Athletics Inverness holds first virtual competition with 10k and 3k events
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Newly established group Athletics Inverness held its first virtual event with 10k and 3k events.
1500 metres specialist Stephen Mackay took top spot in the 10k contest with 30 minutes and 30 seconds while Jenny Bannerman was top woman finishing the distance in 35:40.
The leading times in the 3K class came from Shaun Cumming (9:24) and James Geddes (9:33), who had a tight battle in the competition where athletes ran singly and returned their times electronically.
Mackay, who has reached several British Championship 1500m finals and is a former Scottish 800m silver medallist, moved up to produce a time which is almost a minute faster than his official 10K best of 31:28 at Nairn last March.
He has been on a strong improvement curve, helped by periods of training abroad at altitude with leading world performers Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie and their coach Andy Young.
Last year, in albeit limited formal competition, only five Scottish men ran faster than MacKay's time.
Bannerman has five full Scottish international honours to her credit and Scottish silver medals at 5K, 10K and 10 miles.
In 2020, only four Scottish women, including herself, returned better times than here.
Ross Cairns of Athletics Inverness said: "We are very pleased to have completed our first event, even though the weather created a bit of a problem.
’We are committed to supporting and developing senior athletics in Inverness and we felt that, despite Covid restrictions, we had to do something in this safe and compliant way and it's good to see this kind of quality of performance."
Other results - 10K - David Munro 40:36; Murray Fraser 41:16; Paul Robertson 46:17; David Waudby West 49:09; Derek Fraser 52:17.
3K - Caleb MacLeod 11:03; Tom McWilliam 11:34; Graham Parker 11:46; Graham Laing 12:27; Stroma Fraser 12:33.
