McAndrew Road Relay Event. Saturday 4^th October. A team of Central Athletic Club's Senior Men competed in this traditional race run over four laps of 3.25 miles in Glasgow.

Ewan Gault started the team off with a fine run of 16min 55secs to put the team into tenth place. Lewis Millar took up the challenge on the second leg completing this in 18.15 to keep the team in twelfth place. Alex Milne kept the momentum going with 18.20 for thirteenth.  John Millar brought the team home in 19.58 for a fine overall performance of fourteenth of the seventy teams competing.

Scottish Junior Road Race Championships in Rouken Glen Park, Giffnock 5th October. Central’s junior athletes again performed with distinction at the at the weekend.

Matthew Gillespie continued to underline his undoubted class with an accomplished win in the Under 13 Boys Road Race to retain his title from 2002. Matthew covered the 2500metre course in the excellent time of 8min 37secs. Younger brother, Anthony Gillespie had one of his finest runs to date, finishing in eighth place overall (9.32), in spite of falling at the start. There is little doubt that with some back-up from the other Boys in this age group, Central Athletic Club could have also lifted Team Medals.

In the Under 13 Girls race, over the same course, Kelly Natella (32^nd in 11.13), Becky Hay (33^rd in 11.15) and Hillary Warkentin (34^th in 11.16) gained valuable experience in their first venture into this type of event. All showed good form and determination, will have learnt from their runs, and will undoubtedly continue to be competitive in future road and cross-country races.

Michael Gillespie gave a good account of himself in the Under 15 Boys 4000 metres race.  Michael ran strongly throughout the race but had to settle for 7^th place in a strong field, finishing in 13min 44secs. Calum Johnson was another to compete in this type of event for the first time and found the pace of the leading runners a little hard to handle.  However a finishing position of 33^rd in 15min 30secs was no mean achievement and Calum looks as though he will make an impact for the Club during the cross-country season.

Michael Wright contested the Under 17 Mens Race over 5000 metres and was pleased with his performance of 16min 37secs for a competitive 8^th place.  Michael has been steadily improving his personal bests throughout 2003 and looks in fine form to contest the forthcoming cross-country races.

Alastair Hay had a superb run in the Under 20 Mens Race over 7,500 metres, running shoulder to shoulder with Pitreavie's John Newsom at the front of the race.  The lead changed three times in the last 300 metres but Alastair had to settle for silver, in 23.38, as John's final sprint took the race by the slenderest of margins.

The Under 20 Womens Race was run jointly with the Mens Race and Fiona Thomson made it a double silver celebration for the Club with an excellent and mature performance to finish in the fine time of exactly 29 minutes.

East of Scotland Cross Country Relays. 11th October. Kelso.

Central made it a Championship double in the East of Scotland cross country relays, in the grounds of Floors Castle, Kelso, at the weekend by winning the junior boys relay for the second time in succession and taking a first ever senior title with a win for the senior ladies team.

Within 50m of the gun, Under 13 Matthew Gillespie took a lead in the junior relay that was never to be challenged and reached the first changeover, to his older brother Michael, in 8m 47s. In the under 15 leg, Michael demonstrated his composure to preserve the lead with a time of 8m 31s. On the final leg, Under 17 Michael Wright, pulled away with the fastest time of the day, 8m 16s, to bring the Central team home with a time 68 seconds in front of their Edinburgh rivals.

Michael Wright

Youth was the feature of Central’s senior ladies team with Dunblane schoolgirl Fiona Thompson and University fresher Morag MacLarty, both seventeen, teaming up with 22 year old Edinburgh teacher Claire Waterhouse, to take on more experienced teams from Aberdeen to the Borders. In the first highly competitive leg, with other teams choosing to send out their fastest runners, Fiona kept in the leading group of runners from gun till half way of the 4000-metre course to leave Central in third place. Fiona posted the fifth fastest time of the day in 16m 14s. Second leg runner, Claire Waterhouse held onto third place and pulled back time against both leading teams. Her time of 17m 5s left a changeover deficit of 31 seconds behind Lothian Running Club and Gala. Moving up from the junior ranks with a high class reputation, Morag MacLarty, quickly established her senior credentials by posting the fastest time of the day (15m 03s), taking the lead by halfway and winning by 41s.

Senior Champions Fiona , Claire and Morag

Three teams competed for Central in the senior mens’ race. The youthful A team quartet were rewarded with fifth place against first class opposition. Ewan Gault led off with a time of 13m 48s to bring the team to changeover one in seventh place. Alastair Hay, emulated Morag in his first senior run by posting the fastest Central time of 13m 29s and pulled the team up to fifth place. Alasdair Anthony brought the team up to fourth place with 13m 29s and Lewis Millar had the difficult task of holding off some fast anchor leg runners and brought the team home in fifth place with a time of 14m 38s.

Central’s B team came home in a creditable 17^th place with Steve Laing (14m 5s), Robert Hutchison (15m 30s), Robert Stott (15m 50s) and John Millar (16m 07s). An incomplete team of David Hay (17m 37s), Cameron Campbell (16m 41s) and Derek Easton (16m 7s) completed Central’s day.

REEBOK INTERNATIONAL RACES, FALKIRK

The prestigious Reebok 2003-2004 Series of International Cross Country Races began on an undulating but testing course in Callendar Park, Falkirk on Saturday 18 October. These races came a little early in the Season for many of Central's athletes, however those that did take part competed with distinction.

Matthew Gillespie completed a hat-trick of wins in consecutive weekends with another fine display of front running, completing the 2.7kilometre course in 9mins 27secs.  Younger brother Anthony also had a fine run, coming home, with his customary sprint finish, in 10.38.

The Senior and Under 20 Women ran together over a 6.4kilometre course. Fiona Thompson suffered in the latter stages of the race but secured sixth place in the Under 20 race (26^th overall) in 26.09, in her first individual Cross Country race in this age group. Jane McCrorie made a welcome return in Central's colours, judging her pace well to take 24^th place in 26.03, while Stirling University student Toni McIntosh had an excellent run for sixth place in 23.34.

The Senior/Junior Mens race, over 9.6kilometres saw Alastair Hay make his debut in the Under 20 age group, finishing in an excellent seventh place (23^rd overall) in 32.30.  Robert Russell (30^th) and Ewan Gault (37^th) also showed fine early season form, finishing in 33.12 and 34.06 respectively.  Robert Hutchison rounded off Central's efforts for the day with a respectable 65^th place in 39.45.

A local Secondary School's race preceded the Reebok races and this saw a highly promising run by Ben Rogers (Wallace High School), taking first place over the same 2.7 kilometre course used by the Under 13's, in 10.13. Meanwhile Robbie McNab helped Denny High School through to win the team award with eighth place in 11.23. In the Girls race Rosie Rogers (Wallace High School) showed good form throughout for seventh place in 11.51.

The first of three East District Cross Country League Meetings is being held a Livingston on Saturday 25^th October.  It is hoped that the Club will have a good turnout for these race which cater for all age groups from Under 11 to Veterans and offers the Club the opportunity to take at least some age group titles in this League. Details...

EAST DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY, LIVINGSTON. 25TH October. Michael Gillespie led the way for Central AC with a win in the under 15 race in the first East of Scotland Cross Country League series match . With his measured running he pulled clear of the field in the last mile to win with a time of 13m 39s over the tracks and trails of the Dean’s course at Livingston.

The under 11 boys team produced the team race of the day with all five runners in the top half of the field and the distinction of first placed team. David Hutchison was always to the fore and took an excellent second place in 5m 29s. Packing closely for the team position, Ross Milne and Roddy Irvine finished in 5^th and 6^th places after both had started steadily and picked their way through the field, both being given the same time of 5m 51s. Connor Kerr ran extremely competitively not far behind in 17^th place with 6m 9s, whilst Martyn Paterson was just 5 seconds further back in 22^nd place.

Mhairi Gillespie was the sole under 11 girl and took a creditable 6^th place in 6m 26s.

In the under 13 girls race the trio of Central runners showed improved endurance form, with Kelly Natella first Central runner home in 18^th place in 12m 50s, closely followed by Becky Hay (20^th in 12m58s) and Jennifer Hutchison (21^st in 13m 4s).

In the under 17 races, Michael Wright put in a mature performance to take second place with 19, 22s. Steven Guscott made his first appearance for the club and finished well up in the field in 21^st place. Rowena Bell-Scott ran well to take 8^th place in girl’s race in 16m 30s and Lauren McNab 12^th in 17m 12s.

The senior age groups were graced by two former world champions in a high quality ladies race. Liz McColgan is rumoured to be considering a full comeback to try and win a place in the GB team for December’s European Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh. She took on Angela Mudge, former World Mountain Running Champion and full GB international over the country, with Liz breaking clear in the last mile. For Central, Hazel Dean was 14^th in 23m 35s, Jane Waterhouse 19^th in 24m 06s and Mary Kerr 42^nd in 26m36s, all showing that they are running well.

The senior men’s race had a good turnout of Central runners unlike the intermediate age groups. Fourth team was a good result in this highly competitive event. Robert Russell started strongly, whilst Alistair Anthony took a steadier approach with them finishing 7^th and 8^th place respectively in 26m 38 and 26m 42s. Ewan Gault also placed well with 19^th place (27m27s). Alec Milne was pleased with his 46^th place (28m 26s) with Jamie McDonald not in full training in 54^th (28m47s) and Steve Laing 59^th (28m 54s). Other results; Lewis Millar (87^th, 30m 07s), Roger Greenaway (130^th, 31m 40s), Robert Hutchison (136^th, 31m 57s), Fraser Purves (138^th, 31m 54s), John Millar (142^nd, 31m 59s), David Hay (188, 34m 40s), John Dickson (236, 40m 11s), Robert Ball (247, 40m 17s).