'We are all really proud of her': Home crowd cheers on Inverness athlete Megan Keith in Paris Olympic final

The young woman participated in the final women's 10,000m race on Friday.

Athletes from Inverness were proud of their teammate Megan Keith for showing strength and determination while competing in the Paris Olympics.

The young woman, who is 22 years old, made it to the championship race for the women's 10,000m event at Stade de France in Paris.

After a great beginning, the athlete from the Highlands finished in 23rd place with a time of 33 minutes and 19 seconds.

Even though she did not win the Olympic gold medal, Megan has achieved a historic milestone by being the first athlete from her local running club, Inverness Harriers, to participate in the Olympics.

The young athlete, who is 22 years old and majoring in sports science at the University of Edinburgh, was one of the top competitors aiming for the prestigious gold medal. This included her fellow teammate from Team GB, Eilish McColgan.

This is her debut at the Olympic event.

She earned a spot on the team at the British 10,000 meter trials in May, just under a year after winning third place at the European Championship in Rome in June 2023. She then became the British champion and took home the under-23 Cross Country gold medal in December.

Megan and Eilish stood together at the beginning point, facing the massive audience of 80,000 people in the arena.

In the meantime, over 880 miles away in Inverness, a group of supporters came together to cheer on Megan as she crossed the finish line.

Athletes Rally To Support Megan At Olympics

The Inverness Harriers club members hosted a gathering at Fairways Golf Centre and Restaurant to enjoy and honor the monumental occasion.

Athletic club members, along with their family members, wore maroon and gold outfits to support Megan.

When Megan came on screen, the room filled with loud cheers and clapping as she raced around the track.

The crowd cheered for Megan as she ran, waving their flags in support and urging her on with chants of encouragement.

As Megan reached the end of the race, she had a big smile on her face despite tears rolling down her cheeks. She embraced Eilish tightly while the crowd from Inverness cheered loudly.

Megan Rebounds To Compete In Olympics

Charles Bannerman, a dedicated member who has been with the club for many years, acknowledges that Megan faced a tough challenge in the race due to an injury she suffered before the Olympics.

In an interview with The Press and Journal following the race, he mentioned that she had been dealing with an ankle issue for a few months. However, he emphasized that the immense sense of pride from the 100+ individuals present at the event more than made up for it.

This was a wonderful experience for Inverness Harriers and a fantastic moment for the sport of athletics in the northern region to have the first Olympian from the north of Scotland. It was an incredible evening.

He explained: "This is incredibly important for us. We have competed in many different competitions, such as the Commonwealth Games, European Championships, and World Championships, with different athletes. However, this is our first Olympic athlete."

She has worked extremely hard. Despite being new to athletics, Megan comes from a family with a background in sports. Megan didn't start competing on a national or international level until she was around 16 or 17 years old.

The level of dedication shown by her, along with the support of her coach Ross Cairns and her team, has been immense.

"It has been an amazing experience, not just for Megan but for the entire team at the club."

Chris Dryden, a coach for Inverness Harriers, commented that he believed the runner showed great courage by completing the race despite facing challenges. He noted that even though she encountered some issues during the competition, she still managed to reach the Olympic final. Dryden recalled her stating, "I've still finished," emphasizing the importance of perseverance and determination in sports.

We encourage everyone to stay strong and persevere, so I believe that she will accomplish even greater things in the future.

People who were there said that Megan was seen as a "role model" for younger athletes who dream of achieving big success.

In the blog, Mairi Ross Duncanson, aged 46, shared that her daughters Emily, aged 12, and Olivia, aged 10, admire Megan and aspire to achieve the same level of success.

She stated that her daughter is amazing. Both of their girls are members of the Inverness Harriers. She finds her daughter to be very inspiring.

"She serves as an inspiration for them. We are filled with pride for her. This is a significant moment in history."

Claire McGroarty, a 55-year-old woman from Inverness, shared: "My daughter has been running for the Harriers since she was in the Under 11's age group and she has always excelled as a sprinter. I first heard about Megan through recommendations from others, and as my daughter grew and became stronger, I observed her training with Megan."

I noticed her power increasing and witnessed the support from those around her.

"It's great for these kids to have a role model. They look up to her during training and she's definitely one to keep an eye on."

We have a young woman who has lived in Inverness since childhood, competed for Inverness Harriers, and is now representing her country in the Olympics. It's truly remarkable.