An exciting 5K
Probably the biggest disappointment for local athletics fans supporting the Commonwealth Games was the withdrawal through injury of Eilish McColgan, which denied her the opportunity to defend her 2022 title in the 10K. Moreover, to do it in Scotland.
As reported earlier, the 10K had been an epic race with the Australian Rose Davies winning. The 5K saw Davies attempting an unlikely double. For the home crowd there was a young pretender, Megan Keith, and intriguingly the queen of Scottish middle distance, Laura Muir, stepping to the line in the longer distance.
At the other end of her career there was 20-year-old Innes FitzGerald, European under 20 champion at 5K and in cross country. Then there was Jess Hull; we clearly find the days in Glasgow drag. Having qualified for the final of the mile in the morning, she set out in the 5K in the evening!
Some questions were quickly answered. Laura Muir was never in the race, finishing 16th in 15:19.75, the third Scot to finish; one wonders when that last happened.
FitzGerald, similarly, never got beyond the middle of the pack, finishing 11th in 15:02.80.
Megan Keith looked strong and took the lead with three laps to go. She had Australian company, with Rose Davies completing a unique 5/10K Commonwealth double.
Jess Hull showed no ill effects of her morning exertions to be second, with Megan Keith holding on for third, as follows:
1 Rose Davies 14:44.53
2 Jess Hull 14:45.01
3 Megan Keith 14:49.01
