Gala Harriers host their Big Weekend
June 26th, 2006It was a busy weekend for members of Gala Harriers as they hosted their big weekend of racing at both Melrose and Galashiels. On Saturday it was the Eildon Two Hills race with a modest field of just over forty runners taking on one of the borders most famous landmarks. While on Sunday the 10K road race began and finished at Netherdale.
Gala’s Damon Rodwell produced a great run to lead the field up both hills and had 50 metres on second placed Brian Marshall of Haddington on the run back into Melrose. Marshall put in a big effort as both runners approached the Greenyards to nip past Damon at the gates and held on to win by 20 metres in a time of 30.12.
Neil Aitchison put in one of his best performances in this race to finish 4th and with Graeme Murdoch claiming 8th place the harriers comfortably clinched the team prize.
Claire Gordon is a second claim Gala Harrier runner but she was competing for first claim club Hunters Bog Trotters in winning the ladies title and finishing a very impressive 7th overall. Tish Affleck was making a rare race appearance but she has lost none of her appetite for running as she finished 2nd lady and 1st Vet, with fellow harrier Rachel Fagan finishing 3rd lady to claim the ladies team prize for the harriers. Other harriers running were John Cairns (14th), Malky Gowans (23rd) and John Paterson (25th).
Sunday saw the running of the Gala Harriers 10K and Fun Run in association with the Gala Braw Lads Gathering. It was Peebles policeman and Northern Ireland international runner Steve Cairns (HBT), who dominated the men’s race crossing the line in a fine 31.41 to make it two wins on the trot, having picked up the Beltane 10K title last week.
David Kirkland (Alnwick Harriers) and Matthew Bell (C of E) finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, with Brian Kirkwood of Lasswade claiming 4th spot and the 1st vet’s prize. John Borthwick was the first harrier home in 5th place in a respectable time of 34.55, to lift the first local male prize.
Ros Alexander, (Carnegie Harriers), retained her ladies title in a time of 36.26 and was chased all the way by Claire Gordon (HBT), who was completing a successful weekend of racing having won the Kinghorn 5 on Friday night, the Eildon Hill race on Saturday and second place in the 10K on Sunday.
The harriers Dianne Lauder was 3rd lady in a time of 39.55 and was only just overtaken by Dave Nightingale in the last 50 metres as he raced home to the men’s supervet’s prize in a time of 39.51. Davy Darroch produced one of his best runs recently to finish 22nd in a time of 41.08, with Malky Gowans and Will McDermott 28th and 29th respectively. Other harrier finishers were Mike Young, Eileen Nicol (2nd Vet), John Paterson, Gillian Duncan, (1st local lady), Lisa Gregg, Allan Gordon, Tim Howell. Fiona Shepherd knocked a whopping 8 minutes off her previous personal best, recording 49.49 and was followed home by Karen Renton, Anne Lawrie, Alison Whitehead, Susan Howell and Anne Purves.
The Fun Run had an excellent turn out of 65 runners and was won by Euan Ferguson of City of Edinburgh, with Ross Corbett of Teviotdale Harriers 2nd boy and Gala Harrier’s Dylan Howell 3rd boy. In the girls race it was Lauren Corbett of Teviotdale who claimed the 1st girls prize, with Lucy Logan and Gillian Sandy both of Gala Harriers taking 2nd and 3rd spots respectively.
It was Balmoral P S who retained the Braw Lad and Lassies Primary School Cup, the winning team members of Cameron Gowans, Sean Macneil and Sean Scott can look forward to being presented with the cup by the Braw Lad and Lass, when they visit their school on Friday.
Gala Harriers would like to thank both Melrose and Gala Rugby clubs for the use of their facilities, the Gala Braw Lad and Lass committee, especially Dave Houston and Phil Macari, Loch Carron of Scotland for their sponsorship and all the marshals, time keepers and helpers over the weekends races.
