Morag 5000m PB; Bedford medals and Para performances; Alison FKT

Monday 19th July 2021

Morag Miller (pictured after winning Lindsays National XC in 2017 by Bobby Gavin)

Morag Millar has made a remarkable ‘comeback’ over the past nine months or so following on from birth trauma issues in the summer of 2020.

And that progress was emphatically confirmed on Saturday evening with a superb new 5000m track PB at Milton Keynes.

The Central AC stalwart finished second in the elite race in 15:43.57 and that is inside the 15:46 being asked for by Team Scotland in terms of the qualifying standards for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year.

Morag had recently run a very quick 3000m club time trial and took that form into this race. Back in 2019, she was running 16:09 for 5000m and we notice a 16:50 run from 2015, albeit in a Scottish championship race.

The time also counted as a Scottish W35 Record. At the same event, Ben Potrykus clocked 14:16.71 in his 5000m race.

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Adam Thomas and Heather Paton (pictured at the Manchester International in 2019)

Bedford Results

The England Athletics Champs were staged in warm conditions over the weekend in Bedford.

Adam Thomas came up with a Scottish rankings lead for 100m with 10.25 to take fourth place in that final. Heather Paton landed bronze in the 100m Hurdles with a run of 13.64.

Nick Percy won the discus gold with 60.94m and Kirsty Law took silver in the women’s discus with 56.72m.

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Excellent couple of days at Bedford England Athletics Championships. Great performances from ?@SoutarKirsty? ?@melaniewoods__? ??@LukeDeighan? and ?@BenRowlings?. A nice bit of silverware back over the border @scotathletics? ?@BA_Paralympic? pic.twitter.com/jDT9IsKx7M

— Red Star Athletics (@RedStarAC) July 18, 2021

There were a host of Scottish performers in the England Athletics Disability Champs.

Mel Woods in the 800m wheelchair race clocked 1:57.40 with Luke Deighan in the men’s event at 1:50.71. Mel also enjoyed PBs in the 100m and 400m.

Steven Bryce won gold in the 1500m in 4:10.28 and Libby Clegg won gold in the 200m in 27.77. Maria Lyle had a sprint double with 14.31 for 100m and 29.81 for 200m.

Stef Reid was fourth in the Long Jump with 5.22m and Steven Stone was second in the Men’s Long Jump with 6.20m.

Kirsty Soutar took silver in the Seated Club and Discus throw with 15.71. Alexander Thomson had a SB run in the 200m with 24.66. Ben Rowlings took silver in the T34 Wheelchair 800m with 1:45.08.

In 1500m races, Sam Fernando clocked a SB of 4:19.53 and Finlay McLellan set a PB of 4:16.44.

With thanks to Pamela Robson

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1/2 NEW FKT ALERT Alison McGill ?@allyultra? has set new W Mark of 3:54:15 for the 52km Union Canal Falkirk-Edinburgh route TBC prev by ?@RunsWritesCode? of 4:07:15 ?@FifeAC? ?@scotathletics? ?@AllyBeaven? ?@Fionaoutdoors? ?@irun4ultra? pic.twitter.com/GaP9z59JA2

— Adrian Stott (@TaritTweets) July 17, 2021

Fastest Known Times are definitely now a ‘thing’ in ultra running and areas of hill running and trail running, too.

And Alison McGill of Fife AC set off early on Saturday morning to post another new FKT for the 52k stretch of the Union Canal between Falkirk and Edinburgh.

Fife AC athlete Alison clocked 3:54.15 to break four hours for the first time by a women and eclipse the previous FKT of 4:07.15 – held by her club-mate, Sophie Mullins.

Well done to Alison and her support team and indeed to Sophie who was very quick off the mark on social media to send her congratulations.

With thanks to Adrian Stott

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Tags: Adam Thomas, Alison McGill, Central AC, Heather Paton, Libby Clegg, Maria Lyle, Mel Woods, Morag Millar, Nick Percy, Stef Reid