This has been a simply spectacular year for Scott who now won the gold medal and Scottish titles in three events, with the half marathon win to add to 10km road champs in Stirling, 10km trail champs in Fife he won earlier this summer, and not forgetting a silver medal on the track over 1,500m too!
Words like incredible are overused but that run was simply that with an average pace - 5:39 minutes per mile / 3:30 minutes per kilometre and split times of 5k: 17:25; 10k: 35:01; placed him 58th overall. Results here: https://www.greatscottishrun.com/results/?r=632&bib=1845
The last few years has seen Scott regain his running prowess – in the late 1990s he was a serious contender and tried to gain Commonwealth Games Selection. He was a sub 30 minute 10km runner, and in 1997 won the bronze medal Scottish 5,000m and raced the Olympic Champion in the elite start in the Great North Run half marathon clocking 1:04:07. Scott stepped back from competitive racing until he starting training hard again in the last three years. Since then his performances have got better and better he seems to be getting faster with age.
Here is Scott’s report on the race:
Travelling to the race, my wife Katrin and Maja gave me a lift to North Livingston station while they went out for a fun day at The Almond Heritage trust.
The train ride was relaxing and easy, arriving at the start with 50 min to spare I headed over to bag drop off and then onto the white zone with 30 min to go. Using a bin bag to keep warm it was freezing I eased my way to the front of the white Zone behind the top club runners who have run under 80min and the Elite.
Gun went off with over 8,500 runners I believe, first km is up hill and passing 5km in 17:25 in a pack of 5 we all running efficiently and relaxed at pace for the next 5km hitting 10km in just over 35 min while slowly gaining on a few runners blowing. The pack all seemed to be at the same pace and effort till 16km. At this point the stronger runner Chris from Aberdeen running club broke away splitting the group and I found myself running the same pace all the way to the finish line with a new Age PB almost 5 mins faster than my time from the Great North Run from this time last year.
It was a great organised race, it was windy at times but being in a pack I tucked in and paced myself well with the last 5km having the wind from behind and great crowd support.
Fast course with nippy little hills in the first half but a few little down hills and flat on the return leg.
Last November I set a goal to hit the top of the rankings Men’s 50 age group for the half marathon in UK for 2018 and this was achieved yesterday in the Great Scottish Run, in a time of 73:58 58th overall and First M50.
Yours in Running
Scott
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