Cold Comfort for Gala Harriers
February 1st, 2003Gala Harriers made the trip up to Alloa at the weekend to take part in the last East District league race of the season.
The woodland hills and fields around Lornshill Academy provided a tough course for all runners, where the pupils at that school must really dread cross-country running.
Gala were lying in fourth spot in both the ladies and veteran mens league at the start of the day and hopes were high of a top three finish for both teams, if they could run well.
Unfortunately the men could not better their position on the day and were unlucky to see Graham Capper pull out near the end of the race with a calf muscle injury and have Ron Logan badly twist his ankle on one of the many frozen ruts on the course.
Ron limped on round to finish 42nd overall from the 160 runners who started the race and was as usual top finishing Harrier.
Alistair Laurie will have to learn to tie his laces tighter after losing around ten places when one of his running spikes came off in the thick mud which covered much of the woodland section of the race. Despite this, Alistair finished strongly in 67th place and will be a very welcome new member to the veteran’s section of the club.
Martin Clarke (80th), Robin Murray (90th) and Colin Christison (111th), made up the other finishing places.
In the ladies race there was the very disappointing sight of only one lady turning out for Gala, with ever present Nicola Alexander running well to finish 35th from the 46 starters in her race.
It’s hard to believe that the current East District XC relay champions and Scottish Veteran’s XC champions, could not get three ladies to turn out.
Kirsty Thomson has hardly missed a race all season in the U13 girls section and despite having to travel up on her own earlier in the day she still managed a fine performance of 17th from 30 starters.
The Harriers next race will be next Sunday at Dunbar, in the Winter Cross Country series. The race is held at Thirston Manor caravan park just south of Dunbar, with the junior race starting at 11.30 and the senior’s starting at 12.00.
