Ben Hukins would be delighted to win Sunday’s Baker Hughes 10km race but the Aberdeen runner admits it is not his priority this weekend.
The 35-year-old Scotland international, who represents Ronhill Cambuslang Harriers, is heading for Fife tomorrow to compete in the national trail-running championships at Falkland.
Less than 24 hours later he will join a field of 4,840 entrants in the Baker Hughes in Aberdeen – a race he has won three times in the past four years.
He said: “I really want to do well at Falkland because the leading finishers will be picked to represent Scotland in the Home Countries trail-running international at Keswick in June and I’m really keen to be in the team.
“I also want to do well at Aberdeen but it would probably be a bonus if I was able to win that as well.
“The Falkland race is held over a tough nine mile course and I won’t have much recovery time as it’s on Saturday afternoon and the Baker Hughes race is Sunday morning.
“It will be a case of getting a good warm down after the first race, some stretching, refuelling, a good sleep then a proper warm-up again on the Sunday morning.”
Hukins has recovered from the sickness bug which affected him in last month’s Balmoral 15-mile trail race.
He said: “I was in a terrible state after that race but I recovered after a couple of days and soon got back into my running. I’m fine now.”
Despite his hectic schedule, Hukins will probably still be favourite to lead the way home on Sunday although there’s a queue of others waiting to pounce if he is in any way below par.
Ron Gauld (Stonehaven Running Club) is currently showing good form on the local circuit and he should be among the main challengers. He said: “I first did the Baker Hughes five years ago when I finished in 52nd position and just broke 40 minutes.
“At that time I would never have considered being capable of competing for a top three position.
“I’m aiming for a personal best time on Sunday so if I could run in the 33 minute range I would be happy.”
George French (Garioch Road Runners) has been one of the north east’s most improved athletes over the past 12 months and he looks sure to be in the mix for the top awards.
The Turriff runner set a course record in the Garioch half marathon in March and in last weekend’s Dunecht Dash 5km. In between these performances he set a personal best time in the London marathon.
Aberdeen-based Kenny O’Neill (Ronhill Cambuslang Harriers) is another strong contender. The Crathes half marathon champion was fourth last year.
Others who cannot be ruled out include Aberdeen’s Ewan McCarthy, who was third in 2011 and seventh last year, top veteran Stan Mackenzie (Forres Har- riers), Stuart Macdougall (Bellahouston Harriers), and hill running specialists John Rocke (Aberdeen University) and Simon Peachey (Cosmic Hillbashers).