Olympic qualifier of 30:36.84 for Keith at The Ten in California as she goes No.4 on UK all-time rankings while Dever runs 27:08.81 to go No.2 on UK mens lists

If March 16 was a super Saturday for ambitious British distance runners, it did not disappoint. After the stars of the future battled for honours at the English Schools Cross Country Championships in Pontefract, the attention turned to the fast-paced, rain-soaked Podium Festival in Leicester. Then, in San Juan Capistrano, California, Megan Keith and Patrick Dever enjoyed huge breakthrough 10,000m performances in The Ten.

Technically it was in the early hours of Sunday morning in Britain, but their races unfolded late on Saturday evening in the United States. For starters, Keith ran an Olympic qualifying mark of 30:36.84 in her debut at the distance to finish fourth in a race won in dominant fashion by Tsigie Gebreselama of Ethiopia in 29:48.34. Minutes later, Dever ran a big PB of 27:08.81 in the mens race to go No.2 on the UK all-time rankings.

Only Mo Farah, with the British record of 26:46.57, has now run faster than Dever on the UK lists as the 27-year-old Preston Harrier overtook Marc Scott, Jon Brown and Eamonn Martin. He couldnt quite keep up with the leaders, though, as the top eight, led by American Grant Fisher with 26:52.04, dipped inside the Olympic qualifier of 27:00.00.

While Devers time was outside the Olympic qualifier, he does have the 5000m standard courtesy of a recent 13:04.05 indoors in Boston.

There were also PBs all round for Brits in the mens race as Charlie Hicks clocked 27:33.58 and Jack Rowe 27:54.55. For Hicks and of course Dever the night also saw them bag qualifying marks for the European Championships in Rome in June.

Gebreselamas time was the first sub-30min 10,000m by a woman on American soil and put her No.9 on the womens world all-time rankings as the Ethiopian enjoyed a runaway victory. US hopes that Alicia Monson would challenge soon fell apart as she struggled and later dropped out. She was not the only athlete to endure a tough night as Britains Jess Warner-Judd struggled and collapsed into the in-field during the race.

As Gebreselama strode away from the field, a battle ensued for the runner-up position although the main goal for many was simply to beat the Olympic qualifier of 30:40.00. Weini Kelati of the United States was the best of the rest behind Gebreselama as she clocked 30:33.82.

In third, Lauren Ryan ran 30:35.66 to take a couple of seconds off Benita Williss long-time Australian record. Then came Keith with an Olympic qualifying performance that justifies her decision to focus on the track this spring and not cross country.

In December the 21-year-old Scot won the European under-23 cross-country title in style in Brussels and was toying with targeting the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade. But she is no mean track runner either winning the European under-23 5000m title last year and making the GB team for the World Champs in Budapest and she chose to target a 10,000m debut instead of Belgrade.

Only Eilish McColgan, who ran 30:00.86 at this event 12 months ago, plus Paula Radcliffe and Warner-Judd are now quicker than Keith on the UK rankings. As the US media noted, too, if Keith was in the NCAA she would have broken the US collegiate record by 42 seconds on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the womens race, Amy-Eloise Neale of Britain ran 31:56.01.

Fisher won a closer and more competitive mens race with a powerful and well-judged sprint at the end, holding off runner-up Nico Young, who clocked an NCAA record of 26:52.72 on his 10,000m debut. The previous weekend Young had won a 3000m and 5000m double at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston.

In third, Andreas Almgren of Sweden ran 26:52.87 the fastest ever time by a European-born runner with Mo Ahmed of Canada fourth in 26:53.01.

Habtom Samuel of Eritrea, Adriaan Wildschutt (South African record of 26:55.54), Woody Kincaid of the US and Edwin Kurgat of Kenya followed as they all broke the 27min barrier. Dever was 10th, Hicks 19th and Rowe 26th as the incredible depth of this race was demonstrated. Super Saturday indeed.

Full results here.