Mhairi Maclennan has decided to pull out of the Scotland team for next weekend’s Cardiff half marathon in order to concentrate on preparing for Commonwealth Games selection in the 5,000m or 10,000m.
The Inverness Harriers club member has been in outstanding form during the winter season and in recent weeks she has won the Scottish and UK Inter Counties cross women’s country titles.
She was considering making her half marathon debut in Wales, but feels that might have impacted negatively on her Commonwealth Games aspirations.
Maclennan said:”I’m aiming for a Commonwealth 5,000m qualifying time, so I don’t want to do anything to hinder my chances.
“I’m going to Monte Gordo in Portugal just after the Cardiff half marathon date for a spell of good warm weather training to prepare for the track season. I didn’t want to go into that feeling exhausted after doing a half marathon.
“It might have worked out fine, but I want to be cautious as I’ve had so much bad luck in recent years, so I decided not to take any chances. I want to be super sensible.
“I’m a bit disappointed about pulling out of the half marathon, but it just doesn’t fit with my plans now.
“I’ve been hoping to run a good half marathon for such a long time, so when this opportunity came along I initially thought it would be amazing. But in reality it would have been a bad decision.”
My coach, Ross Cairns, asked what I wanted to do and I think he was happy when I said I’d pull out and concentrate on the track.”
MacLennan will head to Portugal with a talented group of Scottish runners which includes her Inverness clubmate Megan Keith, who is also a potential contender for a Commonwealth Games place.
The qualifying standard for the 5,000m is 15min 46.86secs, and MacLennan has run 15:51.78 – in 2019.
She said: “I’m close to that time and I definitely feel it’s achievable, but there’s a lot of competition.
“If all goes well in Portugal, I’ll run my first 5,000m about a week after I get back, at an Irish milers meeting in Belfast.
“Hopefully I can get the qualifying time there and, if I do, I’d like to compete in the British championship 10,000m at Highgate in May.
“That’s my incentive to do well in Belfast, as I’m really keen to do Highgate. If I don’t get the 5,000m time I need in Belfast, I’ll have to do another 5,000m instead of Highgate.”
Clubmate Keith, who helped Great Britain win team gold when she finished fifth in the world universities cross country championships in Portugal last weekend, is more of an outside bet for Commonwealth qualification, but she shouldn’t be ruled out.
The European under-20 cross country champion has a best 5,000m time of 16:08.88, but that looks sure to be dramatically revised this year.
Buckie GP mentors Selman to GB debut at world indoor championships
Retired Buckie GP Lewis Walker will watch with pride this weekend when Fife AC’s Jenny Selman steps onto the track to represent Great Britain in the 800m at the world indoor championships in Belgrade.
Walker, a former Aberdeen AAC middle distance runner, has been guiding Selman’s development for a number of years and has watched her reach peak form this winter.
Selman was selected for the European Junior Championships in 2009, but now, aged 31, this will be her first senior Great Britain appearance.
A series of minor injuries resulting in inconsistent training, combined with interruptions due to work and other commitments, stalled Selman’s progress, but she is now making up for lost time.
She won her first British title at Birmingham last month when taking the 800m crown by beating fellow-Scot Jemma Reekie (Kilbarchan AAC), who finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Earlier in the month she set a Commonwealth Games and qualifying standard of 2min 00.70secs, the fourth fastest indoors by a Scot.
Only Reekie (1:57.91), Laura Muir (1:58.44) and Lynsey Sharp (2:00.30) have run quicker.
The other Scots competing in Serbia this weekend are sprinter Adam Thomas (Bracknell AC), 800m runner Guy Learmonth (Lasswade AC), and 1500m duo Erin Wallace and Neil Gourley (both Giffnock North).
Dingwall’s Heggie in final preparations for Scotland schools international
Dingwall Academy’s Caitlyn Heggie, who is to make her Scotland debut next weekend, will complete her preparations by competing in the national young athletes road running championships at Greenock on Sunday.
The 15-year-old Ross County club member has been selected for the girls’ 4k race at the schools international to be held at Pembrey Country Park, South Wales, on Saturday March 26. The match also features teams from England, Ireland and Wales.
Heggie has been in great cross country form since the beginning of the year, picking up bronze medals in the Scottish championships at Falkirk and in the Scottish Schools championships at South Queensferry.
She also showed her strength on the roads last weekend when winning the 5k held in conjunction with the Inverness half marathon, recording a personal best time of 17min 30secs.
Heggie will be joined in Greenock this weekend by clubmates Andrew Baird and George Ross in the under-15 boys’ race and by Jamie MacGruer at under-13 level.
Scottish age group indoor 800m and 1500m champion Hannah Taylor (Aberdeen AA) is to compete in the under-17 women’s race, alongside clubmate Grace MacDonald and the Inverness Harriers duo Anna Cairns and Mara Duffy.
Isla Burns and Sky Simpson of Inverness Harriers go in the under-13s race.
Stornoway’s Abbie Stewart, the North under-15 champion, is also included in the Scotland Schools team for the Welsh fixture next weekend. The Nicolson Institute pupil, who was silver medallist in her age group at the Scottish Schools championships, is to run in the girls’ 3k race.