Jemma Reekie will make her debut over 5k at the B100 Cursa dels Nassos on New Year’s Eve

More regularly seen racing on the track over 800m and 1500m, Jemma Reekie will step up in distance when she makes her 5k debut at the B100 Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona on Wednesday (31 December).

It will be the longest race of the Scottish athlete’s career. That is, if a one-and-only visit to Worthing parkrun in November 2023, is discounted. Reekie has competed over 800m at the last three World Championships and two Olympic Games. Her senior debut came at the 2019 World Championships where she ran in the 1500m. Perhaps her greatest success came indoors in March 2024, when she won 800m silver at a home World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

It will be her longest road race since the 2012 Mini London Marathon, as an U15, where she finished 35th.

The course is renowned as a fast one. It is home to both current World Records for 5k; 13:54 by Beatrice Chebet and 12:49 by Berihu Aregawi. The women’s field is headlined by Ethiopian Likina Amebaw who has PBs of 14:33 (road) and 14:30 (track). She will also face France’s Agathe Guillemot, who most recently competed at the European Cross Country Championships, Kenyans Sheila Chepngeno and Caren Chepchirchir Serem, and double European U23 Champion Sofia Thorgensen of Denmark.

The race will be live streamed at this link.