PANVAC athletes made a successful world record bid at the Embankment

The PANVAC athletes who made a 5,000m world record attempt with a difference. Photo: David Lowndes.

The men’s 5,000m world record took a double drubbing during the Peterborough & Nene Valley AC Christmas Relay on Tuesday evening.

The world record of 12:35.36 was set in Monaco by Ugandan athlete Joshua Cheptegei on a warm August night in 2020.

A cold winter evening beside the River Nene lacks the allure of a sultry Mediterranean night as the local runners set out on an unusual world record attempt.

However, two teams of PANVAC sprinters containing both men and women ignored the cold and damp by blasting their way round the track and completing the 12.5 laps in times of 11.09.00 and 11.14.00.

Whereas Cheptegai did it on his own, the PANVAC relay teams each comprised 25 sprinters who ran 200m each. With a total of 48 baton exchanges it was fairly extraordinary that it wasn't dropped once.

Forty one years separated the youngest and oldest runners on duty, with13 year old Finlay Smith the youngest and 54 year old Julian Smith (no relation) the oldest competitor.

There was a frantic change of race numbers by Thomas Preston, Ben Ball, Jack Wheatley, James Marsh and Morgan Swann who each completed two legs, one early and one late.