Sir Mo Farah
Event: 5000m and 10,000m
Coach: Gary Lough
Mo Farah was the first endurance performance athlete when the programme started in 2001 and has since become its most famous alumnus. For nearly a decade Mo lived, trained and was coached by Alan Storey out of St Mary’s before moving to the US. With his stunning four Gold medals, two at London 2012 and two at Rio 2016, and as double World Champion, Mo has established himself as the best British distance runner ever.
“The University and the London Marathon supported me in my transition to world class distance running and provided a level of help that I had not received before then and I still appreciate it. I go back there to train whenever I am in the UK.”
Stephanie Twell
Event: 1500m, 5000m, cross country
Coach: Geoff Wightman
Steph became the youngest member of the World Cross Country team in 2005. She went on to become three times European Junior Cross Country Champion - and also developed a passion for running fast on the track. Steph became the World Junior 1500m Champion in 2008, before going on to become an Olympic competitor on her 19th birthday, representing Team GB in the 1500m at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. After taking a few years to recover from a near career ending ankle injury, Steph competed at the 2016 World Indoor Championships held in Portland, Oregon, finishing 6th in the 3,000m final. She continued her fine form into 2016 by coming away with a superb Silver medal at the European Championships in Amsterdam. Steph capped off her 2016 season by competing for Great Britain in the 5000m at the Rio Olympic Games.
Andrew Osagie
Event: 800m
Coach: Mark Rowland
Andrew earned his first senior GB vest in 2010 when he was selected to compete in the 800m at the World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar. Prior to this he became UK Indoor 800m Champion and confirmed his selection with 3rd place at the Birmingham Grand Prix in a time of 1:47.71. Andrew competed for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics, reaching the 800m final. His Olympic final time placed him 4th on the British All-Time list for the 800m in 1:43.77.
Charlotte Purdue
Event: Marathon
Coach: Nic Bideau
Charlie took individual Silver in the 5000m at the European Junior Championships in 2009. She was the top European finisher in the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships in both 2008 and 2009. Charlie also won individual Bronze and Silver medals at the European Junior Cross Country Championships in 2007 and 2008 with GB taking both team titles. In 2015 Charlotte decided she would change her focus to marathons and began her build-up for the 2016 London Marathon. Having run a half marathon time of 72:17 in Okayama, Japan she was selected to represent GB at the World Half Marathon Championships held in Cardiff where she finished 33rd in 73:20. This was a perfect build-up to her marathon debut and, as a result, in London Charlotte finished 16th in the elite women’s field running a time of 2:32:48. Later in 2016 Charlie ran her fastest marathon to date of 2:30:04 in the Frankfurt Marathon.
Andy Vernon
Event: 5000m, 10,000m, cross country
Andy had a successful winter season retaining his BUCS Cross Country title and leading St Mary’s in the defence of their team title. He also became English National Cross Country Champion in Leeds and took the 3000m title in the UK Indoor Championships in Sheffield. Andy was part of the GB team that won Silver medals at the European Cross Country Championships in Dublin 2009. Andy represented GB at the European Championships in Zurich, Switzerland in 2014 running both the 5,000m & 10,000m. Andy was able to show his championship racing ability, coming away with an impressive silver medal in the 10,000m final, just behind Mo Farah, and a bronze medal in the 5,000m only four days later. Andy became an Olympian in 2016, competing in the 10,000m final at the Rio Olympic Games.
Adelle Tracey
Event: 800m
Coach: Craig Winrow
In 2015 Adelle qualified to represent Great Britain in the 800m at the European U23 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. She came 4th, running her second fastest time to that date. Later in the year she raced in Belgium where she won the race and ran her lifetime best of 2:01.10. Agonisingly, Adelle just missed the qualifying time for the 2015 World Outdoor Championships. Earlier this year Adelle was crowned British 800m indoor champion and went on to represent GB in the 800m at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon. This was Adelle’s first major championships as a senior and provided major learning experience. It helped her gain an invite to the opening Diamond League event of the year in Doha.
Charlie Grice
Event: 1500m
Coach: Jon Bigg
Charlie has stamped his mark as being one of Great Britain’s top 1500m runners, having run a time of 3:35.29. Charlie represented England in what was his first major senior championship, the 2014 Commonwealth Game in Glasgow, where he finished in 7th in the 1500m final. Just two weeks later he represented Great Britain at the European Outdoor Championships in Zurich, Switzerland. At the 2015 World Championships in Beijing Charlie had a fantastic championship making it through the 1500m rounds to final where he finished 9th in 3:36.21. In 2016 he became a back to back British Indoor 1500m Champion and went on to represent GB at the World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon. Charlie started his 2016 outdoor season in style by running a new mile personal best of 3:52.64 at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League. He then became a three-time British Senior 1500m Outdoor Champion, winning the 2016 Championships, automatically selecting him for the Rio Olympic Games. Charlie set new lifetime bests in the 1500m of 3:33.60 and the 800m of 1:45.53 and made the final of the 1500m at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Beth Potter
Event: 5000m, 10,000m
Coach: Mick Woods
Beth raised her athletic profile by performing sensationally for England in the 10,000m at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow by finishing 5th. Later that year she represented GB in Zurich, Switzerland at the European Championships where she ran the 10,000m. Beth has had a strong 2016 winter, winning the Scottish National Championships. She then travelled out to Flagstaff, Arizona for a period of altitude training before heading to Palo Alto, California to open her track season. Beth raced the 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Invitational and achieved the Rio Olympic Qualifying time, running 32:03.45. A month later she returned to Palo Alto to run in the 5,000m. This time she just missed out on the Olympic qualifying time but she ran the European Championships qualifying time. Beth produced a fine run, finishing second in the British 10,000m champions where she also ran her second Olympic Qualifier. This secured her spot on the Great Britain team for the Rio Olympic Games where she ran in the 10,000m.
Current Students