Weynay is top British finisher in London; Loch Ness Marathon details

Monday 3rd October 2022

Photo via London Marathon Events

Shettleston Harriers athlete Weynay Ghebreselasie clocked a new PB at the London Marathon to finish as the top British runner.

The Eritrean, now eligible to compete for Scotland and for GB and NI, was ninth in the race at 2:11.57 – improving on a run earlier this year in Rotterdam (2:12.17).

Though hamstring issues meant he slowed in the latter stages to finish outside of the 2:09:40 standard needed for next year’s World Championships in Budapest, Ghebresilasie is fully focused on winning a vest at a global championships again after competing for Eritrea at the London 2012 Olympics.

‘That’s my plan – to run at the World Championships and the Paris Olympics,’ said Weynay, who is part of our scottishathletics Marathon Project.

‘So I will prepare for my next London Marathon.’

Without a major kit sponsor, the man who first ran London in 2019 and clocked 2:17:21 to finish fastest from the mass start that year, was wearing the Shettleston vest on Sunday.

Having been forced into joining the army, he sought asylum in the UK following those London 2012 Games and had spells living in Croydon, Huddersfield, Sunderland and Birmingham before, in 2015, making the move to Scotland.

Shettleston had welcomed a number of Eritrean asylum seekers into their fold in 2008 – including Tsegai Tewelde, who went on to run for Britain in the marathon at the Rio Olympics. Much of that work was spearheaded by John Mackay, Ghebresilasie’s now long-time mentor.

‘John is not just my coach, he is my Dad,’ he said. ‘He has helped me with everything.’

Kenny Wilson of Moray Road Runners was fourth in the mass race in London with 2:20.40.

In the Women’s division, Steph Twell found it tough in the latter stages of the race and clocked 2:39.16. Nicola Macdonald of Metro Aberdeen clocked 2:48.27.

*Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sean Frame clocked 1:37.09 in the Wheelchair Marathon in London.

“It’s amazing to represent Great Britain.”

Weynay Ghebresilasie finished as the highest British male at the @LondonMarathon with 2:11:57 ??

He was born in Eritrea and now trains in Glasgow – he sought political asylum in the UK ?

? @euancrumley #LondonMarathon pic.twitter.com/4whjMz8IWZ

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 2, 2022

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Dougie Selman and Jemima Farley celebrate their Loch Ness Marathon wins (photos by Charne Hawkes for Loch Ness Marathon)

Loch Ness Marathon Results

Congratulations to all who raced at the Loch Ness Marathon events on Sunday.

There were marathon wins for Dougie Selman of Corstorphine AAC in 2:23.53 and Jemima Farley in 2:42.40 (gun times).

In the Baxters River Ness 10k event, GB international Mhairi Maclennan took 46 seconds off the Course Record for Women to clock 33:00.

And there was a win for Shettleston’s Lachlan Oates, now based in the Highlands, with a run of 30:26.

In the Baxters River Ness 5k event, there were wins for Cameron Green of Giffnock North at 15:21 and Lois Macrae of Inverness Harriers at 17:58.