VALIANT PIASECKI EARNS TOP 12 FINISH IN WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS MARATHON

Jess Piasecki (coach: Robert Hawkins; club: Stockport) finished 12th in the women’s marathon on the morning of day four in Oregon, while Katarina Johnson-Thompson (coach: Aston Moore; club: Liverpool Harriers) is well poised heading into the World Championship heptathlon finale this evening.

Piasecki battled valiantly to claim GB&NI’s best finish in World Championship women’s marathon since 2013 with 12th in 2:28:41, just the fifth time she has attempted the 26.2-mile event.

Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau; AFD), Rose Harvey (Phillip Kissi; Clapham Chasers) and Piasecki got the British action underway on day four with the women’s marathon scheduled early and were bunched in between tenth and 20th for the first 10km.

Piasecki would quickly kick on, spending over half the race - between the ninth and 42nd kilometre markers - comfortably in the top ten, and as high as seventh as the finish outside the University of Oregon’s Autzen Stadium grew closer.

However, she couldn’t hang onto a top-ten finish despite her best efforts, placing 12th in 2:28:41, and looked to put her performance into perspective after the race, despite the initial disappointment.

She said: “The wheels probably came off a little bit, but I gave it a real good go and I quite enjoyed it. It’s my second Championship marathon. I’ve only ever done five marathons, four that I’ve finished, so I’m still learning.

“It’s still such a new event for me. My fuelling was a lot better, but it probably still needs some work because I was seeing spots in the last 5km. I just had to keep moving forward in the last 5km but unfortunately a couple of girls just got me in the last little bit.

“I could not have given any more so what else can I ask for? I look back on it as a real proud moment to race for GB&NI and be part of this great team.”

Teammate Purdue was never lower than 19th early on in her third world marathon but withdrew after 19km, left to rue a rare off day in Oregon. Harvey - like Piasecki in making her world debut - suffered unfortunate luck in having to pull out with cramp just before 26km.

Purdue said: “I’m gutted – I just didn’t feel good. From the start my breathing felt heavy. Everyone has off days and it’s just annoying that I had an off day on the day of the World Champs.

“I woke up and felt fine, felt good all week, training has been going well, so I don’t have any answers at the moment. I’ve been in Flagstaff for five weeks, and I couldn’t have asked for a better build up. I feel fit so I thought I was going to run well.

“I didn’t feel great from 5km but I thought I would build into it. It’s never ideal to run for the British team and drop out but you can’t pick and choose when you have a good day.”

Meanwhile, Johnson-Thompson, sixth overnight, recorded a best of 6.28m as the heptathlon continued in the morning with its fifth event, the long jump, before throwing 39.18m in the javelin to sit fourth overall ahead of the second javelin pool which contains some of the other medal contenders, and ahead of the 800m finale later in the day.

Johnson-Thompson made another solid start to the heptathlon on day four with that 6.28m to begin the long jump however would narrowly foul consecutively with her second and third jumps and drop a place to seventh overall.