Tonight’s Couch to Club Runner session has been cancelled due to the weather. High winds and rain are expected to continue on past 6pm this evening. We will try and get one final session on next Tuesday prior to Christmas, with the new block starting in January.
West District Relays, Kilmarnock
The 2019-20 cross country season got off to a flying start down in Kilmarnock at the start of October. The West District short relays were ran on the playing fields (and farmers fields) around the North Ayrshire Sports Arena. This was the venue for last years West District long cross country race, so our runners had a good idea of what was in store. However, the weather was much better this year and the course was a little bit firmer. there was still one or two major bogs to deal with!
Stevie Campbell was way out in front as the first harrier home as he tried to hone his legs into shape for a tilt at making the Scottish Vets team. Oliver Reilly had his first taste of short cross country action as he came home in second place for the club, with fellow newcomer Owen Atkinson in third. The male runners were quite bunched up behind that, with Duncan Anderson being pick of the bunch. He was carrying over some great form in the previous few months which culminated in him smashing his 5k PB with a time of 17.45 at Greenock parkrun!
Donna Campbell lead the way for the Glenpark ladies. Her excellent run saw her come home ahead of Marianne McKay, Claire Monaghan and Nathalie Smith.
Results:
Mens: Steven Campbell 14.04, Oliver Reilly 15.15, Owen Atkinson 15.39, Duncan Anderson 15.46, Paul Beaton 15.58, Robert Dolan 16.09, Stephen Hanley 16.14, Ross Neilson 16.34, John Stevenson 16.48, Frank McMahon 18.28, Matthew Young 19.48, James Campbell 19.49
Womans: Donna Campbell 18.49, Claire Monaghan 19.08, Marianne McKay 20.23, Nathalie Smith 23.50
Renfrewshire Relays, Pollock Park
It was back to Pollock Park for the short county relays. The short route for the senior runners is fairly flat around the playing fields at Nether Pollock, but with some right boggy bits in the tree lined sections.
Nicola Doohan made her return as a Glenpark Harrier to compete with the ladies A team, and was not far behind our fastest runner Sandra Campbell on the day. Donna Campbell ran well again to be third fastest, with great runs also had by Lynsey Mooney and Debbie McKenzie among others.
Steven Campbell was the fastest male harrier again, but was pushed close by Daniel Doherty who is starting to run well again. Andy McCal made up the top 3 . There was a good turnout among the male harriers, and hopefully a sign of things to come as we go towards the longer cross country season.
Results:
Womans: Sandra Campbell 16.53, Nicola Doohan 17.13, Donna Campbell 17.30, Lynsey Mooney 18.02, Cheryl Thomas 18.07, Viki Smith 18.20, Debbie McKenzie 18.37, Lorna Coyle 18.52
Mens: Steven Campbell 12.53, Daniel Doherty 13.03, Andrew McCall 13.42, Paul Beaton 14.26, Stephen Hanley 14.43, Robert Dolan 14.53, John Stevenson 15.08, David Roberts 15.20, Danny McLaughlin 15.56, Steven Smith 17.15, James Campbell 17.45, Steven Laing 18.09
National Relays, Cumbernauld
The undulating 4km route through Cumbernauld House Park seen runners from across Scotland compete, including the Olympians Calum Hawkins and Freya Ross.
The women’s race was first in terms of the senior competition, with Donna Campbell and Marianne McKay setting the pace for their respective teams with some strong starts. Cheryl Thomas and Heather Lafferty were in second leg position for their teams, with both runners competing at Cumbernauld at the first time with excellent form. Third leg was a Stevenson special for each team, with mother-daughter duo Eileen and Nicola in the running. Lynsey Mooney and Nathalie Smith brought it home in great runs for each of the ladies.
Three and half men’s teams were entered on the day. Team A were first home and successfully in the top 50, headed up by men’s club champion Steven Campbell and including Paul Monaghan, Alan Mollins and Kevin O’Donoghue. Team B, including Paul Beaton and Ross Neilson, brought it home in a respectable time of 1:03. Great runs from the Owen duo of Reilly and Atkinson both running their leg in under 16 minutes. Captain John Stevenson lead Team C with Danny McLaughlin, Scott Hill and Steven Laing. The half team consisted of David Roberts and Andy MacLean.
Despite the excitement of the day from the Glenpark Callum Hawkins appreciation society, Andy MacLean was the biggest event of the day, receiving louder cheers from club mates (mostly the juniors) than his Olympic competitor.
All in all another successful and enjoyable cross country day out for the club.
Women’s Results: Team A: (1:16:36) 18:34 D Campbell; 19:41 C Thomas; 18:37 N Stevenson; 19:43 L Mooney. Team B: (1:27:33) 20:18 M McKay; 20:46 H Lafferty; 22:05 E Stevenson; 24:24 N Smith
Men’s Results: Team A: (58:24) 14:04 S Campbell; 14:24 P Monaghan; 14:54 A Mollins; 15:02 K O’Donoghue. Team B: (1:03:39) 15:29 O Reilly; 15:35 O Atkinson; 16:00 P Beaton; 16:35 R Neilson. Team C: (1:12:47) 16:14 J Stevenson; 18:00 D McLaughlin; 18:14 S Hill; 20:19 S Laing. Team D: (35:25) 16:34 D Roberts; 18:51 A MacLean
National Short Course
The short relay season finishes with the manic 4k cross country races for our senior runners. The races were held in Kirkcaldy which saw a lesser turnout from the seniors given the travel distance. This is always a great event to be at given the quality of the fields in the senior races. Hopefully it is held closer to home in future, but we cannot grumble too much with the relative closeness of the other national events.
The ladies race over the 4k distance was won by local runner Annabel Simpson of Fife AC. Glenpark’s first runner home was Sandra Campbell, closely followed by Donna Campbell and Marian Monk. It was great to see Sandra and Marian back racing after sometime on the sidelines through injury.
After the success of the juniors in the early races, it would be a tough act to follow later in the day. Alan Mollins is now getting on in years and could not take part in the youngsters races. He was however first male harrier home in the stacked field for the senior race, won by Olympic runner Andrew Buchart. Oliver Reilly and Robert Dolan followed, with Danny McLaughlin and Frank McMahon thereafter.
Results:
Womans: Sandra Campbell 18.13,Donna Campbell 18.32, Marian Monk 18.52
Mens: Alan Mollins 14.30, Oliver Reilly 15.33, Robert Dolan 16.10, Danny McLaughlin 17.51, Frank McMahon 18.53
***NEW BLOCK STARTS TUESDAY 7th JAN 2020***
A new block of our popular Couch to Club Runner programme starts in the new year. If you would like to register to attend please email greenockglenparkharriers@gmail.com
Please also email if you would like more info.
Places are limited.
We’re on every Tuesday.
Meet on the Esplanade (outside boat club).
Always free😀
🎄For the past few years the Harriers have been doing a festive charity collection at the Wilson Trophy race, Toy collections and Food bank being 2 of the most recent, this year we’d like to support the CRISIS homeless charity and hopefully we can get a few people off the streets and fed over Christmas, you can help by bringing a donation to registration on the day 14th December or donating straight to the GGH club account, please put CRISIS as the reference, Sort code 80-08-21 Account Number 00385954, thank you🎄
Read more on what the Crisis Charity organisation does here: https://www.crisis.org.uk/
The Harriers Alan Mollins, and Harry & Ruby McGill travelled to Liverpool for the UK cross challenge. At a muddy Sefton Park they were up against the top runners in the UK (it also incorporated the UK trial selection race for the European XC championships). Ruby and Alan were pleased with their runs improving on their performances at the recent National short course at Kirkcaldy, whilst Harry although not quite at his best, he still managed to finish in the top third.
RESULTS: 3km: Ruby McGill (82nd) 12.53; 5.5km: Harry McGill (53rd) 19.50; 6.7km: Alan Mollins (116th) 25.32
Results from the Renfrewshire XC Championships (23/11/19)
Greenock Glenpark Harrier Andrew White on his way to winning the Vet50 Gold
250 runners competed in the County Championships at Gourock’s Tower Hill. Over a hilly muddy twisting course, Bellahouston Harriers Miguel Delgado Sillero won the Senior men’s race as he led his team to a rare victory.
Inverclyde AC’s Nynke Mulholland won the women’s race from Giffnock North’s Rhona Mowatt, but Rhona with team-mates Yvonne McNairn and Allie Chong both in the top 5, ensured the Giffnock women secured team Gold.
Amended Results: FinalFinal Results-2019Renfrewshire-XC-TowerHill
Greenock Glenpark Harriers host the County Championships this Saturday at Gourock’s Tower Hill (23rd Nov). The first race gets underway at 12pm with the Senior athletes last away at 2.00pm. Competing clubs will also include Inverclyde AC, Kilbarchan AAC, Giffnock North AC, Bellahouston Harriers, & Bellahouston Road Runners
