US-based Brit’s brilliant form continues with 27:10.41 victory in ‘The Ten’ in California as both Scott and Eilish McColgan comfortably nail Olympic qualifiers

After his 7:36.03 victory for 3000m at the Prickly Pear Invitational earlier this month, Marc Scott’s appearance over 10,000m this weekend in California was much anticipated. He did not disappoint either as he took 46 seconds off his PB to go No.2 on the UK all-time rankings behind Mo Farah with 27:10.41.

Not only did he run a super-fast time but he finished with a flourish, surging into the lead with 2km to go and closing the race with a 57.13 final lap to beat Grant Fisher (27:11.29) with Woody Kincaid third (27:12.78) and Ben True fourth (27:14.95).

“I was just trying to close as quick as I could and to bring my team-mates (from Bowerman Track Club) with me,” he told the organisers Sound Running. “I didn’t really look at the clock so didn’t know what to expect. It wasn’t a bad showing though in the end tonight.”

Scott has overtaken former UK record-holders like Jon Brown, Eamonn Martin and Dave Bedford on the all-time rankings. On his time, he said: “It was a goal of mine coming into tonight. I’m really glad to get into that position (second all-time) and hopefully I can have a few more opportunities to break the 27min barrier and get into the 26s and then maybe go for that No.1 time.”

Helped by pacemakers Evan Jager and Sean McGorty, the runners settled into a rhythm of 65-66-second laps before speeding up with a final 800m of 1:58.31 as Scott smashed the Olympic qualifier by 18 seconds.

If Scott one day beats Farah’s time, could a knighthood follow? “You’d expect it, right!?” he joked.

On his next races, he suggested the European Indoor Championships in Poland was an option for also a track 5000m at the same Californian track in a fortnight.

Cranny victorious as McColgan impresses

Elise Cranny won the women’s race in 30:47.42 in her 10,000m track debut as she out-kicked fellow American and Bowerman Track Club colleague Karissa Schweizer (30:47.99) with Eilish McColgan third (30:58.94) as they all finished comfortably inside the Olympic qualifier of 31:25.

McColgan’s time lifted her from No.7 to No.5 on the UK all-time rankings, although she narrowly missed her mother Liz’s Scottish record of 30:57.07.

Paula Radcliffe, Jo Pavey and Julia Bleasdale are the only Brits to have run quicker than the McColgans.

“Gutted to be just 1s outside my mum’s PB and Scottish record,” said McColgan, who looks set to make her half-marathon debut in Atlanta next weekend, “but can’t complain with a big PB and sub 31! Definitely worth the last minute flight to LA.”

Vanessa Fraser and Courtney Frerichs set the early pace and the runners passed halfway in 15:35. McColgan took the lead with seven laps to go but Cranny injected pace with 72-second lap with five laps to go and pulled clear with her training partner Schweizer as McColgan dug in a few metres adrift with Emily Infeld, the latter of whom would finish in fourth with 31:08.57.

Schweizer led through the final lap but with a 65.11 last 400m Cranny had the sharpest finish as the duo went No.3 and No.4 on the US all-time lists.

The event featured a novel prize system with fans donating money in a crowd-funding style toward a prize pot and Scott said his team-mates would likely go out for a meal afterwards to celebrate their winnings.

To watch the races click here.