SUNDERLAND’S Alyson Dixon admitted she got exactly what she wanted at the Sainsbury’s British Championships but just not in the fashion she would have liked after a bizarre sequence of events.

Scheduled to run the women’s 10,000m, the 34-year-old was told that would not be possible after a series of withdrawals meant she was the only competitor left entered.

However, her request to run solo as part of the men’s 10,000m was accepted, and so she completed 25 laps of the Alexander Stadium track effectively all by herself.

As Andrew Lemoncello produced a stunning sprint finish to win the men’s 10,000m in 29:28.72minutes, Dixon, assured of the British women’s title as the only competitor, provided she finished, came home in 34:46.75.

And, while she would have rather had some competition to beat in Birmingham, Dixon insists she travelled to become the British champion and that is what she leaves as.

“Doing 25 laps all by yourself is hard going. A 10km run by itself it hard enough on the track especially in that heat,” said Dixon.

“And it is tough when you are running every step by yourself but I came down to Birmingham to win a title and I have done that.

“I am gutted with the way I have done that with no competition but at the end of the day I am national champion and you can’t take that away from me.

“The whole focus wasn’t about running a fast time it was about coming here to win. As the names came off the start list as the days went by it was really upsetting.

“They were going to cancel the event but after getting myself together I rang them to ask if there was any chance of running with the men and it would have been a weekend wasted otherwise and I am thankful for UKA for allowing that.

“I had trained in the morning and the day before and nothing was focused for doing a 10km so it was just about seeing how I felt out there and I was on for a decent time after the first few miles but after that it went to pot.”

Sainsbury’s British Championships is the second event in the Sainsbury’s Summer Series. For more information on Sainsbury’s support of world class athletics and disability sport go to www.sainsburys-live-well-for-less.co.uk/occasions/anniversary-games/