Summer Round-Up August 2010
August 18th, 2010Much of the recent athletic action has been focussed on the Border Games circuit but Gala Harriers have nevertheless been featuring in many a hill, road and track race since the start of the summer season. As we move through August, here’s a round up of some of the highlights:
Hill races have always been a fixture in summer festival sports as well as part of the hill running calendar and in addition to their very own Eildon 2 Hills Race previously reported in late June, Harriers were in action at the Yetholm Hill Race, The Black Hill Race, the newly re-launched Oxton Games Hill Race and most recently, the Dollar Hill Race which was a national championship counter. On July 31st in perfect conditions amongst a huge field of over 250, Fergus Johnston, Paul Morris, James Purves and Shelagh King (and Lauder Limper Eb Rooney) followed the romantic-sounding route up the Dollar Glen, by the Burn of Sorrow, up Whitewisp and Tarmangie Hills with their stunning views across the Forth of Forth, across Maddy Moss before they descended again into the Glen once more and headed for home.
There always have been a selection of local town 5 and 10K races and half marathons to pick from and Harriers have performed well in many of these: Iain Bell was the first local in the Duns Reivers Week multi-terrain 5K race in 18 minutes 30 seconds; several club runners participated in the Kelso 10k where Graeme Murdoch took second place in an excellent 34.07, leading home strong finishes by Alan Goodson (39.54) Bob Marshall (39.56) Jennifer Forbes (44.29) Dave Nightingale (44.32) Fiona Morris (55.11) and Susan Howel (59.03). And Mark Bryson and Ruth McCann had good runs in Saturday’s Haddington Half Marathon with times of 1.25.33 and 1.50.48 respectively.
The Harriers’ own 5000m race on the track at Tweedbank was held on 5 August and again leading his fellow competitors home over the gruelling 12 laps was Graeme Murdoch in 17.47, followed by Martin Clarke (18.56) Billy McCulloch (19.02) Colin McColl (19.48) Scott Forsyth (19.59) Calum Stewart (20.11) Malky Gowans (20.20) Fiona Shepherd (21.44) Gerry Moss (22.30) and Dawn Grant in 23.27.
Just to add to the variety, Graeme Murdoch also featured as the running leg for his team in the so-called ‘Durty Tri’, an arduous triathlon around St Mary’s Loch with a swim in open water and a very muddy cycle and running element, all of which versatile Harrier Gregor McAneny completed, competing as a Scottish Border Triathlete.
Most recently, and after an intensive few days at the Sports Academy in Galashiels for some young athletes, there was action at Scotstoun stadium, Glasgow last Saturday and Sunday at the Scottish Age-Groups Championships. Sophie Elder was the sole representative in the Under 17 girls’ events on Saturday, getting through her heat in the 300m in 44.03 to qualify for the final where she put in a solid performance in 44.58.
On the Sunday, Rowan Marr and Kerry Sandilands who had participated in the national Sports Academy coaching just previously, stepped on to the track in blisteringly hot conditions along with Demi Yorke. No-one can ask more of a young athlete than to do a personal best which both Rowan and Kerry duly did in their heats with Kerry only missing out on a place in the final of the 1500m by 0.5 seconds. Rowan did make his final where he competed well to come 11th. Over the shorter distance however, Demi Yorke had other ideas and followed up a silver medal in the Under 15 girls’ 100m final (12.75) with a superb gold in the 200m, which she won in 26.70.
