No runner wishes for a monsoon on race day, but British sprinter Zharnel Hughes made the best of torrential weather at last weekend’s UK Championships. Hughes took the 100-meter title in Machester, crossing the finish line on Saturday, clocking a speedy 10.03.
“It means everything to me to be British champion,” said Hughes after the race. “I train in these conditions sometimes in Jamaica… but I am soaked here. These conditions are the worst ever. It has been a long journey to get the title back that I last won in 2015. I thank my team, my coach, and everyone who came to support me.”
Watch the race below.
The 27-year-old arrived at the UK Championships after a huge victory at last month’s New York City Grand Prix, where he broke Linford Christie’s 30-year-old British 100-meter record with a 9.83 race time.
The next day, Hughes ran the 200-meter in 19.77, a time that would have scored him a double short-sprint British record for the weekend if not for a 2.3 meters per second tailwind.
Reece Prescod took a silver medal at the 100-meter event on Saturday, finishing in 10.14. Eugene Amo-Dadzie took bronze with 10.18.
Kells McPhillips is a health and wellness journalist living in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Runner's World, The New York Times, Well+Good, Fortune, Shape, and others.
