Jake Heyward stepped up in distance and ran the third fastest time ever by a British Under 20 athlete as he clocked 7 min, 55.17 sec over 3,000 metres at Watford.

The 19-year-old pipped his European Championships bound training partner Ieuan Thomas with an electric burst in the final 50 metres that helped him strip five seconds off his previous best over the distance, of just over eight minutes, set indoors earlier in the year.

Heyward, who finished fifth, now sits proudly at the top of the UK Under 20 rankings for 2018 at 1500 metres and 3,000 metres, 10 seconds clear of his nearest rival over the metric mile and 19 seconds in the long event.

He also sits third over 800 metres and is now the fastest European for 3,000 metres at Under 20 this year.

There were 11 athletes who broke the eight minute mark in the race with Scottish athlete Luke Traynor, who stripped 21 seconds off his previous best, taking the tape first in 7.53.88.

Former steeplechase specialist Thomas ran three seconds faster than ever before to finish seventh in 7.56.31.

That will have been a considerable boost for him as he prepares to race for Team GB at the European Championships in Berlin next month.

Watford 3000 Metres
1, Luke  Traynor (Glasgow City) 07:53.88; 2, Richard Allen (AFD) 07:54.06; 3, Kieran Clements (SBH) 07:54.72; 4, Tom Lancashire (Bolton) 07:55.00; 5, Jake Heyward (Cardiff) 07:55.17; 6, Alex Teuten (Southampton) 07:55.26; 7, Ieuan Thomas (Cardiff) 07:56.31; 8, Andrew Heyes (Hallamshire) 07:57.32; 9, Jonny Hay (AFD) 07:58.30; 10, Josh Carr (Thames H&H) 07:58.70; 11, Bradley Goater (SBH) 07:58.94; 16,Rowan Axe (Cardiff) 08:11.24