Deeside’s Robbie Simpson hopes this weekend’s 10k road race at Forres will provide an early pointer as to how his preparations are going for next year’s Olympic marathon trial.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist is, on paper, the fastest man in the field for Sunday’s race, limited to 30 runners to comply with current guidelines.
Simpson’s best time is 29min 22secs set at a race in France almost five years ago.
In 2018 he won the Great Aberdeen Run 10k in 30:01 and last year his fastest was the 30:03 he recorded when winning at Grangemouth in April.
He said: “My most recent 10k was nearly a year ago, at Lumphanan. I’d probably be more comfortable doing a half marathon at the moment as I’m coming from a lot of mileage and not so many fast sessions.”
Simpson’s competitive outings over the past four months have been restricted to a couple of long trail races.
He enjoyed victories in September’s Lairig Ghru mountain marathon between Braemar and Aviemore and in October’s Bennachie 50k.
He added: “I’m not 100% fit for a 10k at the moment, although I’ve done some faster training sessions over the past week or two. However, the Forres race will give me a good indication as to how my training is going.
“I’d be happy with something close to 30 minutes. If I could go under 30 that would be great, but I’m maybe not quite at that level yet.”
Simpson acknowledges he faces a classy opponent in the shape of Aberdeen-based Sean Chalmers, who has shown excellent form over 5k and 3k in recent weeks.
The Inverness Harriers club member set a personal best 5k time of 14:21 when finishing fourth at an elite-only race at Lochgelly. He followed that by placing a very close runner-up behind Central AC’s national champion Jamie Crowe in a scottishathletics invitational 3k at Scone Palace.
Chalmers has a best 10k time of 30:40 set at Inverness in 2019, but says he feels capable of running close to or under 30 minutes if conditions are good.
Simpson said: “If Sean is aiming for that, then it will be ideal for me to see if I can match him. He’s obviously in good form.”
Scotland international Kenny Wilson is also in the field and cannot be discounted. The Moray Road Runners club member has a best of 30:22 from the 2019 Scottish Championships.
Among the others expected to challenge for the leading positions are Stephen Mackay (Inverness Harriers), Gordon Lennox (Highland Hill Runners), Tom Roche (JS Kintore), Ben Ward (Metro Aberdeen) and James Wilson (Moray Road Runners).
England international Ben Livesey, a former member of Forres Harriers who has returned to RAF Lossiemouth, is another possible starter.
There seems little doubt that the course record of 30:25, by Aberdeen University student Sandy Moss in 1996, will come under serious threat.
