Former Commonwealth Games runner returns for Simplyhealth Great Aberdeen Run
Former Commonwealth Games marathon man Graham Laing (handicap 7.7), will run in his home city for the first time in 28 years when he tackles the Simplyhealth Great Aberdeen Run 10km on 27th August, following a hip replacement.
The 60 year-old Inverness-based athlete was one of the country's top distance runners in the late 1970's and early 1980's and is now making a comeback on the masters scene after recovering from major hip surgery.
He was Scottish 10,000m track champion in 1979 and later that year won the Aberdeen marathon. Laing defended his Aberdeen title in 1980 and the following year finished fifth in the first London marathon, recording 2hrs 13 min 45secs which is still the 14thfastest ever run by a Scottish athlete. He also performed well in the marathon at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, finishing seventh in 2:14:54.
The former Great Britain and Scotland international has been living in Inverness since 1989, the year in which he last competed in Aberdeen, finishing third in the city’s half marathon.
Now he is eagerly looking forward to lacing up his trainers and taking to the streets which were so familiar to him three decades ago when he would regularly pound out 100 miles each week in training.
He said: “It should be really exciting to run in my home town again especially as the course goes up Carden Place and past Queen’s Cross, both of which are very close to where I lived for so long. Finishing on Union Street will also be a fantastic experience. It’s absolutely brilliant that an event like this is being held in Aberdeen and I’m sure it will be well supported.”