McColgan rockets home in Doha as Emirates showcases home talent
EILISH McCOLGAN has powered her way into second place on the Scottish all-time list for the 10K.
The 2012 and 2016 Olympian is re-writing her personal bests and came up with 31.56 (chip time) in the Ooreedo Doha 10k to take first spot.
Now, only her mother and coach, Liz, stands between the young runner and the record. It also means Eilish is now 10th-equal on the British all-time list as she starts 2017 in great form.
“Getting up at 4.30am was a bit of a shock to the system but happy to come away with 31.56 official chip time at Ooreedo Doha 10k,’ she said, with 32.01 the gun time given.
Meanwhile, back in Scotland, the Emirates Arena was packed with track and field competitors on Saturday for the National Open.
There were notable sprint PBs for the likes of Allan Hamilton and Alisha Rees while 40 heats listed in the 200m says it all about the numbers involved – with 700 or so overall on start-lists.
Hamilton headed Cameron Tindle in an exciting 60m showdown, nicking a PB of 6.77 by one hundredth of a second. Tindle was at 6.90 and there was a PB also for Grant Plenderleith in third. He followed that up with a 200m win in the top heat with 21.56.
Rees was another athlete celebrating a PB with a good run of 7.59 – bringing her time down from 7.65 previously. She then clocked 24.47 in the 200m.
There were wins for Jake Wightman at 800m in 1.50.22, Jade Nimmo at the 60m Hurdles in 8.87 and Cumbernauld AAC athlete Lewis Brown demonstrated his 400m potential with 48.73 as he edged out Greg Louden (49.12) and Anthony Young (49.40) – seventh equal best on the all-time list at U20.
Kilbarchan AAC athlete Jemma Reekie has caught the attention recently with a Scottish U20 indoor record at 3000m and then her last-leg run in the International Relay at Holyrood.
On Saturday, she followed that up with an overall PB for the 1500m at 4.21.57 – and that is fourth on the all-time list for U20 at 1500m indoors for women.
In the field, Jax Thoirs was at 5.15m in the pole vault and there was a 5kg shot debut for Finbar Dunne with 11.63m.
There was also a PB for Aidan Quinn in the triple jump to reach 14.20m for sixth place on the all-time list indoors at U20.