byStuart Weir
Marie Jose Ta Lou upsets Allyson Felix, 150 meters, photo by Phil Oldham, The Great Run Company
The men’s 100 meters, with Richard Kilty winning, photo by Dan Vernon, The Great Run Company
Round-up
The final race of the evening at the Arcadis Great City Games did not disappoint as Marie-Josee Ta Lou won the women’s 150m race in 16.60 with Allyson Felix second in 16.60 Bianca Williams third in 17.09. The event announcer referred to Ta Lou as a 100 meters specialist forgetting perhaps that she had been second in the 200 at London 2017 World Championships and fourth at the Rio Olympics. Ta Lou was out first and led to the finish.
The Crowd, photo by Phil Oldham, The Great Run Company
The quality of British sprinting was such that there was a world-class all-British foursome in the men’s 100m, with only 0.18 seconds separating first and fourth as Harry Aikines Aryeetey won in10.35 from Richard Kilty ( 10.37). Leon Reid won the men’s 150m in 15.52.
The crowd, photo by Dan Vernon, The Great Run Company
Sophie Hahn was a winner in the T37/T38 150m, in 19.29 ahead of compatriot Georgie Hermitage who was second in 20.76. Hahn said of her first experience of a city games: “It was fantastic. 150 is a long way as we were not running round a bend [like a 200]. It was quite challenging. In a 100m you keep momentum so I was thinking ‘keep relaxing, don’t tie up, cross the line’. It is great out there and the crowd really got behind me. This is my first street event and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Allyson Felix with a young fan, photo by Phil Oldham, The Great Run Company
“It’s great to have para events in the programme. I have already run in the Commonwealth Games this year and I hope that going forward there will be more para events in CityGames”.
In the other para event, Jason Smith, the world’s fastest paralympian athlete, won the men’s T13 race in 15.82.
If there is one moment that catches the essence of CityGames is was the effort Allyson Felix made to sign an autograph for a young fan.
Richard Kilty and his young son, photo by Dan Vernon, The Great Run Company
