Melissa Courtney-Bryant and Andrew Coscoran each landed lifetime best victories over 3000m at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on Sunday (2), establishing their medal credentials ahead of next month's Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
British runner Courtney-Bryant, twice a European indoor bronze medallist in 2019 and 2023, ran a brilliant world lead of 8:28.69 in the women’s 3000m. It lopped a massive 9.05 seconds off her previous best in the short track discipline and is also the fourth fastest ever by a European. Running in tandem with Elise Cranny from the United States, she kicked clear on the last lap for a signature victory.
In the men’s race, there was a brilliant battle between Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran and France’s European indoor 1500m bronze medallist Azeddine Habz.
The Irish runner, 1500m finalist at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, just had the edge and pulled away to win in 7:30.75. It took almost ten seconds off his previous best and was a national indoor record by more than eight seconds. Habz was rewarded with a new French record for the men’s 3000m short track of 7:30.75.
In the sprints, European women’s 100m champion Dina Asher-Smith opener her season over 300m finishing second in 36.87 to training partner and Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred, who clocked 36.16. Former Olympic 100m champion Marcel Jacobs was fourth in the men’s 60m in 6.63.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics