McIntosh Hopes to Complete 7-Year Cycle at Baxters Loch Ness Marathon

Shona McIntosh of Glasgow Uni (time 3.04.29 ) at Loch Ness Marathon in 2007

Shona McIntosh (Hunters Bog Trotters) makes her third appearance in the Baxters Loch Ness marathon this weekend and is aiming for top spot on the podium after two near misses over the past 14 years.

The Musselburgh athlete was runner-up in the women’s division of the race on her first outing, in 2007, then finished third in 2014. Roll on another seven years and the 38 year-old mum-of-two hopes to complete her medal collection with a gold.

Aside from the marathon, McIntosh has an impressive record in the Highland capital, winning the Inverness half marathon in 2011 and 2015 and taking top spot in the Baxters River Ness 10k in 2015

McIntosh has a best marathon time of 2:40:06 set at London in 2015 and recently won the Scottish half marathon on her home patch in 1:20:28.

She said: “It would be nice to be on the podium again seven years later. I feel as though my training has been going well but it’s hard to say as there hasn’t been many races.
I did the Scottish half marathon but, as it was only two weeks before Loch Ness, I didn’t want to push it too hard. So, I think I’m in better shape than my time there might indicate.

“Last time I was at Loch Ness I started far too fast on the downhills and paid for that. I’ll try not to make that mistake again. But it’s my first marathon for more than three years so I’m worried I’ve forgotten how hard to can be. Seriously, though, I’m looking forward to running there again.”

Luton athlete Charlene Jacobs-Conradie is shaping up as another contender for the women’s title. The veteran Hertfordshire athlete has a best time of 2:46:48 set when winning the 2019 Yorkshire marathon.

Sheena Logan (Fife AC), who won the 2018 Loch Ness race in a personal best 2:51:11, is also showing good form at the moment. The Cupar-based runner, who was third in 2019, recently set her fastest 10k time when winning at Perth and was close to her best half marathon time in the Great North Run.

Helen Cross (Knavesmire), who recorded 2:55:46 at Malaga in 2019, also has the ability to challenge for the top prizes while former course record holder Megan Crawford (Fife AC),who won in 2013 and 2015, is another strong competitor.

Nicola MacDonald (Metro Aberdeen), the 2019 Loch Rannoch marathon champion looks set to make an impact while others expected to feature strongly include Jill Mykura (Carnethy) who was third in 2016, Jen Granger (Southampton) who clocked a personal best 3:00:30 for second position in the 2019 Bournemouth marathon, Catriona Buchanan (Central AC) who has a best of 3:01:00 from London in 2019, and Lisa Tang (Hexham) who recorded a half marathon best of 1:23:36 at the Great North Run last month.

The men’s race appears to be the most open in many years following the withdrawl of the two favourites.

Prolific marathon runner Adam Holland, from Devon, set a personal best 2:24:24 when finishing second here in 2018, and he was hoping to go one better on this occasion.
Family comitments have,however, forced the Run Across Scotland ultra race champion to pull out. He said: “We have a nine month old baby and have had to take some time out this week to look after her. I was very much looking forward to the marathon, but the time it takes to get up to Inverness will be too long, in case I am needed back home. I very much hope to be back in 2022.”

And French athlete Guillaume Ruel has also pulled out. The 23 year-old, from Normandy, vowed to attack the men’s course record of 2:20:13 set by Kenya’s Simon Tonui in 2009 but covid travel restrictions have put paid to his hopes. He said: “I am very disappointed because I am in very good shape and I was looking for a sub 2:18 time after running 2:20 at Milan in May. I hope to be in Inverness next year to break this barrier.”

In their absence, Welshman Geraint Williams seems to be most likely to lead the contest for the podium positions after setting a personal best 2:30:57 at the Cheshire elite marathon in April.

RECORD UNDER THREAT IN BAXTERS RIVER NESS 10K

Could the longest surviving record in the Baxters festival of running finally fall this weekend? Kenyan athlete Cathy Mutwa posted an impressive time of 33min 46secs when taking the River Ness women’s title in 2006 and no-one has managed to break the 34min barrier since then. But this just might be the year when that mark comes under real threat as local athlete Megan Keith has been showing the sort of form which suggests she is capable of doing the job.

The Inverness Harriers club member made a big impression when winning the 10k two years ago at the age of 17. She clocked 34:42 but has progressed significantly since then. This summer she won the British under-20’s 5,000m track title and finished inches away from a medal when finishing fourth in the 3,000m at the European junior championships in Estonia. Her best 5,000m time of 16:08 suggests she is more than capable of testing Mutwa’s record.

Keith, who is now studying sports science at Edinburgh University, isn’t ruling anything out. She said: “This year I’d hope to run faster than in I did in 2019 and the record is certainly something I’ll keep in mind. I’ll give it a good crack. I’d like to think it’s possible, but we’ll see what happens on the day. It’s just a great event to be involved in. There’s a fantastic atmosphere with the course going round the town and so many people coming out to watch.”

Jenny Bannerman,33, will be aiming to push her young clubmate all the way as she attempts to add to her three previous victories in the women’s 10k. She is getting back towards peak form after shrugging off a couple of minor illnesses and last month won the Scottish 10k title at Stirling.

Others expected to be vying for a podium position include another Inverness club member, Amy Hudson, Laura Gibson (Fife AC) and Louise Cartmell (Moray Road Runners) Fife AC.

Sean Chalmers (Inverness Harriers) appears to be favourite to win the men’s race on the back of his personal best time of 29:55 set at Forres last December. However, the Aberdeen-based PE teacher, who was runner-up in 2019, admits he’s not quite sure just how fit he is after a summer disrupted by injury and illness.

He said: “Things have gone as well as they could over the past five or six weeks. But I had a horrible start to the summer. I’d just got over one injury then picked up a nasty back problem which meant no activity for three weeks.

“I got a couple of runs in but picked up the norovirus and then a throat infection, so my summer of running was written off. However, my physio,James Cruickshank, got me back on track and things have gone consistently over the past six weeks and the mileage is starting to creep up.

“I’m getting some sessions in now and the pace is getting there. I got a confidence boost when running 14:37 in last week’s Aberdeen parkrun 5k so I’m excited to just get out and race. It will be interesting to see how the 10k unfolds but I aim to make it an honest race by setting off at a good steady pace.”

Rochdale’s David Proctor could also be in the frame. He has a best time of 30:09, but it dates back to 2011. However, the experienced Lancashire athlete has shown good form over 1500m on the track this summer, so he can’t be discounted.

Scotland track international Stephen Mackay (Inverness Harriers) should be among the challengers along with Max Abernethy (Fraserburgh), Ryan Donald (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers) and Scotland 100k international Jason Kelly (Metro Aberdeen).

Event Director Malcolm Sutherland is delighted that the races can finally go ahead after all the trials and tribulations of the past 18 months which resulted in the 2020 festival of running being cancelled.

He said: “I’d like to thank everyone for their patience over this difficult period and it’s fantastic that so many runners have returned to support the event. We have 4,900 signed up for the marathon with 1,780 runners in the 10k and a further 900 in the accompanying 5k. We’ll be accepting further 5k entries at registration on Saturday and Sunday, on a first come, first served basis.”