Inverness teenager claims junior title in Northern Ireland in record time
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MEGAN Keith was in top form as she set a junior course record to win the under-20s championship at the Armagh International Road Race 3K in Northern Ireland.
The 17-year-old claimed the junior title and finished ninth overall in the women’s race in nine minutes and 24 seconds.
She beat the previous record set last year by Eloise Walker by three seconds.
The Millburn Academy sixth year pupil improved her personal best over three kilometres by 33 seconds.
She was pleased to record an impressive performance ahead of this weekend’s Scottish Under-20 Cross Country Championships.
“This was my first time at this race and it’s a really good event,” said Keith.
“The atmosphere under the floodlights was great and I was really pleased with my run. I was also delighted to get a big personal best before the National Cross Country Championships.
“It was good to get that improvement as well as the Armagh junior record.”
Keith’s success followed her win in the under-20 race at last month’s Home Countries Cross Country International in Stirling.
Meanwhile, fellow Inverness Harrier Jenny Bannerman took 21st place in 9:34 in a field of 146 runners. She broke her personal best by a five-second margin.
Both Inverness athletes were ahead of many rivals representing teams including England, Ireland, Wales, Northern Ireland and France and also clear of all four members of the selected Scottish team.
Danish winner Anna Emilie Moller set a new course record of 8:58.
England’s Alexandra Bell was second in 9:06 with fellow English athlete Amy Griffiths third in 9:09.
Fortrose athlete Lucas Cairns, who also trains with Inverness Harriers, set a personal best of 8:55 in Armagh when he took 18th place in the men’s open 3k won by Matthew Neill in 8:37.
