1979 UK Athletics Championships
# 1979 UK Athletics Championships

The 1979 UK Athletics Championships was the national championship in outdoor track and field for the United Kingdom held at Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.

It was the third edition of the competition limited to British athletes only, launched as an alternative to the AAA Championships, which was open to foreign competitors. However, due to the fact that the calibre of national competition remained greater at the AAA event, the UK Championships this year were not considered the principal national championship event by some statisticians, such as the National Union of Track Statisticians (NUTS). Many of the athletes below also competed at the 1979 AAA Championships.

Two athletes claimed a third straight title: Geoff Capes in the men's shot put and Meg Ritchie in the discus throw. Athletes to claim a second consecutive UK title were David Black (10,000 m), Chris Black (hammer throw), David Ottley (javelin throw), and Sue Reeve (long jump). Heather Hunte won her first titles in the 100 metres and 200 metres, beating out Kathy Smallwood and Beverley Goddard in both events.

The main international track and field competition for the United Kingdom that year was the 1979 European Cup. The secondary status of the UK event at national level was indicated by the fact that the six individual medallists at the European competition were all absent from the championships in Birmingham. Several of the European women's relay medallists did compete however, including Hunte, Smallwood and Joslyn Hoyte-Smith.

## Medal summary

### Men

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 100 metres | Trevor Hoyte | 10.40 | David Baptiste | 10.47 | Cameron Sharp | 10.51 |
| 200 metres | Earl Tulloch | 21.06 | David Baptiste | 21.21 | Cameron Sharp | 21.24 |
| 400 metres | Steve Scutt | 47.01 | Terry Whitehead | 47.19 | Rod Milne | 47.22 |
| 800 metres | Dane Joseph | 1:49.16 | Rob Harrison | 1:49.22 | Pete Browne | 1:49.66 |
| 1500 metres | Alan Mottershead | 3:43.31 | John Robson | 3:43.52 | Mike Downes | 3:43.65 |
| 5000 metres | Steve Emson | 13:36.53 | Julian Goater | 13:39.37 | Bernie Ford | 13:39.78 |
| 10,000 metres | Dave Black | 28:46.03 | Jim Brown | 28:58.00 | Peter Standing | 28:58.88 |
| 110 m hurdles | Mark Holtom | 13.95 | David Wilson | 14.29 | Wilbert Greaves | 14.37 |
| 400 m hurdles | Gary Oakes | 50.76 | Roger Bell | 52.22 | Phil Beattie | 52.24 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Gordon Rimmer | 8:39.15 | John Wheway | 8:43.33 | Graeme Fell | 8:46.75 |
| High jump | Brian Burgess | 2.13 m | Ossie Cham | 2.10 m | Alan Dainton | 2.05 m |
| Pole vault | Brian Hooper | 5.40 m | Allan Williams | 4.90 m | Graham EggletonAllan Leiper | 4.50 m |
| Long jump | Daley Thompson | 7.69 m | Roy Mitchell | 7.64 m w | Len Tyson | 7.34 m |
| Triple jump | Aston Moore | 15.72 m | David Johnson | 15.70 m | Tony Wadhams | 15.38 m |
| Shot put | Geoff Capes | 19.00 m | Mike Winch | 17.62 m | Ian Lindley | 16.66 m |
| Discus throw | Richard Slaney | 55.32 m | Dennis Roscoe | 51.40 m | Geoff Tyler | 51.38 m |
| Hammer throw | Chris Black | 66.68 m | Paul Dickenson | 65.06 m | Matthew Mileham | 63.06 m |
| Javelin throw | David Ottley | 74.72 m | Brian Roberts | 72.88 m | John Trower | 70.14 m |

### Women

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 100 metres | Heather Hunte | 11.30 | Beverley Goddard | 11.37 | Kathy Smallwood | 11.43 |
| 200 metres | Heather Hunte | 23.15 | Kathy Smallwood | 23.18 | Beverley Goddard | 23.30 |
| 400 metres | Joslyn Hoyte-Smith | 52.24 | Michelle Probert | 53.54 | Karen Williams | 53.74 |
| 800 metres | Christina Boxer | 2:01.53 | Liz Barnes | 2:02.04 | Janet Marlow | 2:03.03 |
| 1500 metres | Gillian Dainty | 4:15.65 | Bernadette Madigan | 4:16.13 | Chris McMeekin | 4:16.54 |
| 3000 metres | Glynis Penny | 9:08.38 | Mary Stewart | 9:09.48 | Kathryn Binns | 9:11.18 |
| 100 m hurdles | Shirley Strong | 13.28 | Yvette Wray | 13.61 | Judy Vernon | 13.78 |
| 400 m hurdles | Christine Warden | 56.93 | Diane Heath | 58.17 | Susan Dalgoutté | 58.99 |
| High jump | Ann-Marie Devally | 1.86 m | Moira Maguire | 1.78 m | Joy Crouchley | 1.78 m |
| Long jump | Sue Reeve | 6.30 m | Sue Hearnshaw | 6.28 m | Carol Earlington | 6.21 m |
| Shot put | Angela Littlewood | 16.43 m | Judy Oakes | 16.35 m | Venissa Head | 16.34 m |
| Discus throw | Meg Ritchie | 56.80 m | Janet Thompson | 50.42 m | Lesley Mallin | 47.72 m |
| Javelin throw | Jackie Zaslona | 53.32 m | Linda Stratford | 48.28 m | Maxine Jervis | 47.00 m |
