Great Britain mountain running international Robbie Simpson showed his winter training is going well by leading home a field of close to 200 participants in the Banchory Boxing Day run.
The Deeside athlete, 22, who returned home a few days ago from a spell of warm weather training in Lanzarote, became the first runner in the long history of the run to dip under 15 minutes for the three mile course when recording 14min 59sec.
It is the fifth year in a row Simpson has been first home in his local run and it sets him up nicely for a busy spell of more testing races over the next ten days.
Simpson plans to compete in the Aonach Mor hill race at Fort William on New Year’s Day followed by the Detox 10km at Lumphanan on January 2.
His biggest challenge, however, comes on January 11 when he defends his title in the Scottish inter-district cross-country champion- ships at Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park.
Simpson was chased home yesterday by Scottish under-20s 800m track champion Michael Ferguson (Banchory Stonehaven AC).
It is the second year in a row Ferguson has finished runner-up.
The Stonehaven-based athlete is gearing up for his first indoor race of the season when he competes in the 3,000m at the Glasgow Milers meeting on January 4.
Great Britain cross-country international Rhona Auckland (Banchory Stonehaven AC) was the first woman to complete the course when finishing third overall in 17:20.
Auckland is preparing for the Edinburgh international cross-country meeting at Holyrood Park on January 11 when she will make her debut for the Great Britain senior women’s team against USA and a European select.
Teenager Jennifer Ricketts, a Scottish orienteering and hill running international, was the second woman finisher.
The Deeside youngster is getting ready to represent the East of Scotland under-17 girls’ team in the Scottish inter-district champion- ships.
Nikki Johnstone won yesterday’s Nairn Turkey Trot by completing the 5km course in 16min 18sec to finish 63sec ahead of Craig Campbell who held off veteran Paul Rogan by one second to take the runners-up position.
Inverness athlete Jenny Bannerman won the women’s prize for the fourth time when recording 18:18 for 10th position overall in a record field 291.
Paul Crowe won the prize for being closest to his predicted time when finishing in 27;14, just one second outside his estimate.
Alistair MacLeod was a clear winner of yesterday’s Cruim Leacainn hill race at Torlundy near Fort William.
Veteran Paula Gardiner (Westerlands) clocked 62:10 to lead home the women’s field.
Michael Barker (Metro Aberdeen Running Club) made a successful comeback from injury to win St Andrews Christmas Parkrun 5km.