The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Bannerman in form to
Athletics: Fastest run in more than a year gives Inverness runner hope
Inverness athlete Jenny Bannerman was delighted to pick up a bronze medal when competing in the Scottish 10km road running championships at Stirling.
Great Aberdeen Run half marathon winner Fionnuala Ross (Shettleston Harriers) won the race in a personal best 33min 57sec with Annabel Simpson (Fife AC) finishing second in 34.38, while Bannerman recorded her fastest time in more than a year when clocking 35.42.
This was the third national medal she has won in recent years, but she becomes the first member of Inverness Harriers to earn a podium place in the 27-year history of the 10km championship.
Bannerman said: “Winning a medal was always in the back of my mind, but my main aim was simply to get through the race feeling good.
“It’s my third national medal as I’ve won silver in the 10-mile championships and bronze over 1,500m indoors in the past.
“So I am really pleased and I’m happy with my time as well as I don’t find Stirling to be a particularly fast course.
“There are too many turns for my liking and it doesn’t really suit me.
“I was eighth in the early stages but after that I started picking people off so it was a good feeling to have.”
Aberdeen AAC’s Nicola Gauld, the bronze medallist in 2012, was fourth in 36.12.
Great Aberdeen Run 10km champion Kenny Wilson (Moray Road Runners) was just 4sec outside a medal position when clocking a personal best 30.46 for fourth position in the men’s race.
Triathlon international
“My main aim was simply to get through the race feeling good”
Grant Sheldon (Cambuslang Harriers) won in 30.31 with Logan Rees (Fife AC) 3sec behind in the silver medal position while Lachlan Oates (Shettleston Harriers) pipped Wilson for third in 30.42.
Andrew Johnstone (Inverness Harriers) was sixth in the under-20 age division with a time of 34.59. l Myles Edwards, competing seriously for the first time in two years, cracked the dandara 5km course record at Aberdeen’s Hazlehead Park.
The 2015 Scottish 1,500m champion enjoyed a solo run through the wood- land course and powered home in 16min 20sec to take 36sec off the record set last year by Aberdeenbased American Matthew Wolak. David Jamieson was second in 17.45 with Andy Reid third in 18.05.
Jogscotland Kintore’s Julie Hoyle, third last year, won the women’s division of the run in 20.41, an improvement of 53sec on her 2016 time.
Emma Barr was second in 21.05 while Kay Davies, last year’s runner-up, was third in 21.50.
Oscar Lecore won the accompanying 2km in 7.31 with Iona Mcguire first girl in 8.43.
James and Fraser Mackenzie finished together in the 1km with a time of 3.55 while Hope Thompson led the girls’ field home in 3.59. l Metro Aberdeen runner Kayleigh Jarrett made a successful start to her American running career by finishing second in her