Four in a Row for Bennett
Chris Bennett received news this week that he is set to join an incredibly prestigious group of athletes when his selection for the Commonwealth Games was officially confirmed.
In a glittering career that has seen him compete at the Olympic Games, European Championships and now four Commonwealth Games, Chris’s athletics journey has come full circle as he returns to Scotstoun, where it all began.
His personal best of 76.45m in the Hammer Throw ranks him second on the club’s all-time list behind fellow Shettleston Harrier Mark Dry, and is one of the best performances ever recorded by a British athlete.
Over the last few years, Chris has been in semi-retirement but, through sheer determination, he has worked his way back to reclaim his place as one of the finest hammer throwers in the Commonwealth. The club has been delighted to support him throughout this season and everyone will be cheering him on as he competes in what is set to be the final competition of his outstanding career.
Masters 5km Championships
Domestic athletics certainly doesn’t stop for the summer holidays and our athletes have been competing across a wide range of events.
On Wednesday evening, two of our Masters athletes travelled to Clydebank for the Scottish Masters Club 5km Championships.
Results
- 23rd – Ian Burns (M45) – 17:22
- 62nd – John Oates (M65) – 20:48
Calderglen Trail Races
Friday evening saw athletes head to Calderglen Park in East Kilbride.
Joseph Paterson claimed victory in the 3km event, while Kate Paul also took the win in the 10km race around the park trails. Joseph enjoyed the better of the conditions before a thunderstorm arrived in time for the 10km race.
Busy Saturday Across Britain
Saturday featured the usual busy programme of parkruns, but attention was firmly focused on the Superteams Final in Kilmarnock and the Welsh National Championships in Cardiff.
The club had qualified two teams for the Superteams Final following the heats in Cumbernauld.
Meanwhile in Cardiff, Zoe Roberts was attempting to follow in her father’s footsteps by chasing a Welsh title.
A little-known fact is that club coach Paul Roberts represented Wales over 400m and 800m, boasting an impressive personal best of under 1:50 for 800m. In a twist of fate, Paul competed for Wales against Scotland at the 1993 Indoor International at Kelvin Hall, where current club secretary John Mackay represented Scotland. Paul won the 800m, John finished second in the 3000m, and Wales went on to win the match. Little did they know they would become clubmates many years later.
Competing against athletes up to two years older than herself, Zoe recorded her second fastest ever 800m with 2:12.33 to reach the U18 Championship final. A tremendous effort from the U16 athlete and a valuable learning experience. Her Welsh title will surely come in the future.
Meanwhile in Belfast, Carson Graham continued his excellent season by winning three titles at the Northern Ireland Masters Championships. Carson, who will represent at the World Masters Championships in South Korea later this year, recorded a personal best of 15.14 in the 100m hurdles alongside victories with 1.65m in the High Jump and 5.82m in the Long Jump.
Superteams Final
Our young Superteam squad finished 18th overall, with all eight athletes producing excellent performances across a demanding programme of events. Full event details will follow.
Shettleston Harriers A – 1,260 points
Team A
- Fynn Ferrie
- Judy Dodds
- Alba White
- Henoch Woldeselassie
Team B
- David Akintula
- Nathan Riddell
- Thomas Kelly
- Rebecca Lessels
Scottish Relay Championships, Kilmarnock
Sunday brought one of the highlights of the weekend as Shettleston Harriers enjoyed a fantastic day at the Scottish Relay Championships.
The club returned home with 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze medal, alongside fourth-place finishes, several club records and outstanding performances throughout the day.
A huge thank you goes to all of our coaches, athletes and parents who have had an incredibly busy but hugely successful weekend.
Results
Gold
- U16 Boys 4x100m – 1st (47.09)
- Ciaran Curley
- Joseph Lanahan
- Ethan McDonald
- David Omorogieva
Silver
- U18 Women 4x400m – 2nd (4:11.59)
- Kara Lindsay (1:08.50)
- Autumn Hunter (1:02.40)
- Viktoria Tennant (57.40)
- Kimberley Meikleham (1:03.29)
- U18 Men 4x400m – 2nd (3:41.69)
- Victor Akintula (55.10)
- Sam McGowan (54.40)
- Abraham Lanahan (55.90)
- Marcus Sked (56.29)
Bronze
- U14 Boys Medley Relay – 3rd (4:32.29)
- Rio Biddlecombe
- Ethan Ferrie
- Naod Woldeselassie
- Louis Millican
Other Performances
- U18 Women 4x100m – 7th (52.85)
- Kara Lindsay
- Helena Hughes
- Kimberley Meikleham
- Viktoria Tennant
- Senior Men 4x100m – 4th (42.75)
- Emmanuel Nyamekye
- Gkontouin Imante
- Maynard Conteh
- Michael Nyarko
- U18 Men 4x100m – 4th (46.00)
- Abraham Lanahan
- Marcus Sked
- Victor Akintula
- Abdulroqeeb Tijani
- U16 Girls Medley Relay – 7th in Heat (5:52.44)
- Keva Rose Adams-MacKenzie
- Charlotte Reilly
- Arianna Obiora
- Ava Prentice
Burns Tackles the Lairig Ghru
The weekend concluded with Jamie Burns taking on one of Scotland’s classic hill races.
The Lairig Ghru is a Category C Long Hill Race covering 43km (26.7 miles) between the police stations of Braemar and Aviemore. Set amongst some of Britain’s highest peaks, the historic drove road climbs to 835 metres and provides one of the country’s most spectacular race routes.
Jamie produced an excellent run to finish 4th overall. A little further than his usual racing distance, but an outstanding training run over a truly iconic course.