Junior Cross Country Series - Alva

It was good to see twenty five of Central’s young athletes competing in the third of this season’s Central Athletic Club’s Junior Cross Country Series at Alva Woodlands on Saturday 2 December.

The recent heavy rains made the course wet and heavy and the hill to the finish is one of the toughest the athletes will face in any race, so it was good to see a tussle at the front of the race with Tom Watson just prevailing over Scott Green with the boys finishing in 5.36 and 5.39 in this one mile race.  Conor Kerr underlined his hill running credentials with a fine finish for 5mins 50secs while David Hutchison showed renewed confidence with a 5.57 clocking, closely followed by a strong run from Ross Milne in 5.58 and Roddy Irvine, not far behind in 6.08. Catriona Buchanan was first girl home, again proving her resurgent form, with 6.07, while Lorna Cameron is another who is showing a return to her best, with a 6.11 clocking.

Alexander Couborough did well to finish in 6.17, closely followed by Kelly Carruthers (6.21).  It was David MacKinlay’s first competitive run and it was good to see him tackle the course with confidence to finish in a highly respectable 6.56.  Rory Bain’s steady run brought him round in 7minutes exactly, closely followed by improved runs from Amy Hendry (7.04) and Philip Wright (7.07). Kirsty Buchanan finished in 7.10 with Adam Hinton (7.26) a few strides ahead of Jack Kerr (7.29) and Shona Buchanan (7.32). San Fraser again supported the race series with a useful 7.53, crossing the line in the same time as debutant Farren Parkins.

Emily Greenan was another to have an improved run to come home in 7.57 with Aimee Bilsland again finishing well in 8.07, just ahead of Ruth McCabe (8.08).  Fiona Cameron ran well below her normal standard but still finished in 8.25 while first timer, Emma Watt (9.57), showed enough spirit to show she will improve with more experience.

The fourth and penultimate race in the series is at Airthrey Castle, Stirling University at 11am on Saturday 27^th January.  In the meantime the Club will travel to Galashiels on 9th December for the East District Cross Country Championships hopeful of bringing home a good haul of both Team and Individual medals.

Scottish Universities Cross Country – 3^rd December

The Scottish Universities Cross Country Championships were held in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow in wet and windy conditions o Sunday 3^rd December. The Mens race proved a personal triumph for Central’s Alastair Hay, running on this occasion for Queen Margaret UC, who won the race by some 40 seconds in an excellent 37.07 over the 10.5 kilometre course. Kyle Cowie was Stirling University’s first runner home in eleventh overall in 40.43, leading the University to third team placing.  Michael Wright, competing for Heriot Watt, finished 24^th in 43.38.

The Ladies race over 7 kilometres saw Central’s Fiona Thompson and Rowena Bell-Scott finish within a few strides. Fiona, running for Aberdeen University finished seventh in 32.44 with Rowena (Edinburgh University) in eighth in 32.46. Rowena’s run helped Edinburgh University to first team place, while Fiona was Aberdeen’s second counter as they won the Team Silver medals.

Sunday Mail Sport Award For Ryan

Congratulations to Scottish U15 javelin record holder Ryan Stewart won the Junior Sports Personality Award at the inaugural Sunday Mail Sports Awards on Thursday 7th December.

Ryan who excels in three different disciplines, javelin, hammer and shot putt, has broken Scottish records seven times this year. He is currently ranked British number one junior in javelin, third for hammer and sixth for shot putt. His National javelin record stands at 54.65m.

Ryan is now leaving the club in order to gain specialist coaching in his events and takes with him our congratulations and best wishes for the future.

East District Cross Country Championships – 9 December 2006 – Galashiels

Central won another barrowload of medal at the East of Scotland Championship, winning four out five of the men and boys team races titles and providing three individual winners. On a Galashiels course considered by many to be probably the toughest cross country course in the UK, it was a day for the tough to get going with a biting wind, low blinding sun obscuring the footing over multiple laps of a course rising and falling almost 500 feet. Experienced commentators suggested that every finisher deserved a medal.

The Senior Mens race, over 9.9 kilometres, produced the most intriguing contest of the day with the team result fluctuating between Central and Hunter’s Bog Trotters throughout.  Central prevailed by the narrowest of margins, 74 points to 76, with every place counting.  The team of Robert Russell (individual bronze medallist in exactly 37 minutes), Under 20 winner Michael Gillespie (sixth overall in 37.37), Alasdair Anthony (ninth in 38.11), Alastair Hay (tenth in 38.16), Ross Houston (21^st in 39.34) and Under 20 third placer, Kyle Cowie (25^th in 39.50) were Central’s winners on the day.  To put the icing on the cake Central’s Under 20 team of Michael Gillespie, Kyle Cowie and Murray MacLarty (36^th overall in 40.40) lifted the Under 20 Team title and Gold medals. Back up to the medallists was provided through another Under 20, Michael Wright, in 48^th with 41.39. There was a large contingent of Central’s Senior Men competing on the day and Alex Milne (68^th in 43.33), David Eckersley (96^th in 46.00), Martin Crawford (102^nd in 46.14), Alan Hume (104th in 46.20), Liam McCabe (117^th in 47.32), Graham Harvey (124^th in 48.02), Philip Sweeney (135^th in 48.50), Allister Hargreaves (138^th in 49.10), Hugh Kerr (146^th in 49.47), Stuart Watson (162^nd in 51.23), Alan Gall (175^th in 53.48), David Hay (177^th in 54.05), Philip Hendry (184^th in 54.47), Adrian Louden (191^st in 56.19) and Jim Drummond (205^th in 59.03) all did well in a field of 217 finishers.

Central senior ladies put out a record squad of 15 attempting to defend last years team win, but were thwarted by a City of Edinburgh trio of international Gillian Palmer, New Zealand international marathon runner Rebecca Moore and Jennifer McLean taking three of the top fours positions. Emma Waterhouse, travelling up from university in Durham was first Central finisher with a fine 7^th place in 28.42, closely followed by Alison Docherty in 10^th (28.57) and Ainsley Normand in 11^th (29.07) to provide the three counters for silver team medals. Sarah Pickett showed excellent form for much of the race to record 14^th (29.24), and with Hazel Dean (19^th, 29.57), Claire Waterhouse (23^rd, 30.21) as the next grouping, good enough for fourth team in their own right. Other members of the squad were Jane Waterhouse (36^th, 31.09), Andrina Buchanan ( 43^rd, 31.38), Stephanie Auge (61^st, 33.42), Gillian Gilvear (73^rd, 35.36), Mary Kerr (77nd, 36.03), Morag Adam (82^nd, 38.34), Janice Leitch (83^rd, 39.07), Tracey McInally (89^th, 44.29) and Louise Harris (91^st, 46.12).

Club members, Rowena Bell-Scott and Begona Julian, representing their university teams were also running with Rowena being first under 20 with her 18^th place (29.55) and Begona 46^th in 31.43.

It was the same two lap 6,400 metre course that faced the Under 17 Men and it was great to see Central’s yellow and blue vests to the fore throughout.  Scott McDonald proved that his winter training was going well with a confident run to win the race with a superb 24.13 clocking.  Sean Reilly pushed on for a superb individual bronze medal in 24.53 and Alexander Hendry had a superbly resolute run to come home in fourth in 25.31 to ensure Central’s Team won team gold in this age group. It was also good to see Jonathon Tolson making progress with another gritty performance in 18^th to finish in 28.35.

Central’s Under 13 Boys have been a class act all season and once again underlined their potential, taking team Gold by the significant margin of 22 points. Tom Watson was made to work hard throughout the race but used his strength and speed to great effect in the final run-in to take individual gold in 11mins 38secs over the 3,200 metre course. Ross Milne showed great determination to finish fifth in 12.13 closely followed in sixth by another excellent run by Conor Kerr in sixth (12.20).  Behind the scoring team Alexander Coubrough (ninth in 12.25), Logan Bonar (15^th in 13.09) and Kelly Carruthers (22^nd in 13.32) all had good runs and would have won team Bronze if ‘B’ teams had been eligible.

The Under 15 Boys race also proved a test of strength and stamina over 4,400 metres, and it was good to see Central’s team win Bronze medals with excellent runs from Anthony Gillespie (11^th in 16.33), Scott Green (12^th in 16.43) and David Hutchison (18^th in 17.19).

Rachel Hunter ran a good race to take 9^th place in the under 17 race in 19.12. In the combined race, the under 15 girls team toughed it out on a two lap 4.4 Kilometre course. Catriona Buchanan ran a splendid race to gain 6th place (17.47), with Mairi Gillespie ( 30^th in 20.58), and Becky Hay (33^rd, 21.05) and Claire Tunaley (43^rd, 23.14) all running with great credit.

Kirsty Buchanan was first Central runner home in the under 13 race with 18^th place (14.48), with a fast improving Amy Hendry was close at hand in 21^st (15.09), with Shona Buchanan (26^th, 15.24) and Fionn Hargreaves (27^th, 15.24) fighting it out to the line after a within club tussle all the way round the course.

Boxing Day 2006

There was an excellent turnout of Central Athletic Club athletes at the traditional Boxing Day Fun Run at Gartmorn Dam. With good conditions for the runners many of the adults used the opportunity for a longer training run leaving the Club’s youngsters competing over the 3 mile trail around Gartmorn Dam.

Showing continuing excellent form it was youngster Conor Kerr who headed the field with a fine 18 minutes 14 seconds clocking, some 1min 43secs faster than last year. Alexander Coubrough had his first run on this course and he underlined his progress with a well judged 18.37 run.  Ross Milne also had a good run for 19.14 and Kelly Carruthers time of 19.36 showed superb progress from his 21.15 of the previous year.  Logan Bonar was another who should feel pleased with his 21.41 run. Nathan Betton (22.36) and James Stevenson (23.50) should both be pleased with there inaugural runs while Jack Kerr (24.34) was yet another to show a big improvement from last year.  It was good to see Sandy MacLarty going well throughout as he came round in 25.22.

The Girls race was won by the multi talented Elayne Henderson who used her run to prove her endurance credentials, finishing in an improved 21.47. Amy Hendry showed good pace judgement to finish in 22.18 while Kirsty Buchanan improved her 2005 time by almost 3 minutes with a 22.51 run.   Dawn Kerr worked hard for her 25.39 and it was good to see Emma Thomson and Sarah Gough tackling a much longer run than before and finishing in a very acceptable 31.18.