Festive round-up

Road 10ks, an unusual hill race and record parkruns

The holiday season sees members don santa hats and racing flats (or these days alphaflys) and take part in some traditional Christmas races and parkruns. Here is a summary of the action from around the country…

Tilli ten – It was a good turnout of 8 males in this increasingly popular race in Clackmannanshire at the base of the Ochil Hills. Jamie Burns couldn’t quite get the better of former member Jamie Crowe. Quoting from Jamie B’s strava “A solid race and a nice feeling to try and challenge an athlete of Jamie Crowe’s calibre! But didn’t have the legs to go with him the last 500m“. Most of us don’t have the legs to go with him for the first 500m. New member Jonathan Moore was just outside his pb with a great top 10 placing. Robert Simpson who is more used to running up the Ochils rather than along the bottom had a solid return from injury coming home 2nd master. These strong runs also contributed to 2nd place in the male team standings.

Taha Ghafari ran a pb of 29.43 coming in 11th in the high-quality Ribble Valley 10km in the North of England. He was running for his English club – Highgate Harriers. James Wootton, who was running in his Shettleston vest, also ran a pb of 31.36 which placed him 43rd.

Cameron Muir won the inaugural Screel and Bengairn Hill Race in Galloway which sounded like a unique 10km(ish) hill race which was marked but runners still had three different routes to choose from.

Jethro Lennox finished 3rd in the Jersey Spartans fancy dress Boxing Day 10km in 35.49.

Christmas Day Parkruns

Drumpellier parkrun saw a record with 594 finishers (227 above the total last Christmas) which included six Shettleston runners. Scott McKelvie was the first club runner in 17.56 with a course PB in 7th followed by Gerard Mason 26.44, Joanne Harkins 28.54, Kevin Armstrong 29.29. Young athletes Rebecca Ryan 30.31 (2nd JW10) and Ellie Ryan 33.16 completed there first Drumpellier parkrun.

Pollok park also saw a record attendance of 934 finishers with five Shettleston runners contributing (237 more than Christmas Day 5 years ago). Iain Burns came home in 16th in 18:21, Lily Miller (12th female) in 23:15, Ruth Joss 24:17, Rio Biddlecombe (3rd JM11-14) 24:54 and Raymond Loughran 34:26. Lynn McKenna and Avril Mason did count to the record total but it looks like father christmas hadn’t left them a barcode.

Ross McMullen recorded the fastest club run of the day at Aberdeen and was 3rd place finisher in 16.20. Philip Neilson was only 9 seconds slower in Edinburgh but one place better in 2nd place. Grant Boyne completed the Elgin course in 18.17 to take 4th place. Toby Hession completed Ferry Meadows in 20.17. Kimberley Bates finished Prudhoe Riverside in 22.12 and came in 5th female. In Jersey, Jethro Lennox ran 17.59 for 3rd overall and Rowan Lennox 24.10 for 3rd female.

28th December Parkruns

An impressive 17 club members were at 16 events making full advantage of holiday season.

Here’s a summary…

• Camperdown, Dundee – Rio Biddlecombe 22.23 – 17th
• Cardiff – David Lawson 15.57 – 2nd – Parkrun pb
• Citypark, Craigavon, Northern Ireland – Paul Masson 21.17
• Crathes Castle, Banchory – Victoria Leiper 25.10
• Faskally Forest, Pitlochry – Iain Burns 18.54 – 3rd
• Ferry Meadows, Peterborough – Toby Hession 20.56
• Greenock – Marc McColl 18.59 – 7th
• Jersey, Channel Islands – Rowan Lennox 22.22 2nd female / Jethro Lennox 22.23
• Largs Prom – James Burns 24.10
• Meadowmill, Prestonpans – Andrew Taylor 17.06 – 1st
• Pollok – Raymond Loughran 32.34
• Strathclyde – Kirsten Vieira da Luz 22.33 – 7th female
• Tollcross – Bob Porteous 27.56
• Town Moor, Newcastle Upon Tyne – Fred Davies 19.10
• Victoria – Gillian McMillan 37.34

Well done to all and look out for any special New Year Day’s parkruns near you.