Megan Keith produced ‘greatest run in Inverness Harriers history’ to seal spot at Olympic Games in Paris this summer
Inverness Harriers club president Charlie Forbes has called Megan Keith’s run at the Night of 10,000m PBs on Saturday night “the greatest run ever by an Inverness Harrier in its 75-year history”.
The 22-year-old knew that she only needed to finish as one of the top two Brits in the race to seal her place at this summer’s Olympic Games, having already achieved the qualifying standard.
Keith, though, was determined not to settle for second best, and ran the perfect race to take the overall win in a time of 31:03.01.
She will be the first Inverness athlete to represent Team GB at the Olympics in an athletics discipline, and can already begin planning for Paris two months ahead of the biggest event in the sport.
Forbes wrote on social media: “Knowing she had only to finish in the top two places to gain automatic selection, Megan carefully and tactically worked round the 25-lap race to take the championship title and qualifying place with one of the most exciting finishes witnessed.
“It had the massive crowd shouting themselves hoarse, as well as I am sure all the club members watching it live on TV, as she found the extra energy to surge past the American Fiona O`Keeffe on the home straight to take the title.
“This is an incredible story not only for Inverness Harriers but for the Highlands and North District where Megan served her apprenticeship on the cross country leagues and track and field, and all the young up and coming youngsters should be inspired from her achievement of what can be done with the right attitude to enjoy running.
“I cannot ignore to mention that a lot of the planning to get Megan where she is today has been masterminded by her coach Ross Cairns, who has mentored her since a young age to get her where she is now and to the rest of her training group who have supported her in many sessions.
“I witnessed some of these sessions and watched the north’s top male runners crumble in a session one Saturday morning as Megan ground out lap after lap. That certainly helped her (on Saturday).”