Inverness runner Stephen Mackay jets out to Arizona tomorrow to spend a month training at the high altitude city of Flagstaff with Edinburgh AC Olympian Jake Wightman.
It promises to be a rewarding spell for the Highland athlete as Wightman is one of the best middle distance specialists to have come out of Scotland.
He is the third fastest British 1500m runner in history behind fellow Scot Josh Kerr and top-ranked Mo Farah. Wightman is also one of Scotland’s quickest 800m runners, only former world indoor champion Tom McKean having run faster.
Mackay, who has helped out Scottish Olympians Laura Muir and Andy Butchart at training camps over the past few years, is relishing the chance to run shoulders with another world class athlete on a daily basis.
He said: “This opportunity came up and it fits in perfectly for me as I’ll be coming home just in time for the indoor season. I’m really excited about it.
“I don’t know Jake well, although we have raced a couple of times and I’ve had some chats with him. He is coached by his dad, Geoff, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do and buying into it.
“Geoff has sent me some details about the training so I have an idea of what’s expected. I’m sure we can work well together and that we’ll both get something from it.
“I’m not sure what shape he’s in at the moment, but I think we might be reasonably matched for the longer sessions, although I’m sure I’ll struggle with the shorter, faster ones. It might open my eyes to what I’m missing.”
Flagstaff is at an altitude of 7,000ft, but Mackay knows exactly what to expect when he arrives in the Grand Canyon state.
He said: “I’ve trained at high altitude before, with Laura at St Moritz and with Andy at Font Romeu, and, although Flagstaff is higher than either of these, I have the benefit of that previous experience.”
Mackay hopes the trip to America will set him up for a successful indoor season leading to more honours next summer.
The Inverness athlete is targeting a good performance in the Scottish indoor 3,000m championships at the beginning of January – he was silver medallist in 2020 – and aims to improve on his best 1500m time of 3:45.70.
He said: “I’ll do the 3,000m then fix up a few 1500m races.
“I was fifth in the 1500m at the last British indoor championships so I’d like to try for better next year.
“I have certain targets in my head and I certainly want to push as close as I can to the 2022 Commonwealth Games 1500m qualifying standard of 3:40.77.
“But I fully understand Scottish 1500m running is so strong at the moment and, if the top guys like Jake and Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Josh Kerr want to go, then I’ll not be there. But all you can do is try to get as close as possible.”
Two out of two for Megan Keith in British Cross Challenge
Inverness athlete Megan Keith made it two wins out of two in this season’s British Cross Challenge series when leading the way home in the under-20 women’s race at Milton Keynes.
It was another commanding performance from the 19-year-old Scot, who also won at Cardiff last month.
Keith completed the 4.9k course in 17min 2 secs to finish 23 secs ahead of Charlotte Alexander (Tonbridge AC).
The next race in the series, at Liverpool later in the month, will double up as the Great Britain team trials for December’s European championships in Ireland.
Meanwhile, there was more success for Inverness runners in the second round of the North District cross country league at Evanton.
John Newsom won the senior men’s race ahead of Gordon Lennox (Highland Hill Runners), while Ewan Davidson (Moray Road Runners) was third.
And Catriona Fraser-Lennox enjoyed a clear win over the Highland Hill Runners duo of Kirstie Rogan and Caroline Marwick in the senior women’s event.
Elsewhere, there was a Metro Aberdeen double in the Dava Way 50k race between Grantown on Spey and Forres.
Allan Christie, winner of October’s Bennachie 50k ultra trail race, took the men’s title by completing the course in 3:35:15. Euan Rennie (Lothian Running Club) was runner-up in 3:44:42, with Graham Bee (Inverness Harriers) third in 3:46:06.
Christie’s Metro clubmate Nicola Macdonald took top spot in the women’s division of the run when finishing sixth overall from a field of 269 in 3:55:43.
Emma Murray (JS Kintore) was second in 4:06:39, while former Commonwealth Games 400m relay squad athlete Lesley Hansen (Inverness) took third spot in 4:10:02.
Watt in winning return at Glen Clova
Emma Watt’s first race in more than 18 months ended in success as she sped to an impressive victory in the women’s division of the Glen Clova half marathon.
The JS Kintore club member showed few signs of competitive rustiness as she battled round the hilly Angus circuit in 1hr 27min 15secs. Her time was bettered by only 16 men in the field of 220 runners.
Watt said: “I hadn’t raced since the Inverness half marathon in March 2019, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I didn’t tell many people I was doing Clova as I wanted to take the pressure off myself. I’m happy with the result.”
Sarah Attwood (Skye and Lochalsh AC) was second, 1:28:44, while Alison McNeilly (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers) took third spot, and first over-40, in 1:31:18.
Robert Harrison (Monifieth Triathlon Club) won the men’s race in 1:16:22, while British Masters over-70 marathon champion Timothy Kirk (Inverness Harriers) won his age group prize in 1:40:15.
Myles Edwards (Aberdeen AAC) won the second race in this winter’s Metro Aberdeen Proms 3k series, finishing just four secs outside his own course record when clocking 8:39. Max Abernethy (Fraserburgh Running Club) was second in a PB 8:52, with Martin Mueller (Metro Aberdeen) third in 9:36.
Scotland international Jenny Bannerman (Inverness Harriers) won the women’s race in 10:16. Ellon athlete Hannah Taylor was second, 10:44, while Julie Hoyle (JS Kintore) was first over-40 and third overall, 11:07.
Scotland international Sean Chalmers (Inverness Harriers) recorded 17:13 when cruising to a comfortable win in the Safari series 5k at Aberdeen’s Hazlehead Park. Peterhead AC’s Mark Beagrie was second in 17:40.
There was a close finish to the women’s race with Aimee Tawse (Aberdeen AAC) pipping Elaine Wilson by one sec in 20:06.
