Butchart Boston flier as he ditches life in the slow lane

ANDREW BUTCHART slashed 11 seconds off his personal best to break the Scottish indoor 3000 metres record in Boston but then revealed he felt he’d been stuck in the slow lane.

The 25-year-old finished second at the New Balance Grand Prix behind Olympic silver medallist Paul Chelimo in 7:42.97, slicing seven seconds off Ian Gillespie’s existing mark that was set 20 years ago.

But the Perthshire athlete – refreshed by a three-week training stint at altitude in Arizona – claimed there was potentially a better time up for grabs if others had matched his desire to push the pace.

“It was an annoying race with the pace,” he said. “I couldn’t be bothered with sitting back and waiting. I thought I might as well go a little bit. No-one came to help. But I can’t complain with that at all. I think I’m possibly in better shape than Rio. I just want to keep progressing and carry it into the outdoor season. That’s what matters. I’m just doing indoors for fun.”

In only in his third indoor race, it moved Butchart up to 17th place in the all-time British rankings at 3000m but he will hold off on confirming a tilt at the European indoor title in March in Belgrade.

“I’ll do the Armory 1 Mile next Friday in New York,” he said. “But I’ve not yet decided on European Indoors.”

Fellow Scot Jake Wightman was third in the mile behind Rio 2016 gold medallist Matt Centrowitz while Lynsey Sharp came third in the 800m.

Meanwhile, Guy Learmonth claims it’s full steam ahead after running the second-fastest 800 metres of the year so far in taking victory in Vienna.

The lifetime best of 1:47.20 – third on the all-time Scottish rankings – marked a return to top form for the 24-year-old Borderer, who has been plagued by injuries since reaching the Euro indoor final in 2015.

“I felt great,” Learmonth said. “The smoothest I’ve ever felt, worked so hard to get back to this however so it’s no surprise to me. I want to build on this now and keep getting faster.”

Eilidh Doyle moved into first place in the European rankings by winning the 400 metres in 51.86 seconds with the Olympic bronze medallist receiving a baguette as a prize. “The first time I’ve been given bread as a prize for winning,” she said on

Twitter.