Sian Edwards, GBR

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Full Name: Sian Edwards
Sex: Female
Born: 24th November 1988 (Kettering)
Event: 3000m, 5000m, Cross-country
Club: Kettering Town Harriers
Coach: Neville Marshall
County: Northamptonshire
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Cross-country
Outdoor Flat - women's only
800m      
1500m 4:29.8 2005  
1 Mile      
3000m 9:19.51 13 July 2005 Marrakesh, MAR
5000m 15:50.69 June 2006 Solihull, GBR
Outdoor Flat - Mixed
3000m (mixed)      
Indoor Flat
1500m      
3000m      
Road
5km Road      
5M Road      
10km Road      

 

2001

13 May Northamptonshire County Championships Corby 1500m 5:35.4 U13 1st

 

2003

30 April Watford Open Watford 1500m 5:11.38   4th D
10 May Northamptonshire County Championships Corby 800m 2:28.6 U15 1st
11 May Northamptonshire County Championships Corby 1500m 5:05.3 U15 1st
25 May Midland Junior Championships Birmingham 1500m 4:59.71 U15 7th
27 May Golden League Corby 800m 2:28.6   1st
8 June   Banbury 1500m 4:55.8   1st
14 June Northamptonshire Schools Championships Corby 1500m 5:00.0 Junior girls 1st
21 June   Derby 1500m 4:51.9   1st
11 July English Schools Championships Sheffield 1500m 4:56.7 Junior girls 8th ht
24 August   Stourbridge 1500m 5:02.8   1st
  Birmingham     U15 10th

 

 

2004

At the Midlands Junior Championships in Birmingham Sian was second in the 3000m in a time of 10:16.4.

She went on to win the bronze medal at the English Schools Track and Field Championships in Gateshead, in a time of 10:02.89.

Sian won the silver medal in the AAAs Under 17 3000m in Sheffield in a time of 10:03.22.

  Reebok Inter-Counties Nottingham     U15 18th
24 April Sheffield Open Sheffield 3000m 10:16.1 U17 1st
2 May Midland Women's League D4 Leamington 1500m 4:46.0   1st
15 May Northamptonshire County Championships Corby 800m 2:22.6 U17 2nd
16 May Northamptonshire County Championships Corby 1500m 4:41.0 U17 1st
30 May Midland Junior Championships Birmingham 3000m 10:16.40 U17 2nd
19 June   Leamington 3000m 10:22.2   1st
4 July Midland Women's League D4 Stourport 1500m 4:50.2   1st
10 July English Schools Championships Gateshead 3000m 10:02.89 Intermediate girls 3rd
17 July British Schools Chelmsford 3000m 10:02.75 Intermediate girls 1st
15 August AAA U17-U15 Championships Birmingham 3000m 10:03.22 U17 2nd
22 August Midland Women's League D4 Tipton 800m 2:22.3   1st
22 August Midland Women's League D4 Tipton 1500m 4:55.7   2nd
  Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Birmingham     U17 1st

 

 

The Under 17s showed that they could mix it with the athletes in the older age group, filling three of the top six places.

Under 20 Claire Holme, who during the race had built up a 50m lead at one point, came home in 17:50 just three seconds ahead of fast finishing Under 17 Sian Edwards (Kettering Town Harriers). 

Having just moved up to the Under 17 age group, Sian Edwards was perhaps the surprise package, not herself expecting for more than a top ten finish.

She said: “I’m really pleased, I didn’t know what to expect really. I have never raced with Under 20 athletes, I couldn’t believe I was so close to Claire Holme.”

Edwards' coach Neville Marshall was delighted with her performance. He said: “She often lacks confidence to mix it with the athletes at the front, but today she really went for it.”

 

11 December European Cross-country Championships Heringsdorf, Germany 4km U20 43rd Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
  Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Parliament Hills   U17    

 

Pre-race: The leading Under 17 in the race who is eligible for selection could be Sian Edwards (Kettering Town Harriers), who was first Under 17 and second overall in the combined Under 20/Under 17 race in Birmingham.

In the absence of Falkirk winner Non Stanford (Swansea Harriers), who will return from the Norwich Union sponsored ‘On Camp with Kelly’ in South Africa on the day of the race, the leading Under 17 in Birmingham, Sian Edwards (Kettering Town Harriers), will probably be the leading contender.  She will be challenged by the third Under 17 in Birmingham Stephanie Twell (Aldershot Farnham & District), who also ran the fastest leg to lead her club to victory in the English Cross Country Relays.

Also in the field are the equal leaders in the Reebok Cross Challenge standings, Siobhan Coleman (Pitreavie AAC) and Jessica Sparke (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies AC).

2005

January Midlands Cross-Country Championships Sheffield   U17 1st  
February National XC Leeds   U17 1st  Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
March Reebok Inter-Counties Cross-Country Nottingham 6km U20 1st  
  World Cross-Country St Etienne, France 6152m U20 34th  Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

 

UK Inter-Countries XC

Central Trains Under 20 Women’s 6km:

Running: It’s always hard to spot front-runners because Under 17s have a habit of upsetting Under 20 form-guides. Siobhan Coleman (Scotland East) leads the Reebok Cross Challenge Under 17 standings. Sian Edwards (Northamptonshire) won the National Under 17 title a fortnight ago, ahead of all the Under 20s eligible for this race, having earned a place in the Norwich Union GB Junior Women’s Team that won Silver medals at December’s Spar European Cross Country Championships. Hannah England (Oxfordshire) currently leads the Reebok Cross Challenge Under 20 standings. Karrie Hawitt (Cheshire) is the defending Champion and has an extra reason to get to the World Cross Country Championships – the Junior Women’s race is on her 19th birthday, 19 March. Morag MacLarty (Scotland East) won the Commonwealth Youth Games 1500m title in Australia pre-Christmas and led the Norwich Union GB Junior Team to success in the annual Lisbon International a few weeks ago. Sara Ponsford (Wiltshire) is second in the Reebok Cross Challenge Under 20 standings. Stephanie Twell (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) is the National Under 17 Silver medallist.

Asked selectors to consider: Emily Pidgeon (Gloucester AC) has won the last two European Trials Junior Women’s races without being old enough to take her place in the Norwich Union GB Team, and has informed the selectors she intends to run in the English Schools Championships on 12 March rather than the Reebok UK Inter-Counties Championships.

 

Pre-race: Sian Edwards and Stephanie Twell, who earned their places by finishing first and second in the Trial race at the Reebok UK Inter-Counties Championships, are aged 15, as is Emily Pidgeon (Gloucester AC), the English Schools Intermediate Champion who has won the last two Junior Women’s races at European Trials without being old enough to claim a place in the Norwich Union GB Team. Jessica Sparke and Abby Westley, who were third and fourth in the Trial race, are both 17. Morag MacLarty, who was ill in the 24 hours leading up to the Trial, is 19 – and is the Commonwealth Youth Games 1500m Champion.
World Cross-Country, St Etienne, France
Junior women’s race (3 laps, 6152m)

Reebok UK Inter-Counties Champion Sian Edwards (Kettering Town Harriers) also ran above expectations, taking 34th place in 22:45. The 16-year-old Kettering Town Harrier, coached by Neville Marshall, was the youngest member of last year’s silver medal-winning British team at the European Cross Country Championships.

Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland finishing as leading Europeans in eighth.

Edwards, who was watched by her parents Phil and Alison, said she had recovered from a poor start, when runners began to pass her on both sides. “It was boiling,” said the 16-year-old, who won her Inter-Counties title in a freezing blizzard in Nottingham a fortnight ago. “It was so different from running cross country in England, with all that snow.

“The worst bit was when I reached the 3km marker. I was absolutely shattered by then, and I thought, ‘’Oh no! I’ve got to do it all over again.’ “  

 

 

Athlete of the Month

March 2005

www.paularadcliffe.com

 

 

23 April Sheffield Open Sheffield 3000m 9:36.1   1st
1 May Midland Women's League D4 Corby 800m 2:17.8   1st B
14 May Northamptonshire County Championships Corby 800m 2:17.5 U17 1st
15 May Northamptonshire County Championships Corby 1500m 4:30.3 U17 1st
22 May   Loughborough 3000m 9:31.65   5th
29 May Midland Junior Championships Birmingham 3000m 9:27.69 U17 1st

 

 

Midland Championships

16-year-old Sian Edwards (Kettering Town Harriers) – one of the athletes being helped by Dame Kelly Holmes through this season – won the Midlands Under 20 title in 9:27.69, inside the UKA qualifying standard of 9:30.00 for both the Euro Juniors and World Youth Games – and the second-fastest time ever by a UK Under 17.

 

11 June Northamptonshire Schools Corby 3000m 9:54.8 Intermediate girls 1st
2 July AAA U23/U20 Championships Bedford 1500m 4:30.00 U20 4th

 

AAA U20&U23 Track & Field Championships, Bedford

Pre-race: 1500m (4:20.00): While the amazing Emily Pidgeon (Gloucester) is expected to aim for the 5000m in Kaunas, she inevitably dominates the rankings all through the distances. She is European Juniors No.1 at 1500m has gone three seconds quicker this season than MacLarty, who is second in the UK rankings and fourth in Europe with 4:20.97. 

To underline the growing UK strength, Abby Westley is seventh in Europe with 4:21.99 – and then there are Kelly’s Campers entering the fray Charlotte Browning (Aldershot, Farnham and District), Danielle Christmas (Crawley), Hannah England (Oxford City), the Euro Juniors 3000m rankings leader Non Stanford (Swansea), Danielle Walker (Royal Sutton Coldfield) and Marrakech-bound Sian Edwards (Kettering).

 

3 July Midland Women's League D4 Kettering 1500m 4:29.8   1st  
13 July World Youth Games Marrakech, Morocco 3000m 9:19.51 U20 5th Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
14 August AAA U17-U15 Championships Birmingham 3000m 9:39.81 U17 2nd  
21 August Midland Women's League D4 Stourport 800m 2:18.7   3rd  
21 August Midland Women's League D4 Stourport 1500m 4:38.1   1st  
21 August Sheffield Grand Prix Sheffield 1 Mile 4:50.81   6th  
  UK Challenge Birmingham     U17    
  UK Challenge Liverpool     U20 4th  
  European Cross-Country Championships Tilburg, Netherlands     U20 15th  

 

Pre-race: Emily Pidgeon will be the overwhelming favourite even though the field includes European Junior 1500m Champion Morag MacLarty (Central AAC), who won at the Birmingham Cross Challenge at the start of this month and was last weekend named Scotland’s Athlete of the Year; in-form Nicola Sykes, who set a course record in leading Bedford and County AC to victory at the ECCA Relays Championships a fortnight ago; and several members of the squad being mentored by Olympic double Champion Dame Kelly Holmes including Charlotte Browning (Aldershot, Farnham and District), Dani Christmas (Crawley), Sian Edwards (Kettering), Hannah England (Oxford) and Non Stanford (Swansea Harriers).

 Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Sian Edwards' fourth place at Liverpool, achieved despite immense pressure from Gemma Turtle, means that she is returning towards the form that earned her Norwich Union GB places in both of last winter's major champs after a couple of less satisfactory races. 

'I'm relieved,' said Sian. 'My asthma pulled me up in Birmingham but I was all right today. I can't wait for Tilburg!'  

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Pre-race: Only six athletes survive from the 24 athletes who helped make history at last year’s Championships when Norwich Union GB became the first team ever to win medals in all four races. These include Sian Edwards, who was in the Junior Women’s team that won Silver.

European Cross-Country, Tilburg, the Netherlands

Teenager Emily Pidgeon finished second in her race to lead the Norwich Union Great Britain junior side to victory. She finished two seconds behind Romania's Ancuta Bobocel with Morag MacLarty sixth, Stephanie Twell seventh and Sian Edwards 15th to secure team honours. 

2006

  UK Challenge London U20  
  UK Challenge Cardiff U20 & Senior girls 1st

 

Pre-race

11.00: Junior Women (U20 at 31.12.06) and Senior Girls (schools) 5km – Pidgeon (Gloucester AC) has truly taken flight since winning, among many others, the Under 13 Girls’ race at Cardiff as recently as 2002. If her rapid progress to 2005 European Junior 5000m Champion and European Junior Cross Country Silver medallist is not sufficient inspiration for the schoolchildren gathering for their races, then maybe the sight of Non Stanford (Swansea Harriers) in her county schools team will catch their imagination. For Non – who was second to Emily in that Under 13 Girls’ race three years ago – spent last weekend at the Lisbon Junior International in Portugal, where she completed a Norwich Union GB 1-2-3 in the Junior Women’s race. Also in the Cardiff field are two more of the Norwich Union GB Junior Women who won the Team Gold medals at the European Cross Country Championships in Tilburg last month, Sian Edwards (Kettering Town Harriers) and Nicola Sykes (Bedford and County). And the lure of the Cross Challenge is evidenced by Scottish Champion Siobhan Coleman (Pitreavie) making the long flight south in search of a little more quality competition.  

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Sian won the Junior women's race, in the absence of Emily Pidgeon, at the UK Challenge race in Cardiff.
 Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket  

Sian Edwards (Kettering Town Harriers) capitalized on Emily Pidgeon’s decision to move up to the Senior race in the bold manner that has become a trademark of the UK’s current generation of female endurance runners. From the gun, she shot off like one of the many startled squirrels who spent the afternoon scurrying up trees as the athletes pounded past. And when Steph Twell (Aldershot, Farnham and District) caught her in mid-race, she put on another surge and won by over 50m.

Had she intended to go off as quick? “No,” smiled Edwards. Why did she go off as quick? “I’ve no idea!” Except that it’s instinct among the women to race as hard as they can. Did she expect to win? “I was expecting to race Emily so I wasn’t expecting to win at all!”

 

 

  English National Parliament Hills U17   Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
  World Cross-Country Fukuoka, Japan U20 10th Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

 

World Cross-Country, Fukuoka, Japan

Kettering Town Harriers’ Mighty Atom, 17-year-old Sian Edwards finished a superb tenth to lead Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland to fifth in the Junior Women’s Team competition at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, on Saturday 1 April.

Only in the Paula Radcliffe years of 1991 and 1992 have GB Juniors finished higher as a team in this, the toughest foot race yet invented for teenagers. Today’s performance on a hard, stamina sapping course dotted with steep hills and sharp turns, represents an encouraging improvement on the last two years: Norwich Union GB Junior Women’s Teams were 11th in 2004 and eighth in 2005.

They went into action spurred by messages of encouragement from Dame Kelly Holmes and the GB Juniors ‘On Camp with Kelly’ in Melbourne – and responded magnificently to team instructions.

Edwards, the UK Inter-Counties and English National Under 20 Champion, improved from 34th in last year’s World Cross in France with the kind of relentless power that belies her slight frame.

She was the leading European over the finishing line on the tough Umi-no-Nakamichi Seaside Park course, nine places and 36 seconds clear of her nearest rival from this continent. She also defeated the entire Japanese quartet that took the Team Bronze medals.

As usual, the 6km race was dominated by African athletes with Kenya taking all three individual medals. Pauline Korikwiang won in 19 minutes 27 seconds in a sprint finish against Veronica Wanjiru with Mercy Kosgei third in 19:45. Edwards’ time was 20:10.

Kenya took the Team Gold medals with only 10 points. Ethiopia were second with 29, Japan third with 58, Eritrea fourth with 83 and Norwich Union GB fifth with 116 – 17 points ahead of Russia – thanks to Edwards being supported by Stephanie Twell (Aldershot, Farnham and District AC) 31st in 21:14; Non Stanford (Swansea Harriers) 37th in 21:24; Danielle Sale (Orion Harriers) 38th in 21:24; Jessica Sparke (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies) 44th in 21:41; and Joanne Harvey (Exeter Harriers) 51st in 21:59.

Edwards ran the kind of aggressive race that has become her trademark this winter. After the opening charge from the starting pens, she was 19th at the first electronic checkpoint but only two seconds behind the leader. At the halfway point, she was 12th in 9:27. At the third checkpoint, she was up to 10th in 16:12. From there, she hung on magnificently to hold off a concerted challenge from the home team cheered on by their supporters.

She said: “It was really good – magic, I think. I wanted to get better than last year, when I finished 34th. I never dreamt I would anywhere near the Africans. I really don’t know why I ran so much better – I just felt really good. I have to thank my coach, Neville Marshall and everyone out here with the Team – they have been really amazing.”

Norwich Union GB Junior Women’s Team Leader Stella Bandu summed-up: “Sian showed an awful lot of confidence and determination, She was not fazed by anything at all. It was great to see her that high up in the race. She joins a very select group.

“The whole team did absolutely fantastically in a highly competitive race. By finishing fifth, they have beaten a lot of very good teams. It’s been a real privilege to be their Team Manager and I hope what they have gained from this will help them towards fulfilling their long term goals and potential. It’s been a good learning experience.

“The policy of enabling young athletes to compete at occasions like this can never be under-estimated. If they were all asked to write a short essay on what they have learnt, I think they would end up with very long essays!”

Cross country remains a UK target

UK Athletics (UKA) says the World Cross Country Championships are still important to Britain, despite poor results in Japan at the weekend.

The championships are not one of the main global targets identified by UK Sport, but UKA Performance director Dave Collins says they are of value.

"It is a fantastic way to help youngsters come through," he said.

One of those youngsters was Sian Edwards, 17, who finished 10th in the 6km junior women's competition. 

The Kettering runner was the first non-African athlete over the line in Fukuoka.

It was the best result for a British junior since 1992 when Paula Radcliffe took gold and Jenny Clague finished fourth.

The junior team and the senior women's 8km racers had the best performances of the European teams in Japan, finishing fifth and seventh.

 

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7 May BMC Academy PB Classic Watford 3000m 9:15.70   9th
14 May Northamptonshire County Championships Corby 1500m 4:34.4 U20 1st
14 May Northamptonshire County Championships Corby 800m 2:20.5 U20 2nd
20 May BMC/Nike Grand Prix Loughborough 5000m 16:00.18   1st

 

BMC Loughborough, May 2006

Sian Edwards also shrugged off the damp conditions to record a stunning victory in the 5,000m.

The 17-year-old, making her debut over the distance, won in 16 minutes 00.18 seconds to move to fourth on the all-time UK rankings.

 

7 June St Mary's College Adidas Relays Twickenham 3000m 9:16.36   5th
18 June Midland Senior & U20 Championships Birmingham 1500m 4:32.13 U20 2nd
24 June BMC/Nike Grand Prix Solihull 5000m 15:50.69   4th

 

BMC, Solihull, June 2006

Pidgeon found herself isolated from the leading group and often making her own pace with fellow junior Sian Edwards (Kettering) close by watching her every move. Pidgeon dropped Edwards in the last mile and strode away to stop the clock at 15:41.00 to go second on the UK all time lists.

'I knew Sian was there so I upped the pace in the last few laps, and still felt strong at the end,' said Pidgeon.

Sian went third on the UK junior all time lists with her big PB of 15:50.69, also well inside the Beijing qualifying mark of 16:00.

 

8 July English Schools Gateshead 3000m 9:10.67 Senior girls 2nd  
23 July AAA U23-U20 Championships Bedford 5000m 15:42.48 U20 1st Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
28 July Norwich Union London Grand Prix Crystal Palace 3000m 9:16.38 U20 1st  
15 August World Junior Championships Beijing, China 5000m 15:47.87 U20 6th Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
27 August Midland Women's League Division 3 Kettering 1500m 4:28.5   1st  
27 August Midland Women's League Division 3 Kettering 800m 2:14.1   1st  
3 September Inter-Territorial Match Abingdon 3000m 10:03.99   1st  
17 September Cransley Hospice 10K, Cranford, Kettering Cranford 10km 34:10   1st  
8 October Nike Run London Hyde Park, London 10km 33:26   9th (2nd U20)  
28 October UK Challenge Birmingham     U20 1st  
23 November Chiba Ekiden Relays Chiba, Japan 5km relay 15:41      

 

2007 season

21st January UK Challenge Cardiff Senior 5th
  World XC Mombassa, Kenya U20 40th

 

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