Laura Muir swapped a packed stadium in London for Kirkcaldy High School on Saturday as she raced for the first time since the World Championships and the double London 2017 finalist didn’t disappoint the crowds in Fife at the Lindsays Short Course Champs as she won the Scottish 4K XC gold for the fourth time in five years.

It was a typically imperious performance from Muir to make it a hat-trick of consecutive wins in this event, finishing in 12 minutes 53 seconds almost a full minute clear.

Central AC’s Cameron Boyek meanwhile proved his class to take victory in a keenly-contested senior men’s race, winning Boyek by four seconds as his rivals battled for medals just a few metres behind him and his success led Central AC's men home for three-in-a-row in the team event.

Laura’s decision to race at Kirkcaldy – having been a loyal supporter of the 4K for the past half dozen years – had captured the attention of the athletics community in Scotland and the Rio Olympian took the advantage early on, then built a bigger gap the longer the race went on.

Kirkcaldy-raised Steph Pennycook (13.47) made the best of giving chase to make sure she took a silver medal in the colours of team champions Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hound, while Central AC’s Morag MacLarty, another athlete who has made a huge contribution to these events over the years, was third in 13.50.

It was also another hugely encouraging day for the sport in Scotland. Numbers are up for these events and as just one example there were 411 finishers in the Senior Men's 4K race - with that figure being 227 in 2014.

‘I really enjoyed being out there racing again and loved the support around the course,’ said Laura, who raced in the colour of Glasgow Uni and will soon turn her attention towards the World Indoors in Birmingham.

‘Did I stretch the lead more on the second lap? I really couldn’t tell you – I was just trying to focus on my own run. I’ve only missed one training run all winter so far (despite Uni placements and course work in her final year.

‘I’m getting everything I want to in and it’s been going really well. I keep plugging away. I felt in good shape here.

‘It’s nice to win it again. And now the indoor season is the next big focus. Because I want to perform well there.’

Just behind the top three, Anna Macfadyen took fourth place to win the U20 gold medal and put a marker down for the Euro Cross trials in Liverpool. U20 athlete Erin Wallace had a good run, too, only hours after winning the Young Sportswoman of the Year Award from Scottish Women in Sport.

VP-Glasgow took the silver team medals, with Josephine Moultrie in sixth place, and host club Fife AC savoured bronze medals for their women’s team.

Boyek helped Scotland to a Stewart Cup 4 x 1K Relay win at the Great Edinburgh XC early in 2016 but the 1500m runner has had injury problems in the interim.

‘It was good to win that and I knew reading the preview that there were some good names there and strong competition,’ said Cameron.

‘I just managed to get a bit of lead and then pushed it on when I could. I wasn’t sure what was going on behind me.

‘After the injuries that I’ve had, I am determined just to put in a solid winter and that means some cross country – certainly over this kind of distance. The 4K was probably ideal and I will be doing indoors as well.

‘I believe there is a 4 x 1500m race at the Euro Cross and I think GB are planning to send a team to that so hopefully winning here helps me stake a selection claim for that.’

Three athletes were on 12.05 behind Boyek, with Lachlan Oates of Shettleston taking the silver and Sol Sweeney of Glasgow Uni the bronze medal and the U20 gold. Aberdeen’s Michael Ferguson was fourth.

Central took the men's team title with Cambuslang Harriers in silvers and Inverclyde AC bronze.