Kelly Holmes reigned supreme at Balmoral Castle and will return north next month to try to conquer Glasgow as the first step on the track towards world 1500 metre gold.
Holmes broke off her training in South Africa with Olympic 800m champion Maria Mutola to compete on Saturday, and was delighted with her victory in the EventScotland mile in the castle grounds.
Commonwealth bronze medallist Helen Clitheroe gave Holmes the competitive race she hoped for, reaching the turn in 2.11 before having to face a ferocious wind. Holmes tracked her until the last 400m when she then showed her strength and pulled away to win by a second in 4.35. Commonwealth 1500m champion Michael East won the men's mile in 4.09.
Holmes has now returned to Johannesburg but will be at Glasgow's Scotstoun Stadium on June 29 for her first track run of the season against the Americans and Russians in the Norwich Union International.
''I am very much looking forward to that and will be running an 800.'' That could put her in against Scotland's Susan Scott.
Ethiopia's Berhane Adere outsprinted Benita Johnson to win the Entenmann's five-mile event. Colette Fagan, of Glasgow, turned in a creditable performance to finish third Briton in ninth place.
Fagan's coach, Liz McColgan, pulled on running shoes again to captain a charity team of TV stars in the BUPA Great Caledonian Run (10.2km). She was first woman home in 37.25, two minutes clear of former UK internationalist Paula Fudge.
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