Callum Hawkins second only to Mo Farah in British all-time rankings after record-breaking win in Japan

The Kilbarchan AAC runner is now second only to Mo Farah in the British all-time rankings for Half Marathon, the time takes him to fourth on the European all-time list.

Hawkins claimed a dominant win, beating Ethiopian record-holder Atsedu Tsegay with 60:58 only days after learning that his time at the Great Scottish Run in October had been disqualified.

The 24-year-old had run what at the time had appeared to be a Scottish record-breaking half-marathon in Glasgow as he clocked 60:24. But last week, it was confirmed that the course had been found to have been 149.7m short and the record invalidated.

However, the Olympic marathon ninth-placer made things official and as he stormed to success in Japan where he went quicker still, recording back-to-back 10K PBs of 28:28 and 28:27 before crossing the finishing line with one hour exactly on the clock.

Allister Hutton’s previous Scottish record mark had been 62:28, set in the 1987 Great North Run.

But with his half-marathon best now confirmed at 60:00, Hawkins again sits behind Mo Farah and ahead of Steve Jones on the UK all-time Against a field including sub-60 man Kenneth Kipkemoi of Kenya and a group of Japanese athletes by 5000 m national record holder Suguru Osako (Nike Oregon Project) and 10000 m national record holder Kota Murayama (Team Asahi Kasei), Hawkins went to the front from the gun and never relented.

After a relatively slow 14:20 opening 5km, the next 5km went by in 14:07 and shook the lead group down to 10.

The 28:27 split at 10 km was hot, on pace for 1:00:01 and new national records for both Scotland and Japan.

Hawkins and Kenyan Abraham Kipyatich began to pull away on the return trip, 16 seconds ahead as the pair hit 15 km in 42:37 and a shot at sub-60 in the cards.

At 15km Hawkins attacked, dropping Kipyatich to race the clock. He bore down in the home straight and saluted as he crossed the finish line.