Junior Cross Country Series-  3 October 2010

The first race in the Central Athletic Club’s Cross-Country Series was held at Airthrey Castle, Stirling University on the afternoon of Sunday 3^rd October.  The rain of recent days had left wet conditions but the sun came out for the race much to the delight of the runners and spectators.

Iain Davies stamped his quality on the race with a confident run to win in 5min 41secs.  Kalim McDonagh also showed some assured running in second finishing in 5min 55secs a few strides ahead of Gary MacFarlane’s 5.59 effort.  Scott Fleming (6.23) let his experience tell as he led home debutant, Stuart McKinney (6.26) and the fast finishing Liam McGregor (6.38).  Ailig Struthers had a steady run (6.46) ahead of the first Under 9 runner Andrew Currie (7.20), another young athlete having his first run.  Matthew McGarva led home the Under 11 Boys challenge with 7.30 ahead of  Anthony Eckersley’s 7.53 effort.

Shannon MacFarlane was the top Girl on the day finishing with a classy 6.42 run while Jodie Currie’s first run in the Series caught the eye with a 7.03 clocking ahead of Emma Fitzsimmons 7.29 effort.  Erin Clark was the top Under 11 Girl with a strong 7.19 run ahead of Rena Fleming, 7.53 and Fiona Davies’ first competitive run to finish in 8.10.

Kilomathon

Also on Sunday Central’s Ross Houston strode to a fine victory in Scotland’s first ever Kilomathon event, taking the scalp of Commonwealth Games bound Martin Williams.  The Edinburgh event, held over 26.2 kilometres (16.3 miles), had a near 2,000 strong field and included the rare opportunity to race over the Forth Road Bridge.  Houston covered the distance in 86min 49secs to win by over a minute from the Tipton Harriers runner.

East District Cross Country Relays – 9 October

Central Athletic Club’s Teams came home with five sets of medals from the East District Cross Country Relays held at Prestonpans on Saturday 9^th October. Once again Central runners dominated the Senior Men’s race achieving a remarkable double victory with the first two teams home, and had a major role in the other three races.

First up was the Junior Girls race held over 3 legs of 2,500metres and it was Isla Burns who ran the Under 13 leg with a solid performance to come home in tenth place in 11min 22secs passing on to Under 15 Eilidh MacCorquodale who took up the challenge to lift the team to third place with the second fastest time, 10min 24secs on that leg. Kathryn Gillespie, running up an age group on the under 17 leg, also ran strongly as she tried to make up ground on her rivals finishing with another second fastest time on that leg with 10min 10secs to bring Central home in Bronze medal place in 31min 18secs overall.

The second team saw Shamsa Scott-Angell come in alongside the A team, with the same time of 11.22 for eleventh place. Laura Clarke ran a solid race to move the team up to eighth with an 11.03 clocking and the team was completed by Amy Hendry with another strong run (11.18) to finish tenth overall in a team timing of 33min 43secs.  Incomplete Central teams then featured in the remainder of the Junior Girls races with Emma Fitzsimmons (12.49), Beth Gallagher (12.52) and Amy Gullen (12.31) all showing promise in running the Under 13 leg, and Tara Wells running on the Under 15 leg (12.24).

The Young Male athlete’s race was held over the same 2,500 metres loop as the Young Females.  Under 13 Iain Davies started Central’s ‘A’ team challenge catching the eye with a well judged run to bring the team round in second at the end of the first leg (9min 36secs).  Under 15 Sandy Semple kept the challenge going on the second leg with a strong run to come home in 9min 37secs holding the overall second place.  Under 17 Scottish 800metre Champion Tom Watson set off swiftly to try to close on leaders Edinburgh AC but in the event found the 31seconds gap too much for even his speed as he brought his Team home in Silver medal position with a fine 8min 56secs effort and an overall 28min 09secs.

The ‘B’ team of Kieran Potter (10.42/8^th), Sam Davidson (10.05/7^th) and Ross Milne (9.27/7^th) came home in an excellent 30min 14secs.  The ‘C’ team of Matthew Crawford (10.49/9^th), Lewis Sinclair (13.49/22^nd) and Kyle Petrie (9.53/21st) ran competently finishing in 34min 31secs overall while Under 13 Scott Fleming (11min 8secs) ran the first leg for an incomplete team with Under 17 Sam Fraser finishing off Central’s effort with a 10.03 clocking.

Amongst the Senior Female ranks, the breaking of the run of eight successive victories by Central’s Senior Ladies Team was the biggest talking point as the strong Central trio had to give way to their rivals in the most competitive field for many years. Fiona Thompson led off and running with confidence fended off spirited attempts by Dundee’s Eilish McColgan and Laura Dunn from Edinburgh. Fiona finished off the first leg with a narrow, but hard fought 12 second lead in a time of 14min 18secs for her the 4 kilometre lap. Lyndsay Morrison set off tailed by GB under 20 international Sarah Kelly but held her at bay though other teams managed to claw back time on the leading two. Lindsay was pleased with the eighth fastest time of the day, a 14min 47secs clocking. On the final leg, Catriona Buchanan was given the unenviable task of holding onto a lead ahead of a pack of chasers led by Lily Partridge, another junior GB international running for winners Dundee, which saw Central finish just outside the medals in an overall 44min 15secs.

Jennifer Emsley led off the B team, with an opening leg of 15min 23secs for ninth place, Claire Houston kept the effort moving with 16min 16secs, which saw the Team in tenth and Polly Harrison completed the Team’s endeavour in twelfth place with 16min 55secs and an overall 48min 34secs. Eilidh Hetman made her debut for the Club with a 19.25 clocking in an incomplete team.

The Masters Team came away with some silverware, with Jane Waterhouse leading off with a 17min 6secs leg for 20^th team overall but first Masters team. Fiona Kelsall continued the fine running, lifting the team to 16^th place with her run of 17.07, and with Hazel Dean running the anchor leg of 16.51, just unable to hold off Edinburgh for the main title and settling for 17^th team overall but taking home the Masters Silver medals.

The Central’s Mens Teams had won Gold and Silver medals over the last two years and Team Manager Derek Easton once again added some interest to the race by sending out a young (Under 20) Central Mens Team to compete against their slightly older Team mates, the youngsters having bragging rights from the 2009 contest.  With four legs of 4,000 metres it was Andrew Butchart who started the challenge bringing the younger Central Team home in first at the end of the first leg (12min 20secs).  Lewis Miller kept his Team in touch on the first leg, having to contest the leading places with a number of top runners and coming home sixth in 12min 46secs.  Alexander Hendry picked up the challenge at the head of the field bringing the youngsters to the end of the second leg in third overall with a leg of 12min 35secs while John Newsom found the generally flat course to his liking as he closed the gap in pulling his Team up to fourth overall with a 12min 26secs effort.  Robert Russell took off on the third leg determined to underline his speed endurance credentials and soon sliced through his rivals to show Central’s youngsters how it should be done with the fourth fastest leg of the day 12min 15secs and his team now at the head of the field.  Scott Green also worked hard throughout the third leg to bring the Under 20 Team through in second place overall (12.54).  With established runners Ross Houston (12.26) and Sean Reilly (12.27) contesting the last leg there was little doubt that Central would once again take the Gold and Silver medals but this time the youngsters had to settle for second place in the local contest with an overall 50min 16secs behind Lewis, John, Robert and Ross – 49min 53secs.

It was another Under 20, David Hutchison, who started the effort for Central’s next team, coming round in 13.27 with his Team in 16^th overall.  Michael Wright ran a strong second leg to pull the team up to eleventh (13.36) and with the experienced Alasdair Anthony (13.03/9th) and David McNamee (12.51) on the last two legs the team finished in a superb seventh place overall (52min 57secs).

Craig Neal (13.41/22^nd), Chris McHardy (14.53/23^rd), Ian McDonald (15.03/22^nd) and Will Hensman (14.03) finished in a competitive 17^th overall (57min 40secs).  Central’s Masters Mens Team of David Eckersley (14.30/32^nd); Phil Hendry (15.51/37^th); Alan Gall (18.07/44^th) and Colin Sinclair (18.49) came home in 67min 17secs in 44^th place overall and seventh Masters Team.  George McHardy (19.11) was the only runner in an incomplete team to round off Central’s Senior Mens effort.

East District Cross Country League – Match 1 – 16^th October

Central AC hosted the first meeting of the East of Scotland Cross Country League, and was rewarded with a series of good results on home soil.  At the end of a day of racing on Saturday 16^th October at the Stirling University campus course, the home club led in two of the age groups, were third placed in four more and were leading the overall championship for ladies/girls and were third placed in men/boys.

The under 11 girls race led off with a tremendous performance with the Gallagher twins, Kate and Evie coming in 7^th and 8^th in 6:22 and 6:29 respectively leading the way, supported in 19^th place by Erin Potter with a 6:55 timing over the 1400m course.  Erin Clarke and Amy Murphy came in close together on 7:14 in 31st and 32^nd places and Rachel Martin was 35^th with 7:22, with Central in the lead in this age group.  The under 11 boys Team of Matthew Mc Garva (29^th; 6.56), Andrew Currie (36^th; 7.06), R McGorgray (37^th; 7.07) and Anthony Eckersley (44^th; 8.05) competed over the same 1400metres course and all came through with flying colours.

The under 13 girls had another impressive start to the league season, and at the end of this first race were lying in third place in the league.  Isla Burns led off with a fine 11^th place in 12:08, with Beth Gallagher putting in another strong performance to achieve 21^st place and Emma Berrie making third counter for the team in an important 27^th place in 14:14.  Bevhan Trevis had an unfortunate day, pulling out with an injury after being well-placed.  Iain Davies looked strong throughout the under 13 boys race finishing in a very competitive second place covering the same 2,800metres course as the girls in 9min 59secs, and with strong back-up from Sam Davidson and Jack Kerr in fifth and sixth respectively (10.13 and 10.24) the under 13 boys team went into the lead in the league.  Cameron Harris (10^th; 11.01), Matthew Crawford (12^th; 11.04) and Kieran Potter (13^th; 11.08) proved the Club’s strength in depth as they packed well to form a boys ‘B’ team that finished fourth overall.  Scott Fleming and David Hughes came through well in 28^th and 30^th respectively with both boys timed in 11min 50secs.

The combined under 15 and under 17 race, over 3,200metres saw Eilidh MacCorquodale finish second under 15 and third in the combined race in a time of 11:34.  Close at hand Roisin Bonnuchi and Laura Clarke ran neck and neck until Laura took the honours on the run to the finish with eighth place in the under 15’s in a time of  12.01, with Roisin next, just 2 seconds back. Tara  Walls  gave another gutsy performance with 13:25 for 21^st place  and Amy McCabe making her debut in 26th in 14.14.  In the Under 17 standings, Amy Hendry was well placed in sixth with a time of 12:53.  As result the Central under15/17 team go into the next league fixture in second place.  The Under 15 boys performed over the same course and Malcolm English had an improved performance in 26^th with an impressive 12.25 clocking ahead of Don Reid’s more than useful run in 29^th with 13min 36secs with this incomplete team given ninth league placing.

The senior women’s race was not lacking quality at the front end, but with most Central stalwarts injured or unavailable it was left just three runners to carry the burden of defending champions. Jennifer Emsley continues to show return to form with a fine 11^th place in 23:35 on the 6000metre course.  Team manager Jane Waterhouse was next in, with 25^th place and a time of 26.25 and third place in masters age group, with Elinor Coombs the final all important counter in 50^th place in 29:43, with the senior team lying in an unaccustomed 8^th place.  Overall the ladies/girls lie in first place when combining scores across the age groups as a result of scoring good low points across all age groups.  The under 17men were involved in the same race with Ross Milne and Conor Kerr figuring prominently as they finished seventh and eighth respectively in 21min 51secs and 22min 10secs.  Josh Murchie closed the team scoring in a highly competent 13^th placing (23.42) with Sam Fraser providing strong back-up in 14^th in 24.12 and the team in a fine third place overall.

As normal the senior mens race, held over a 9,000metre course, and including the under 20’s and masters had the largest Club turnout of the day.  Here it was David McNamee who caught the eye throughout with a well-judged run as he finished seventh in 29min 29secs.  Scott Green was the first of Central’s Under 20 finishers in 18^th (30.35) with Michael Wright a few strides behind, 20^th; 30.41.  Craig Neal (38^th; 32.03); Under 20 David Hutchison (42^nd; 32.33) and Will Hensman (50^th; 33.10) were the remainder of the counting runners in the first team that came home in an excellent third overall.  David Eckersley in 81^st (35.08) was the first of Central’s master’s runners ahead of Under 20 David Lindsay (109^th; 36.26), Miguel Merayo (116^th; 37.24), Phil Hendry (120^th; 37.34), Graham Harvey (126th; 37.59) and Sandy MacLarty (147^th; 40.08) who made up Central’s ‘B’ team in 17^th overall.  Alex Murchie (158^th; 41.14); Alan Gall (162^nd; 41.25); Cameron Campbell (173^rd; 42.53); Kevin Hislop (186^th; 45.14), George McHardy (187^th; 45.28) and Jim Drummond (197^th; 50.26) completed Central’s counting as 26^th team overall.

Six Stage Road Relay Champs - Birmingham

Elsewhere a team of six of Central Athletic Club’s men travelled to Birmingham to compete in the English Six Stage Road Relay Championships, also held on Saturday 16^th October.  Andrew Butchart started off Central’s effort with a charging run of 17min 52secs to hand over in 19^th place.  Sean Reilly, not feeling at his best, picked up the challenge finishing his leg in 18.43 but falling back to 36^th overall.  Robert Russell, as is style scythed through the field to pull the team back to 22^nd with a 18min 2secs clocking.  John Newsom picked up yet another place on the fourth leg with 18min 17secs and Alex Hendry came through to 17^th overall with 18.24.  It was left to Lewis Millar to finish of the challenge with an 18min 38secs leg to bring the team home to an overall ninteenth place, ahead of some of England’s top Clubs.

Fell & Hill Running Relay Champs

Central's veteran men's team took part in the UKA British Fell and Hill Running Relay Championships on Sunday on the Lomond Hills, starting and finishing at Falkland.   The relay comprised 4 legs, totalling 42km and 2500m of climb.   Richard Coombs and Hugh Buchanan started the team off in 73rd place with 111mins for the first leg of 15km and 900m of climb.   Gordon Adam took up the chase and returned 56mins for the second 8km with 500m of climb, coming home in 76th place.   Cameron Campbell and Allan Gall tackled the technical navigation leg over 11km with 600m climb in 128mins.   Colin Sinclair anchored the team home over the final 8km and 500m of climb, giving a solid performance and a great sense of achievement.