Scottish 10K champion Sean Chalmers expressed his regret at not also contesting this year’s Scottish 5K title after a sparkling performance in Friday night’s Campus 5K in Inverness.
The Aberdeen-based PE teacher, who runs for Inverness Harriers, led from start to finish, crossing the line in 14 minutes 15 seconds, despite the windy conditions.
This was not only 13 seconds faster than the winning time in the national event in Edinburgh in May, it also bettered the best time ever achieved in the championship seven years ago.
“Yes, I really regret not doing the Scottish 5K championships and I’ve got to admit that I should have planned the race calendar a bit better,” he said.
“But that’s in the past now, although I’ll need to make sure I’m there next year.
“It was quite windy, which made it a bit difficult, so I’m pleased to get a road personal best and very close to my track best.”
The runner-up in 14:45 was Shettleston Harrier Lachlan Oates, who now lives in Elgin and broke away from Fraserburgh’s Max Abernethy, third in 14:56.
The top under-20, in a race which produced eight runners below 15 minutes, was Inverness’s Lucas Cairns in 14:58.
Catriona Fraser, of the Inverness Harriers, won the women’s race in 17:47 from Rhona Grant of Highland Hill Runners (18:38), with Robyn Pinder of Aberdeen Metro third in 18:40.
Champions emerge from Tayside
Stroma Fraser, meanwhile, retained her Scottish under-17 heptathlon title at the weekend’s Scottish multi-events championships at Dundee in fine style.
The 16-year-old from Munlochy gained a new personal best of 4618 points on the way to first place, with a PBs also posted with her high jump of 1m 60, and javelin efforts of 24m 80.
There were also golds for Harriers Zak Fearn, who stormed away with seven personal bests for his first-ever under-17 decathlon, and under-13 ace Murray Taylor, who on Saturday produced three personal bests.
Six individual event personal bests and a decathlon PB led to under-20 men’s competitor Alister Mackay clinching a sparkling silver, rounding off a terrific two days for these Harriers’ athletes.
