Course records fall in Perth on Sunday in the British and Scottish 100km Championships

In near perfect conditions in Perth, the Sri Chinmoy 100km race, which incorporated the British and Scottish 100km Championship together with the annual Anglo Celtic Plate Home Countries International, saw victories by England’s Matt Dickinson and Scotland’s Jo Murphy, Adrian Stott reports.

In one of the most competitive 100km races ever seen in Britain on Sunday (April 3) seven men broke the magical seven-hour barrier and three women the magical eight-hour barrier with a string of personal bests throughout the field.

Running his first 100km road race, Dickinson was content to sit in the pack in the early stages. At 50km, which was reached in around 3hr 18min, no less than two minutes separated the top 12 men. Approaching the 40 miles mark, as some slowed or faltered, the Clapham Chaser maintained a steady pace to ease into the lead and achieve almost even 50km splits to win in 6:39:34 breaking Charlie Harpur’s 2019 course record by almost four minutes.

Behind him England’s Ollie Garrod and the two Scots from Metro Aberdeen – Jason Kelly and Chris Richardson looked strong along with Northern Ireland’s Gareth King.

Kelly finished second in 6:42:23 with Garrod third in 6:46:50 and King fourth in an all-Ireland record of 6:47:33 .

Former women’s champion Sam Amend and her English team-mate Caroline Turner led through 50km in 3:46 with Murphy running at her own pace a few minutes further back in 3:52:29.

Murphy, the winner in Ireland last August, was to prove the stronger again, showing incredible pace judgement to run a negative split coming home in 7:41:12 – a PB by almost 10 minutes and obliterating the long held course record of 8:00:30 set by former GB international Emily Gelder in 2011.

Amend took second in 7:48:39 PB with Turner in her first 100km placing third in 7:51:39.

The Norman Wilson Trophies for the best newcomers were taken by Dickinson and Turner.

In the Scottish Championship, Kelly turned the tables  for 2021 on his clubmate Chris Richardson. The Scottish title and the Don Ritchie trophy will remain in the North East but in a different household.

Richardson had the satisfaction of improving his PB by almost 10 minutes but in this high quality field it was only good enough for seventh overall. Ron Turner took bronze in the Scottish Championship.

Murphy retained her women’s title and the Don Ritchie Trophy. Behind her Fife AC’s Alison McGill made a huge breakthrough, finishing fifth overall and second Scot in 8:02:34 just missing the GB team standard. Lynne Allen of Kirkintilloch was third in 8:41:40.

In the Anglo Celtic Plate team competition, it was England who ran out victors in both the men’s and women’s races. Scotland took second place in both categories with Northern Ireland taking third men’s team and Ireland third women’s team.