Inverness Harrier Megan Keith earns automatic selection for Great Britain's under-23s at next month's European Cross Country Championships

Megan Keith keeps going from strength to strength, with her latest triumph coming alongside guaranteed qualification for next month’s European Cross Country Championships.

Keith was competing in the joint senior and under-23s race at Liverpool’s Sefton Park, looking to record a time that would see her earn a spot in the Great Britain under-23 squad.

If that was the aim, though, the Inverness Harrier smashed expectations, finishing second overall and claiming the under-23 title.

Only seasoned senior internationalist Jessica Warner-Judd ended up ahead, finishing five seconds before Keith over the 8km course.

Keith’s final time was 27:22 minutes, an excellent showing in what is her first year as an under-23 runner, and with the title comes automatic selection for the Europeans just outside Turin, Italy next month.

Keith’s coach Ross Cairns also brought three other Highland athletes to Liverpool, as Lucas Cairns and Angus Smith finished 46th and 67th respectively in the junior men’s 6.7km race.

Caitlyn Heggie, who competes for Ross County AAC, also finished 12th in the under-17 race.

Back in the Highland capital, though, Inverness Harriers held their club handicap, with senior, boys’ and girls’ races.

In total, 45 members took to the course, which ran 3.4km for seniors and 1.4km for juniors.

Peter Fraser finished top of the senior men’s standings, with Lesley Hansen first of the senior women. Ewan Thomson won the boys’ race, while Iona Scott won the girls’.

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