That occasion was a Sunday afternoon about five miles to the north, at the Alexander Stadium, and a farewell race over 3000m. It is fair to say those seven and a half laps, and the relatively tame field assembled, were designed for Mo to say goodbye to the British crowd with a win (which happened).

But, plot twist! It turns out it wasn’t a farewell; the four-time Olympic and six-time World Champion is returning to the track with eyes set on making his fourth Olympics.

Except, the setting for his return to Birmingham is a bit different.

Four years on from that sunny afternoon in Perry Barr, there has been a changing of the guard in the British endurance running scene, both male and female, and there is nothing tame about the field that will join Mo in toeing the line in a quest for Olympic selection.

Not only are there places in Tokyo up for grabs, the event also doubles up as the European 10,000m Cup, with some of Europe’s finest athletes taking to the track in Birmingham. It promises to be a fascinating evening of racing and to whet your appetite I take you on a tour of those competing, including some insights from those taking to the oval track for 25 laps.

What’s Happening?

Let’s start with a whistle stop run through of the evening and what is at stake. The races are two-fold, the European 10,000m Cup and the British Championships / Olympic Trials. There are individual and team medals up for grabs in the European Cup and, whilst there is plenty of interest in this, I have focused on the domestic competition to avoid presenting you with an essay of an article.

The first two Brits across the line, if they have the Olympic qualifier (31:25.00 for the women and 27:28.00 for the men), will automatically book their spot on the plane to Tokyo. There are also athletes with eyes on qualifying times for the Commonwealth Games.

Wavelight technology, alongside human pacemakers, will run just inside the Olympic qualifying standard in both races, with wavelights for set slower times also.

Men’s Races

The ‘star’ names of the men’s A race need no introduction, but I will give them one anyways – Mo Farah, Marc Scott and Jake Smith. More on them to come. Alongside Mo, Marc and Jake, the European Cup squad includes Emile Cairess, Matt Leach and Kristian Jones. Mahamed Mahamed, Mohamud Aadan, Hugo Milner, Tom Anderson and James Hunt are also in the A race as domestic entrants.

“I’ll Be Back!”

If there is one British distance athlete who needs no introduction, it is Mo Farah. Since ‘retiring’ from the track in 2017, he has won three Great North Runs, two Big Halfs and the Chicago Marathon in a European Record, and bettered Steve Jones’ longstanding marathon British Record in London in 2018.

With the exception of a one-hour race in Brussels last year (where he set the World Record), it is almost four years since he raced on a track. Whilst age is just a number, it will be fascinating to see if the 38 year old can still conjure up the speed that brought him the British Record, two Olympic, three World and two European titles over 25 laps.

Photo: James Rhodes

Close Competition

It is likely that his biggest domestic competition will come from Marc Scott. The US-based athlete, part of the Bowerman Track Club, has been in fantastic form in recent months, setting career-best performances over 3000m (7:36.08), 5000m (13:05.13) and 10,000m (27:10.41), the latter placing him second on the British all-time list behind Farah.

The two have raced each other twice, last year’s Antrim Coast Half Marathon and over 3000m at the 2017 Anniversary Games, with Mo crossing the line ahead both times. However, as Marc told me, he feels he’s is in the shape of his life and will be looking to book his spot on the plane to Tokyo:

“My goal is to win the race, nothing else! I’m feeling really confident ahead of the race, I couldn’t have asked for a better build up. I have been in Park City, Utah for six weeks at altitude with Bowerman so it was great having us all go after the same goals together. We have six guys who have the 10k [Olympic} standard so we had a nice group to train with”.

Marc’s 27:10.41 in California in February, under the guidance of coach Jerry Schumacher, was the fastest by a British athlete since Mo ran 26:46.57 ten years ago, and the manner in which it was run – going through halfway in 13:44 – adds to its impressiveness. Naturally this was a confidence boost for the upcoming races: “The 27:10 did give me a huge boost considering it was a big negative split. It just shows there is more in the tank and that’s what will be needed on Saturday and in Tokyo!”

As Marc himself says, “I’m in a good place right now”, and it will be fascinating to see how his race unfolds.

No pacing duties for Jake Smith this weekend Credit: Mick Hall

Marathon Maverick

Whilst the event has been touted as a battle between Mo and Marc, I am intrigued to see what Jake Smith can and will do. The ‘marathon maverick’, as named by his coach James Thie, has been making headlines over the past twelve months with his performances.

There is a lot I could mention, but it would be remiss of me to not highlight his 60:31 at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Poland last September alongside his unplanned, non-hydrated and all-round incredible marathon debut in Cheshire in April.

It is not everyday someone is due to pace to 25km, but decides to carry on and win the race, taking on no water or fuel. If that wasn’t impressive enough, it was only four days after setting a 1500m PB. Plus his time of 2:11.00 – 30 seconds inside the Olympic qualifying mark – adds an extra layer of marvel. If only the race wasn’t a few weeks after the marathon squad for Tokyo had been selected!

Anyways, back to the race ahead. As Jake told me:

“Saturday is the big one, I’m so excited and nervous for it and have been waiting for this day to come for months. I probably have said this before during other training blocks, but I haven’t trained this hard before a race and have been running great sessions. The goal is to run as quickly as possible and the aim will be to sit on those pacemakers trying to run close to the [Olympic qualifying] time”.

Has his coach, who raced Mo Farah seven times on the track, provided any advice ahead of the race? “James has been a brilliant coach during this training block and he has just told me to ‘think of it as a time trial. You run best when in control and having pacers plus lights there will help so much’”.

A bit of S.W.A.T. and Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix alongside a nap will be the relaxation method of choice for the marathon maverick ahead of his biggest race of the year.

Cairess is no stranger to a sprint finish Photo: JHMSport

PBs Expected

The European Cup team is completed by Emile Cairess, Kristian Jones and Matt Leach. The Leeds City athlete Cairess will be making his European Cup debt having set a 28:14.30 PB over 25 laps in Newport in February and dipped under eight minutes for the first time over 3000m indoors. Kristian also set a PB (28:33.17) in that race in Newport, and has also run well over 5000m this year (13:49.33 in Cardiff and 13:53.25 at the Trafford BMC GP).

Matt Leach joins the team following the withdrawal of Sam Atkin, who has decided to not to travel from the States to compete. That is not to take anything away from the Bedford athlete; he has run PBs over 1500m (3:44.55) and 5000m (13:46.26) this season, alongside a 28:41,21 10,000m last month.

Domestic Competition

There are a number of other Brits taking to the A race outside of the European Cup team, including Mo Aadan, in his first race since his marathon debut in Kew Gardens in March, and Tom Anderson who last week gained his maiden British  vest at the European Team Championships. There are plenty of

Close battles are almost guaranteed in the men’s B race, which goes off at 19:45. Alongside a host of European athletes, the field includes Ellis Cross, Jack Gray, Josh Griffiths, Ollie Lockley, Joshua Grace, Omar Ahmed, Matt Clowes, Calum Johnson and Fast 10’s Nigel Martin.

Timetable

17:30 – Elite para 1500m

18:00 – Men’s domestic 10,000m

19:00 – Women’s 10,000m including European Cup B race

19:45 – Men’s 10,000m including European Cup B race

20:30 – Women’s 10,000m including European Cup A race & British Olympic trials

21:15 – Men’s 10,000m including European Cup A race & British Olympic trials

How to Follow

Full start lists can be found at https://data.opentrack.run/en-gb/x/2021/GBR/not/event. The races will be streamed live on the British Athletics website, and I will be trackside bringing updates via twitter (@james_athletics).

The post Back to the track Mo? appeared first on Fast Running.

The re-arranged event takes place in Gdynia, Northern Poland. The race originally set to host mass races will now take place exclusively for the International fields of just under 300 athletes. The course will use four laps of 5.5km, finishing on a purpose built surface on the City’s Beach in Gdansk Bay on the Southern Coast of the Baltic Sea.

This will be the first World Athletics Series Event to take place since the Covid-19 lockdowns. ‘’It is clear that the entire community – athletes, national federations, coaches, athlete representatives – have risen to the challenge,” said Jacob Larsen, World Athletics director of Competition and Events (via World Athletics). “It is evident that this is something everybody wants to happen – and indeed are making it happen’’.

Cheptegei coming in with decent form

Joshua Cheptegei will be the resounding favourite for the men’s race. The Ugandan Athlete has set World records for 5,000m (12:35.36) and 10,000m (26:11.00) in recent months and a 5km World Record (12:51) falling to him in Monaco back in February. In fact the 24 year old has lowered world records at every one of his races this year making a new world record on Saturday a definite possibility.

A battle with World Half Marathon Champion Geoffrey Kamworor was originally expected in March but never happened with the event being postponed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

World Record holder Kamworor (WR: 58:00) is not named in the Kenyan Team so the greatest opposition will likely come from Compatriot Jacob Kiplimo who will also make his Half Marathon debut in Gdynia.

19 year old Kiplimo finished second to Cheptegei at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus on the day that Kamworor was de-throned as World Champion. Two years earlier he had claimed the global crown in the Junior Men’s race.

Instead the Kenyan Challenge will be led by Kibiwott Kandie who has a 58:38 best making him the fastest in the field and as the fifth fastest of all-time, should not be counted out. Abraham Cheroben of Bahrain is the second fastest with a best of 58:40.

Guye Idemo Adola will head the Ethiopian Team with a P.B. of 59:06 and a Bronze medal at the Championships in Copenhagen from 2014 to his name.

Kaan Kigen Ozbilen (P.B: 59:48) of Turkey is the fastest European entrant with his P.B. recorded at Ras Al Khaimah in 2019.

Jake Smith racing in Paris.

British team reduced by injuries

British hopes have been affected by a series of withdrawals, reducing the men’s team to five athletes.

Jake Smith will be the fastest Briton on Paper with a time of 62:00 recorded when finishing third at the Vitality Big Half in March behind Kenenisa Bekele and Chris Thompson. This was a third outing over the distance for the 22 year old who debuted with 64:03 in 2018, going on to run 62:03 at the Boulogne Billancourt Half marathon last November.

The Cardiff based athlete born in Bermuda then recorded a 28:00 time trial for 10,000m in July to test fitness coming out of the Covid-19 lockdown and followed up with a fourth place at the Muller British Championships over 5,000m in September.

Mohamud Aadan set his lifetime best of 62:30 on his way to seventh at the Commonwealth Half Marathon championships in Cardiff back in 2018.

Orienteers and ultra runners with some leg speed

Scottish based Welshman Kristian Jones has become a regular in British Teams of recent years and takes a 63:09 best in to the Championships, recorded at the Barcelona Half Marathon early in 2020. His most notable win to date was a victory at the British Athletics Stirling Cross Challenge in February.

Tom Evans P.B. of 63:15 came at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in September. This was just the latest eye-catching performance for the Ultra distance Specialist. Evans has medalled at the IAU World Trail running Championships and the infamous Marathon Des Sables. Evans proved that he was an athlete comfortable over any distance with a 13:41 clocking at the Podium 5k and a Bronze medal at the CAU Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships back in February.

Adam Craig (63:24) has come in to the team as a replacement for fellow Scotsman Callum Hawkins. This will mean a debut for Great Britain & Northern Ireland on the roads for the Inverclyde AC Athlete in just his second outing over the distance.

26.03.16 – IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships 2016 – Elite womens runners on Roald Dahl Plas.

The women’s race is exciting

The women’s race will be more likely to see a competitive battle between former champions and some of the fastest athletes in history.

The Kenyan team will boast 2016 Champion Peres Jepchirchir (65:06) and former World record Holder Joyceline Jepkosgei (64.51). Rosemary Wanjiru (65.34) is the next fastest on an extremely strong Kenyan team with a 10km best of 29:50 set in Valencia.

Netsanet Gudetta (65:45) of Ethiopia is the defending Champion setting a women’s only world record of 66:11 in Valencia. That record fell to Jepchirchir with 65:34 in an elite only event in Prague last month.

Her compatriot Ababel Yeshaneh is faster yet with a 64:31 clocking to smash the world record held by Jepkosgei in a race where second placed Brigid Kosgei also dipped under the previous best mark.

Debuts for British women

Samantha Harrison is the fastest British challenger having clocked an impressive 71:01 to finish second at the Vitality Big Half in March after leading the race for some time.

Harrison, who describes running as ‘’her happy place’’ only began racing seriously in September 2018 and in late 2019 described a main goal for 2020 to be gaining selection for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships.

Clara Evans is set to make her debut for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team, selected off the strength of a 72:21 lifetime best set at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in September.

Becky Briggs will make her senior debut for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Poland. The 20 year old set her best of 72:54 in Northern Ireland last month, taking her to seventh in the British U23 all-time lists and becoming the third fastest U23 in Europe this year.

Want to run faster? For just £30 per month athletes are provided with a Final Surge plan for each day of the week, coaching advice from Robbie Britton and Tom Craggs, as well as access to the unique Fast Running Performance community.

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The post A young British team to face the world’s best in Poland appeared first on Fast Running.

As the decade drew to a close runners were out in force to end the 2010’s on a high and to hit the new year with a flying start.

McColgan & Moore bring in the new year in style

Across the pond the New York Road Runners held their 41st annual NYRR Midnight Run (4 miles) and the ladies race was truly one to remember, featuring names that have been very present in the running world over the last year.

Eilish McColgan absolutely blew the competition away. McColgan won in 20:50 bettering the previous record set by one Des Linden in 2010. Behind her was Mary Cain, the US athlete who bravely spoke out about her experience at the Nike Oregon Project and the damaging effect it had on her health and career. So, it was great to see Mary back on the podium, running a 21:43 for silver. Bronze went to USA’s Lindsay Crevoiserat in 23:20.

Kevin Moore of Ireland topped the men’s race in 19:48 with GB’s Benjamin Toomer snapping at his heels in 19:51 and Quentin Succo of France shortly behind in 19:58.

Eilish McColgan wins in NYC. Credit: NYRR

Nos Galen keeps the standards high

Also on New Year’s Eve, The Nos Galan Road Race celebrates the life and achievements of Welsh runner Guto Nyth Brân and has been going since 1958. A 5k race, it takes place around Mountain Ash Town Centre in the Cynon Valley and every year there’s a mystery celebrity runner. It’s a well supported race and one that the locals and the runners love, as evidenced by the fact that this year’s winner, Kris Jones was back for his 4th go at it. 14:15 was the time that gained the Swansea Harrier top spot this year, with a good lead over the 2-3 from Cardiff AAC of James Hunt (14:37) and Ciaran Lewis (14:41).

Issy Morris might train with the National Triathlon Performance Centre, but her road running is impressive in its own right. She ran a blistering 16:43, followed very closely by Anna Bracegirdle in 16:48. Lucy Marland of Cardiff AAC made sure her club didn’t go home without a podium spot in the women’s race either, running 17:02 for third. Nigel Owens MBE followed in the footsteps of Dave Bedford, Colin Jackson and Linford Christie to be this year’s mystery celebrity runner.

Matthew Neill & Hannah Oldroyd triumph at Lough 5

At the Lough 5, which started in 2009, runners run round the shores of Loughmacrory Lough in County Tyrone for 1.3 miles and then head out for the rest of the 5mile course. The lough-lap time is recorded as well as the overall finish. Rounding out his year with a winning moment, it was Matthew Neill (Acorns AC) who ran a 5:56 lap of the Lough and overall time of 25:00.5 to take the crown and put himself 4th on the all-time list for the race.

Right behind him was Eoin Mullan (Omagh Harriers) who lapped the Lough in 5:58, finished in 25:03.7 and goes 5th on the all-time. In third was Eoin Hughes also of Acorns AC who ran a 6:27 loop and a 26:05.5 to nab 9th all-time.

Hannah Oldroyd was back from her normal New Zealand racing-turf and ensured a triumphant arrival to NI with her winning time of 29:58.4 (7:09 lough-lap). In second was Natalie Hall of Armagh AC with a 7:38 and 30:46.3. Finn Valley AC’s Cassie Lagan had the silver spot coming off the lough-loop in 7:35 but lost a little time in the latter stages of the race to finish third in 31:14.1

Hannah Oldroyd. Credit: Lough 5

A busy start to the year on the roads

The aftermath of Hogmanay was not enough to put off those racing the Portabello Promathon in Tumbles, Ediburgh on New Year’s Day. Grant Sheldon of Cambuslang Harriers raced round the 4 mile course in 18:46 for the win, with Corstorphine AAC taking the remaining gongs thanks to Tom Martyn (18:46) and Ewan Brown (19:34).

For Annabel Simpson and Fife AC the year got off to an excellent start, as she won the women’s race in 21:30. Jill Stephen of Hunters Bog Trotters finished second in 22:39 and Chloe Cox of Edinburgh AC was third in 22:57.

It’s always nice to start a decade with a PB, so you’d think that the lure of an unusual distance like 10.55km (6.55m) was the draw for many runners at The Junction Broadstone 1/4 Marathon. Not so for Winner Chris Alborough of Poole AC who has raced the distance twice previously. He upgraded his silver spot from last year to take the win and a PB in 35:45. Jacek Cieluszecki of Bournemouth AC was second in 35:58 and Ben Renshaw of Bridport Runners was third in 36:04.

Women’s winner Emma Caplan (Bournemouth AC) is also no stranger to the distance or indeed the course, though her 41:00 victory couldn’t quite snag her a PB. Next on the podium was Juliet Champion (41:24), followed by Helen O’Neile in 42:10.

2020 started well for Annaka Charters of VP&TH who kicked off the year with a winning turn at the Lamberhurst New Year’s Day trail 10k round Bewl Water. Annaka raced home in 39:48 ahead of Tina Oldershaw (Tonbridge AC, 41:38) and Lorna Watts (Hastings AC, 42:39). Look out for more from Annake a bit further down. In the men’s race it was Jason Baker who made a victorious start to the decade in 34:53. Esmond Brown followed him in 26:06 and Stephen Walker of Beverly Athletic Club was 3rd in 36:54

Wye Valley Runners joined the NYD fun with their New Year’s Day 10k. Charlie Jones (Cheltenham and County Harriers) was first home in 34:10. Hertford Couriers’ Barry Reynolds brought home silver for the V45s in 34:27 and Brychan Price-Davies of Hereford Couriers was third in 34:50. For the ladies, Brecon Athletic club can thank Donna Morris for a gold-tinged start to their year thanks to her 41:58 run. The host club followed up that with a 42:28 from Jodie Newell and Hereford Couriers’ Naomi Prosser was third in 43:03

Serpentine AC also organised their own first-of-Jan NYD 10km jaunt and it was Charlie Sandison who had the honour of breaking the tape in 31:51. Jonathan Bradford was second in 32:01 and Harry Tullet took third in a PB of 32:27.

Emma Pallant was first lady in 34:47 a few days after her success at the Clevedon Boxing Day race, Rose Penfold second in 36:41 and Melissah Gibson third in 36:51.

Actin from the roads this weekend

After all that 01/01 fun, surely it was time for a rest? Don’t be daft! We all know runners love a double park run or multi-race week. So, it’s not surprising but nevertheless delightful to report that Annaka Charters was back out in winning form just a few days later at the Run Through Victoria Park 5k. She finished first overall in a time of 19:04, 4 seconds ahead of the male winner Dimitrios Mavridis who ran 19:08.

In the 10k edition of the race is was VP&TH’s Andre Adhkamp who took the win in 35:50 and Megan Cleary in 39:08. The Half Marathon distance had a swift field of pavement-pounders who were clearly out to show 2020 what’s what. The men’s podium all finished in under 75 minutes. Michael Hughes (also VP&TH) seems to have set a rather chunky HM PB with his 1:14:16 and was followed home by Matt Chipping in 1:14:47 and Alex Sweet in 1:14:51. For the women, it was Clapham Chasers’ membership secretary Cathryn Rees who broke the tape in 1:19:21. Harriet Freeman was a safe distance behind in 1:23:22 and Florence Beard finished in 1:27:33 for third.

On Sunday, the Stoke Stampede weaved its undulating figure of 8 10k route around Stoke St Gregory. First back to the village square (and maybe the pub) was Ian Tyson (V40 Torbay Tri Club) in 33:58. Kieron Summers (also V40) of Weston Athletic Club was just a few sips behind in 34:13, while Kevin Woodward was close enough to grab the pint from his hand, finishing in 34:19. Taunton AC’s Hannah Taunton was a clear winner with a brilliant run of 35:32 leaving her with a very comfortable margin ahead of Joanna Carrit (41:03) and Caroline Norris (41:13)

The 10ks continued around the country. At the Cleethorpes 10k Lucian Allison dove under the 30 minute mark to obliterate his competition with his finishing time of 29:40 in a welcome return to racing for the England man. Finley Thompson could only follow in the distance despite a very healthy pace which ran him a 32:52 for second, equally comfortably ahead of Caleb Stephenson in 34:10. The women’s winners all went sub-40. Leading them back was Gerogina Weston in 36:42, 2 minutes clear of Beth Taylor (38:42) and Carolyn Hary (38:57).

At Battersea Park 10km Ralph Collet was the one showing everyone how to tame the distance, being first back to the legendary RunThough flapjack in 34:01. Cleola Roscoe placed second in 34:32 and Damian Spreckley third in 34:47. Racheal Doran was the only woman to break 40, running 38:46 for her win. Over the 5k, Cyn Cano ran 19:17 and Will Adolphy 16:33 for their top spots.

As this roving, but not running (today) reporter drove past regents park this morning I witnessed hoards of runners taking part in The Mornington Chasers Winter 10k. Hardy souls braving a damp, grey morning, they deserve a mention! John Kourpas took the win in 34:30 ahead of Alex Webb (35:23) and Jon Phillips (35:37). Holly Thompson was a dominant women’s winner in 36:09 ahead of Emma Macalister Hall (37:44) and Kasturi Shah (43:34).

In Spain at the Cursa Dels Nassos 10k (Barcelona) a handful of Brits were action. It proved a successful bit of run-tourism as the majority of the gents came home with nice new PB’s to their names – Elliot Richards of Cardiff AC placed 34th in 31:22 (PB). Matt Sharp (Hercules Wimbledon) ran 32:15 for 56th place, Carl Stainton (Warely Woods Pacers) came home in 34:09(PB). Sue Exon of Trafford was the only female and ran a creditable 51:29 for her V65 category and a season’s best.

At San Silvestre Vallecana (Madrid) Ana Maria Duran-Mingo of Bristol & West finished in 38:45, Tsz Sum Fung (Sheffield & Dearne) ran a PB of 38:44. At San Silvestre Luarquesa (Luarca) Roger Farrington, V55 from Maldwyn, joined the Spanish PB train with his 18:12.

A weekend of cross country championship action

As training schedules resume and new year’s resolutions get a push start from the racing calendar on the roads we could go on forever with a whole host of results, but we’ll pause there because Cross Country demands our attention. We don’t want to lose you before you’ve heard about the storming efforts of those who donned their spikes for various county championships this weekend.

At the Essex County Champs Jess Judd took gold(Blackburn Harrriers) and our own Hannah Irwin (Braintree and District) nabbed silver – we’re excited for your year ahead Hannah! Liz Davies (Springfield Striders) placed third. Southend AC’s Adam Hickey was home first for the men, followed by Francis Conway of Orion Harriers and James Conner of Havering AC.

Northamptonshire County Champs winners were Joshua Lay for Rugby & Northampton and Helen Heley for Silson. At the Cheshire County Champs Dan Cliffe broke the tape for Liverpool Harriers. Gloucestershire was a winner for Kaitlyn Shepphard, representing Cheltenham over the SW 6.5k course and Gloucesters’ James Denne ran a 5s lead over Ben Price to take gold in the men’s 10k distance.

Nick Goolab. Credit: leonardmartin.photo

At the delightfully named Wormwood Scrubs venue, the Middlesex County Champs were a taxing 12k for the Senior men, but past English Junior XC winner Nick Goolab (Belgrave Harriers) laughed in the face of the relentless flat, boggy course and ran nearly a minute faster than his closest rival, Alex Lepretre (Highgate Harriers).

The women’s 8k course was won by Gintare Juknyte of AF&D… but only just one second ahead of Anna Hollingsworth (Serpentine). I’ll use this chance to give a sneaky shout out to the Harrow AC team (my home club) and in particular Lucy Ashe who placed 6th – a fantastic start to the year. We’re waiting on full results for the Hampshire , Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire Champs.

On a different type of terrain, the Scottish 3000m championships took place on Friday. In a field where the top 7 set PB’s it was James McMurray of St Albans Striders who grabbed gold in 8:00.38 ahead of Stephen Mackay (Glasgow City 8:13.19) and James Donald (Dundee Hawkhill 8:14.88).

The women’s race was similarly PB-stacked and won by Dorottya Csuta (Central) in 9:42.96. Holly Little (Victoria Park City of Glasgow) was second in 9:47.93) and Hannah Anderson (East Kilbride) was third in 9:52.57.

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The post McColgan wins in NYC & XC Champs are crowned – weekend roundup appeared first on Fast Running.

If you want to know a little more about orienteering and all the fast running involved, then check out GB International Kris Jone’s post from earlier in the year.

The first edition of a ‘split’ world championships (‘Forest’ and ‘Urban’ schedules now alternate years) saw athletes compete for medals in Long distance, Middle distance and Relay races over the course of 4 days.

The terrain facing the athletes was typical nordic forest, undulating and detailed, with a covering of heather to sap the legs of the runners.

It’s a different environment to what many of the British athletes learned to orienteer but, with some of the team based in Scandinavia in the months and years prior to the championships and training camps spent in nearby forests, the British athletes will have hoped to be able to compete for top placings.

The host nation, Norway, would supply many of the favourites but there would also be stiff competition from neighboring Sweden and orienteering powerhouse, Switzerland.

Earlier in the week

Tuesday saw a middle distance qualifier, with each nation allowed three start spots and the fastest 15 from three heats making it through to Friday’s final. One of the shocks of the day was Norway’s Paul Sirum missing out on a spot in the final. Five of Great Britain’s six athletes made it through, Oslo based Yorkshireman Matt Speake narrowly missing out.

Athlete: Matt Speake Photo: IOF/WOC2019

Matthew Speake in the middle distance qualification.

Wednesday saw the first of the weeks medals handed out in the Long distance races. The women faced an 11.7 km course with 300 m of climb and 21 control points and the men 16.6 km with 530 m of climb and 26 controls. If these distances sound short, remember that this is true cross country running; athletes may not set foot on a path for the whole race, preferring to take the shortest route between the control points.

The Long and Middle distance races both use a time-trial start so that competitors have to face the navigation challenges alone. In the women’s distance race, Tove Alexandersson of Sweden was the class of the field, taking the victory by over six minutes.

Tove was easily one of the favourites for the race, having won seven World Championships gold medals over the past three years. She is also a classy runner without a map; she is the reigning Sky Running World Champion. Tove used this running speed to outpace her competition on the two longest legs of the course, opening up an unassailable gap on her competitors. Lina Strand of Sweden and Simona Aebersold of Switzerland completed the podium.

Great Britain’s two representatives (nations are provided starting slots for the long distance on the basis of nation rankings) were Jo Shepherd, in 21st position, and Charlotte Watson (@WatsonCharlott), in 36th position.

Tove Alexandersson, Sweden – 1:09:00
Lina Strand, Sweden – 1:15:16 (+06:16)
Simona Aebersold – 1:15:50 (+06:50)
Jo Shepherd, Great Britain – 1:26:51 (+17:51)
Charlotte Watson, Great Britain – 1:33:06 (+24:06

Athlete: Tove Alexandersson winning the women’s long distance title. Photo: IOF/WOC2019

Long distance

The favourite also prevailed in the men’s long distance; Olav Lundanes won his first Long distance title in Norway in 2010, and has taken four more gold medals in the years since then – including in the last three World Championships.

Whilst the winner was not a surprise, the silver medal most certainly was. Kasper Fosser, Olav’s Norwegian team mate led for most of the race before fading to second in the last third. Kasper won three gold medals at the Junior World Orienteering Championships earlier in the summer and became the youngest ever World Championships medallist.

If Olav is the King of the Long distance, Kasper has made claim to the title of Prince. Third was veteran Swiss runner Daniel Hubmann, who took his 27th World Championships medal. Great Britain’s Hector Haines (@HectorHaines) and Graham Gristwood (@GrahamGristwood) were separated by under a minute, in 20th and 21st position.

Graham was on for a top-15 result but skipped a late control in his haste to push toward the finish line. Luckily, Graham realised and corrected his mistake, but the time loss cost him positions.

Olav Lundanes, Norway – 1:30:09
Kasper Fosser, Norway – 1.31.48 (+1:39)
Daniel Hubmann, Switzerland – 1:33:07 (+2:58)
Hector Haines, Great Britain – 1:42:16 (+12:07)
Graham Gristwood, Great Britain – 1:42:59 (+12:50)

Hector Haines finished the long distance in 20th position. Photo: IOC/WOC2019

In comparison the long distance, which can be a battle of attrition, the middle distance is characterised by intense navigation where seconds can make the difference. Tove Alexandersson and Olav Lundanes showed no fatigue from Wednesday’s Long distance and both were victorious again in the Middle distance.

Tove didn’t replicate her dominant winning margin from the Long distance however, trading the lead with Swiss youngster Simona Aebersold throughout the course. Simona had to eventually settle for second, but will be happy to take another medal from her first senior World Championships. The bronze medal was shared between Natalia Gemperle of Russia and Venla Harju of Finland.

Great Britain’s representatives, Megan Carter Davies (@cdmegan), Jo Shepherd and Catherine Taylor, finished in 21st, 24th and 27th positions respectively. That they were separated by under a minute shows how seconds can make all the difference in a middle distance race.

Tove Alexandersson, Sweden – 38:20
Simona Aebersold, Switzerland – 38:25 (+00:05)
Natalia Gemperle, Russian Federation – 40:05 (+01:45)
Venla Harju, Finland – 40:05 (+01:45)
Megan Carter Davies, Great Britain – 44:17 (+05:57)
Jo Shepherd, Great Britain – 44:27 (+06:07)
Catherine Taylor, Great Britain – 45:00 (+06:40)

Cat Taylor competing at the champs. Photo: IOF/WOC2019

The men’s race was a battle between Norway and Sweden, with Norway narrowly coming out on top twice. Olav Lundanes took the Gold medal, 11 seconds ahead of Gustav Bergman of Sweden.

Magne Daehli of Norway took the Bronze medal, just one second ahead of Gustav’s team mate Emil Svensk. Great Britain’s Ralph Street (@Ralph_Street), 10th in last years Middle distance, finished in 19th position. Peter Hodkinson was Great Britain’s other representative, finishing in 31st position.

Olav Lundanes, Norway – 34:18
Gustav Bergman, Sweden – 34:29 (+00:11)
Magne Daehli, Norway – 34:47 (+00:29)
Ralph Street, Great Britain – 38:26 (+04:08)
Peter Hodkinson, Great Britain – 40:41 (+06:23)

Ralph Street finished in 19th position in the middle distance. Photo: IOF/WOC2019

Getting together for the relay

The relay is often the most exciting race of the week. The time-trial format of the individual races is replaced with a mass start for teams of three. Forked courses (each individual runner has slightly different courses with teams completing the same overall course by the end of the relay) mean that head to head racing is the order of the day.

Great Britain have performed above the sum of their parts in many relays over the years, fighting for the medals on many occasions in the last ten years.

Living up to the relay’s reputation for exciting racing, the Women’s race was fought right until the line. Karolin Ohlsson traded the lead with Switzerland’s Julia Jakob in the final stages and managed to win the sprint finish to take the gold medal back to Sweden. The Russian Federation took the third place ahead of home nation Norway. Great Britain’s trio of Charlotte Watson, Megan Carter Davies and Catherine Taylor came through the field in the second and third legs to a strong ninth position.

Sweden (Lina Strand, Tove Alexandersson, Karolin Ohlsson) – 1:35:49
Switzerland (Sabine Hauswirth, Simona Aebersold, Julia Jakob) – 1:35:53 (+00:04)
Russian Federation (Anastasia Rudnaya, Tatyana Riabkina, Natalia Gemperle) – 1:36:56 (+01:07)
Great Britain (Charlotte Watson, Megan Carter Davies, Catherine Taylor) – 1:45:13 (+09:24)

Megan Carter Davies had a strong run on the second leg of the women’s relay. Photo: IOF/WOC2019

The men’s relay

After a big pack finished together on first leg, Norway, with their double Gold medalist Olav Lundanes, and Finland got a gap early in the second leg; with Sweden the best of the chasers. Despite having a lead going into the final leg, mistakes by Norway and Finland allowed Sweden’s Gustav Bergman to come through and claim the gold medal for a Swedish double.

Caught by the chasers, Finland managed to take the silver medal just ahead of France; Norway having to settle for fifth, just 21 seconds behind the second position. Pushing too hard up a hill on led to a navigational mistake which caused Great Britain’s Peter Hodkinson to lose the leading pack on the first leg; eventually finishing in 29th place and seven minutes behind the leaders. Team mates Graham Gristwood and Ralph Street climbed through the rankings to finish 17th position.

Sweden (Johan Runesson, Emil Svensk, Gustav Bergman) – 1:40:42
Finland (Aleksi Niemi, Elias Kuukka, Miika Kirmula) – 1:42:16 (+1:34)
France (Nicholas Rio, Frederic Tranchand, Lucas Basset) – 1:42:25 (+1:43)
Great Britain (Peter Hodkinson, Graham Gristwood, Ralph Street) – 1:54:30 (+13:48)

Peter Hodkinson ran the first leg of the men’s relay after a 31st position in the Middle distance. Photo: IOF/WOC2019

RELATED: Are full time athletes really living the dream?

Kris Jones features in the ‘Fast 10: class of 2019’ and over the course of the year will share his running journey. You can follow Kris on Instagram and Twitter, while further information about the ‘class of 2019’ can be found here.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post World Orienteering Championships round-up appeared first on Fast Running.

I don’t sleep well after races. The mix of adrenaline, caffeine and soreness doesn’t help but I think it’s mainly an issue with switching off. The mind keeps racing even though the finish line has long past. I’m writing this after the excellent 5000 m Track challenge – putting that racing mind to use.

This year has been an interesting one so far. No orienteering championships to aim for, plenty of grand plans, some great experiences and some frustrating ones. It’s hard to know what to think when the only constant seems to be that there is no constant.

My Achilles is an on again, off again issue but I’ve still managed some great weeks of consistent training. I put their continued niggling partly down to the fact that Achilles injuries are generally a brute to get on top of and partly down to my lack of motivation to do the boring, unglamorous, necessary rehab. It’s like homework, I know I’m better off doing it right but I still find myself rushing through last minute.

The year in one word

If I had to summarise this year in one word it would probably be ‘frustrating’ – but even as I write that it sounds silly. Despite not always being plain sailing, it’s been a good year – I know that – but I’m a step behind where I’d like to be. The issue is not that I’m running poorly but that my expectations are higher than they’ve ever been.

Expectations are good in a way, the desire to keep improving – to see what I’m capable of – is a strong motivation. The problem comes when the big picture is lost.

I was never a great runner as a junior – my breakthrough came in 2016, at the grand old age of 25. During that year I broke the 15 minute barrier in the 5 km, the 30 minute barrier in the 10 km and pulled on a Welsh athletics vest for the first time – all big landmarks and the latter a particularly proud moment. The improvements continued through 2017 and 2018 and, honestly, in those three years I achieved more than I ever believed that I was capable of.

Balancing expectations

So that’s what I find silly – that I’ve too often lost sight of that big picture this year. I’ve run my second fastest times over 5 km and 10 km, won the Scottish 5km Championships on the road and the Welsh 5000 m Championships on the track. Three years ago those achievements would have been beyond anything I’d have dreamed of.

Running isn’t a sport that can be measured in weeks – progress takes time and, sometimes, you have to take a step back and recognise just how far you have come. I need reminding of that every once in a while.

Now that’s all written down, maybe I’ll get some sleep – but probably not..

RELATED: Are full time athletes really living the dream?

Kris Jones features in the ‘Fast 10: class of 2019’ and over the course of the year will share his running journey. You can follow Kris on Instagram and Twitter, while further information about the ‘class of 2019’ can be found here.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Don’t let your expectations run too far ahead appeared first on Fast Running.

In a week which saw three men break 15 minutes it was a pair of familiar faces on top of the rankings.

Kris Jones, part of the 2019 Fast10 group, is a GB orienteer who has some serious wheels over 5k and on the cross country. The Swansea Harrier ran 14:41 at Perth parkrun up in Scotland. A little slower than his 13:45.25 5000m PB great running as ever from the Welshman.

Hayley Carruthers might have taken a week off from parkrun last weekend, but was quickly back to the top with a 16:09 at the quick Walsall Arboretum event. Not that the marathoner was slacking off last weekend, with a 1500/3000m double (4:38.4/9:46.0) on the Sunday and a 5000m track PB of 16:05.46 on Tuesday. The Birchfield Harrier has already raced six times this month. Wowzers!

The other two men under 15 minutes were Mohamed Mohamed of Hillingdon AC and Daniel Jarvis of Bedford & County AC. Mohamed was just one second slower than Jones, with a 14:42 at Northala Fields parkrun in north London. Just last week the Somalian Olympian ran 14:06.07 at the Loughborough BMC Grand Prix and has PB’d at 3000m (8:17.3) and 10k (29:35) already in 2019.

Bedford’s Jarvis ran 14:46 at the competitive Bushy Park parkrun, with three other runners at the event making the top ten rankings. The 3:48.82 1500m man had the wheels on Saturday to hold off strong competition from the likes of Eliot Dorey and Jake Shelley to be first finisher.

The second lady, just over 17 minutes with a 17:06,  was Annabel Gummow, a regular at parkrun and former GB cross country international. The Winchester and District AC runner was at Gunpowder parkrun and has been in excellent form in 2019 with a 34:16 PB over 10km at the Great Bristol 10k.

Third female, and 23 seconds quicker than last week, was Hannah Taunton of Taunton AC. The south-west star has been running lots of PBs in 2019, including a 78:24 half marathon, a 36:22 10k and 4:44.66 for 1500m, showing a great range of speed and endurance.

The four men 15:23 and under at Bushy parkrun make it the quickest event this week and we did have a 16:32 run by a female cani-cross athlete that has not been included in the rankings.

Well done to everyone who got out and ran or volunteered at parkrun this weekend.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Perth
Kris Jones, 14:41, Swansea Harriers AC
2) parkrun: Northala Fields 
Mohamed Mohamed, 14:42, Hillingdon AC
3) parkrun: Bushy
Daniel Jarvis, 14:46, Bedford & County AC
4) parkrun: Kingsbury Water
Thomas Beasley, 15:12, Birchfield Harriers
5) parkrun: Bushy
Elliot Dorey, 15:18
6) parkrun: Bushy
Jake Shelley, 15:19, Shaftesbury and Barnet Harriers
7) parkrun: Market Rasen Racecourse 
Tom Straw, 15:21
8=) parkrun: Mile End
Paul Martelletti, 15:23, Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets AC
8=) parkrun: Bushy
Andrius Jaksevicius, 15:23, Belgrave Harriers
8=) parkrun: Linwood
Simon Nott, 15:23, Calne RC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Walsall Arboretum 
Hayley Carruthers, 16:09, Birchfield Harriers
2) parkrun: Gunpowder
Annabel Gummow, 17:06, Winchester & District AC
3) parkrun: Burnham and Highbridge 
Hannah Taunton, 17:23, Taunton AC
4) parkrun: Whitley Bay
Charlotte Penfold, 17:28, North Shields Polytechnic AC
5) parkrun: Dishley, Loughborough
Mia Atkinson, 17:29, Charnwood AC
6=) parkrun: Cheltenham
Beth Hawlings, 17:38, Cheltenham and County Harriers
6=) parkrun: Edinburgh
Charlotte Morgan, 17:38, Carnethy Hill RC
8) parkrun: Frimley Lodge
Lauren Hall, 17:39, Aldershot, Farnham & District AC
9) parkrun: Rushmoor
Helen Hall, 17:47, Winchester & District AC
10) parkrun: Ellenbrook Fields
Victoria Pritchard, 17:48, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers

If you would like to run faster at parkrun, top tips to help runners of all abilities can be found here.

RELATED: 7 ways to run faster at parkrun

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The post 10 fastest UK parkrun times on Saturday 22nd June (2019) appeared first on Fast Running.

I’m sure I’m not the only runner who occasionally dreams of being a full time athlete; when my alarm goes off in the morning, when I’m sat in a traffic ridden commute, or when I scroll past another Instagram photo of a runner in an exotic destination.

So when the opportunity arose to go to Albuquerque for a training camp supported by Welsh Athletics, I jumped at the chance. Three weeks of thin air, like minded company and the opportunity to focus 100% of my energies on training. Would I even want to come home?

Just the right time

I’d have loved to have started the camp in really great fitness, use the time to try to push my fitness to another level, but that wasn’t quite where I was at. Whilst I was still managing my Achilles, the camp arrived at just the right time; I’d built up both my mileage and faster running to a level which, whilst not quite where I wanted to be, gave me confidence that I’d be able to make the most of the trip.

Time was mainly spent training and relaxing after training; a nice life if you can manage it. Running felt hard at first, the altitude making even easy runs difficult, but after a few days, and one monster run up a mountain, everything started to feel more normal. My heart rate remained higher than I’d have expected the whole time I was out there so I can see how it helps you build fitness but I’m also sure that the focus gained from building your day around your training was huge.

I not only gained fitness over the three weeks but I came home relaxed and with a bucket load of motivation.

I’ll probably still have the same dreams of being a full time athlete, who wouldn’t love to spend their life doing something they love doing? But, I don’t think I’m missing out too much.

Photo: Kris Jones

Living the dream?

Sure, it was nice to sleep until I wanted, to spend spare hours relaxing and recovering and, more generally, to be able to fit my life around my training, instead of the other way around. Would these things make a difference in the long term? Maybe.

Maybe that extra time would see me take better care of myself and reduce the likelihood of a niggle developing into something more serious. Maybe the extra recovery would see me add that extra session I never have time for, or the stretching and strengthening I too often neglect. However, I also believe that consistently doing the basics gets you most of the way there.

If something is worth doing, it is worth finding the time for so, rather than dream of greener grass, it’s probably better to consider how I can introduce the full time outlook into my day to day.

Instead of an extra training session, can I make better use of the training time I already have? Instead of a lie in or an afternoon nap, can I go to bed a bit earlier? Instead of collapsing on the sofa at the end of the day, can I find a spare twenty minutes to do that stretching and rehab? Being honest with myself, time is rarely the limiting factor.

Photo: Kris Jones

Happy with life as it is

Fitting training around a full time job requires sacrifice but I’m happy with that. Whatever your circumstances, training requires sacrifice. A three week training camp gave me a glimpse of what it might be to be full time but provided me little experiences of the sacrifices required to make it a long term option.

At the end of the camp I was happy enough to return to the security and routine of the nine-to-five routine; armed with a bit of extra fitness and experience.

Kris Jones features in the ‘Fast 10: class of 2019’ and over the course of the year will share his running journey. You can follow Kris on Instagram and Twitter, while further information about the ‘class of 2019’ can be found here.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Are full time athletes really living the dream? appeared first on Fast Running.

I am continuing to work through my injury issues, getting better each week but progress is slower than I would like. I have a plan, but it is not set in stone; if I need more time, I will take it. Patience is not coming easy, I want to be back racing, but I am trying to think of the bigger picture.

I’ve always found that it is consistency rather than pushing the boundaries which has had the biggest effect and it takes time to build consistency. In the mean-time, let me tell you about the sport that got me into running in the first place, and why you should give it a try.

The world of orienteering

Imagine a race where you can’t respond to your competitors or prepare tactics beforehand. The race is about you and you alone. You start alone, your competitors starting at intervals in front and behind you, and the course will not be marked.

You know little before the start of the race, just the distance and the type of terrain. During the race, you will have to find your own way using a map and compass. You choose your own route and you will have to take on a variety of terrain over the course of the race. That is orienteering in a nutshell.

The race starts when you pick up the map; more detailed than an ordnance survey map but designed to be easy to use on the run. The clock doesn’t stop, so reading and understanding the map on the run is key.

The videos (by Swedish orienteer Goran Winblad) below and another one linked here follow Swedish international runners Tove Alexandersson and Jonas Leandersson on part of an orienteering race. The map – and the runners’ progress – is shown in the corner of the screen. You’ll notice quickly that this isn’t a walk in the park; these guys don’t hang around.

Being able to run fast is a big advantage, and the top orienteers are also top-class runners. Swedish Tove Alexandersson was World Skyrunning Champion for 2018 and Maja Alm just set the Danish indoor 3000m record; both are multiple world orienteering champions.

Finnish athlete Topi Raitanen, who recently won Armagh 5k in a staggering 13.42, has raced for the Finnish national team in orienteering.

Fast running is an advantage, but success is about balance

Imagine sprinting up a hill; lungs on fire, heart beating out of your chest. When you get to the top of the hill and you will have to make a decision on which way to go. Make the wrong choice or hesitate and your hard-won seconds soon disappear.

The win doesn’t necessarily go to the fastest runner, but the runner who gets the balance right; the tortoise can beat the hare.

If you make a mistake when orienteering, you don’t get another chance to try again. Every orienteering course is different so that the navigation remains a challenge. Variety is built in; you’ll never make the same decision twice.

The same forest provides different challenges on every visit, and open hillsides, sand dunes, country parks, towns and cities all provide their own unique challenges. This to me is the biggest draw of orienteering; the demands are dynamic, and you must adapt to be successful.

I have been an orienteer for most of my life; taken along to local events with my family at a young age. We all had a go, choosing the course that best suited our abilities at the time. I wasn’t good to start with, I got lost a lot. I stuck at it, not that I had too much choice in the matter to begin with, and started to learn from my mistakes.

Over time, I took on longer and more challenging courses and that is what pushed me toward running. I wanted to be faster so I could be better at orienteering.

Give it a try

Orienteering has always sold itself as a family sport, rightfully so, but I also believe that orienteering has a lot to offer any runner in search of some variety.

My advice to someone wanting to start out; find your local club, go to an event and give it a go. Start with a short easy course and move up as you begin to learn the ropes.

South London Orienteers have a series of videos that can give you an idea of the basics, but even better would be to go to an event targeted at newcomers.

Most clubs will put a few of these on throughout the year, with someone on hand to guide you through the initial hurdles. You’ll make mistakes, you’ll probably get a bit lost, but the feeling when it all comes together is as good as any runners high. At the very least you’ll have a new experience and add some variety to your running.

Kris Jones features in the ‘Fast 10: class of 2019’ and over the course of the year will share his running journey. You can follow Kris on Instagram and Twitter, while further information about the ‘class of 2019’ can be found here.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Add some variety to your running appeared first on Fast Running.

Training well, ticking off the miles without fuss. Improvements starting to show in racing, one good result after another. Looking forward to the early mornings when you pull on your running shoes and escape for an hour.

Everything falling in to place; until it is not.

It starts with a little pain, barely worth mentioning. After the run you forget about it. “How did the run go?” “Fine.”

Next day, same pain, but is it worse now? Skip a session, take it easy instead, but the pain remains and it’s definitely worse now. A full rest then. Remembering the stretching and strengthening that you’ve been neglecting.

How long have I had these shoes? Hindsight is clear; as easy as it has felt, you have been working hard recently. Those extra miles looking like a bad choice.

No matter the injury, no runner likes being side-lined. Missing out on the thrill of racing, the camaraderie of the training group or the simple pleasures that come with getting out the door.

Motivation and confidence seep away quickly, disappearing with every passing day; fitness too. What running you can manage feels awkward and uncomfortable. Those mornings of escape feeling like a distant memory.

Races will be cancelled, plans remade. Time will be spent correcting imbalances and weaknesses, staring at the blank wall in the gym as the seconds tick by excruciating slowly.

It’s not glamorous, it won’t get kudos and it won’t make the Rocky training montage, but it is necessary.

It’s a story that will probably be all too familiar. About getting carried away. About getting the balance wrong.

Thinking that training is about miles and sessions, not about recovery and maintenance. Unfortunately, it is the story of my last month; hampered by an Achilles that doesn’t want to play. I’m not the first and I won’t be the last.

I should know better

The most galling part of it; I should know better, I’ve been here before.

I should have recognised the signs and been more conservative, but now I can only deal with it as best as I can.

It’s not that bad in the grand scheme of things, there will be runners out there to whom a few weeks off will seem like small fry. It’s down to me to make sure that it doesn’t develop into something bigger.

Frustratingly, it is one of those injuries which gets better quickly, only to return with a vengeance soon enough. A false sense of security, an invitation to get carried away once more.

I’ll build back into running slowly now, cautioned by the false dawns I’ve had over the past few weeks. I’ll reassess racing plans and continue to work on my weaknesses.

I love racing and I hate missing out, but the long-term view is always better in running; despite how rubbish this can seem. I have been relatively lucky with injuries over the years.

What issues I have had, have been small and relatively short-lived.

I hope that this setback will serve as a reminder: Don’t chase miles, take care of yourself, do the unglamorous work.

Improvements in running don’t often come quickly, and there is no shortcut. Consistency is always the goal.

Kris Jones features in the ‘Fast 10: class of 2019’ and over the course of the year will share his running journey. You can follow Kris on Instagram and Twitter, while further information about the ‘class of 2019’ can be found here.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post An all too familiar story appeared first on Fast Running.

Scottish Athletics has announced that the fields for the 2019 Lindsays National XC will be the largest overall for a quarter of a century since men’s and women’s championships combined in 1993-94.

The entry figure for the Scottish Cross Country Championships on Saturday, February 23 is a fantastic 2458 which out-strips the previous best from a couple of years ago.

The 26th edition of the event, which takes place at Falkirk’s Callendar Park, features 10 races from under-13 through to seniors and masters, and the governing body believes this is the biggest participation national championship event in Scottish sport.

The 2019 entry has risen by 184 athletes on last year’s 2274 tally and is up by 659 since 2011 – when the tally was 1799. That’s a rise of 37 percent in those eight years.

“We’re ecstatic about these entry numbers and must thank our clubs for their wonderful response,” said Mark Munro, chief executive of Scottish Athletics, who expressed a huge thank you to athletics clubs, coaches and team managers who are making such a commitment to competition.”

Among the notable entries in the senior races are Olympians Steph Twell, Freya Ross, Derek Hawkins and 2018 champions Kris Jones and Mhairi Maclennan.

Photo: Bobby Gavin

Also entered are Luke Traynor, Ross Houston, Derek Rae, James Stewart, Marco Consani, Kyle Greig, Fionnuala Ross, Morag Millar, Steph Pennycook, Fiona Brian, Lachlan Oates, Alastair Hay, Andy Douglas and triathletes Marc Austin and Grant Sheldon.

Munro added: “It’s a wonderful event and we’re seeing so many people just wanting to compete and be part of that now. We’ve been pushing the message ‘Competition – It’s What You Train For’ over the past three or four years and we’re getting athletes, coaches and clubs buying into that.

“Lindsays came on board as sponsors of the Cross Country Season some five years ago with a commitment to try and help us grow participation.

“Their support has enabled us to improve a couple of aspects, bringing in an initiative like the Lindsays Trophy, and helped us raise the profile of the National XC in particular.

“Video footage from the event is very popular and last year for the first time we experimented with drone footage, which was excellent.”

The biggest rise in entries is in the senior ranks, with a current figure of 979 signed up for the senior men’s race, while there is an all-time record entry for the senior women’s race at 406 – up by 41 runners on last year. It is worth noting that in 2017 Scottish Athletics equalised the men’s and women’s distance to 10km.

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