Sean Chalmers (Inverness Harriers) knows only too well that he faces some top quality opposition in his quest to earn a podium position at this weekend’s Scottish short course cross country championships at Lanark race course.
The Aberdeen-based runner will compete in the men’s 4k race in which Tokyo Olympic Games 5000m finalist Andy Butchart (Central AC) is to defend the title he won when the event was last held, two years ago.
Butchart, who also won in 2014 and 2015, may not be in peak shape, however,after becoming a dad a month ago when partner Lynsey Sharp gave birth to a baby boy, Max.
Despite his new parental duties, Butchart still produced the fourth fastest time of the day – just 4 seconds behind Giffnock North’s Duncan Robinson – in the national relay championships at Scone Palace a fortnight ago.
And another Olympian, Tokyo 1500m finalist Jake Wightman (Edinburgh AC), has also entered for what could be his first cross country race for four years.
His only appearance since the Olympics was in a parkrun a fortnight ago when he recorded a solid 15min 2secs.
Chalmers, who won the Baxters River Ness 10k at the beginning of October, believes he’s in decent shape and is confident of a good performance.
He said: “Training is going well and I’m looking forward to racing again.There’s some big names on the start list but it’s difficult to know who might feature at the front. There’s a lot of guys running at a similar level.
“I have no idea how I might get on but it will just be good to get into a fast race. I’ll probably go hard from the start as I don’t want to leave it late.”
Strathpeffer athlete Hamish Hickey (Central AC) also hopes to do well. The Stirling University student was silver medallist in the under-20 championships two years ago, and has made a successful transition to the senior ranks.
Aberdeen AAC’s Michael Ferguson has a consistent record in this event, having been bronze medallist in 2016 and 2018. He’ll be supported in the Aberdeen team by former Scottish 1500m champion Myles Edwards.
Fraserburgh’s Max Abernethy will also aim to make his mark in what will be the 20-year-old’s first appearance in the championships while ultra distance specialist Jason Kelly leads the challenge from Metro Aberdeen.
Luke Davidson and Lucas Cairns, both Inverness Harriers, are expected to do well in the under-20 men’s division of the race in which Aberdeen AAC’s Adam Brown also takes part.
Aberdeen AAC’s Kai Crawford and Hamish Mckay have the potential to feature in the scrap for medals in the under-17 men’s 3k race. Rhys Crawford(Aberdeen AAC) and Andrew Baird (Ross County) are expected to feature strongly in the under-15 boys’ 2k.
Keith bidding to break barriers
Inverness athlete Megan Keith has the opportunity to become the first woman to win three Scottish short course cross country championship gold medals in one day when she competes in this season’s event at Lanark race course tomorrow.
The 19-year-old Edinburgh University student is eligible for the senior women’s and under-20 age group titles. If successful in winning both, she will emulate Edinburgh Olympian Freya Murray who did the double in 2002.
But Keith can go one better if she can also lead her university side to the team title. The Edinburgh students have won this competition in each of the past three seasons and will start as favourites again.
The Great Britain junior international has already shown great form this winter, winning the under-20 women’s race at the British cross challenge series meeting in Cardiff. She also posted the quickest time when leading Edinburgh University to victory in the Scottish relay championships at Scone Place.
Keith said: “Everything is going well and I’ll just set out to run as well as I can on Saturday. I haven’t looked at the start list yet so I don’t know who is running, but I’m sure there will be a lot of fast girls.”
Aberdeen runners Kirsty and Caitlin Purcell are also in the Edinburgh University squad while Aberdeen AAC will be led by Zoe Bates and Hannah Cameron.
Banchory Stonehaven AC’s Millie Mclelland-Brooks, who represents Glasgow School of Sport, is a strong title contender for the under-15 girls’ 2k title after posting the fastest time in her age group at last month’s national relays.
Anna Cairns (Inverness Harriers), the 2019 under-15 champion, steps up to the under-17’s competition on this occasion.
Max set to miss Blue Toon race
Max Abernethy is the top entrant for Sunday’s Peterhead 10k but the Fraserburgh Running Club runner has decided not to compete as he is focussing on tomorrow’s Scottish 4k cross country championships.
The Blue Toon race has attracted a capacity field of 200 runners but no previous winners have signed up for the men’s division of the run.
If Abernethy decides to give it a miss, his clubmate Keith McIntyre is likely to be one of the leading contenders for the top prize.
Another Broch runner, Robbie Cooman, should also be among the front runners along with veteran Gareth Jenkins (Moray Road Runners) and Scott Adams (Metro Aberdeen).
Shelly Duncan (Peterhead AC), the 2017 champion, will bid for success once again in the women’s contest.
She can expect a strong challenge from Michelle Slater (Moray Road Runners) who was third in last month’s River Ness 10k, while the 2011 winner Sarah Simpson is also in the field.
Lisa Allan (Fraserburgh Running Club), who set a marathon PB of 3:07:28 at London last month, is another who cannot be discounted.
Meanwhile, British 100k trail running champion Meryl Cooper will step down considerably from her preferred racing distance to compete in Sunday’s Tentsmuir Forest 10k.
The Banchory-based athlete has been selected to represent Great Britain at the world ultra trail running championships in Thailand next year.
Aberdeen’s Sasha Chepelin hopes to build on his win at last weekend’s East District cross country league meeting by producing another good performance in tomorrow’s Tinto hill race in Lanarkshire. The event has attracted a capacity field of 200 runners.