Lemoncello aims for Olympics

Andrew Lemoncello will now train his sights on securing an Olympic Games berth after coming seventh in the Bupa Great Edinburgh Run yesterday on his comeback from injury.

The 28-year-old Fifer, sidelined from last month’s world championships, was well off the pace set by Kenya’s Martin Mathathi, who won in 28 minutes three seconds in wet and often treacherous conditions in the capital.

However Lemoncello, who flew in from his home in Arizona less than 24 hours before the race, came through what was effectively a prolonged fitness test unscathed and will now begin his build-up in earnest towards next month’s Fukuoka Marathon in Japan.

“The body’s in a good position,” he said. “Anything under 31 minutes was going to be good on this course and with my fitness at this level, so to go 30-flat was above expectations. I didn’t feel as weak as I expected considering I only got to sleep at 4am. I was a little tired but the main thing I was worried about was how my legs would be after and there’s no issue with them. That’s the biggest thing.”

Up ahead, Mathathi showed no ill effects from his victorious outing a fortnight before in the Great North Run, sprinting away from defending champion Titus Mbishei in the final stages of the ten-kilometre event to set a new course record. “I hadn’t planned to wait,” he confirmed. “I wanted to get out to the front but Titus set the pace. But I felt strong at the end and just pulled away.”

His win made it a Kenyan double after Lucy Kubuu took the women’s title in 32:28 with a confident display of front running. Just as impressive however was the performance of young British prospect Charlotte Purdue, who came second, just fourth months after the knee surgery which wrecked her summer.

European indoor 3000 metres champion Helen Clitheroe was fourth while Fife’s Hester Dix came sixth, securing the Scottish Inter-County title for her efforts.