The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Muir to star for GB team in cross-country spectacular
Laura Muir will target a fourth straight victory in the 4x1km relay representing Great Britain & N Ireland at today’s Great Edinburgh Cross Country.
Against the magnificent backdrop of Holyrood Park, the double European Indoor champion over 1,500m and 3,000m contests the relay joined by Alex Bell, Adam Clarke and Tom Marshall, the latter having anchored the British team to gold at the European Cross Country Championships last month.
Muir, fresh from her Scottish 3,000m gold medal at the GAA Miler Meet at the Emirates Arena last Sunday, is set to anchor the GB team – as she did last year, leading them home to victory with the United States only just pipping Scotland A on that occasion.
The Milnathort athlete is in the last year of her veterinary studies at Glasgow University, with her final exams in May, and won’t be going to the Commonwealth Games.
“It was a decision that was made a good few years ago that I knew I wasn’t going to be running there,” Muir told BBC Scotland.
“It wasn’t going to work out with my final year of vet medicine, my finals in May and placements all the way up to the end of April. It will be difficult not to be there. You want to race as much as you can.
“I think if it was a little bit closer you might be able to get away with it, but Australia is a little bit difficult so no, I’m afraid it’s kind of set in stone that I’m not doing it.”
Eight athletes will represent Scotland in the relay including Kirkcaldy’s East of Scotland Cross-Country champion Stephie Pennycook.
The Fife AC athlete teams up for Scotland ‘A’ alongside Jake Weightman, Stephanie Twell and Jamie Williamson.
Newly crowned Scottish men’s 3,000m indoor champion Sol Sweeney (Perth Strathtay) heads the ‘B’ team joined by Pitreavie’s Ben Potrykus, and VP Glasgow’s Mhairi Hendry and Philippa Millage.
Sweeny said: ‘I’m really looking forward to racing for Scotland today, there’s always a good atmosphere around this event.
‘I’ve raced here in the Inter-Districts for the East a number of times and for GB last year in the junior men’s race. But because of that I’ve not really had the chance to watch the international relay.
‘The fact it is one kilometre means it is quite short and sharp and it should be exciting for us all with the TV coverage and people lining the course.’
The senior international races sees the GB team take on Europe and the USA.
Among those selected for Europe are European cross-country men’s and women’s champions Kaan Kigen Ozbilen and Yasemin Can, both from Turkey.
The US field defending men’s champion Leonard Korir and threetime winner Garrett Heath.
Korir, a 2016 Olympian at 10,000m, outkicked Kilbarchan’s Callum Hawkins last year to win, helping the US to the team title.
Sixth placer in the recent European Championships in Slovakia Ben Connor leads the GB men, while European junior champion Harriet Knowles-Jones joins the senior team alongside senior women’s gold medallists at those championships Emelia Gorecka and Elle Vernon.
Athletes from the length and breadth of Scotland will also gather for the interdistrict races, a key part of the day’s programme.
Athletes will represent the East, West, North and Scottish Universities at U13, U15 and U17 level as well as senior races.
The North of England have teams contesting the senior women’s and men’s races.
Dundee Hawkhill’s Kristian Jones defends the men’s title representing East of Scotland while Annabel Simpson (Fife AC/Glasgow Univ) follows up her U23 victory at last week’s Antrim International lining up for Scottish Universities.