Megan Keith
Personal information
NationalityGreat Britain
Born (2002-04-23) 23 April 2002
Sport
SportAthletics
Event5000m
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)5000m: 14:56.98 (London, 2023)
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
European U23 Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 Espoo5000m
European Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 BrusselsU23 race
Gold medal – first place2023 BrusselsU23 team
Gold medal – first place2021 DublinU20 race
Silver medal – second place2022 TurinU23 race
Women's orienteering
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2019 Silkeborg Relay

Megan Keith (born 23 April 2002) is a Scottish track and field athlete and cross country runner. In 2023, she became the European U23 champion over 5000 metres.[1]

Career

Early career

During her teenage years, Keith competed in orienteering and won European and World Youth Championship gold medals in the sport, before starting to focus on running at around the ages of 16-17.[2] In 2018, at her international orienteering debut, she became the first ever female to win a gold medal for Great Britain at the European Youth Orienteering Championships in Bulgaria, winning the sprint event by a huge margin of 34 seconds.[3] In 2019, Keith went on to be part of the British relay team that won the Junior World Orienteering Championships in Denmark, the first ever British gold medal in the competition.[4][5]

Following this success, Keith won Scottish Young Sportswoman of the Year at the Scottish Women in Sport awards.[6][7] Immediately after this award, Keith came 27th at the 2019 European U20 Cross Country Championship in her debut for Great Britain in athletics.

2021

An Inverness Harriers athlete, and Edinburgh University student, Keith ran a new personal best at the 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships held in Tallinn, running 9:16.50 in the 3000m.[8] Keith won gold at the European U20 Cross Country Championship in Dublin in December 2021.[9]

2022

In 2022, she became the British under-23 3000m champion as well as Scottish Under-23 Cross Country Champion.[10] In December, she finished second in the 2022 European Cross Country Championships under-23 race, in Turin.[11]

2023

In February 2023, Keith was named in the Great Britain squad for the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia,[12] where she placed 53rd.[13]

She was selected as part of the Great Britain team for the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships held from in July 2023 in Espoo, Finland.[14] She won the 5000m gold medal ahead of Spaniard Maria Forero and compatriot Eloise Walker.[15][16][17] In July 2023, competing at the Diamond League event in London, she set a new 5000m personal best time of 14:56.98.[18] She was chosen to represent Great Britain at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023.[19]

She won the U23 race at the 2023 European Cross Country Championships in Brussels in December 2023 and also claimed gold as part of the British squad which won the U23 team event.[20]

2024

In January 2024, she set a European U23 record running in the Valencia 10K as she posted a time of 31.22m beating a record set by German athlete Alina Reh in 2018. The run was also the third fastest by a Scots athlete over 10,000m on the road - with only Liz and Eilish McColgan having recorded faster times.[21]

Personal life

At University she shares a flat with fellow GB athlete Alyson Bell and triathlete Isla Britton.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Megan Keith". World Athletics. 23 April 2002.
  2. ↑ Smith, Tyrone (7 August 2023). "Megan Keith: Former orienteering champion navigating her way into athletics limelight". BBC Scotland Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "GB Megan Keith (INVOC) on the podium in Gold position!". britishorienteering.org.uk. British Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "JWOC". ontheredline.org.uk. On the Red Line. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "Team GOLD for the girls! JWOC 2019 roundup". scottish-orienteering.org. Scottish Orienteering. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "Megan Keith scoops National Sports Award". scottish-orienteering.org. Scottish Orienteering. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "Inverness teenager wins Scottish young sportswoman of the year award". Inverness Courier. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "Fourth place finishes for Megan and Kane at Euro U20s". Scottish Athletics. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "Megan Keith from Inverness wins U20 Gold". Runners Gazette. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Heath, Georgie (June 9, 2022). "Megan Keith uses 'killer instinct' to make her mark in athletics". Athletics Weekly.
  11. ↑ "European Cross Country Championships: Megan Keith takes silver in under-23 race". BBC Sport. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  12. ↑ "Athletics: Inverness Harriers' Megan Keith makes senior Great Britain squad grade for World Cross Country Championships". Press and Journal. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "U20 Women's Result". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  14. ↑ "Keely Hodgkinson and Jeremiah Azu to Captain GB & NI at European U23 Championships". British Athletics. 13 July 2023.
  15. ↑ "Fabulous in Finland! Megan Keith wins gold in Women's 5000m at Euro U23 Champs". Scottish Athletics. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  16. ↑ Henderson, Jason (July 14, 2023). "Megan Keith and Charles Hicks win 5000m gold in Espoo". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  17. ↑ "Megan Keith wins gold in 5,000m at European Under-23 Championships". BBC Sport. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  18. ↑ "5000M". London.Diamondleague.com. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  19. ↑ "GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND SQUAD SELECTED FOR THE 2023 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPS". Britishathletics.org.uk. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  20. ↑ "European Cross Country Championships: Great Britain's Abbie Donnelly claims bronze". BBC Sport. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Scots runner Megan Keith sets new European U23 record at 10,000m". BBC Sport. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  22. ↑ Smith, Tyrone (15 August 2023). "World Athletics Championships: Alyson Bell heads to Budapest with famous faces". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
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