Jones and Gyurko Head Top Class Field in Baxters River Ness 10km
Welshman Kristian Jones (handicap -5.0) appears to be the favourite to win the men’s title in the Baxters River Ness 10km which has attracted a top class domestic field, with Fanni Gyurkó (Central AC), pictured above, defends her title.
The Tayside-based runner, who represents Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, enjoyed a successful summer season during which he won the Scottish 5,000m and 10,000m track titles. He set his fastest 10,000, track time of 29:05.66secs at Highgate in May and represented Great Britain in the European Cup 10,000m at Minsk, but failed to finish.
There’s no doubt Jones has the potential to threaten the course record of 29:35 set by Shettleston’s Amanuel Hagos in 2008, but only if he has fully recovered from taking third position in last weekend’s Ring of Steall 29km mountain marathon at Glen Coe.
There are a number of other runners who are capable of challenging for top spot. Neil Renault (handicap - 3.0 from Edinburgh AC) has won for the past two years and he is keen to complete his hat-trick, while Fife's Logan Rees (handicap -4.1), who was silver medallist in the Scottish 10km championships at Stirling earlier in the month, will be another strong contender.
Aberdeen AAC’s Will Mackay (handicap -3.5), a two-time Scottish 10,000m track champion, is another regular in this race, having finished second in 2015 and fourth last year while Central's Ali Hay (handicap -4.6) ,a Scotland Commonwealth Games 1500m representative in 2010, is another who will be hoping to make an impact.
Scotland-based Hungarian international Fanni Gyurkó, pictured above from Central AC, will defend her title in the women’s race but she faces some formidable opposition led by Jenny Bannerman (handicap 1.2 ) from Inverness Harriers.
Bannerman won the River Ness race in 2014 but was beaten into second place by Gyurkó last year. However, the Inverness runner posted her fastest time for over a year, 35:42, when picking up the bronze medal in the Scottish 10km championships at Stirling recently when Gyurkó was 54secs behind.
Bannerman warned, however, against reading too much into Gyurkó’s Stirling performance. She said: “Fanni is training for the Frankfurt marathon in October and she told me she had run 30km the day before the Stirling race, which is incredible.”
Bannerman heads a strong Inverness squad which also includes teenager Emily Andrew,15, who is tackling her first 10km after winning the River Ness 5km last year.
Aberdeen AAC’s Nicola Gauld ,(handicap 1.4), who was fourth at Stirling in 36:12, has never won the River Ness race but is never far away when the prizes are being distributed. The 2017 Scottish masters 5,000m track champion was second in 2012 and 2013, third in 2015 and fourth last year.
English athlete Dani Nimmock, (handicap 2.3), could, however, pose a threat to them all as she has a best time of 35:29 set when winning a 10km in Norwich earlier in the year.