{{Short description|British athletics event}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Use British English|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox Athletics Championships |Name=1978 WAAA Championships |Host city=London |Dates=18–19 August |Stadium=Crystal Palace National Sports Centre |Stadium image= |Level=Senior |Type=Outdoor |Events= |Previous=1977 |Next=1979 |Games=WAAA Championships }}
The '''1978 WAAA Championships''' sponsored by Sunsilk were the national track and field championships for women in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=27 December 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=27 December 2024 }}</ref>
The event was held at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London, from 18 to 19 August 1978.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004941/19780820/475/0026 |title=Teacher Chris Hands Out A Lesson |work=Sunday Express |date=20 August 1978 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=27 December 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002137/19780820/266/0034 |title=It's a Chris Cracker |work=Sunday Mirror |date=20 August 1978 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=27 December 2024 }}</ref>
The 10,000 walk event was introduced to the Championships for the first time and the marathon was also added as a WAAA title but as with the pentathlon was contested elsewhere. {{clear}} == Results == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left" |- !width=100|Event !colspan="2" width="280" style="background:gold;|Gold !colspan="2" width="280" style="background:silver;|Silver !colspan="2" width="280" style="background:#CD7F32;|Bronze |- |100 metres | Kathy Smallwood ||11.66 | Heather Hunte|| 11.79 | Sharon Colyear ||11.79 |- |200 metres | Kathy Smallwood ||23.24 | Donna Hartley ||23.42 | Eleanor Thomas ||23.79 |- |400 metres | Joslyn Hoyte ||52.66 | Verona Elder ||53.40 | Linda McCurry ||54.01 |- |800 metres | Christina Boxer ||2:03.10 | Janet Prictoe ||2:03.11 | Denise Kiernan ||2:05.86 |- |1,500 metres |Cherry Hanson ||4:11.62 |Glynis Penny ||4:12.45 |Wendy Smith ||4:13.40 |- |3,000 metres |Christine Benning||8:52.33 NR |Ann Ford ||8:53.80 |{{flagicon|NZL}} Alison Wright ||9:14.72 |- |marathon+ |Margaret Lockley ||2:55:08 |Margaret Thompson ||3:16:15 |{{flagicon|SCO}} Leslie Watson ||3:18:46 |- |100 metres hurdles | Sharon Colyear ||13.51 | Shirley Strong ||13.68 | Yvette Wray ||14.03 |- |400 metres hurdles | {{flagicon|IRE}} Mary Appleby ||57.46 | {{flagicon|SCO}} Liz Sutherland ||58.36 | Sue Smith ||59.14 |- |High jump | Carol Mathers ||1.76 | Diana Elliott|| 1.76 | six–way tie^ ||1.71 |- |Long jump | Jill Davies ||6.19 | {{flagicon|WAL}} Ruth Howell ||6.18 | Carol Earlington ||6.17 |- |Shot put | Angela Littlewood ||15.97 | Vanessa Redford ||14.56 | Janet Thompson ||14.54 |- |Discus throw | Janet Thompson ||49.80 |{{flagicon|IRE}} Patricia Walsh ||47.28 | Angela Littlewood ||46.22 |- |Javelin | Anne Farquhar ||49.20 | Jeanette Rose|| 48.30 | Fatima Whitbread ||47.54 |- |Pentathlon ++ | Yvette Wray ||4140 | Sue Mapstone ||4121 | Gillian Evans ||4070 |- |5,000 metres walk | Carol Tyson ||24:08.2 | Virginia Lovell ||25:06.4 | Karen Eden ||25:46.6 |- |10,000 metres walk | Carol Tyson ||49:59.0 NR | Marion Fawkes ||50:31.0 | Judy Farr ||50:46.0 |}
*+ Held on 20 May at Ryde *++ Held on 18 June at the Alexander Stadium ^ Six–way tie between Karen Chaytors, Louise Miller, Tonia Philpots, Ann-Marie Devally, Deborah Grant & Alyson Thomson
== See also == *1978 AAA Championships
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{British championships in athletics}}
Category:WAAA Championships WAAA Championships, 1978 WAAA Championships WAAA Championships WAAA Championships Category:Women's sport in London