Natasha Phillips stormed to the fastest 10K by an under-20 athlete in nearly 40 years when she destroyed the course and series’ records at Sunday's Babcock Shettleston 10K on Glasgow Green.

Phillips, who in recent weeks has won the Scottish ten mile and 
half-marathon titles, was always at the head of proceedings, as she completed the first lap of 5K in a shade under 17 minutes before powering around the second circuit almost a minute quicker, to come home in 32:57 – nearly a minute ahead of second placed Kirsty Walker, who ran an impressive 33:49. Naomi Lang of Carnethy Hill Runners completed the podium in 34:46.

Natasha’s run was rewarded with another Scottish Athletics Championship gold medal, as she earned her third title in just over a month, but – perhaps more importantly – her run was the fastest 10K by an under-20 UK athlete since barefoot runner, Zola Budd, fresh from the Los Angeles Olympics the previous year, ran 32:20 in 1985.

Calum Johnson of Gateshead Harriers was determined to secure victory after a long journey up from Tyneside. He bided his time with the leading group for the first lap in around 14:56, before cutting loose and coming home in a course record of 29:45, with a 44 second margin over John Bell, who picked up his third Scottish medal but first title in recent weeks, and Alastair Hay, who was runner-up in the Scottish title race, with Cambuslang’s Ryan Thomson in third.

Equally impressive was Fiona Matheson’s UK over-60 record of 38:08. Fiona, from Falkirk Victoria, has been breaking age group records for more than 20 years and is showing no sign of slowing down. She was almost two minutes quicker than Mary Senior of Garscube, who won the over-50 category. Sara Green of Gala Harriers ran an impressive 35:09 to prevail amongst the over-forties.

In the men’s age groups, Darrell Hastie of Gala, in 12th overall, was first over-40 in a speedy 31:21. Robert Harrison, who has yet to join a club, squeezed out Alan Cunningham of Corstorphine by 4 seconds to take the over-fifties title in 34:24. Dave Thom of Cambuslang was a comfortable winner of the over-sixties in 36:36.

There were more than 750 entries for the second race in the 2023 Babcock 10K Series and a further 130 runners in the Babcock 2.3K Family Fun Run. The series now moves on to Dumbarton for the final race on Thursday 25 at 7.30pm. Entries remain open until 18 May.

Image: Babcock 10K Series/Daren Borzynski