The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Butchart third – but still breaks Scottish record
Dunblane runner in New York
Dunblane athlete Andrew Butchart has continued his momentous start to 2017 by setting a new Scottish two-mile record at the Millrose Games in New York.
US runner Ford Palmer paced the field through the first mile in about 4:07.5 before Olympic 5,000m finalist Butchart hit the front and led for four laps.
With 800 metres remaining, Ben True moved up from eighth to fourth and although world indoor 3,000m silver medallist Ryan Hill led at the bell, True had the superior finishing speed and broke the tape in 8 minutes 11.33 seconds – 0.23 ahead of Hill.
Third-placed Butchart finished in 8:12.63, a time which was inside Ian Stewart’s record set way back in 1973.
Such was the quality of the field that Olympic 1,500m gold medallist Matt Centrowitz was nine seconds adrift of the Scot.
En route to his new record time, the Dunblane athlete was timed at 7.41.05 for 3,000m, just over a second quicker than his recent new Scottish indoor record for the distance and second on the UK indoor all-time list, behind only Mo Farah.
Lynsey Sharp was third in the women’s 800m, clocking 2:01.14 behind Americans Ajee Wilson and Charlene Lipsey.
World indoor 1,500m champion Sifan Hassan rebounded from a couple of early-season defeats to win the mile with one of the fastest performances in history.
The world bronze medallist crossed the finish line in 4:19.89 – fourth on the world indoor all-time list.
Courier Country U20 1,500m athletes dominated the podium at the Scottish Junior Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena,Glasgow, taking gold, silver and bronze medals.
Fife AC’s Adam Scott set a championship best time of 3:52.10, while Fife colleague Euan Boyle was second in an indoor personal best of 4:02.66 and third-placed James Adam’s (Pitreavie) 4:08.25 knocked five seconds off his indoor best.