Altitude training aids Murray's cause

Published on Sunday 29 November 2009 21:48

FREYA Murray credited her recent spell of altitude training under former London Marathon winner Steve Jones for propelling her to a place in Great Britain's team for next month's European Cross Country Championships in Dublin.

Murray, along with fellow Scot Beth Potter, secured selection with a top-three finish at Saturday's UK trials in Liverpool's Sefton Park. The Durham-based athlete produced a gritty run on her return from Colorado to end up 11 seconds adrift of comfortable winner, Hayley Yelling, with Jess Sparke in third. "I've just finished a great block of training and this was my first cross country race of the season, so I just wanted a good run out and I felt comfortable," said Murray. "It was hard. I thought I'd try to stick with Hayley for as long as possible but I'm pleased with the way that I ran"

Laura Kenney finished as the fourth senior, but is likely to earn one of the three wild-card spots in the GB squad, along with Steph Twell who opted out of the event.

However, Potter guaranteed her berth in the Under-20 team with a blistering third place in the junior women's race behind victor, Emelia Gorecka.