The 28-year-old clocks 4:56.23 at the Boris Hanžeković Memorial in Croatia to go fifth on the UK 2000m all-time list
James West has recorded the fastest 2000m by a Brit since 1988, with 4:56.23 at the Boris Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb, Croatia (September 8).
The Brit goes fifth on the UK all-time list in the process and only Steve Cram, Peter Elliott, Jack Buckner and Gary Staines have gone faster.
West’s 4:56.23 is the quickest time since Cram and Elliott ran 4:55.20 and 4:55.72 respectively in 1988.
The pair ran those times in late August and the 2000m is generally renowned for being a distance that is attempted either very early on or late in the season.
It is not an Olympic or world event but is an official world record discipline.
World record-holders have ranged from the likes of Paavo Nurmi and John Walker to Noureddine Morceli and Hicham El Guerrouj.
James West (Getty)
Jakob Ingebrigtsen holds the current record after bettering El Guerrouj’s long-standing mark of 4:44.79 with an incredible 4:43.13 in Brussels last season.
Britain has only ever had one world record-holder in the 2000m and that was Cram, who ran 4:51.39 in 1985.
Given the strength of British middle distance running through the generations, the fact that West is now in the top five on the UK all-time list over the distance is mightily impressive.
West, who is based in Manchester with New Balance, retained both of his national titles this season – indoor 3000m and outdoor 5000m – and recorded a number of personal bests.
The Brit also finished seventh over 5000m at the European Championships and went ninth on the UK all-time list in the discipline with 13:09.07 back in May.
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