Gemma Steel

Career

She began her 2011 with international level cross country races. She was ninth at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country, sixth at the Cinque Mulini, and won at the Hannut Lotto CrossCup. After a fourth place finish at the English championships, she made her world level debut at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, taking 54th place.

She had runner-up finishes at both the Great Ireland Run and London 10,000 (improving her best to 32:48 min), but managed only seventh at the 5000 metres British trials on the track. Her road running season remained at a high standard as she had a number of victories including the Frank Duffy 10 Mile Race, Bristol Half Marathon, Great Yorkshire Run, and the Great Birmingham Run.

She was the pre-race favourite for the European Cross Trials, but was beaten at the line by Hatti Dean. At the 2011 European Cross Country Championships, Steel was among the leaders and the midpoint of the race and was in second place by the final lap.

She was overtaken by Portugal's Ana Dulce Félix in the final stages, but managed to take third place for an individual bronze medal (her first international podium finish) and to lead the British women to their second ever European team title at the event.

She was runner-up to Fionnuala Britton, the European champion, at the 2012 Great Edinburgh Cross Country and Antrim Cross Country.

She set a personal best time of 9:01 minutes in the 3000 m at the AVIVA Indoor Grand Prix. Returning to grass, she won the English National Cross Country championships held at Parliament Hill Fields, as well as the inter-counties championships held at Cofton Park.

After warm-weather training in Portugal, she beat defending champion Charlotte Purdue at the Great Ireland Run. She had a string of ninth place finishes at the Great Manchester Run, European Cup 10000m and in the 10,000 metres at the 2012 European Athletics Championships.

She defended her title at the Great Yorkshire Run in September. A switch to longer distances towards the end of the year proved successful as she set a half marathon best of 70:46 minutes at the Great North Run,[14] came seventh at the 2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and placed in the top five at the Great South Run 10-miler. At the start of 2013 she finished 31st at the World Cross Country Championships and was runner-up at the Great Ireland Run. She focused on 10K runs for most of the year: she was fourth in Manchester, third at the New York Mini 10K, winner at the Great North 10K, runner-up at the Beach to Beacon 10K with a best of 31:36 minutes, third at thePrague Grand Prix, and winner at the Great Yorkshire Run.

She also took second place at the Falmouth Road Race 7-miler. She won the Great Birmingham Run for a second time and broke the course record with a personal best of 70:19 minutes. Gemma Steel Edges Shalane Flanagan at 2014 TD Beach to Beacon 10 km for victory in 31:26.5.

PERFORMANCE

PLACE

DATE

5000 Metres

15:47.21

Watford

11 JUN 2011

10,000 Metres

32:34.81

Bilbao

03 JUN 2012

10 Kilometres

31:27:00

Cape Elizabeth, ME

03 AUG 2014

15 Kilometres

49:08:00

Portsmouth, GBR

26 OCT 2014

20 Kilometres

01:07:38

Kavarna

06 OCT 2012

Half Marathon

01:10:19

Birmingham, GBR

20 OCT 2013

PERFORMANCE

PLACE

DATE

3000 Metres

9:01.86

Birmingham, GBR

18 FEB 2012

Date

Competition

Location

Position

Event

Performance

2010

European Cross Country Championships

Albufeira

2nd

Senior team

42 pts

2011

European Cross Country Championships

Velenje

3rd

Senior individual

26 min 4 s

European Cross Country Championships

1st

Senior team

42 pts

2013

European Cross Country Championships

Belgrade

2nd

Senior individual

23 min 39 s

European Cross Country Championships

1st

Senior team

35 pts

2014

European Cross Country Championships

Samokov

1st

Senior individual

28 min 27 s

European Cross Country Championships

1st

Senior team

21 pts