Bog Trotter cracks three-hour barrier in Lairig Ghru victory

Murray Strain produced a record-breaking performance when winning the 26-mile Lairig Ghru race between Braemar and Aviemore. The Hunters Bog Trotters athlete, who is to represent Great Britain in the world longdistance mountain running championships in Premana, Italy in August, completed the course, which includes 2,733ft of climbing, in 2hr 58min 10sec. He becomes the first man to crack the threehour barrier by knocking more than six minutes off the previous record set by Highland’s Paul Raistrick 10 years ago. Hamish Battle (Metro Aberdeen) was runnerup in 3:15:17 while Rowan Boswood, who was fourth last year, finished third in 3:27:48. Battle also led Metro to the men’s team prize with backing from Iain Manson, sixth in 3:31:46 and Chris Richardson, 11th in 3.42.25. Commonwealth Games marathon runner Jo Jakrzewski won the women’s race despite taking a tumble near the end of the course. The Dumfries athlete recorded 3:53:27 while Scotland hill running international Georgia Tindley (Hunters Bog Trotters) was second in 3:54:45. Aberdonian Lucy Colquhoun, who set the women’s record of 3:32:38 in 2006, was third in 4:09:02.

Moray’s Grace Whelan finished 24th when representing Scotland in the international Youth Cup hill running competition at Gagliano del Capo in Italy. Giffnock North’s Lynn McKenna was the leading Scot in 16th position while Zoe Nicholson (Pitreavie AAC) was 40th. Scotland finished 10th in the team match.

Colin Dick was first at the Stonehaven parkrun 5km, clocking 20:03 to finish 19sec ahead of Stuart Turner while veteran Phil Cowie (Metro Aberdeen) achieved his fastest time of 20:32 for the Mineralwell course to take third position. There were personal bests of 23:00 for Fay Duff and Lauren Edward, 25:15 who finished first and second women, while third-placed Liz Gray (Inverness Harriers), another veteran, clocked 27:07 in her first outing in this event.

Grace Whelan