Inverness athletes expected to be among contenders in the women’s 10k at the Baxter’s Festival of Running
Among the 2430 runners entered into the Baxter’s Festival of Running 10k this weekend will be a number of hometown athletes who fancy their chances of taking the women’s title.
It promises to be an open affair in the absence of title-holder Claire Bruce, who isn’t defending her crown after suffering a stress fracture in her foot earlier this year.
That could open the door for teenager Caitlyn Heggie (Inverness Harriers) who will hope to build on the third place she achieved in 2023.
The Muir of Ord teenager has dominated the North road running scene this year with 10k victories in the Nairn, Moray and Forres races.
Clubmate Jenny Bannerman, who has a remarkable record in this race having won three times between 2014 and 2018 while achieving a further four podium positions since 2009, can never be discounted either.
She was fourth last year and is more than capable of achieving another top placing this weekend.
Another Inverness-based athlete, Halina Rees (Fife AC), who was third in 2017, is in good form having set a personal best 36:24 when finishing second behind Heggie at Nairn.
However, Oxford-based Australian athlete Josephine Auer, who set her best time of 35:32 in May, could upset hopes of a home win and Edinburgh-based Spanish runner Merce Sanchez Oller, who was third in this year’s Scottish 10,000m track championships, should also be in the mix.
Roseanna Andrews (Rugby and Northampton), who was third in 2018, will also hope to feature strongly.
In the men’s race, Logan Rees believes he is in shape to seriously challenge the course record despite only having had a handful of days to recover from a 5000-mile transatlantic journey.
The 27 year-old Fife athlete, who has been living in Sacramento for the past couple of years, is relocating back to Scotland. He flew back to London from California on Wednesday then travelled on to visit his parents in Crail, before heading north to stay with sister Halina in Inverness.
The family reunion will extend to this weekend’s festival of running as Halina will also compete in the 10k in which she should be a contender for a top placing, while dad Roger is tackling the marathon and Halina’s husband, Rory Scott, is also tackling the 10k.
Glasgow-based Eritrean athlete Amanuel Hagos (Shettleston Harriers) set the 10k current record of 29:35 in 2008, but Rees has the credentials to take that apart as he has consistently run faster than 29 minutes on the track in each of the past three years in America. His best time of 28:23.50 was set at Stanford, California in 2023.
He said: “I feel I’m in decent shape but we’ll have to see what impact the travelling has on me. Also, I haven’t been racing very regularly, so it’s difficult to be sure about what I can do.
“I ran the River Ness race in 2017, finishing second in 30:01. My aim that day was to get under 30 but I just missed out. I’m obviously aiming for much faster on this occasion.”
Rees was pleased to hear that Scottish 10,000m track champion Max Abernethy will be in the line-up on Sunday, saying: “That’s good. I’m sure we could maybe work together and both of us could have a decent chance of getting under that record time.”
Abernethy, meanwhile, is in the best form of his life and is determined to make every effort possible to retain the men’s title although he knows he faces a formidable opponent in Rees.
The 23 year-old Aberdeen AAC runner burst to prominence 12 months ago when taking top spot in a personal best time of 30:10.
He has improved significantly since then, however, and earlier this year won the Scottish 10,000m track title in 29:42.79.
Abernethy tuned up for Inverness by finishing 15th in a top-class international field at the Great North Run half marathon on Tyneside earlier in the month. His time of 65:13 is the third fastest by a Scot this year.
He said: “I was very happy with that performance and I believe I’m in the best shape I’ve been in, so I’m looking forward to Inverness.
“My training this year has gone very well and I’d like to think I can get under 30 minutes if the conditions are good.
“I haven’t raced many 10ks but I don’t think that’s a big issue. I’ll be well prepared.”
Others aiming to feature in the battle for podium places include Shettleston’s Lachlan Oates who won in 2022 and was third last year, while Great Britain mountain and trail running international Andy Douglas (Inverclyde AC) should also be competitive.
He has a long association with the event, having won in 2012 and 2014. Douglas was also third in 2008 when Hagos set the record.
Lucas Cairns (Inverness Harriers) will be aiming to make his mark after setting a fine personal best 5k time last weekend.
