Laura Muir fails to chase down long-standing British record in the mile after 'disappointing' race

A rare off day saw Laura Muir disappoint as the headline act at the Muller Anniversary Games – a failure she is determined to put right next month at the European Championships.

A year on from her unsuccessful quest to break Zola Budd’s long-standing British mile record at this seem meeting, Muir was given top billing at London’s Olympic Stadium as she tried once again to consign that mark to history.

Whether it was a heavy block of altitude training, a bout of hayfever or just a simple timing misjudgment, the goal remained out of her reach. Racing shoes may have developed in recent decades, but Budd’s barefoot record still stands 33 years later.

Muir appeared in prime position to strike from the front of the pack as she followed the pacemaker through the halfway stage. However, there remained a weight of firepower nestled in behind her and a grimace appeared on Muir’s face when her rivals began to turn on the after-burners with one lap remaining.

Usually so adept at ignoring the screams of pain from her body, this time Muir had little left to give. One by one they edged ahead and by the time she crossed the finish line, Muir was down in fifth.

Her time of four minutes 19.28 seconds was not only well outside Budd’s best, but also more than a second down on what she had clocked herself last year.

“I am a little disappointed but I went through the first half of the race too fast and when you do that, it catches up with you in the second half,” said Muir.

“I know it’s there if I run in a perfect way and I just didn’t run that here.

“We did well in training. But it’s a matter of when you run that fast, you have to be perfect.

“If you’re off even the slightest bit off, you’re going to pay for it. It showed in the latter stages. I just didn’t quite time it right.”

Muir’s battles with Holland’s Sifan Hassan have swung this way and that in recent times, with both athletes notching one victory apiece at the World Indoor Championships earlier this year.

Hassan was in a class of her own on Sunday, securing a national record 4min 14.71sec in a hugely impressive victory ahead of Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay and Hellen Obiri, of Kenya.

The one saving grace for Muir was Hassan’s declaration that she will “probably” only contest the 5,000m at the European Championships, while Muir is planning on doubling up over 800m and 1,500m.

“It could be very different in a few weeks,” said Muir. “It’s obvious I can run to that level.”

There was better news for Britain’s sprint relay teams, with strong 4x100m quartets both claiming victory at the start of the day.

Having seemingly banished the baton troubles that blighted the national set-up for so many years, Britain’s men caused a huge upset to beat the Americans and Jamaicans to the world title in London last year.

Chijindu Ujah, Zharnel Hughes, Adam Gemili and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake proved that was no fluke by showing they are the team to beat at the European Championships in Berlin with a brilliant win in 37.61sec – the fastest time in the world this year.

“We just wanted momentum going into Berlin,” said Ujah. “This is a generation of sprinters in the UK that can dominate going onto the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“If we just carry on with the momentum, there’s no pressure on us. And this was a fast time. 

“We were all pretty safe. So to see that time with one relay practice is pretty impressive.”

Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita also secured victory in 42.36sec.

Dina Asher-Smith held her own in a loaded 200m field to finish fourth in a season’s best 22.29sec as American Jenna Prandini triumphed. Significantly for the European Championships, Asher-Smith had Dutch world champion Dafne Schippers behind her in seventh.

“I left it all out on the track today,” said Asher-Smith. “Obviously I got fourth place and nobody wants to come fourth, but I got a good time and it was a really high calibre field, so overall I am happy.”

The men’s equivalent saw British champion Mitchell-Blake finish one place ahead of compatriot Gemili to finish third, with young Jamaican Akeem Bloomfield clocking a scintillating 19.81sec for victory.

Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir produced arguably the standout performance of the day to claim 800m victory in 1min 42.05sec – the fastest time since David Rudisha broke the world record when winning Olympic gold at London 2012.

Dominant Russian Mariya Lasitskene came out on top of a brilliant battle with Italy’s Elena Vallortigara to win the high jump with a best of 2.04m, while Kendra Harrison, of United States, returned to the scene of her 100m hurdles world record two years ago to triumph in 12.36sec.