Ted Chamberlain finished his 2023 800m racing with a fluorish, running an outstanding 1:47.77 to win a stacked international Men’s A race at the final BMC Trafford Gold Standard meet on Tuesday night.
Buoyed by his big personal best over 1500m – 3:45.68, making him the second fastest Harrier over 1500m in history – Chamberlain wasn’t to be put off his stride in the highest calibre field he’s faced.
The athletes, with lifetime bests ranging from 1:49 to 1:46, included American pro athlete Christian Harrison, the fastest man on paper with a best of 1:46.69, two-time 4x400m Canadian national champion Stephen Evans, 2023 BUCS Indoors 1500m gold medallist Tyler Bilyard, Sale Harriers’ Yorkshireman, Max Wharton, Chilean international, Cristofer Jarpa and Thomas Baines of Bristol & West AC.
The field was strung out but in control throughout the first lap, passing through 400m in a relatively comfortable 52 seconds with Chamberlain tucked in behind Bilyard and Harrison in third.
As Harrison and Bilyard steadily increased the pace over the next 200m, Chamberlain stuck to the pair like glue, barely giving them an inch.
By the time the race reached the last 100m, Bilyard attempted to kick around Harrison’s outside but in the last 40 metres it was Chamberlain who found a second gear, moving smoothly around Harrison and Bilyard to snatch a convincing yet highly unexpected victory in 1:47.77, another big personal best (down from 1:48.19), breaking his own Holmfirth Harriers Club Record for the fourth consecutive 800m race.
Chamberlain, the reigning Northern Indoor and Outdoor 800m champion, has won seven of his eleven 800m races this year and ten of his fifteen middle distance races in 2023.
Having started the season with a lifetime best of 1:51.78, Chamberlain has now shaved 4.01 seconds off that since mid-May.
Chamberlain is currently ranked 29th overall over 800m this season, an improvement of 86 places on last year.
