Mingling with some of the most elite distance runners of this generation, Ollie James was featuring in the Podium Under the Lights 5k
There aren’t many Bournemouth AC runners who would be capable of recording a 5k time of under 15 minutes. In fact, there probably aren’t that many in history who would have been able to do it. Oliver James is most certainly one who can though and the progression he’s chartered since he came through the ranks has been truly sensational.
Probably if you’d told him when he was one of the younger athletes coming through at the club that he would be where he is now, he wouldn’t have believed you. But hard work and dedication has got him to this level. And he’s still young and has so much more scope for further improvement. The sky is the limit really.
Proving he was well capable of a sub 15 minute 5k time, Ollie clocked a 14:34.45 at the Wimbledon 5000m Festival Night last year. That was perhaps one of his standout performances of an incredible Power of 10 profile that he’s currently building.
He hadn’t done it on the road yet though. He had a go at it at the Mizuno Podium 5k on New Year’s Eve but ended up baling out after a very promising start with a 4:40 and a 4:44 mile split. It’s always difficult to tread the line you between pushing yourself to the limit and taking it slightly too far. Ollie has sometimes taken it too far on occasions but the reward is well worth the risk when he gets it right.
Returning to Battersea Park for a second bite of the cherry, Ollie was lining up for the Podium Under the Lights 5k where he would form part of an elite field of only sub 16 minute 5k runners.
There were two races on that day and the first race featured the women. In that one India Weir of Thames Valley Harriers set a new course record of 15:44 to finish four seconds ahead of Lucy Jones of Herne Hill Harriers who was 2nd.
The men’s favourites were all in Wave 1 of the second race, with Joe Wigfield of Wirral AC in the mix. He took Abdinasir Mohamoud Elmi down to the wire in the Aldershot Hampshire League Cross Country fixture, losing out at the end in the sprint finish. Jack Kavanagh was probably the favourite and he’s well capable of a sub 14 minute 5k time.
After being unsuccessful in his last attempt, Ollie was hoping to pace it right this time
The commentator who rides on his bike ahead of the runners at Battersea Park and films the races for YouTube was hoping that Abdi would be there but he was injured at the time so couldn’t race.
Seyfu Jamaal of London Heathside was there as well, along with Rowan Meill-Ingram of Radley AC. Jaymee Domoney of City of Salisbury, boyfriend of Bournemouth AC’s Sophie Read, made it into Wave 1 as well, as did Nick Bester.
Ollie was in Wave 2 with Robert Sesemann of Kent AC, Aiden Lennan of Southampton and Alexander Meill-Ingram, along with many other highly talented athletes. The question for Ollie was, would he get the pacing right this time?
Ollie came into it off the back of a 4th place finish in his heat at the British Universities Indoor Championships recording a time of 8.35.89. That wasn’t his best time but it was still pretty quick.
The battle between Jack Kavanagh and Joe Wigfield turned out to be a good one but it was Jack who came out on top, going over the line in an incredible time of 13:42. That was only six seconds off of Jack Rowe’s course record. Joe Wigfield was five seconds back in a still fantastic time of 13:47. It was a real shame Abdi wasn’t there to give them a run for their money.
Fearghal Curtin finished third in 13:52 and there were a further three athletes making it in in under 14 minutes. Seyfu Jamaal was 15th in 14:10 and Rowan Meill-Ingram came 18th in 14:18.
Jaymee Domoney finished in 14:27 which put him in 26th place and Nick Bester got round in 14:36 which put him in 31st place.
Ollie was hunting for his first sub 15 minute 5k on the road
Going through the first mile in 4:43, Ollie then followed it up with a 4:42 for his second mile split. It was going really well at that stage but of course, it was last time as well and he hit troubled waters after.
This time he made it to 2.5 miles without any drop off in pace though. Now he just had to see it out as best he could for the remainder of the race. It was inevitable it would get hard but he just had to dig in as best he could.
After that he started to go a bit over 5 minute mile pace. When he got near the end of the mile he went down to 5:30 pace at one stage which made it seem to him like the wheels had fallen off quite badly. But he got back to 5 minute mile pace after that and went through his third split in 4:52.
He had to dig deep in the end but Ollie came away with a tremendous time
Getting to line in a remarkable time of 14:46, Ollie had done it. It was a battle towards the end but he stuck it out and dug deep and reaped the rewards for his efforts. It was a fine performance that put him in 26th place out of the 52 in the wave.
Raif Serif of Belgrave Harriers was the fastest man in the wave, finishing in 14:27 which put him a second ahead of Herbie Johnson of Luton AC. Ben Claridge of Abingdon was third in 14:31 and Robert Sesemann took fourth in 14:32.
Aiden Lennon was 11th fastest in the wave in 14:36 and Alexander Meill-Ingram was 15th in 14:39.
That result meant a lot to Ollie as he felt he’d had a torrid winter of racing where things hadn’t quite gone according to plan so he needed to pull something out of the bag to make all that hard training worthwhile.
A 14:46 5k was a truly special achievement to take away with him though and it will be one that Ollie can look back on with immense pride. No doubt he’ll strive to go even quicker in the future but for now, it’s time to celebrate that outcome and be satisfied with what he’s produced.