NAL Premiership Round 3 – Birmingham – Saturday 16th August
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Written by Alex Seftel
Harrow AC and Thames Valley Harriers will again do battle for the National Athletics League Premiership title in Birmingham on Saturday in a match that features exciting names on the entry lists.
They include Olympic discus thrower Nick Percy, who is looking to keep up his 100% win record for Harrow in the NAL this season. He’s joined by European under-23 4x100m champions Nia Wedderburn-Goodison and Joy Eze, along with fellow internationals Poppy Malik and Alice Hopkins, and UK triple jump champion Adelaide Omitowoju.
Thames Valley’s side features UK indoor champions Lily Hulland and Nemiah Munir, world 4x100m medallist Annie Tagoe, and Great Britain international hurdlers Emma Nwofor and Chris McAlister. Jess Tappin is coming out of retirement to compete for the club, having initially said goodbye to the sport at this stage of the season a year ago.
On the entries for Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow is two-time Olympic medallist Alex Haydock-Wilson for in the 200m and 4x400m. His GB international teammates Charlotte Payne and Jake Norris are down for the hammer.
There are also expected to be guest appearances from Jamaica’s two-time Commonwealth Games-winning triple jumper Kimberly Williams, Paralympic high jump champion Jonathan Broom-Edwards and former UK javelin champion Ben East.
How is the title race shaping up?
Thames Valley are looking for their fifth title in a row, having won every year since the league re-formed as the NAL for the 2021 season.
Harrow are aiming to be crowned champions for the first time, as they have never won the NAL, BAL or UKWAL before (the latter two being the previous separate men’s and women’s competitions which date back to 1969 and 1975 respectively).
But Tony Bush’s team have consistently been Thames Valley’s main rivals, finishing in the top two in three out of the last four seasons.
Last year, the fight came down to the last match, after one victory for each team during the first two meetings. That is the case again, with both being level on 15 league points, and Harrow ahead by 10.5 match points.
What else is there to look out for beyond the title race?
Glasgow Jaguars have a narrow hold over third position in the overall standings and have named recently-crowned UK triple jump bronze medallists Bera Ajala and Silver Nwabuzor in their team.
Woodford Green with Essex Ladies are among the sides chasing them, just one league point behind the top three. They have included hammer thrower Katie Head in their squad.
City of Sheffield and Dearne and Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers are in the bottom two and are looking to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Shaftesbury have two league points and would need at least a top-two finish to have any chance of beating the drop, while Sheffield have four and have better odds of overhauling Birchfield Harriers, who currently have eight.
Sheffield have Olympic heptathlete Jade O’Dowda involved in the 100m hurdles, high jump and shot put, with Lee Thompson returning to the 200m after his first ever sub-21 second performance came in the NAL opener at Eton.
After a disappointing first two matches of the season, Shaftesbury have a much-strengthened team. UK 400m hurdles bronze medallist Hayley McLean is involved in her favoured event and the flat single lap, while European indoor semi-finalist John Otugade in the 200m and 4x100m. Greg Thompson, Krishawn Aiken, Jade Ive and Zane Duquemin are also set to feature.
Birchfield have included Efe Okoro in their side for the 100m and 400m, with Adele Nicoll doing the shot put and discus. Nicoll recently won her third UK shot put title in four seasons in Birmingham. Boosted by home advantage, the club narrowly managed to avoid the drop at this stage of the last season.
It is worthwhile remembering that £500 is available to any athlete who breaks a league record, so long as the record remains in place until the end of the season.
Three athletes have set NAL records to-date this season:
o Tyri Donovan, 400m hurdles, 48.46, Derby 5/7/25
o Phil Norman, 2000m steeplechase, 5.33.74, Derby 5/7/25
o Jack Kavanagh, 3000m, 7.58.23, Bromley 19/7/25
Another guest to mention is Kirstie Booth, the W45 world record holder in the 2000m chase with a time of 6.50.81, which was previously set in the NAL Championship. She has run 6.53 in the NAL this season.
