Sean Chalmers of Inverness Harriers swept to an emphatic victory over a field of 335 runners in the Metro Aberdeen Beach 10km and led his clubmates to a clean sweep of the top four positions.
The raiders from the north dominated the front end of the race from the outset, mercilessly sweeping all opposition aside.
Chalmers was the class act, moving into an early lead which he stretched all the way around the beach promenade course before crossing the finishing line in 31min 21sec, just 15sec outside his best.
His time may be well adrift of the course record 29:39 set by Dundee Hawkhill’s Great Britain international Peter McColgan 31 years ago, but it was still the quickest recorded in this race since 1995.
Chalmers, competing in only his third 10km, was satisfied with the result but hopes he can go much quicker later this summer.
He said: “I was looking for sub 31 minutes but didn’t quite make it. I was on my own for most of the way, which makes it tough. My last few races have been like that and it’s not so easy to keep the momentum going.
“After about 5km I was clear on my own but I realised the time I was aiming for wasn’t there and I went backwards a bit after that. But I’m pleased to get the win and I enjoyed the course.”
Chalmers, who spent a few years at Lamar University in Texas before returning to the Highlands, recently completed a postgraduate PE teaching course at the West of Scotland University in Ayr.
He said: “I’ve graduated and I’m hoping to pick up a post somewhere in the Inverness area. I’ll be doing a summer job in Edinburgh, however, so hopefully I’ll find some good guys to train with there.
“I’m pretty much staying away from the track this year, although I’ll be turning out for Inverness in the 10,000m at next weekend’s Scottish league meetings.
“I’m not too fussed about a fast time as long as I pick up some points for the team.
“Otherwise I’m focusing on 5km and 10km road races over the summer. I’ll probably compete in the Baxters 10km at Inverness later in the year.
“I’m self-coached at the moment so I maybe need to go back to my old coach, Charlie Forbes, so that I can get a proper plan in place.”
Donnie Macdonald was runner-up in 32:39 while Scotland international John Newsom, who had to contend with a nose bleed during the race, battled on to take third spot in 33:09. The Inverness stranglehold continued when Michael O’Donnell, the 2017 race winner, finished fourth in 33:24.
Chalmers returned to the beach promenade the day after his 10km success and recorded 15:05 to set a course record for the Aberdeen parkrun 5km.