Dougie wins British 100k title by ten seconds – after six hours 34 minutes

Monday 25th March 2024

Full Results HERE

By Adrian Stott

In near-perfect conditions, the Sri Chinmoy 100km and 50km races produced some outstanding performances in Perth on Sunday.

And the highlight for the host nation was undoubtedly Dougie Selman’s Anglo Celtic Plate win – by ten seconds from two England rivals after more than six and a half hours of running.

Selman’s run helpead lead led Scotland to team golds with Chris Richardson and Mike Deason the other two counters.

Women’s 100km race

Sarah Webster ( Northern IOM AC) broke the European Women’s 100km record (subject to confirmation ) with a new time of 7:03:48

Webster, the defending champion, had run a faster 7:03:40 to win the 2023 championship in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, which set a new GB mark. However, due to a technicality, it was not ratified as a European record.

This time Webster went through 50km in 3:26:01 with Melissa Gibson, Ealing, just 40 seconds back. Julia Davis, Newquay, was a further four minutes back.

Webster powered on to run remarkably even splits with a second 50k of 3:27:39. It was an extraordinary performance from Webster who now has the fifth and sixth women’s global best tomes for 100km.

Gibson took the silver medal in 7:13:23 and Davies the bronze medal in 7:25:48 It made for a clean sweep for England in the women’s Home Countries team competition, with all three runners well inside the previous course record.

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Men’s 100km race

In a very exciting finish to the men’s race, just over a minute separated the first three runners.

Once the race had settled down a solid group of around seven runners seemed to be working together, then after the 50 miles the group started breaking up with James Turner, Brighton, leading the charge, Scotland’s Dougie Selman, Corstorphine, and Joe Turner, Cambridge, were the only ones to respond and stay in touch,

Going into the last lap Turner (Brighton) held a slim 9-second lead over the local favourite Selman, with Joe Turner a further 35 seconds back.

In a storming last lap, Selman was to overhaul Turner, to take the tape in 6:34:28 and raise a huge cheer from the local crowd. James Turner took second in 6:34:38 – just 10 seconds behind and Joe Turner in third.

All three runners were inside the course record of 6:39:34 set by Matt Dickenson in 2022.

In the Scottish Championship for the Don Ritchie cups, Selman took the men’s title from Chris Richardson (Metro Aberdeen), who finished fourth overall in the race in a new PB of 6:40:44. Sage Pierce-Higgins, running his first road 100km (Edinburgh AC) took the bronze dipping under 7 hours with 6:55:14.

Sheena Logan (Fife AC), running her first 100km race, took the women’s Don Ritchie trophy, finishing in 6th overall in 8:19:26. Catherine Cowie of Portobello took the Scottish silver medal in 8:26:31 and Fiona Gibson (Dundee Hawkhill) the Bronze in 10:22:05

The Anglo Celtic Plate Team Competition

Selman backed up by Richardson and Michael Deason (Shettleston) took the men’s Plate ahead of England, Northern Ireland and Ulster.

In the women’s Team competition, England with their clean sweep of the podium took the honours, with Ireland in second and Northern Ireland and Ulster third.

Scottish 100km Masters 40

1 Sage Pierce-Higgins Edinburgh AC

2, Angus Irvine, Motherwell

3 Dave Andrews, Metro Aberdeen

Masters 50: Al Higgins Dublin Bay 7:58:36

Masters 60: John Duffy Shettleston 8:50:59

Scottish Women Masters 100km

Sheena Logan Fife AC
Catherine Cowie Portobello
Fiona Gibson Dundee Hawks

In other notable record performances, Ciaran McGonagle set a new Irish 100km record of 6:50:28 finishing in 6th place and first V/40.

Shettleston Harrier, John Duffy, who turned 60 on Friday 22 March, set a new Scottish V60 100km record of 8:50:59, TBC, bettering the 8:58:51 recorded by Bill Hutchison (Anster Haddies) at Perth in 2016.

UKA and SCOTTISH 50 KM CHAMPIONSHIP

In a day of records, Ronnie Richmond, Bideford, and Andy Davies, Mercia Fell Runners, both GB internationals at the distance, ran together for practically the whole race, helping each other to exceptional times.

At the bell, Davies had broken clear to have a narrow lead of 10 seconds.

On the last 2.382 km lap, Richmond turned that around to take the UKA 50km title in 2:48:25, just eight seconds clear of Davies with 2:48:33.

They were both under the previous GB road record of 2:49:01 set by Dan Nash in 2019. Tom Charles, Chorlton Runners, took the bronze dipping under 3 hours with 2:57:45.

Womens 50km Championships

The Women’s 50km Championship, also doubled as the Scottish 50km championship, race was more clear cut with Central AC’s Jen Wetton in her first foray beyond the Marathon, leading from the start and recording an excellent 3:29:03 to win less than a minute outside the course record of 3:28:07 set by Hannah Oldroyd in 2019.

Alison McGill (Fife AC), using the race as a stepping stone as she builds to defending her West Highland Way title in June, took the silver while Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin (Portobello ), the bronze in 4:03:18.

Men’s Scottish Championship,

John Spiers of Cambuslang took the honours in 3:21:21, with Tony Golabek, Inverness in second, 3:24:11 and Martin Heggie third in 3:24:27.

Master 40

1.Spiers 2. Golabek. 3 John Gibbs Penicuik 3:25:30

Vet 50 Paul Stoddart Cumbernauld 3:41:48

Vet 60 Craig Clark Troon. 4:54:32

Womens Masters