WEEKEND UPDATE THREE: SCOTS MEDAL AT WMRA LONG DISTANCE CHALLENGE

13th October 2009

A team of nine Scots athletes competed in the Kaisermarathon event in Austria at the weekend, which incorporated the 2009 World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) Long Distance Challenge, the men’s team winning an impressive team bronze led home by Shettleston’s Jethro Lennox in 10th place overall.

Lennox, who recorded a solid performance in the mountains after clocking 2:25:25 on the roads in Berlin Marathon three weeks ago, was backed up by Alasdair Anthony (Ochils) in 12th, Kenny Richmond (Bellahouston RR) in 16th, Simon Peachey (Cosmics) in 21st and Paul Raistrick (Highland Hill Runners) in 23rd.

Kenya won team gold, although their top placed athlete Raymond Kemboi Chemungor, having led the race at the 35km mark, finished just outside the medals in fourth after England’s Ricky Lightfoot – leading the team to silver - came through strongly on the steep uphill climb to the finish to snatch bronze.

This was the first year the WMRA had invited national teams to the Championship, and Swiss runner Marc Lauenstein caused an upset in the men’s race to beat mountain running legend and Kaisermarathon course record holder Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand into second place.

Czech runner Anna Pichrtova left it late in the women’s race to power past Evgeny Danilova of Russia to defend the title she won last year.

Welsh based Anna Frost of New Zealand, recently crowned Commonwealth uphill champion, made up the podium places.

First Scot home was Claire Gordon (HBT) in 13th, closely followed home by Iona Robertson (Bellahouston RR) in 14th, with Andrea Priestley (Ochils) in 22nd and Megan Mowbray (HBT) in 24th completing the team which fourth.

Full results from the event can be found through the following link.

Photos from the event can be found through the following link to the Scottish Hill Runners flickr page.

Report thanks to Mark Johnston.