Sam Atkin gives Mo Farah’s 5000m record a scare

US-based Brit clocks 12:54.66 at the USATF LA Grand Prix to narrowly miss Farah’s national record

Sam Atkin

Sam Atkin went No.2 on the UK all-time rankings for 5000m and almost took down Mo Farah’s British record in the process at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix on Friday (May 17).

Atkin clocked 12:54.66 to finish eighth in a race won by Selemon Barega of Ethiopia in 12:51.60.

Farah’s national record of 12:53.11 dates back to 2011 when he ran the time in Monaco.

On this weekend two years ago, Atkin ran the Night of the 10,000m PBs. But this time the 31-year-old from Grimsby focused on the LA meeting and smashed the Olympic qualifying standard in the process as he went past Marc Scott and George Mills on the UK all-time lists.

For close followers of the sport it should come as no great surprise as Atkin clocked 12:58.73 indoors in Boston in February. He also set a UK 5km record of 13:16 on the roads in Lille in March last year plus  7:31.97 for 3000m indoors.

In total there were 11 men inside 13 minutes in the race in LA. Behind Barega, fellow Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi was runner-up in 12:52.09 followed by Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, the Ugandans running 12:52.38 and 12:52.91 respectively.

It was a good night for US athletes, too, as Grant Fisher was fifth in 12:53.30 while Cooper Teare ran 12:54.72 and Cole Hocker 12:58.82.

Cooper Teare is an American middle- and long-distance runner. He is a two-time national champion, securing victories in the 1500 metres at the 2022 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and in the 2024 USA Cross Country Championships.

Elle St Pierre of the United States was also in fine form as she won the women’s 5000m in 14:34.12 ahead of Venezuela’s Joselyn Brea as Hannah Nuttall of Britain was third in a PB of 14:57.91.

There was another British PB on the night in the steeplechase as well as Zak Seddon brought his best down to 8:20.77, while Lizzie Bird clocked a European Champs qualifying standard of 9:32.95 in the women’s 3000m steeplechase.

Seddon’s previous best was 8:21.28 from 2019 and he now sits No.9 in the UK all-time rankings after edging past Paul Davies-Hale.

Elinor Purrier St. Pierre is an American track and field athlete who specializes in middle-distance and long-distance running. She won a gold medal in the 3000 meters at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Purrier also represented the United States at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

In the field, Sandi Morris won the women’s pole vault with 4.70m as fellow American Valarie Allman won the discus with 67.93m.

Valarie Carolyn Allman is an American track and field athlete specializing in the discus throw. She won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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