Thompson On Top Form In Glasgow

BRITISH HALF-MARATHON CHAMPION SEES OFF HAWKINS WHILE DANIEL DOMINATES IN HER ‘SPECIAL’ CITY

- Euan Crumley

CHRIS THOMPSON admits it takes him a while to get going in the morning these days. After a career which has involved a near constant battle with injury, his 36-year-old body now needs some persuading to respond when he asks questions of himself.

Yet there would have been something almost resembling a spring in his step on Monday morning when he awoke to the realisation of an impressive victory in the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run half-marathon.

When his body responds properly and everything falls into line, Thompson in full flow is still very much a force to be reckoned with. As BBC commentator Andrew Cotter observed, he is one of those runners who creates the impression of always moving extremely quickly.

He was certainly fleet of foot around the soggy streets of Glasgow – and he had to be to see off the challenge of Scotland’s Callum Hawkins and Tsegai Tewelde.

It was supposed to be the day when the 25-year-old local boy who had won this event in such style 12 months ago returned to be crowned again. However, Thompson didn’t follow that script and, after putting his foot down in mile five, established a gap that simply could not be bridged.

The British half-marathon champion crossed the line in 62:44, while Hawkins had to sprint down the closing straight with Tewelde to snatch second, both clocking 63:18.

For Thompson it was another welcome win hot on the heels of his success at the Robin Hood half-marathon at the end of last month – and he will savour this. After all, he admitted to having ‘retired at least 10 times mentally’ in finishing 13th at the Simply health Great North Run recently.

There have been plenty of downs for Thompson, who had to have extensive Achilles surgery three years ago, so the ups tend to leave a particularly sweet taste in his mouth, especially when success comes against opposition of the calibre he faced in Glasgow.