Athletics: City distance star Murray leaves rivals in her wake

Published on Monday 13 July 2009 10:59

CAPITAL distance star Freya Murray grabbed the chance to capture her first UK track title when she won the 5,000 metres at the Aviva World Trials and UK Championships in Birmingham last night with a bold break which left her opponents trailing.

In blustery conditions, the 25-year-old Newcastle-based structural engineer came home well clear of nearest rival, England's Charlotte Purdue, in 15 mins 45.07 secs, fractionally outside her best ever time set only recently.

"That's certainly one of the highlights of my career so far," said the Edinburgh AC star, who is the current national cross country champion but has still to win a Scottish track title.

Murray was some ten seconds outside the Scottish Commonwealth Games qualifying standard for Delhi next year of 15:35.0, with the B standard for next month's World Championships selection another ten seconds quicker.

But the Heriot-Watt graduate is hoping to run another 5,000m at the London Golden League meeting at Crystal Palace a week on Friday. "I'd like to see what I can do with a stronger field," she said.

Murray was not just the only Home Scot to win a title but also the only one to medal.

Former English internationalist Henrietta Paxton, who recently switched sides to compete for Scotland, won silver in the pole vault, setting a new Scottish record of 4.15m which is also a Commonwealth Games qualifier.

Another Scottish convert Lennie Waite took a silver in the 3,000m steeplechase in 9:52.62, her second Commonwealth Games standard.

But, with Glasgow's 400m runner Lee McConnell and Capital high hurdler Allan Scott both out injured, places in the British team for Berlin next month look like being in short supply.

Fife's Nick Smith, the only Scot in any sprint, was bitterly disappointed after crashing out in the 100m semi-finals on Saturday.

"I was hoping for a final place after clocking 10.48 secs with no wind in last night's heats but the conditions were completely different today," said the five-time Scottish champion.

Into a headwind, Smith clocked 10.73 secs in fourth place behind Essex winner Tyrone Edgar (10.34).

Glasgow shot-putter Alison Rodger was nearly a metre below her best in fourth place with 14.96m when a silver medal had beckoned.

Edinburgh hammer thrower Susan McKelvie could manage only sixth with 57.07m, when a season's best would have given her a bronze, while EAC clubmnate Jayne Nisbet could only manage ninth in the high jump with a 1.74m leap.

Pitreavie's Francis Smith qualified for the 400 hurdles final in a season's best of 51.61 secs on Saturday but could manage only seventh in yesterday's final in 52.21.

Claire Gibson (Kilbarchan) reached her first UK 800m final, second in her heat in 2:02.51 behind Marilyn Okoro was sixth in yesterday's final as England's Jemma Simpson sprinted clear.