Saturday 30th November 2024
The short trip up the M8 to Barwood Park, Erskine had a hand in Greenock Glenpark bringing along one of the highest team turnouts on the day, the famous blue and yellow hoops noticeable all over the course. Conditions were perfect both underfoot and weather-wise, and it was great to see so many Glenparkers turning out for this one. Barwood Park is a cracking little course, running well short of the advertised 7.5k and relatively flat most of the way round, with the exception of some absolutely leg-melting short climbs, and a strength sapping long finish stretch catching the unwary by surprise. Only a few Harriers had run the course at last years League event so this really was a new route for most.
As ever, the standard of runner taking part in this level of XC is remarkable and our juniors put up a brave fight over the shorter distances:
U13 3.2k
Orla Trainer (71st) 10:47
Iona Quigley (75th) 11:03
Stella McCabe (80th) 11:24
U15 4.1k
Nuala Quigley (48th) 17:11
U20 6.3k
Evie Harrison (18th) 26:44
SENIORS / MASTERS WOMEN 7.5k
For the first time in weeks the turnout for the ladies team was less than the men’s, but we still had a fantastic 12 runners at the start line for the senior race. After her fantastic showing at Cumbernauld, it was great to see Ashley Anderson continue to improve on the grass – once again having a brilliant race and first Harrier home with a time of 32:32 – a great run, which also nabbed her 8th in the W35 Category. Also with echoes to the Cumbernauld Relay, Ashley was chased all the way by Jennifer Rooney (33:00) – although she claimed she went off too quickly (1st km in 4.17!) this was another strong run from Jennifer and a great effort to stay ahead of 3rd Harrier Jill Aikman (33:10). Next over the line was Lorna Mitchell (34:22), going well to finish 10th in her W45 group. Viki Smith put in a real effort to get into the top 10 in her age category of W50, just outside the 35 minute mark with 35:17. She was followed by Ladies Captain Lynne Harrison who was another struggling with illness in the lead in to today’s race, but still managed 11th W50 with 36:14. Jill Turner (36:59) and Vice Captain Cheryl Thomas (36:50) were neck and neck at the finish and the last two Harriers under 40 minutes.
Next for the team were ever-present XC Veteran Sarah Jane Whalen with 13th Age Cat W50 in 41:05, Lorna Macmillan with a great run to take 6th W60 with 44:07, and – for the third time in as many races – the evergreen Charlotte McKay had another fine run to once again lead home the W70 field – 1st Age Cat in a respectable 45:25, and over 2 mins off her pb from the same course at last year’s League event! The ladies race was completed by Alli Baird, 4th in age Cat W55 with a time of 45:26.
The ladies team made a special point to thank the guys team (particularly coach Alan and Andy McCall) who popped up all around the course shouting encouragement throughout the race.
SENIORS / MASTERS MEN 7.5k
25 men lined up for the start of a highly contested field. From the gun, and despite having the dreaded ‘no-feeling-it-the-day’ blues after his intense training to represent Scotland at Belfast, Andy McCall had a fine race and grudgingly admitted he ran ‘okay’ to go over the finish line as first Harrier home in a time of 24:44, 6th in Age Cat and 45th overall. Arguably the performance of the day came from Lewis Khan with a brilliant time of 25:26 after a hard fought battle with the in-form John Logan (25:35). Another tasty match up over the three laps came from Paul Monaghan (2nd V50, 26:09) and Vice Captain Daniel Doherty (4th V45 26:10), with both athletes working hard as they came into the final climb. Monaghan edged Doherty out in a thrilling sprint finish, the moment captured by the Scottish Athletics Team Photographer and featured at the top of this page.
Another remarkable run came from Stevie Campbell; despite illness (and jet lag) having disrupted his training in the days leading into the race, alongside Daniel Doherty and Paul Monaghan, all three men managed to secure counting places in both the seniors and Vets GGH teams; Campbell with a time of 27:27 and 4th V50. The GGH Senior Team of McCall, Khan, Logan, Monaghan, Doherty and Campbell placed a creditable 7th overall, and the Veterans Team fell agonisingly close to a medal as they secured 4th spot.
Just outside the counting places, Chris Mooney continues to impress, his dedication to training bringing him home in 27:56, ahead of Gavin Morrison in 28:51 (4th Age Cat). Strong runs from Andy Blair and Shaun Wiseman put them just ahead of Stephen Hanley (29:15), who was ‘delighted’ to continue his ongoing streak of being 11th Harrier home, no matter which race he enters! The Stephen Harrison / Colin McKnight / William Taylor rivalry continued once again as the three men fought out a brutal tactical race for the third event in a row after duelling over the Colin Shields and the West League XC events – all three swapping positions at the start of the race as the pace settled. Taylor went off fastest and put some distance between himself and the chasing two, but it was Harrison who edged it on the day, gradually pulling in the gap and taking the lead with half a lap to go and crossing the line in 29:41, just ahead of Taylor in 29:54 and McKnight in 30:10 – great to see all the guys pushing each other on as the season progresses.
Struggling with a late injury, Aaron Fullerton ran a solid 31:18 in his first XC for the club, with John Stevenson, Graham McGrattan, Alan Robertson (also on his XC debut), Micky Dunn and Greg Luke all going well to go well under 35 minutes. The Harriers places were completed by Gerry Gallacher, Alan O’Rourke, CM Chesterman and Frank McMahon – McMahon, like Charlotte McKay, delighted to record another 1st age category in the V70 group.
Well done all on a great turnout – next XC Event is the West District League on December 14th.
Credit to Peter McLaughlin for Photography.
