The British record-holder and Ben Stevenson claim senior race victories at Renfrew

Laura Muir successfully defended her senior title at the Lindsays Scottish Short Course XC Championships at Renfrew on Saturday in her first race on Scottish soil since her seventh place finish at the Rio Olympics.

The 1500m Diamond Race winner and British record-holder clocked 13:20 for the 4km course to win for Glasgow Uni by 40 seconds from GB international Rosie Smith of Hunters Bog Trotters.

Central AC’s Morag MacLarty claimed the bronze medal and led her club-mates to the team golds and overall success in the Scottish Cross Country Team Challenge ahead of Edinburgh AC and Reekie’s Kilbarchan.

“It was fun to be racing again and I always love cross country,” said Muir.

“Really it was about getting back in the routine because I have not raced since a road event at Newcastle at the start of September so it has been two months.

“The course was flat but the wind was really strong today – that makes it all the harder when you are out on your own and I had to fight into it the whole way around.”

Muir’s training partner, Jemma Reekie, came through to win the under-20 women’s title.

Falkirk Victoria Harriers athlete Ben Stevenson won the senior men’s race by four seconds from Shettleston’s Tewolde Mengisteab, as Aberdeen AAC’s Michael Ferguson claimed bronze.

It was a double for Central AC as they took the men’s team race from Cambuslang Harriers and Shettleston Harriers.

Connor Maclean won the under-20 men’s race.

Scottish under-17 athlete of the year, Giffnock North’s Erin Wallace, won the under-17 women’s race, with Adam Scott of Fife AC taking the under-17 men’s victory.

Lily Jane Evans-Haggerty of VP-Glasgow won the under-15 gold, with Hamish Armitt likewise in the under-15 boys race over 2km.