Superb depth on the roads in Silverknowes with record numbers under 18 and 20 minutes.
Lachlan Oates and Annabel Simpson won the Scotland 5k Road Championships on Friday evening (May 5) in Silverknowes, Edinburgh.
Fife AC’s Simpson successfully retained her women’s title, while Shettleston’s Oates added the men’s national 5k title to his recently won 10,000m crown.
Simpson took the women’s win in a personal best 16.26 ahead of Jenny Bannerman of Inverness in 16:48.
Lothian Jo Williams, who is regularly among the fastest at parkrun each week, completed the podium in a big personal best 16:55.
“I like Silverknowes and the road race and running in a mixed race definitely helps me,” said Simpson. “I am racing 10,000m on the track at Highgate and then I’m making a half marathon debut in Edinburgh. It feels like that could work for me.”
In the men’s race, Oates had a close battle once again with Fife AC’s Logan Rees and held on to take a two-second win in 14:36 finishing just outside his 14:38 best set in February in Armagh.
It was a 10 second PB for Rees in silver clocking 14:38, while Edinburgh AC’s Michael Christoforou was right on his heels crossing the line in 14:40 for bronze.
The senior men’s title was won by Hunters Bog Trotters, with Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds retaining their women’s team gold.
There was also U20 gold for Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds pair Anna MacFadyen and Jack Leitch.
Former Glasgow marathon winner Peter Fleming, who ran a best of 2:13:33, also took part and clocked 16.31 to win the V50 prize.
While more men and women hit the quicker times at the England 5k championships last week in Kingsley, the Scottish 5k championships in Silverknowes equally had superb depth, with 193 compared to 196 sub 18-minute runners and also 20 more running under 20 minutes.
Drone footage of the action can be seen here.
Top 10 men
1) Lachlan Oates, Shettleston Harriers, 14:36
2) Logan Rees, Fife AC, 14:38
3) Michael Christoforou, Edinburgh AC, 14:40
4) Ewan Brown, Corstorphine AAC, 14:47
5) Tom Martyn, Hunters Bog Trotters, 14:47
6) Calum Mckenzie, Corstorphine AAC, 14:51
7) Callum Symmons, Aberdeen AAC, 15:07
8) Darrell Hastie, Gala Harriers, 15:08
9) Jack Leitch, Edinburgh Uni Hare & Hounds, 15:08
10) Murray Strain, Hunters Bog Trotters, 15:10
Top 10 women
1) Annabel Simpson, Fife AC, 16:25
2) Jenny Bannerman, Inverness Harriers, 16:48
3) Jo Williams, Lothian RC, 16:55
4) Anna Macfadyen, Edinburgh Uni Hare & Hounds, 17:01
5) Cera Gemmell, Team East Lothian AC, 17:04
6) Ella Revitt, Edinburgh AC, 17:07
7) Amy Frankland, Edinburgh Uni Hare & Hounds, 17:14
8) Michelle Sandison, Springburn Harriers, 17:16
9) Rebecca Johnson, Edinburgh Uni Hare & Hounds, 17:16
10) Katie Bristow, Cambuslang Harriers, 17:20