Metro Aberdeen’s Chris Richardson made a sensational Scotland international debut by winning the Anglo Celtic Plate 100k at the Mondello Park Motor Circuit near Dublin.
And it turned out to be a red letter day for the north-east ultra-distance running community as his clubmates Jason Kelly and Kyle Greig finished second and third respectively to give Scotland an emphatic victory in the team competition.
Richardson completed the undulating and twisting course, which comprised 56 laps of a 1.8k circuit, in 7hr 00min 49secs. Kelly, also making his Scotland debut, took silver in 7:05:15 while the more experienced campaigner, Greig, finished strongly to secure bronze in 7:07:07.
A fourth Metro member, Dave Andrews, who was representing his native Northern Ireland, was 17th in 8:14:41.
Richardson had previously competed in just one ultra-distance race, setting a course record time in last year’s Speyside Way 59k.
His performance in Ireland now puts him into seventh position on the Scottish all-time best performers 100k list, while Kelly is ninth.
Greig is fifth fastest of all-time with his best of 6:54:42 being set when finishing third in the 2019 Anglo Celtic Plate
Richardson said: “I didn’t want to push too hard in the early stages so I held back over the first 50k. After that, Jason and the other Scot, Rob Turner, were in a group at the front, but they were going ahead of the schedule I’d set for myself.
“They were also surging from time to time so I decided just to stay where I was and conserve energy as much as possible.
“But I got a bit impatient and pushed on a bit from 60-70k. Jason was still ahead but the others drifted back.
“I eventually caught up with Jason and we exchanged the lead a few times over a number of laps. Once he started to crack I just had to keep it going.
“From 6k to go I never saw him again but I was beginning to feel dizzy and I was cramping, so my pace slowed significantly. But I couldn’t care so long as no-one passed me. I tried walking for a few steps but that seemed to make me even dizzier so it was better to keep running.”
Richardson was relieved to reach the finishing line and claim not only an international victory, but also the Scottish championship.
He said: “I’m pleased with the outcome. I maybe under-achieved in terms of the time I got as I felt I could go under seven hours. But I probably over-achieved in terms of my placing.
“On this occasion I’ll happily take the win over getting the time. I can go for a faster time in my next one.”
Scotland’s Jo Murphy (Carnegie Harriers) took silver in the women’s race with a time of 7:50.58 which takes her into fourth on the Scottish all-time list. Ireland’s Caitriona Jennings won in 7:43:01.
New challenge for mountain runner Simpson
Banchory’s Great Britain mountain running international Robbie Simpson undertakes a new challenge when he tackles this week’s OCC 55k at the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc festival centered on the French town of Chamonix.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist has been based in the France-Switzerland border area for the past six weeks, fine-tuning his preparations for Thursday’s race which includes 3,500m of elevation gain and takes its name from the three principal communities it passes through – Orsieres, Champex and Chamonix.
It will be Simpson’s first appearance in this classic trail event but the Deeside runner has been building up his experience of multi-terrain ultra-distance races over the past 12 months.
He has twice won the Lairig Ghru 43k run, and taken top spot in the Bennachie and Loch Ness 50k races.
He also finished fifth in the 2019 North Face Challenge 50 mile race in California.
Simpson completed his preparations by taking second position behind Spain’s Kilian Jornet in the Sierre-Zinal mountain race earlier in the month.
This week’s event will, however, pose a much different challenge
His rivals include fellow Brit Jonathan Albon, the 2019 trail running world champion and two previous winners, Norway’s Stian Angermund-Vik (2019) and China’s Tao Luo (2018).
Oldmelrum’s Meryl Cooper is also in the French Alps and she’ll compete in Friday’s CCC 101K.
The course, which includes a staggering 6,100m of climbing, starts in the Italian community of Courmayeur, passes through Champex in Switzerland and finishes in Chamonix.
Traynor wins Tap O’Noth
Luke Traynor was a runaway winner of the 25th anniversary Tap O’Noth hill race at Rhynie.
The Highland Hill Runners club member completed the 7.5km course, which included 390m of ascent, in 40min 8sec to finish more than five mins ahead of his closest challengers.
Two veteran runners who have won the race in the past, battled it out for the remaining podium places with 2006 champion Jason Williamson (Cosmic Hillbashers) taking second spot in 45:11 and the 2004 winner Hayden Lorimer (Hunters Bog Trotters) finishing third in 45:52.
Rachel Smith (Highland Hill Runners) won the top women’s prize when clocking 46:04 while seven-time previous winner Veronique Oldham (Cosmic Hillbashers) had to settle for second place in 46:51.
Ruth Mackenzie (Deeside Runners), who won five times between 2002 and 2007, took third position in 48:46.
Meanwhile, Caroline Marwick (Inverness Harriers) won the women’s division of the Luss Lollipop hill race when completing the challenging 11k course in a record time of 1:27:37. Kirsty Campbell (Deeside Runners) was second in 1:29:14 with Sarah MacDonald (Lochaber AC) third in 1:31:23.
Rory Abernethy (Ochil Hill Runners) won the men’s race in 1:07:59, also a record.
Elsewhere, Metro Aberdeen’s Ginie Barrand finished 15th in the women’s division of the Big Half Marathon in London. The Banchory athlete recorded 1:19:48 while Great Britain international Charlotte Purdue (Aldershot, Farnham and District) won for the third time, improving her course record to 1:09:51.
Inverness Campus 5k winner Jamie Crowe (Central AC) clocked 1:04:19 for seventh in the men’s race won by Cardiff’s Jake Smith in 1:02:06.
