Laura Muir revelled in the voluble backing of Scottish support as she ramped up her preparation for Glasgow 2019 by leading Great Britain to relay victory at the Great Stirling Cross-Country.
The event, staged in Stirling for the first time after five years in Edinburgh, was the 25-year-old’s last outdoor event before the European Athletics Indoor Championships from March 1-3.
The Glasgow 2019 ambassador ran a 4:38 final kilometre leg to cut the tape for her team in an overall time of 17:36, roared on by partisan home hoards.
The reigning double European indoor champion was delighted to preserve her unbeaten record in the event, which she has won in each of her six appearances, and to experience the warmth of a Scottish welcome.
“The team set it up great for me, I just had to be strong at the finish and I’m very happy we continued our winning streak in that event,” he said.
“It was great home support out there, people were shouting all the way round.
“I was hearing people shouting out the name of my high school! It was fantastic, I love racing on home soil so it was great opportunity to be there.”
Muir now heads to South Africa for a spell of altitude training before returning to British soil for the British Athletics Indoor Championships and the Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham next month.
The Scot, based in Glasgow for the past seven years, feels another camp in Cape conditions will help her peak for the European Athletics Indoor Championships in just 47 days’ time.
“It’ll just be the same as always to be honest – we know what we do in South Africa works,” she said.
“It’s just a matter of doing it somewhere slightly warmer and drier!
“It’ll be nice to put in a solid block of training and come back for the indoors in good form.”
The European Athletics Indoor Championship Glasgow 2019 is guaranteed to give the Scottish crowd unmissable entertainment. The full competition schedule is now live on www.glasgow2019athletics.com with tickets available across all events