Borders X/C: Spittal
February 8th, 2010Blue skies, sandy beach, breezy headland, waves lapping gently around your toes –sounds like the perfect ingredients for a summer outing to the seaside. But the breeze was icy, the incoming tide was menacing and the temperatures were sub zero for the 4th leg of the Borders Winter Cross Country series at Spittal beach last Sunday.
But 67 junior athletes turned out for their clubs, including 9 young Gala Harriers and battled the elements over the testing course from Spittal beach and out across the dunes and back. Second home overall and still maintaining the top position in his age group was Rowan Marr, running a super race to finish in 15 minutes and13 seconds. Paul Henney held on to his 2nd place in the same boys’ age group with a good run in 16.04 to give him 10th place overall. Cameron Gowans in the older age group finished 15th overall in a very competitive 16.57.
For the girls, Hannah Jones kept hold of her 2nd position in the F 15s category with a good run in 18.29, with Laura Anderson, returning from a year’s lay off with injury running well in 19.32 to give her 3rd place behind Hannah. Twin sister Emily Jones put in a spirited 20.01, with diminutive Jo Arres just a few metres behind her, her time of 20.13 enough to keep her in 2nd place in the F11 category. Kerry Sandilands and Jo Marr, hitherto in such good form this season had to pull out after a fall and a collision and unfortunately did not finish their races.
For the seniors, the tide was looking threatening and there were some wet feet before the field of 136 runners climbed towards the headland. A dozen Harriers did the out and back route, frozen hard underfoot, with the honours going to Bob Marshall who was the first Gala man home and top in his M60 age category in 31.53. Billy McCulloch (34.39) Malky Gowans (34.48) Dave Nightingale (35.01) Scott Forsyth (35.27) Fiona Shepherd (38.33) Gerry Moss (39.00) Jackie Law (39.29) Dawn Grant (41.25) Billy McBain (43.00) Shelagh King (47.14) and Anne Purves (53.25) all competed well for the club and deserved their ice creams on the beach afterwards (not).
PLEASE NOTE too that the Gala leg, cancelled because of the weather earlier this month has been re-scheduled for Sunday 7th February: Gala Swimming Pool, 11.30 junior start, 12 noon for seniors.
