A training trip to Kenya paid dividends for Glasgow runner Thomas McDonald when he smashed his personal best time in sprinting to victory in yesterday’s Aviemore 10km.
The Bellahouston Harrier recorded 32min 13sec to defeat 2012 winner Willie Richardson (Irvine AC) by 2sec.
McDonald’s time is 57sec quicker than he has run previously.
It indicates that his recent five-week spell training at the Kenyan distance running haven of Iten in the Rift Valley has been worthwhile.
McDonald’s time was, however, 12 seconds outside the course record set by Paul Raistrick in 2010.
He said: “It was a good race. I was with the other guy most of the way and it was only over the last 100m or so that I was able to finally sprint clear.
“I’m pleased to get a personal best time by quite a big margin.”
Runner-up Richardson was also involved in a close finish last year when he pipped Corstorphine’s Grant Wilkie to lift the top prize in 32:50.
The Ayrshire athlete took some consolation this time by winning the over-40 age division prize.
Robert Watson (Musselburgh and District) was an isolated third in 33:09.
Lisa Finlay (Dumfries) won the women’s prize when recording 36:33 to finish 21 seconds ahead of Sarah Liebnitz (Inverness Harriers).
Finlay’s victory came just two weeks after she finished second in the Baxters Loch Ness Scottish marathon championships.
Liebnitz knocked 49 seconds off her previous best time set at the River Ness 10km a fortnight earlier.
Catriona Welsh also set a lifetime best of 39:00 in third position.
Sarah Houston (Moray Road Runners) collected the over-50 age group award when clocking 43:51.
Birmingham’s Iain Jones won the Aviemore half marathon in 1hr 16min 25sec.
He finished 22 seconds ahead of Ed Rees, with Dundee University’s Tim Gomersall in third place in 1:18:57.
Fife AC’s Sheena Logan was a clear winner of the women’s prize in 1:21:16, while French athlete Josephine Anselin, who had won the previous day’s Aberdeen Parkrun 5km, was runner-up in 1:25:37.
Karen Smith picked up the over-40 age group prize when finishing third in 1:27:12.
The 2008 race winner Sonia Armitage (Aberdeen AAC) won the over-50s title in 1:29:40 and Jane MacLeod (Metro Aberdeen) led home the over-60s in 1:50:11.