It’s been a busy few weeks for members participating in a number and variety of Club Championship (CC) races as we see off a disappointingly wet summer into, hopefully, a dryer autumn!
Saturday 24th August, saw the final ‘Off-Road’ championship race at the challenging 7 mile long Tom Robb Memorial Trail Race, in the lovely Carron Valley. Very well done to Stephen McQuade (11th, 48:57), Joni Lindsay (13th lady, 1:01:04), Stuart Mathieson (1:02:09), John Sandbach (1:06:34), Aileen Coulter (1:08:59), Brian McQuade (1:09:34), Fiona Birrell (1:09:35), Chi My Ta (1:12:57, in her Westerlands vest) & Sue Campbell Senior (1:13:56). The stats team will be busy tallying up the final points and placings before our annual awards night on 19th October!
The sky eventually ran out of water on Friday 30th August for ‘3k on the Green‘ at Glasgow Green. 134 runners took part including 21 Bellas for this CC ‘short’ race on it’s flat, out-back route along the Clyde. Well done to Oscar Coetzee (9:13, 2nd), Grant Murphy (9:22, 3rd, PB), David Jarrett (9:46), Jay Cowan (9:56), Jordan Davidson (10:08), Rich Evans (11:03), Jimmy McGreevy (11:18), Gerry McDonnell (11:20), Gerry Scullion (11:28), Dave Ferguson (11:37), Al MacLachlan (11:48), Jen Conway (11:48), Tom Thorne (11:55), Jamie Wieland (12:39), Frans Roelofse (13:00), Henry Merriweather (13:15), Tony Breslin (13:21), Lyndsay Kennedy (13:40), Graeme Pert (16:04), Stevie Bell (16:04) & Rachael Goslan (16:17). Have a read at the race report from the organisers, some quite incredible performances! https://www.facebook.com/
And so, on the first day of meteorological autumn (Sunday 1st Sept), it was the North Ayrshire Athletics Club 10k at Ardrossan. This popular race has a track start and finish, with nice flat seafront stretches. It was a cool, overcast and blustery day for the 300+ runners including 11 Bellas keen to tick off one of the few remaining ‘medium’ CC events. Great performances as ever from our Bellas: Fraser Kelly (36:57, 5th overall, 3rd MSnr), Jordan Davidson (37:01, 6th overall), Colin Hughes (38:33, 1st MV60), Alan Chalmers (40:58), Jane McNeilly (41:44, 5th lady, 3rd FV40), Rhona Fraser (42:14, 6th lady), Marty Campbell (43:06), Andy Tomlinson (44:20), Jamie Wieland (46:23), Laura Wilkinson (49:43) & Laura Templeton (53:09).
Cross Country season isn’t far off with the first race being the West District Relays on Saturday 5th October in Kilmarnock.
And, it’s only 9 weeks to our own big race event of the year, the Jimmy Irvine Bella 10k at Bellahouston Park, 1200hrs on Sunday 10th November 2024. It promises to be its usual great outing, including a locally inspired long-sleeved shirt and great post-race buffet. Sign up at:
