Course Records as Jo lands British 100k title, Scots take ACP silvers

Monday 4th April 2022

Matt Dickinson and Jo Murphy on their way to 100k Course Records in Perth (photos by Steve Adam)

Report by Adrian Stott

Perth played host to the Sri Chinmoy 100km race on Sunday and featured both the British and Scottish 100km Championship together with the annual Anglo Celtic Plate International.

In near perfect conditions, England’s Matt Dickinson (Clapham Chasers) and Scotland’s Jo Murphy (unattached) claimed the British 100km championship titles with superb Course Record performances.

The 100k race featured one of the most competitive fields ever witnessed in Britain and as it transpired, no fewer than seven men broke the magical seven hour barrier and three women the magical eight hour barrier with a string of personal bests throughout the field.

Running his first 100km road race, Dickinson was content to sit in the pack. At 50k, reached in around 3 hours 18, two minutes covered the top 12 men.

As always as a 100km race approaches the 40 mile mark, things tend to get interesting. As some slowed or faltered, the Clapham Chaser maintained a steady pace to ease to the lead and achieve almost even 50k splits to win in 6:39:34.

Matt’s run thus broke Charlie Harpur’s 2019 course record by almost four minutes.

Behind him England’s Ollie Garrod( South London Harriers ) and the two Scots from Metro Aberdeen – Jason Kelly and Chris Richardson – looked strong along with Northern Irelands Gareth King .

Kelly was to come home the stronger in second in 6.42:23 with Garrod taking third in 6:46:50 and King fourth in 6:47:33 .

King’s time was a new All Ireland and also a Northern Ireland 100km record.

Album of photos from Steve Adam on our YouTube channel

Jo Murphy in 7:41:12 wins ladies ACP100k and is British and Scottish champion again. Almost 19 mins off of the old course record. Phenomenal!@TaritTweets @UltraRunDMC @scotathletics @EnglandAthletic @IonaMackay1 @Macnic0 pic.twitter.com/RnNwykrS1r

— James Stewart (@james_stewart13) April 3, 2022

Former Champion Sam Amend and her English team partner Caroline Turner led the Women’s race through 50km in 3:46 with Scotland’s Jo Murphy, running at her own pace a few minutes further back in 3:52:29.

Murphy, the ACP victor in Ireland last August, was to prove the stronger again, showing incredible pace judgement to run a negative split coming home in 7:41:12 – a PB by almost 10 minutes and obliterating the long held course record of 8:00:30 set by of former Gb international Emily Gelder in 2011.

Amend took second in 7:48:39 for a PB, with Turner taking third in 7:51:39 in her first 100k race.

The Norman Wilson Trophies for the best newcomers were taken by Dickinson and Turner .

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Chris Richardson, Rob Turner and Jason Kelly in Perth (photo by Steve Adam – see @steveadamphotography on Instagram)

In the Scottish Championship, Kelly turned the tables on club-mate Chris Richardson, the 2021 winner.

The Scottish title and the Don Ritchie trophy will remain in the north East but in a different household .

Richardson had the satisfaction of improving his PB by almost 10 minutes but in this high quality field it was only good enough for seventh overall. Rob Turner took bronze in the Scottish Championship

Murphy retained her women’s title, and the Don Ritchie Trophy. Behind her Fife AC’s Alison McGill made a huge breakthrough, finishing fifth overall and second Scot in 8:02:34 just missing the GB team standard. Lynne Allen (Kirkintilloch) was third in 8:41:40

In the Anglo Celtic Plate Team Competition, it was England who ran out victors in both the men’s and women’s races.

Scotland took second place in both categories with Northern Ireland taking third in the Men’s and Ireland third in the Women’s

Scottish Men’s Masters 100km: 1 Rob Turner ( Musselburgh); 2 Peter Tucker (Inverclyde); 3 Dave Andrews (Metro Aberdeen)

Scottish Women’s Masters 100km: 1 Alison McGill (Fife AC); 2 Jo Newens (RRC); 3 Fiona Gibson (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers)

Fife AC’s Alison McGill took second place in the Scottish 100k Champs at Perth – and won the Masters gold (photo by Steve Adam – see @steveadamphotography on Instagram)