The 52nd Allan Scally Relay saw a win for Falkirk Victoria Harriers for the first time in the club’s history. A fantastic leg from Scott Stirling running 14.11 in a perfect day setting a new course record, pulling up the Falkirk team from 17th to 1st after the first leg helped to secure the win. A well balanced team with British internationalist Kane Elliott on the last leg overhauled last year winners, Giffnock North, on leg 4 to win. Shettleston athletes, Lachlan Oates and Jamie Burns, who was unning for Glasgow University, fought out for the minor places with Jamie just getting the better of Lachlan in the sprint for the finish. The Falkirk club just missed the course team record by 4 secs to run 60mins 10secs
The home club had much to cheer as the ladies team continued their great form smashing their previous course record by nearly two minutes to record 68mins , with the previous record being 69mins 54secs. Irish internationalist,Fionnuala Ross, got the club off to a great start to record 15.49 just 10secs behind the outstanding time Annabel Simpson had set last year. New Shettleston recruit, Lynn McKenna, increased the lead and Aoife Carr and Hannah Terrance closed in the team with a easy win from Edinburgh AC.
Shettleston Harriers were delighted to welcome a team from Armagh AC to the race and there were smiles all around when they picked up the mixed team prize. Many Scottish athletes attended the recent Armagh international Road Races and the club was delighted to extend an invite to the team from Armagh.
Glasgow University made it a double in the Scottish Student Championships winning from Stirling University (men) and Edinburgh University (ladies)
The club was delighted to welcome Ron Morrison (Scottish Athletics President) to the event as starter and race referee.The Morrison family and the Scally have nearly contributed 200 years to our sport. With Ron’s family having links to the Shettleston club back to the 1930’s.The photography with the winning ladies teams also has the Granddaughter (Elaine Mackay) ,Great Granddaughter(Nicola Watson) and Great Great Granddaughter (Holly Watson) of Allan Scally as well as Ron.
The race shows the strength of our sport with 199 team entered and 168 teams finishing the event. Record entries and finishers from this historical race making it one of the biggest road relays in the UK. This hopefully will mean our National Relays will be well attended on the 25th March
These races cannot happen without an army of volunteers and helpers as well as key sponsors
- Thank you to our sponsors – Clarkson Owens, Firhill Community Trust, Lookers Audi Glasgow, Polytech Food Systems ,Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, Arnold Clark and Tunnocks. The club would like to extend their thanks and hopefully see all them back for the 2024 race
- Full results are available Results – Perfect Timing (perfecttimingscotland.co.uk)