Breakthrough for Jemma Reekie in Scottish cross-country win

ATHLETICS Jemma Reekie admitted advice from Laura Muir helped spur her to inherit the Scottish cross-country title from her training partner.

Jemma Reekie crosses the line to win the Scottish Cross Country Championships at Lanark. Picture: Bobby Gavin/scottishathletics

The European junior champion, pictured, claimed her first senior crown by winning the short course race at Lanark in 13 minutes and seven seconds to pip Morag Millar.

“I guess I’ve kept it in the training group since Laura has won this the last three years,” said Reekie. “I would love to have raced her here but she has her own training programme at the moment and of course that’s very important.”

Another of Muir’s protégés, Sol Sweeney, took the men’s crown ahead of Adam Craig and Michael Ferguson with Anna Macfadyen landing the Under-20 title.

Meanwhile, Muir will have a little more work to do to qualify for next year’s IAAF world championships in Doha after the sport’s chiefs abandoned plans to give spots automatically to the world rankings leaders. The proposal has met with opposition from a number of athletes amid claims of a lack of consultation.