Ben T20 World mark at 1500m; Sarah Scottish steeplechase best

Sunday 10th August 2025

Photos by Bobby Gavin and Gary Mitchell

Ben Sandilands has clocked a new World Record for T320 1500m – and Sarah Tait has yet another new Scottish Record to her name in the steeplechase.

Ben, the Paralympic champion from Fife AC, clocked 3:44.90 (second in the B race) and that is a new T20 World Record.

He is currently preparing to defend his T20 1500m title at the World Para Champs in India in September.

Well done to Ben, his family, coach Steve Doig and all at Fife AC.

Sarah has clocked another new Scottish Record in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase.

And a place in the GB and NI team for the World champs in Tokyo is looking ever more likely for the Lasswade AC athlete.

Sarah raced in Belgium on Saturday evening and posted 9:18.66 to strip yet more time off the Record she set when winning silver at the UK Champs the previous weekend.

That time is well inside the 9:22.50 ‘consideration standard’ set by UK Athletics for the Worlds. Selection for Sarah should now depend on her global ranking and close observers suggest that her position will be strong enough for GB and NI.

At the same meet, Sarah Calvert followed up her UK Champs shock gold medal with a new 1500m PB run. The Livingston athlete took her time to 4:04.33 to continue this season’s improvement. That was a Glasgow 2026 standard for Sarah.

Cameron Boyek was also on the 1500m PB train.

In the BMC meet in Manchester, he clocked 3:35.51 and now moves above Frank Clement on the Scottish all-time list. That was a Glasgow 2026 standard for Cameron.

*Andy Butchart made a return from injury after a long spell of rehab. The double Olympian was at 13:37.49 over 5000m for a very solid comeback race (just a fraction outside the Glasgow 2026 standard for 5000m).

*Alix Still was so close to the Glasgow 2026 standard for heptathlon (5482 points) when finishing fourth at an event in Hexham. Alix totalled 5460 points on this occasion.

+++

Photos via social media

The next generation of young Scots were in action at the England Athletics U17/U15 Champs and great to see medal success in Birmingham as well as a number of PB performances.

In Combined Events at U17 level, Nathan Mobbs (North Ayrshire AC) posted 6557 points for silver and Douglas Knox (Springburn Harriers) 6510 points for bronze. Nathan and Douglas now second and third on Scottish all-time U17 list.

Also at U17, there was double gold for Holly Whittaker (Aberdeen AAC) with victories in long jump and 80m hurdles.

At U15 level there was gold in CE for Dionne Maguinness (Aidrie Harriers) with a Championship Record in Hexathlon. Three of Dionne’s six performances would have won medals in the individual events.

There were further medals across the weekend for

Freya Brown (Lasswade AC) U15 800m silver

Grace Malley (Whitemoss AAC) U17 300m hurdles silver

Sophie Robertson (Cumbernauld AAC) U7Hammer silver

Skye Marshall (Gateshead) U17 Javelin bronze

Well done to all the athletes, coaches and parents who travelled to Birmingham.

+++

Tags: Andy Butchart, Ben Sandilands, Cameron Boyek, Sarah Calvert, Sarah Tait