Inverness Harriers life member Megan Keith smashes club record and personal best at London Diamond League fixture to beat qualifying standard for World Championships
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Megan Keith could be in line to represent Team GB at the World Championships after meeting the qualifying standard with a much improved personal best time over 5km at Sunday's Diamond League fixture in London.
In front of a sell-out crowd of 50,000 spectators, the Inverness Harrier life member knocked 35 seconds off her top time – and the Harriers club record – by crossing the line in 14:56.98 as the top British finisher in a world class field.
That time puts her behind only Laura Muir in this season's British standings, and fifth in the all-time Scottish rankings, and makes her eligible for selection at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month.
"It was crazy," Keith told Scottish Athletics after hitting the milestone.
"I knew it was going to be fast, so the plan wasn't to hang on to the group, but on the first lap I tried to leave a gap then realised I was through 70, so I latched on to see how far I could go.
"Sub-15 started to feel more and more doable as I saw and heard the lap splits, but I still can’t quite believe it. I knew that those sorts of times would be ran today, but I didn't think it was possible for me.
"My coach Ross (Cairns) thought the first lap would be too quick, but that I was in shape to go under 15:20 – and I was, just a long way under! It was crazy.
"We didn't want to make a concrete plan because we hoped it would be a good summer, and I only got the opportunity to be in this start list last Thursday.
"I'm not going to lie, the anticipation was building all week. Every day more people were dropping out from the second half of the field, so I was the only one going in who hadn't run under 15, and now I have!
"Maybe plans will change now, but I'm planning on staying down in England for a few races. I'll have to talk to the coach."
