STEPHEN WYLIE capped his athletics comeback yesterday with a title he believes he should have won nine years ago.
Wylie won the Diet Coke half marathon at East Kilbride in 68min 17sec, claiming the Scottish crown, but he had mixed feelings about the non-arrival of English athletes said to have been intent on pursuit of world qualifying times.
It would have made a race of an event which he won unchallenged, slower than earlier victories at Alloa and Stranraer.
In 1994, Wylie was fourth behind three English invaders when the title race was staged in Dunfermline, with what remains his best time, 65.50. Being first Scot then, he thought he would receive the Scottish title, but did not.
He subsequently suffered an injury. ''I didn't run a step for more than four years,'' said the Cambuslang runner. ''It's nice to win it at last.''
He has, however collected the 10-mile and 10k road titles, and this year was runner-up for the national cross-country title.
''I'm so glad to be back racing again after so much bad luck. I spent well over (pounds) 1000 on physio for a pelvic injury.''
Kenny Herriot, the Scottish marathon record holder, won the wheelchair event, but was misdirected and believes the time lost may have cost him a personal best, but the race was also a triumph for runner-up Nicky Diatchenko. The Fifer was paralysed 12 years ago, but suffered a second car accident and fractured his spine again last year. ''This was my first half marathon since the accident,'' he said.
Toni McIntosh won the women's title in a personal-best 75:59, 18 seconds clear of Jo Lodge. It was the English woman's first race since suffering an injury in the Berlin Marathon. ''I hope this has proved my fitness for the world championships,'' she said. GB selectors had named her for Paris subject to proving fitness.
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