Notable British marathoners to follow

The elite distance running scene becomes more globalized every year, with top runners traveling far and wide to compete against each other at world-renowned marathons and other competitions. However, the plethora of elite athletes at events such as the London Marathon can make it difficult to pick out the top British runners. Below we are highlighting the British Athletes who competed in the marathon in the 2022 Eugene World Athletics Championship in Oregon, USA. These five athletes provide a snapshot of the current and future British running scene.

Jess Piasecki

Jess Piasecki holds the number two British all-time female marathon time at 2:22:25, and represented Great Britain at 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in Women’s marathon. She had an impressive 12th place finish at the 2022 World Athletics Championship, and is also the current female course record holder at Long Eaton parkrun. Previously a field hockey player, Piasecki made her mark on the cross-country running in 2012 when she won the European U23 title. She currently is sponsored by Puma Running. If that’s not enough, Jess also holds a PhD and is a senior lecturer and researcher at Nottingham Trent University.

Photo: Team GB

Chris Thompson

From Barrow-in-Furness, Chris Thompson has been a prominent figure in the British running scene for a long time. He won the European U23 5000m championship in 2003 and competed in the London Olympics Marathon in 2012, finishing 25th in the 10,000m. He holds a 2:10:52 marathon PB, and placed 54th in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Marathon. Thompson is sponsored by On Running.

Photo: On Running

Charlotte Purdue

From Windsor, Charlotte Purdue has been winning titles since 2006, with her first national title in the 3000 meters at the AAA under-17 championships. She is also the UK junior record holder for the 10,000m. Purdue has a PB of 2:23:26 in the marathon, the third fastest all-time for British women. Purdue also offers coaching services through her company Purdue Performance. She runs professionally for Adidas.

Photo: Purdue Performance

Rose Harvey

Unlike the previous runners featured, Rose Harvey is relatively new to the elite running scene, taking it up seriously at the start of lockdown. Harvey recently accomplished the impressive feat of being the fastest European woman at the 2022 October London Marathon just last month, finishing in 10th place despite having a hurt knee. Former finance lawyer turned pro runner, Rose now runs for Puma Running and holds a 2:27:20 marathon PB. We see big things in her future - she is just getting started! 

Photo: World Athletics

Josh Griffiths

This Welsh athlete has had some top London Marathon finishes, shocking the running community with his 13th place finish in 2017 in what was his debut marathon. From rural West Wales and starting behind the elite athletes, this was a defining start to Griffith's career. However, it was not a fluke as he followed this performance by placing 8th in London in 2021. Josh Griffiths holds a marathon PB of 2:11:28, and placed 49th in the Eugene World Athletics Championships this past summer. He currently runs for Asics, and offers coaching packages through his company Josh Griffiths Run Coaching.

Photo: Josh Griffiths Run Coaching

What do you think is next for these top British runners, and can we expect to see them at the Paris 2024 Olympics? Who else should we add to this list? Let us know!