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CENTRAL ATHLETIC CLUB

The premier athletic club in the Stirling and Clackmannanshire districts.

Our philosophy, regardless of age and ability, is to encourage and support our members to achieve their goals in a competitive environment

National Road Relay Championships – 26 March 2022

Mar 27, 2022

Tom Graham-Marr (9) at the start (C) Bobby Gavin

There was the usual mix of trepidation and excitement leading up to the Tru Wealth Scottish National Road Relays Championships in Livingston on Saturday 26 March. Any trepidation for the Central Athletic Club’s men’s team was soon blown away as Tom Graham-Marr (15 minutes 4 seconds) handed over a four second advantage from Aberdeen’s Myles Edwards at the end of the first leg. The men’s event comprises six alternate legs of 3.1 miles and 5.9 miles and Central’s men continued to build their lead through Alastair Marshall (29:47), Ben MacMillan (15:32), Hamish Hickey (29:20), Alastair Hay (15:12) and Jamie Crowe (28:46) as the mixture of youth and more experienced athletes topped the podium with a win of over 3 minutes from Corstorphine AAC. Indeed Tom Graham-Marr’s short leg effort was the fastest of the day and Jamie Crowe’s final leg effort proved to be the fastest long leg of the day. Central’s overall winning time of 2 hours, 13 minutes and 41 seconds is the fourth fastest ever for this event with a couple of those times over a shorter course.

Hamish Hickey, Ban MacMillan, Alastair Marshall, Alastair Hay, Jamie Crowe with the trophy (c) Bobby Gavin

Central Athletic Club’s men’s B team were also well to the fore with fine runs from Josh Wood (16:09), Luca Fanottoli (30:46), Dale Colley (16:18), Calum Phillip (30:08), Scott Brember (16:17) and Kieran Reilly (29:44) with the team finishing in a superb fifth place overall. There was also some fine running from the older members of the Club with an Over-40 team of Jens Subke (19:07), Ewan Jack (34:15), Colin Alexander (25:20), Colin Sinclair (47:01), Cameron Campbell (25:32) and Allan Gall (47:24) which gave Central’s supporters plenty to cheer on throughout the day. There was also no doubting the commitment of the runners in an incomplete team of Sam Grivell (17:04), Lewis McComb (33:37), Lewis Millar (17:08) and Andrew Irvine (33:27) again a mixture of youth and experience.

The women’s version of the race consists of a similar pattern but over four alternating legs and started 10 minutes after the men’s race. The last National Road Relays event was held in Season 2018-19 and Central were defending their title. Here there were top performances throughout the Central women’s team from Natalie Stewart (19 minutes exactly), Grace Tindall (36:34), Morag Millar (16:59) and Jennifer Wetton (34:35) but Central’s second place performance was eclipsed by a strong Edinburgh University Hare and Hounds Team who lifted the trophy by some 29 seconds. Central’s women had been hunting down the University team’s lead over the final two legs through Morag and Jennifer, with both running the fastest legs of the day.

There were further fine performances from Central women’s B team through Lyndsay Morrison Noon (19:16), Louise Torr (42:41), Kyra Gibb (20:32) and Fiona Davies (38:30) as yet another mix of youth and experience ensured a ninth place finish for the team.