CROSSGATES runner Jo Murphy says she's "ready to rock" at this weekend's Anglo Celtic Plate and hopes to show consistency in her performance.

The 34-year-old has once more been named in the Scotland women's team for the competition, which returns to Perth on Sunday for the first time in three years.

The event is a 100K international race that features competitors from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, taking place of a 2.381-kilometre loop course at North Inch Park.

There will also be an open 100K event, for anyone wishing to tackle what is regarded as the classic ultra distance, as well as a 50km event which will act as the Scottish 50km Road Championships.

The Anglo Celtic Plate will also double-up as the Scottish and British 100k Championships, and Jo will look to race as well as her previous appearances at the event.

In 2019, while making her debut in a Scottish vest, she finished third in the women's race in a time of eight hours, 28 minutes and one second, before finishing second in last year's race, held in Dublin, only behind Ireland's Catriona Jennings, who ran in the marathon at the London 2012 Olympics, with a time of 7:50.58.

Jo, who also won the women's race at the Gloucester 24-hour elite track race last year, in which athletes aim to run as large a distance as possible within the time period, said: "I think I'm ready to rock. I've had a good build up; I've not had any injuries, time off or anything. I've been able to train pretty consistently so everything's gone well in the build-up.

"You can't guarantee on the day but I suppose if the preparation's been good and consistent, and there's not been any issues, then you've just got to hope it comes together on the day.

"I think there's been a lot of hype around this one; because it's back in Scotland and in Perth, there's a couple of podcasts that has been covering it, so there's a lot of entrants in the open race, the 50k and the 100k for the self transcendence.

"In terms of the numbers that are competing in the Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales teams, there's also a lot of competitors in the open race. There should be a good turnout of runners and supporters as well. It should be just a really good atmosphere and I think it'll be good fun.

"I think I'm the only person with the British individual qualifying time for the female team for the 100k. I already have that in my armour, but I think I need to go and show that I'm still in shape and I'm in good form.

"I'd love to run a better time than Dublin, but if not, something similar would be nice just to show a bit of consistency in my performance and that it wasn't a one-off.

"There's no reason why not. It's probably a better course in Perth; it's a bit flatter, we've got our home support there, and it's a really deep field of competition in both the men's and women's race. That's always nice to be running amongst runners that are of a good standard.

"It's probably just years and years of consistency so hopefully that will transfer into this race. It should hopefully go well, barring any of the usual upset tummy and whatever else, but you just have to get on with that on the day I suppose."