one of the American team with a time of 7.59.0 in the Women's 45-49 lightweight.

Michelle Parsons of Eve-sham took silver in the Women's 35-39 lightweight in 7.24.5 - only a fraction of a second away from her personal best.

Duncan Paterson achieved bronze in the Men's 35-39 lightweight class, in a time of 6:26.8, less than a second outside his personal best.

The oldest member of the team, Malcolm Fawcett, arrived at the venue with his left hand and wrist in plaster, but went on to win his event, the Men's 60-64 lightweight, in a new personal best time of 7.07.5!

Worcester's Janet Parker narrowly missed out on the medals in the 50-54 lightweight class, coming fourth in 8.06.7. John Brooks mat-ched that finish with 6.34.8 in the Men's 40-44 lightweight category.

Well contested

Evesham's Helen Barnett put in a sterling performance in a well contested Women's 30-39 to come fifth in a large field in 7.23.7, just one tenth of a second outside her personal best.

Megan Brown, in the same race, was eighth in 7.30.5 and Karen Hambly wasn't far behind in 11th in a pb of 7.43.1.

Brian Hotchkins, also of Evesham, came an excellent sixth in another large field in the Men's 45-49 lightweight in a time of 6.53.6.

Kevin Anderson, just back from a stint at sea, did tremendously well in the Men's 35-39, to come eighth in a field of 106 competitors with 6.20.2. Mark Yates (OW) came 48th in the same race (6.51.5).

Newcomer Tim Hartland achieved a personal best in the premier race of the day, the Men's Open, which attracted no less than 178 entries. His very respectable time of 6.19.6 saw him finish 45th.

Dean McNamara, also new to racing, was among 112 competitors in another hotly contested race, the Men's 30-34. His time of 6.46.0 brou-ght him 56th place.

Ted Taylor took tenth in the Men's 50-54 lightweight in 7.06.3, while Tommy Gee was 12th in the Men's 55-59 with 7.16.3.

The next major race will be the Welsh Grand Prix at Cardiff's Welsh Institute of Sport, Sophia Gardens on Sunday, December 14.