Sunday 29th September 2019

The Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run was once again well attended by Greenock Glenpark Harriers. The seniors events on the Sunday included the 10k followed by the half marathon, with 29 Harriers competing over the two races.

The day got under way with the 10k, where it was the young guns that lead the way for the club. Harry McGill comfortably cruised round in sub 35, amazingly treating the race as a hard tempo! Alan Mollins was just behind him in 37.11, picking up a late entry and running steadily. Shaun Wiseman had to fight off a few stitches but still ran well, and finished just ahead of Malcom McLean. Nicola Stevenson was the first female back with a great run in just over 47 minutes.

The highlight of the day was seeing four graduates from our new Couch to Club Runner sessions running the 10k, all of whom have now joined the club. Emma Sinclair, Lynne Fulton, Barbara Laing and Christie McAlpine have all been coming along to the Tuesday night session for the last 4 months and, along with many others, have loved their introduction to organised running. A special mention to Emma Sinclair who smashed the hour mark in her first ever 10k. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for this all inclusive club.

The half marathon is the highlight of many people’s running calendar. The Scottish championship race takes runners out to the south side of the city and through Pollock and Bellahouston Parks before returning to the city for the big finish along the Broomielaw and into Glasgow Green. Paul Monaghan was the leading harrier, and with a PB to boot. His only previous better half was at the tragically short Glasgow Half a few years ago, and his run of sub 75 now stands as his PB. Stevie Campbell was not far behind and they both finished 4th and 5th in their age category respectively.

John Stevenson lead the charge of harriers fighting to break the 90 minute mark, as he finished just ahead of Oliver Reilly and George McCallum. However, it wasn’t to be for Stewart Anderson as he fell shy in his attempt to break that elusive mark. He along with Stephen Hanley and David Roberts had to settle for slower yet still respectable times in the mid to low 90s.

Claire Monaghan was the first female harrier home to make it a family double. It was also Claire’s first ever half marathon, and the ladies club champion performed very well to run a time of just under 1.50. Marianne McKay and Terri Wall were not far behind as they put some last minute miles in before their Dunoon Ultra attempts the following week. Performance of the day from the woman came from Eileen Stevenson. Also preparing for the Dunoon Ultra, Eileen broke the 2 hour mark for the first time and secured a massive PB. Well done Eileen!

Another stand out performance was from PB king Eric Lindsay. Fed up with just breaking his PB every week at parkrun, Eric decided to quadruple the distance and tackle his first half marathon. He came in with a superb time of just over 1.42! He even had the energy to smile and wave for the camera with a mile to go!

As always it was a well attended race, with good camaraderie among the members at the end in Glasgow Green. The race has been scheduled for the first weekend in October next year, so that’s one for your diaries.

Results:
10k:
Harry McGill 34.38, Alan Mollins 37.11, Shaun Wiseman 43.21, Malcolm McLean 44.31, Nicola Stevenson 47.08, Gerry Gillespie 51.59, Angela Nelson 55.50, Elaine Medinelli 59.00, Emma Sinclair 59.38, Lynne Fulton 63.30, Christie McAlpine 68.48, Charlotte McKay 69.17, Barbara Laing 69.48,
Half Marathon:
Paul Monaghan 74.50, Stevie Campbell 75.22, John Stevenson 86.14, Oliver Reilly 87.47, George McCallum 89.53, David Roberts 93.35, Stephen Hanley 95.31, Stewart Anderson 97.40, Stephen Reid 1.41.16, Eric Lindsay 1.42.24, Claire Monaghan 1.48.25, Marianne McKay 1.51.24, Terri Wall 1.52.29, Ross Slater 1.52.34, Lisa Boonsanong 1.52.58, Debbie McKenzie 1.53.08, Boyd MacKenzie 1.56.10, Eileen Stevenson 1.57.25, Fiona Cushnaghan 1.58.16
(Don’t forget to put your club name in your entry for races. Apologies if anyone has been missed)

On Saturday 21st September 5 hardy Harriers took on the Salomon Ring of Steall Skyrace which follows in the tradition of skyrunning, which consists of uncompromising mountain running, such as scrambling along mountain ridges with steep ascents, traverses and descents on technical and challenging terrain.

This skyrunning race route incorporates two lofty ridges within the Mamores, including the Devil’s Ridge, which provides a thrilling and airy traverse with Glen Nevis visible ahead and as a yawning drop far below, and Ben Nevis beyond and towering above.

The race route is set within the Mamores, which are an east – west series of majestic Munros and in this route there are four that were summited. These were Sgurr a’ Mhàim, An Gearanach, Stob Coire a’ Chàirn and Am Bodach.

All five of them, Kevin Gill, Craig Canning, Marianne McKay, Cheryl Thomas and Fiona Macfarlane had been training hard over the months covering parts of the route. Nothing prepared them for the challenges that lay ahead. An unusually hot day meant fantastic views, however with 18 miles to cover and steep ascents there was no time for stopping.

Craig Canning pushed ahead and finished in a well respected time of 8hrs 28 with his recent injury causing no issues. The 3 girls stuck together and worked well as a team proving that their hill recces and various climbs stood them in good stead. Kevin Gill worked very hard and his grit, determination and scrambling skills got him to the end.

The world female 1st place went to Judith Wyder who described the race as “a really tough race with steep uphill and very demanding and challenging downhill sections. Not one to start trail running with but definitely one for the bucket list”

The trio of Harriers girls also have been raising great money for charity by taking part in this event. They have raised over £700 so far for The Brightest Star charity. You can find out more at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chezmazfi

Results
Craig Canning: 8hrs 28
Cheryl Thomas: 8hrs 45
Marianne McKay: 8hrs 45
Fiona Macfarlane: 8hrs 45
Kevin Gill: 9 hours 43

The 2019-20 Greenock Glenpark Harriers Season got off to a flying start in glorious sunshine on Saturday. The first club race of the season was the JG Cameron Road Race, with juniors and seniors battling it out on the Esplanade over various distances.

The senior race is a 4k loop which is used a test for the upcoming short course relay races. Starting at the middle of the Esplanade, runners head west towards Gourock. Once at the middle gate to the Battery Park, they run into the park and loop back around the pavilion. The race finishes with a mad dash back along the Splash to the finish line.

Defending club champion Stevie Campbell made a winning start to the new season. Even with a 16.36 parkrun in his legs from the same morning, he was able to hold off a strong challenge from Paul Monaghan in second place. Kevin O’Donoghue made a strong return to club racing after an injury filled period. He was able to finish strong and use his recent ultra training to beat Neil Lafferty to 3rd spot.

In the woman’s race, it was a winning start to the season for Chloe Simpson in a time of 16.20, which is the fastest winning time for a female since 2015. Sandra Campbell marked her return to club racing with a second place finish, just ahead of defending club champion Claire Monaghan. The conditions on the day were far from ideal for the runners, with a stiff easterly breeze to make things tough in the last mile.

Duncan Anderson had a great run, carrying on the form that saw him smash his 10k PB at Stirling a few weeks back. Ben Campbell put in the performance of the day from the juniors who competed in the senior race. His time of 14.37 was phenomenal from the U15 runner, carrying on a long tradition of juniors making the grade in this race. Other juniors competing on the day included Ruby McGill, Shaun Wiseman, Abbie Tosh and Olivia Trainer. Another was Jude Dolan, who couldn’t quite beat his dad Robert, but those victories are only a matter of time!

There were plenty of new faces taking on a club race for the first time, or have recently joined the club. Kevin Craig, more used to the longer races, out in a great showing to break 15 minutes. Richard Newsome had a great time, showing the benefits of the Monday night hill sessions.  Julie Smith has been venturing far and wide in her new Harriers vest in recent months, and it was good to see her compete in the club race.

The younger juniors took on a 1k course on the Esplanade. Leo Beaton won the race in 3.34, followed very closely by Cameron beck and Ruari Trainer. There were 4 boys managing to dip under 4 mins! The girls race over the same course was won by Aimee McEleney in 4.28, just 2 seconds ahead of Islay Newsome and 7 ahead of Stella McCabe.

The older juniors ran a 2k course on the Esplanade. Summer Taggart won the girls race in 8.17, just one second ahead of Sophie Campbell and 3 ahead of Erin McEleny in what was an incredibly tight race! Harris Morrison won the boys race this in just over 7 minutes, a great time! David Docherty was 2nd and Douglas Campbell 3rd.

There was, as always, a big army of volunteers out on the course to guide people around and keep them safe. Big thanks to all who volunteered and to our race sponsor, Robert and Jane Dolan.

1km race: Leo Beaton 3.34, Cameron Beck 3.48, Ruari Trainer 3.52, Jonathan Lamont 3.53, Cameron Crawford 4.02, Grant Munro 4.02, Luke McGarry 4.03, Lewis Scott 4.24, Aimee McEleny 4.28, Islay Newsome 4.30, Nathan McCorkindale 4.32, Josh Docherty 4.34, Stella McCabe 4.35, Beth Docherty 4.40, Lily Doherty 4.42, Findlay McKeegan 4.53, Alex Kerr 4.53, Zak Dolan 5.32, Mila Killeen 7.02, Leia Killen 7.03.

2km race: Harris Morrison 7.09, David Docherty 7.21, Douglas Campbell 7.39, Euan Johnson 7.45, Katie Johnson 8.02, Connor McCrorie 8.03, Summer Taggart 8.17, Sophie Campbell 8.18, Maria McCabe8.19, Erin McEleny 8.21, Sophie McGinty 8.44, Alex Wiseman 9.24, Gabby Henderson 9.38, Matthew Ross 10.09, Tyler Bryce 10.12, Ben Mullen 10.12, Rachel Ruddy 11.10.

4km race: Steven Campbell 13.18, Paul Monaghan 13.29, Kevin O’Donoghue 14.08, Neil Lafferty 14.13, Duncan Anderson 14.27, Andy McCall 14.30, Ben Campbell 14.37, Kevin Craig 14.43, Gordon Hepburn 14.45, Oliver Reilly 14.50, Robert Dolan 14.54, Shaun Wiseman 14.57, Owen Atkinson 15.05, Jude Dolan  15.11, Chris Watson 15.35, Ross Nielson 15.38, David McCorkindale 15.47, Josh Ruddy  16.00, Chloe Simpson 16.20, James McFadden 16.24, Graham McGrattan 16.25, Richard Newsome 16.44, James Doherty 17.09, Stephen Reid 17.15, Alan O’Rourke 17.16,  Calum Gorry 17.18, Sandra Campbell 17.27, Claire Monaghan 17.34,  Ruby McGill 17.44, Greg Stringfellow 18.05, Nicola Stevenson 18.11, Donna Campbell 18.17, Robin McAuslan 18.22, Alan Munro 18.24, Frank McMahon 18.44, Gerry Gillespie 18.45, Steven Watson 18.54, Stuart Austin 18.54, Debbie McKenzie 19.09, Abbie Tosh 19.23, James Campbell 19.25, Boyd McKenzie 19.30, Fiona Cushnaghan 19.38, Lynsey Mooney 19.50, Anna Docherty 20.26, Heather Lafferty 20.33, Julie Smith 20.54, Angela Nelson 20.55, Olivia Trainer 21.03, Angela Austin 25.27.

 The Harriers new season got off to a fantastic start with 87 athletes, young and old linining up on a sunny Esplanade to compete over the three JG Cameron road races.

Steven Campbell and Chloe Simpson took the honours in the 4km race, while over the shorter distances, Leo Beaton, Aimee McEleny, Harris Morrison and Katie Johnson took top spots. Full report to follow.

1km race: Leo Beaton 3.34, Cameron Beck 3.48, Ruari Trainer 3.52, Jonathan Lamont 3.53, Cameron Crawford 4.02, Grant Munro 4.02, Luke McGarry 4.03, Lewis Scott 4.24, Aimee McEleny 4.28, Islay Newsome 4.30, Nathan McCorkindale 4.32, Josh Docherty 4.34, Stella McCabe 4.35, Beth Docherty 4.40, Lily Doherty 4.42, Findlay McKeegan 4.53, Alex Kerr 4.53, Zak Dolan 5.32, Mila Killeen 7.02, Leia Killen 7.03.

2km race: Harris Morrison 7.09, David Docherty 7.21, Douglas Campbell 7.39, Euan Johnson 7.45, Katie Johnson 8.02, Connor McCrorie 8.03, Summer Taggart 8.17, Sophie Campbell 8.18, Maria McCabe 8.19, Erin McEleny 8.21, Sophie McGinty 8.44, Alex Wiseman 9.24, Gabby Henderson 9.38, Matthew Ross 10.09, Tyler Bryce 10.12, Ben Mullen 10.12, Rachel Ruddy 11.10.

4km race: Steven Campbell 13.18, Paul Monaghan 13.29, Kevin O’Donoghue 14.08, Neil Lafferty 14.13, Duncan Anderson 14.27, Andy McCall 14.30, Ben Campbell 14.37, Kevin Craig 14.43, Gordon Hepburn 14.45, Oliver Reilly 14.50, Robert Dolan 14.54, Shaun Wiseman 14.57, Owen Atkinson 15.05, Jude Dolan  15.11, Chris Watson 15.35, Ross Nielson 15.38, David McCorkindale 15.47, Josh Ruddy  16.00, Chloe Simpson 16.20, James McFadden 16.24, Graham McGrattan 16.25, Richard Newsome 16.44, James Docherty 17.09, Stephen Reid 17.15, Alan O’Rourke 17.16,  Callum Gorry 17.18, Sandra Campbell 17.27, Claire Monaghan 17.34,  Ruby McGill 17.44, Greg Stringfellow 18.05, Nicola Stevenson 18.11, Donna Campbell 18.17, Robin McAuslan 18.22, Alan Munro 18.24, Frank McMahon 18.44, Gerry Gillespie 18.45, Steven Watson 18.54, Stuart Austin 18.54, Debbie McKenzie 19.09, Abbie Tosh 19.23, James Campbell 19.25, Boyd McKenzie 19.30, Fiona Cushnaghan 19.38, Lynsey Mooney 19.50, Anna Docherty 20.26, Heather Lafferty 20.33, Julie Smith 20.54, Angela Nelson 20.55, Olivia Trainer 21.03, Angeline Austin 25.27.

The opening race of the Harriers 2019-20 club championship takes place on Greenock Esplanade on Saturday 21st September. For all Juniors & Seniors. It is 4k for Seniors & under 17s. Juniors run either 2km or 1km.
Register for the race at Orangefield clubhouse between 12.15 & 1.15pm. Latecomers can register at the start – near the yellow pole at middle of the Esplanade.

Its been a hectic summer for Greenock Glenpark Harriers. So hectic that this reporter cannot keep up with the races. So this report consists of as many of the run reports as I can find from what has been a very busy summer! Hopefully there will be more regular updates as we go into the winter season. Enjoy!

Clydebank Vets 5k

On a scorching hot night, 8 harriers travelled over to Clydebank for the annual Scottish Veteran Harriers 5k Road Race. With a top quality field of veterans and under age guests, including Stephen Trainer returning to racing, the pace was frantic from the very start. v45 Steven Campbell tracked his younger club mate until the last kilometre, before going head-to-head with top Scottish runner Stephen Wylie in a sprint finish. Campbell came out on top by a second to win the v45 category in a new lifetime best of 16:12, beating his previous best time from 5 years ago. Trainer was the first harrier home, 12 seconds ahead.

There was success also in the v55 category for GGH, with a superb run from Mick McLoone to break the 18 minute barrier by the narrowest of margins as he followed Andrew McCall home, with Andrew recording his fastest time for several years. Duncan Anderson had a solid run just over the 19 minute mark, while Malcolm MacLean’s 19:46 paled in to insignificance when he smashed his PB at Greenock parkrun 3 days later. Daniel Doherty stayed on the edge of getting back to his best, with Robin McAuslan happy to get back out racing again for the first time in several weeks.

Results: Stephen Trainer 16:00, Steven Campbell 16:12 (PB 1st V45), Daniel Doherty 17:24, Andrew McCall. 17:56, Mick McLoone. 17:59 (1st V55), Duncan Anderson 19:02, Malcolm MacLean. 19:46, Robin McAuslan. 22:35

3k on the Green

Mad dogs and 2 Harriers went out in the midday sun at the end of June for the 3k on the Green race at Glasgow Green. With temperatures in the mid 20s, Andrew McCall and Robin McAuslan lined up at the start of the race at the McLellan Arch, but the temperature and the exertions from the SVHC 5k less than 48 hours earlier impacted their ability to hit the times they were looking for. Andrew started well but felt the pace on the way back, still managing a decent time of 10:21 under the circumstances It was a similar story for Robin who failed to maintain his early pace but at least managed to match his recent time trial time, coming home in 12:37.

Andrew returned in July to try and break the time from the previous month, but fell just shy running in 10.25. Next 3k on the Green is scheduled for Friday 30th August 2019 at 12.30pm.

August saw the turn of Nicola Stevenson to smash her PB at 3k on the Green. With a previous best of just over 13 minutes, Nicola absolutely smashed that with a a time of 12.36. Stephen Hanley was making a start at a return from inury and helped pace Nicola along to her fantastic PB.

June: Andrew McCall 10.21, Robin McAuslan 12.37
July: Andrew McCall 10.25
August: Stephen Hanley 12.30, Nicola Stevenson 12.36

Black Rock 5

A few hardy Harriers descended on sunny Kinghorn in Fife for the 30th famous Black Rock Beach Race with the biggest entry yet (1140 runners) in soggy footed madness! Stephen Reid was 1st harrier back in 36.40 mins, followed by Lorna Coyle in 39.05 mins (2nd V60), Stuart Austin (running with his brother-in-law) in 48.35 mins & Angeline Austin (running with her sister) in 54.44 mins (while also including lots of photos & jumping) Bottle of beer (or 2 if you were lucky) for all runners followed by prizegiving & BBQ.

Taynult Highland Games

Thanks to Nicola Stevenson for her report onTeam Stevenson’s trip to the Taynuilt Highland Games in Argyll.

We’re hoping to make it an annual trip to my fiancé’s home village and take part in the track events as well as watching the heavies in awe and wonder as they toss the caber and other heavy objects!

John, Eileen and myself all took part in the hill race which sees runners go out of the village, along farm track, through fields and forestry land to the top of Barran Dubh (311mAOD), a hill on the side of Ben Cruachan. Total distance 6.6miles.

All three faired well in the race, with John finishing in a nippy 1hour 11mins and Nicola in 1hr 26mins, claiming second place in the women’s race!

This was the first time Eileen took part in the race, finishing in 1hr 46mins after taking a few wrong turns and getting stuck in ditches and in the trees!

John and Nicola also took part in shorter field events, with Nicola claiming first prize in the 220yds open category and John taking part in the 1mile race.

A good day out had by all enjoying the sunshine and a bit of glory!

John Lucas Memorial Ultra

Viki Smith took on the full 50 mile ultra distance at this years John Lucas Memorial Ultra. The race is organised by The Strathaven Striders and takes on the countryside around Strathhaven, East Kilbride and Eaglesham. Stating in Strahaven and heading west to Loch Goin, the route then goes north to Eaglesham before heading back east, skirting the south side of East Kilbride, finishing back at Strathaven brewery. Viki not only completed the course in an amazing 9 hours 19, he was 10th overall and 3rd female! Superb stuff.

Two strong gangs of Harriers ladies took on the 5 stage relay as well. The aptly named ‘Not fast, Just Furious’ consisted of Marianne McKay, Cheryl Thomas, Lorna Coyle, Fiona MacFarlane and Lynsey Mooney. They finished in just under 7 hours. The other group, the ‘Glenpark Gals’, consisted of Terri Wall, Silke Loehndorf, Jane Dolan, Sharon Black and Yvonne Prager finishing in just under 8 hours.

50 Mile Ultra: Viki Smith 9.19.03 (10th, 3rd female)
Relay: Not Fast Just Furious 6.53.05, Glenpark Gals 7.58.09

Iron Man UK

Mick Dunn took on the challenge of the UK Iron Man in July. For those who don’t know, the full iron man consists of a 2.4 mile open water swim, a 112 mile bike and a full marathon run. Mick took on this challenge at the age of 64! His training in the hills of Greenock (often with weight pack) over the preceding months was inspirational.

The swim takes place in Pennington Flash, which is situated in the town of Leigh, near Wigan. the flash was used as the outdoor swimming venue for the Manchester Commonwealth Games, and hosts its very own parkrun every Saturday (around the outside paths of course). Once the swim is done, the cycle route takes you north to Bolton, and loops around the surrounding hillside. Then for the marathon! The run is contained within Bolton, and consists of 4 laps of the town centre. A torturous looping and repetitive loop, but essential for health and safety.

Huge congratulations to Mick for smashing this. The training he puts in is fantastic and he was well rewarded.

Swim 1.19.47, Bike 8.55.16, Run 5.07.50

Run the Blades

The trio of Elaine Medinelli, Sandra Devine and Angela Nelson have probably raced more than any other lady over the summer. In their first year of joining the club, they have competed all over the country in club colours. The three of them teamed up with Fiona Cushnaghan and ran the 10k at Run the Blades. The race situated within the Whitelees Windfarm.

10k: Fiona Cushnaghan 56.50, Elaine Medinelli 63.54, Sandra Devine 64.41, Angela Nelson 68.13

Chicago Rock n Roll 10k

Stuart and Angeline Austin embarked on a 3 week long tour of the Eastern USA, and no tour would be complete without a few races and parkruns! Their first running stop was in Chicago for the Rock N Roll 10k. The couple had previously ran in a similar event in Las Vegas. The Vegas event was hot and humid, but they were hoping for better running conditions in the place known as the Windy City… The stunning route followed the shoreline right in the heart of downtown Chicago., and they were rewarded with some snazzy looking medals!

No trip abroad is complete without trying to find a parkrun (or 2!). The first one was the Oak Grove parkrun, just over the border from Tennessee into Kentucky. Stuarts sub 23 earned him the age grade record for his category the course! (which stood until 31st August, so my bad for taking so long to publish this report…). From there they headed north into the capital Washington DC for the Roosevelt Island DC parkrun. The stunning setting on a ‘no cars go’ island is right in the heart of DC. Well done guys, holiday essentials should always include a parkrun barcode!

Chicago 10k: Stuart 48.22, Angeline 64.01
Oak Grove Kentucky parkrun: Stuart 22.44 (age grade record), Angeline 32.24
Roosevelt Island DC parkrun Stuart 24.40, Angeline 34.12

Dundonald 10k

Daniel Doherty ticked a race off of his bucket list by running in the Dundonald 10k, the home of his in laws. A rather hilly route was well tackled by Daniel, and even through a fairly solo run, he was able to run in 37.01. narrowly missing a sub 37, but claiming 4th overall.

GAA Miler Meet 5km Track

The miler meets at Scotstoun offer a chance for a PB on the track over the popular middle distances over the summer. These are split into heats based on target times and each heat has pacer (where our own Stephen Trainer was able to help out). Daniel Doherty was able to just dip under 17 minutes for the 5k and Duncan Anderson also had a good time with 18.27.

Daniel Doherty 16.59, Duncan Anderson 18.27

Dunoon Half Marathon and 10k

The Harriers tend to have a decent turn out at the Dunoon half and 10k over the last few years. Although the time of year isn’t particularly suited to good half marathon running on the first weekend in August, the flat route still provides an opportunity for a PB if the weather behaves. The route takes runners south to Toward and turns pack to Dunoon to finish.

Sue Hewitson continued her brilliant form to be first Harrier home in 95 minutes dead, and was 3rd in her age category. Donna Campbell was 2nd back in 1.52, with Lisa Boonsanong next in 1.55. Debbie McKenzie had a superb run to break the 2 hour mark and finish in the top 10 of her age category.

The 10k follows a similar route, but obviously turning a bit sooner than the half! Sharon Black had a great race and finished 3rd in her age category. Julie Smith, in one of her first races for the club was 5th in her age category and Charlotte was 6th in hers.

Half Marathon Results: Sue Hewitson 1.35.00, Donna Campbell 1.52.38, Lisa Boonsanong 1.55.53, Matthew Young 1.55.54, James Campbell 1.56.34, Debbie Mckenzie 1.57.18
10k Results: Sharon Black 54.28, Julie Smith 58.42, Juliane Neilson 69.10, Charlotte McKay 80.58

Bog & Burn Series 2019

Our resident Hill runner Andy McCall took to the slopes again this summer, and here is his review of a fantastic series of events:

For a keen ‘hill runner’ there are certain races you have to do. Ben Nevis, Ben Lomond, Goatfell and so on but one target has always escaped me – the Scottish Hill Runners Bog & Burn series. This consists of 12 midweek hill races organised across the country with runners required to complete a minimum of 6 to be eligible for the series. These races vary in distance, climb and terrain which is great for hill running newbies, of which the club had several this year.

Up until now the most I have been able to do is 4 races. This year one of my targets was to complete at least 6 and I did it! Another was to try and encourage others in the club to take part in hill races, another one ticked off. As always the series was kicked off at the Kaim Hill Race in Fairley which was well attended with 15 Harriers travelling down the Ayrshire coast. This year was a record turnout for the race and this theme continued as almost all hill races seen record attendance.

Next was Beinn Dubh at Loch Lomond followed by the Whangie Whizz, Cort-ma Law, Kilpatricks and Caerketton Hill races. I was delighted and surprised to finish the series in 7th place. With some mixed performances I would have been happy with a top 20. 10 hill races in total for the season which is another personal best for me, and the season isn’t over. 18 Harries in total completed at least 1 hill race in the series. 

Fair play to Andy for smashing his way through that series. But he didn’t stop there… There was one more hill to climb, and what better way to end the season than a trip up Ben Nevis! Again, Andy takes us through a fantastic race:

Having only ran this icon race once, in 2008, I had unfinished business with Britain’s biggest mountain. The weather couldn’t have been better, sunny, no cloud for perfect visibility and most importantly no wind, even at the summit! I set off feeling good and relaxed about the race. After the first mile we were on the tourist path heading uphill. The downside of amazing weather was the masses of people walking the course. It was single file for the entire ascent.

The steeper the race got in I remembered why I didn’t enjoy this race last time round. Heading off the tourist path and climbing through the scree was absolutely soul destroying and thigh bursting. I was steadily being passed by person after person with each foot of climbing.

The turn was in sight and I was hoping to make up as much ground as I could on the descent. Straight away I started taking people. Sliding down the scree was an exhilarating experience to say the least. Once on better ground I was still gaining places however the fun stopped with 2 mile to go. The dreaded cramp set in and I was stuck in slow gear. The last mile on the flat consisted of me and another guy shaping places by running and walking to the finish line (I recon I took around 45 people on the descent). The only thing that kept me going was knowing the kids would be there to cheer me on. Glad to get it in, enjoyed the experience but never again!
2008 time – 3 hours 11 mins 42 secs.
2019 time – 2 hours 19 mins 23 secs (unofficial)

Paisley 10k

The harriers often travel in numbers to our county neighbours in Paisley for the annual Renfrewshire Leisure 10k. A fast, flat route attracts a strong field as the end of the 10k season looms.

Club champion Steven Campbell was fit back with a great sub 35 run on a day where the underfoot conditions wee far from ideal. Fiona MacFarlane had another great run while just missing out on sub 47. However, it is the form that saw her get a huge parkrun PB a few weeks later. Cheryl Thomas was not far behind, swapping the hills for the flat. Elsewhere, club newcomer of the year Oliver Reilly broke 40 minutes again.

Results:
Steven Campbell 34.39, Mick McLoone 37.47, Oliver Reilly 39.34, Fiona MacFarlane 47.03, Cheryl Thomas 47.24, Rhys Jones 49.23, Debbie McKenzie 49.40, Malcolm McLean 49.54, Dannie Seddon 51.31, Gerry Gillespie 54.36, Angela Nelson 55.50, Sandra Devne 59.52, Charlotte McKay 78.58

Tour of Clydeside

The tour of Clydeside is a series of races over varying distances. These are ran over five consecutive nights, culminating in the Bella Belter 10k in Pollock Park on the Friday. This year, it was Natalie Smith and Viki Smith who took on all 5 races for the club. The Smiths showed no signs of panic on the streets of Glasgow as they handled the gruelling schedule with ease. Our resident charming man Andy McCall even made it along for the Toota Linn trail 7k, a new addition this year.

Overall Standings

Gourock Triathlon

The big winner on the day at this year’g Gourock Triathlon was Sandra Campbell, who was the first veteran lady! The sprint triathlon distance culminated in a superb sub 22 minute 5k from Sandra following on from the half mile swim and 12 mile cycle. Sandra finished ahead of Mick Harrington by only 30 seconds as he finished 5th in his category. Frank McMahon was 3rd in his age category, mere second ahead of Boyd McKenzie. David McCorkindale was the fastest Harrier on the day, breaking the hour mark for the event and finishing 2nd n his category. Kirsten Arthur was second behind Sandra in the veteran category.

http://racetecresults.com/Results.aspx?CId=40&RId=5305