By Fraser Clyne
Moray Pryde‘s running career reached new heights when the Lothian Running Club member won the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon for the second year in a row in a fabulous course record and personal best time of 2:19.26.
Moray’s performance cut 47 seconds from the previous mark set by Kenya’s Simon Tonui in 2009.
It was Pryde’s third marathon victory over the past 12 months, having won at Edinburgh in May in addition to last October’s success in the Highlands.
But this is the first time he has broken 2:20 and he was obviously thrilled with the outcome.
‘I have to acknowledge that conditions were absolutely perfect, but I’m really chuffed to win and to get the course record,’ said Moray, who is ocahced by Owen Williams.
‘I certainly thought it was on after running 2:22:04 last year. I said at that time that I was aiming for under 2:20 at some point, and it has taken a year to get there.
‘We set off quite fast over the first 10 miles and I actually got a personal best half marathon time along the way and I just tried to keep it going.’
Pryde, who made his marathon debut at Loch Ness in 2019 when he recorded 2:51:04, now has his sights set on a first overseas adventure in Seville,
Manchester’s Tom Charles, who finished second behind Pryde last year, and also at Edinburgh, again tried to stay with the Mussleburgh athlete, but dropped off the pace in the second half and was eventually caught by Shaun Cumming (East Sutherland Running Club).
Charles, in obvious discomfort, struggled home in 2:31:59, with Cumming ahead in 2:31:16.
Melissah Gibson (Ealing Eagles) successfully defended her title in the women’s race after an epic dual with Rachel Boswell (Thames Hare and Hounds), while 2012 Olympian Freya Ross came unstuck after leading through the first half of the contest.
Gibson also revealed that the Loch Ness race was a warm-up for an even bigger challenge in the near future.
‘I am competing at the world 100k championships in India in December, so I felt that if I could run sub three hours today, that would be a good indicator that things are heading the right way again.
‘Last year Loch Ness was my 90th marathon and today was my 103rd, so I haven’t been doing as many as usual because I’m looking to the 100k.’
Runner-up Boswell celebrated her 32nd birthday by clocking 2:55:14. Katie Wilson (Highland Hill Runners) came through in the closing…
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