Megan Keith gets Scotstoun roaring with courageous Commonwealth Games run watched by special fan

The Inverness athlete has a background in orienteering and came late to track running and she navigated her way around Scotstoun with aplomb.

Making her move with four laps to go, Keith, 24, took the race to early contenders from Kenya and Uganda. She seized the lead and was still in front as the bell sounded. She was eventually overhauled halfway round the final lap by Australian pair Rose Davies and Jessica Hull, with Davies winning gold ahead of the Olympic silver medallist.

But this was a thrilling performance from Keith and redemption after her disappointment in the 10,000m on Monday when she finished ninth. The longer distance is her more favoured event so she was delighted to make amends.

‘They wanted to see Scottish people do their thing’

“It feels brilliant,” she said. “I've not quite come to terms with it because the 5k medal wasn't really what I came for this week but I just wanted to leave it all out there tonight because I didn't feel like I did myself justice on Monday.

“I was quite happy coming away with a position potentially worse than the 10k but I just knew if I raced like myself then I was going to be happy and I raced like myself and I came away with a medal so I think that says all I need to know about sticking to my guns.”

Keith said she had no real race plan but was determined to give the home supporters something to shout about.

“The crowd had come to watch Scottish people do their thing so I knew I had to grab the opportunity,” she said.

“I've never raced in front of a home crowd quite like this so I don't know if I can compare but for distance races you're used to people having eyes on you on the start line and then they go to the field for either 12 laps or 24 laps and then they come back. But the roar tonight just started and didn't stop and it intensified on the last lap. They pushed me down every straight but especially the home straight.”

Cheered on by 100-year-old grandad

Among the spectators at Scotstoun was Murray Kirkwood, her 100-year-old grandad, who greeted her post-race after much searching by Keith.

“I found him eventually. Got three quarters of the way around the track and then was told he was right back at the finish line so I found him and I think he's still trying to work out what happened but he'll be so happy.”

Laura Muir, suffering from a stitch, trailed in 16th while the third Scot in the field, Eloise Walker was 15th.

Earlier, local favourite Alyson Bell was edged out in the 200m semi-finals, finishing sixth (23.42) as Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands broke the Games record in a time of 22.01. Glasgow’s Bell still has the 4x100m relay to come on Saturday.

Decathlon duo impress

Scottish pair Callum Newby and Joel McFarlane sit sixth and eighth respectively in the decathlon standings ahead of the second and final day of competition. Both posted 1.88m in the high jump but then excelled in the 400m, finishing first and second in the fastest heat.

Newby ran a strong final bend to take the lead and won in a time of 48.49, a new personal best, to move on to 4084 points. McFarlane (49.30) wasn’t far behind and is now on 3916 points. Canada’s Damian Warner leads the overall standings on 4353 points, ahead of India’s Tejaswin Shankar (4339) and England’s Sammy Ball (4249)

Thea LaFond, who emigrated from Dominica to the United States as a young child, triumphed in the women’s triple jump (14.60m), with silver and bronze going to Jamaican duo Ackelia Smith and Shantae Foreman.

The men’s shot was won by Chukwuebuka Enekwechi of Nigeria whose best throw of 21.07m was 4cm better than New Zealand’s Tom Walsh’s. England’s Scott Lincoln (20.99) took bronze.

Canada’s Sheriauna broke the Games record in winning the women’s 100m T47 in a time of 12.23 and there was gold for Zac Shaw of England in the men’s 100m T12 (10.89).

In the morning session, Jemma Reekie and Sarah Calvert qualified for the final of the Commonwealth Mile. Both Scots ran season’s best times, with Reekie fourth in her heat (4:35.15) and Calvert sixth (4:32.04). Erin Wallace, who was .04 of a second slower than Calvert, just missed out. Pitreavie AAC’s Nicole Yeargin sprinted into the women’s 400m final, finishing third in her semi in a time of 51.98.