Natasha lands Course Record to complete Scottish title hat-trick

Sunday 14th May 2023

Kirsty Walker (Edinburgh AC) and Naomi Lang (Carnethy RHC) join Scottish 10k Women’s winner Natasha Phillips at Glasgow Green (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Results

Natasha Phillips made it a special weekend in Glasgow as she completed a hat-trick of Scottish Senior road raced titles at the age of 18 – the day after passing her driving test.

The Dundee Hawkhill Harriers athlete added the Scottish 10K Champs title to earlier victories in the Half Marathon and the 10-Mile Champs with a stunning Course Record run of 33:00 (32:57 chip) at the Shettleston Babcock 10k.

Inverclyde AC athlete John Bell claimed his first Senior Scottish title and fourth podium place with a win in the Senior Men’s champs, as visiting English athlete Calum Johnson won the race itself with a Babcock Series Record run of 29:45.

Bell was at 30:30 and won a close finish with Central AC’s Alastair Hay as Ryan Thomson of Cambuslang Harriers landed a bronze.

Amid a series of fine runs in the Masters categories, the stand-out performance was by Fiona Matheson at 38:08.

The Falkirk Victoria Harriers athlete claimed a new British Record for W60 and was thrilled to do so after a couple of previous attempts went very close.

Red Star AC’s Kyle Brotherton won the Wheelchair race.

Photos by Bobby Gavin on Facebook

Phillips, who was second at the Scottish 5k Champs, was followed home by Kirsty Walker of Edinburgh AC (33:52) and third-placed Naomi Lang of Carnethy HRC (34:50).

‘I am really happy to win the title and to go sub 33 minutes,’ said Natasha.

‘It would have been annoying to be slightly over but has come up via the chip as 32:57 so I am delighted.

‘I have really enjoyed the Road Race Series – I did not come into it expecting too much but it is really nice what has happened and I’ve picked up medals along the way (golds in Half, 10-Mile and 10k and silver at 5k).

;It’s been a busy weekend because I sat my driving test on Saturday – and passed. My mu and dad are really happy because they don’t need to drive me to training any more.

The L plates are well and truly off on her athletics career, but there are still ‘debuts’ to come for Natasha.

‘I will do some track and my first 5000m race is now in the plans,’ she added, with the focus switching back to cross country again next winter.

Johnson always looked a strong favourite for the Men’s race and £200 top prize from Babcock, with a PB of 28:49. So it proved with the battle for medals taking place by those in the places immediatley behind the winner.

‘I’m delighted to win and it was a good contest with Alastair Hay for the Scottish 10k Champs gold,’ said John Bell.

‘I didn’t wear a watch today and ran from the front early on. Calum then got away a bit and there was a battle on for the medals.

‘I know how quick Alastair can be so when there was a wee rise with about 600m to go I tried to kick a wee bit and keep it going. I didn’t want to get caught up in a photo finish like the 10,000m on the track (when John edged out Ryan Thomson at Crownpoint).

‘I’ve enjoyed the Road Race Series and I am now looking to the Half in Edinburgh in a couple of weeks with hopes of being selected for Scotland for Antrim.’

Masters Men V40

1.Darrell Hastie (Gala Harriers) 31:21; 2. Neil Renault (Edinburgh AC) 32:55; 3. Malcolm Lang (Corstorphine AAC) 33:58

Masters Women V40

1.Sara Green (Gala Harriers) 35:09; 2. Lesley Bell (Garscube Harriers) 36:23; 3. Michelle Sandison (Springburn Harriers) 36:35

Masters Men V50

1.Robert Harrison 34:24; 2. Alan Cunningham (Corstorphine AAC) 34:28; 3. Paul Monaghan (Greenock Glenpark Harriers) 34:38

Masters Women V50

1.Mary Senior (Garscube Harriers) 40:02; 2. Siobhan Evans (Forres Harriers) 41:38; 3 Sheila Lewis (Giffnock North AC) 43:27

Masters Men V60

1.Dave Thom (Cambuslang Harriers) 36:36; 2. Des Dickson (Cambuslang Harriers) 40:05; 3. Grant Matheson (Falkirk Victoria Harriers) 40:27

Masters Women V60

1.Fiona Matheson (Falkirk Victoria Harriers) 38:08; 2. Kathryn Scott (Garscube Harriers) 46:24; 3. Erica Christie (Cambuslang Harriers) 49:00

Masters Men V70

1.Ed Norton (PH Racing) 43:10; 2. Norman Baillie (Garscube Harriers) 45:48; 3. Robert Young (Clydesdale Harriers) 46:58

Male Team

1st – Cambuslang Harriers

Ryan Thomson; Michael Christoforou; Colin Reilly

2nd – Central AC

Alistair Hay; Calum Phillip; Josh Wood

3rd – Aberdeen AAC

Myles Edwards; Steven Murray; Eoghan MacNamara

Female Team

1st – Shettleston Harriers

Eilidh Bell; Victoria Riddell; Carly Monaghan

2nd – Garscube Harriers

Lesley Bell; Mary Senior; Kathryn Scott

3rd – Cambuslang Harriers

Kirsty Wright; Kirsty O’Brien; Georgia Freeman-Mills

Tags: John Bell, Natasha Phillips, Scottish 10K Champs, Shettleston Babcock 10k

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