Glen credits old friend Kerr as inspiration
VENTURING in unison from Scotland to the University of New Mexico, Jonny Glen and Josh Kerr shared an ambition to firstly conquer America and then take on the world. The latter is now a member of the middle-distance goliaths. His former colleague, once a teen prodigy, lurks now on the fringes of the fray.
Runner-up in the men’s race at Saturday’s Lindsay’s Scottish cross-country championships in Falkirk, however, the 23-year-old sees a trajectory that is again uphill. Out-paced by title winner Jamie Crowe in horrendous snow and rain, Glen has renewed his ambitions to play catch-up with Kerr.
“Josh was always phenomenal and he taught me a lot,” he said. “People can look up to him. I was running really well when I went over to the States and it didn’t really go the way I wanted to go. I put on a lot of weight. It was tough without my parents there. I just didn’t seem to get better.”
Once again tutored by endurance guru Mark Pollard and establishing a career as a personal trainer, he has shed kilos and raised his horizons. A possible switch to the steeplechase beckons in the summer. “It’s been a lot of hard work since I came back,” he said. “But I’m happy with where I’m at and that it’s started to pay off again.”
Crowe paced Central AC to a 10th consecutive men’s team title while Annabel Simpson drove Fife AC to women’s supremacy in coming second to Great Britain international Mhairi MacLennan. Like thousands in the appalling conditions in Callendar Park, they suffered greatly for their art.
“I was in the lab at university this week” Simpson revealed. “A few people were asking me ‘why on earth would you do cross-country? It’s absolute madness’. But it makes you tough for the track.”