Nigel Barge Memorial 10K – Garscube Glasgow – 27th March

Having been a victim of the January snow and ice this much awaited rescheduled foot race saw three of Helensburgh’s finest tackle the 2 lap course around the tracks of Garscube Sports Complex and roads of Maryhill – home to that other team that turn out in the famous red and yellow team strip.

Into strong headwinds Derek Blount in his first race of the year finished well up the field in in 48th place in 43.22. Alistair Wylie, pacing himself evenly around the course keeping enough in the tank for the ” Battle of Boston” early next month, trotted home in a respectable 45.02 for 62nd pace. Whilst in the middle of her training schedule for a tilt at the “dirty thirty” ultra trail race in the summer Anna Wylie demonstrated that she is on track with a well deserved 52.08 for 126th place. Her training companions had better take note. Full Results , clickity click.

Glasgow University Trail Race – Garscube – 20th March

This well marshalled race is gaining in popularity, partly due to its support of the Beatson Hospital. This year over 300 runners took part, running either one 5K lap in the Fun Run or two laps in the 10K race. Gordon Howatt opted for the latter and in excellent overhead and underfoot conditions raced to eighth place overall in a time of 42:14.

Clydesdale Harriers 5k – Clydebank, 20th March

Running can be about many things – sometimes it can be about personal challenge, sometimes it can be about enjoyment this race however,  was all about 1 second.

Running through the industrial estates of Clydebank is not usually one of lifes great pleasures even if it is tempered by a lack of traffic and a finish along the canal bank for this quick and longstanding 5k race. With many HAAC babes and boyz recently travelling far and wide to seek out the perfect race the evergreen Paul Thompson took the more laid back and pragmatic 15mile journey upstream to blow away the cobwebs.

In the first real spring like day of the year, as the temperature reached double digits, Paul blasted around the course setting a new 5k PB of 16.34. By way of comparison for us less nimble runners that is 4.51 miling.

Balloch to Clydebank Half Marathon – 14th March

As a point-to-point race, race times in the Balloch to Clydebank Half Marathon can be dependent on wind direction. This year’s edition enjoyed a tail wind and ideal temperatures and thus a good many Personal Best (PB) times were recorded amongst the field of almost 500.

Paul Thompson was again best of a very strong Club contingent. Claiming 20th place overall with a typically gutsy performance he came home in 1 hr 18 mins 10 secs and was rewarded with first prize in the Veteran Over 50 category.

Euan Crumley and Robin Steacy were among those to post PBs, Euan finishing 71st in 1:26:21 with Robin ten places behind in 1:27:36. Michelle Hetherington was racing for the third time in as many weeks, without reducing the miles she’s putting in in preparation for her debut Marathon in London in April. Nonetheless she made the top 100 overall with only five other women ahead of her and took 2nd place in her Veteran Over 40 category. Jenny Fitzgerald was next home for the Burgh, clocking 1:34:00. Jan Fellowes is one of a trio of the club’s “fifty-somethings” heading for the Boston Marathon in April and got one over her rivals with her time of 1:37:10 to Alistair Wylie’s 1:38:36 and David Spy’s 1:38:40. Karen Wallace was another club runner to gain a PB and also with a debut Marathon coming up – Edinburgh in May. Her time of 1:52:16 will be a good confidence booster. Anna Wylie finished in 1:54:20 and Mary Connolly in 1:57:20 and the Burgh squad was completed by Geraldine Whyte, another en route to London, 1:58:46.

Trimpell 20 – Lancaster – 14th March

If it is springtime it must be marathon time. Forsaking the usual Balloch to Clydebank or Alloa half marathon options for her final Rotterdam Marathon race preparation Julia Henderson took the M6 southbound to take on the Trimpell 20 miler. Cartmel, with its fine medieval priory, was the pre-race monastic stopping off point on Saturday evening. Much to the disappointment of her support team the delights of the three starred Michelin L’Enclume eatery were side stepped for more basic fare.

The race on Sunday morning turned out to be an enjoyable thrash around the cycle tracks and canal paths of Lancaster starting and finishing at the Salt Ayre sports centre and running track, home of Lancaster and Morecambe athletics club. Almost all of the course was off road and traffic free which helped for fast times against some strong headwinds at exposed parts of the course.

Racing in un-familiar  territory can be both liberating and challenging. The lack of known faces can free a runner from their usual momentum or pull doubts into their mind about who in the field to aim for. With confidence high after a period of consistent training and some steady progress in warm up races Julia quickly settled into the rhythm of the race.

With some strong encouragement from the local supporters of “come on lass” instead of the more usual “dig in” Julia ran at an even pace along the largely out and back course. In the process she picked off a number of runners who tired significantly as the race reached the critical final miles. In her now customary enthusiastic dash for the line she finished in 2hrs 15mins and 43sec to claim 3rd womens place overall and first veteran across the finishing tape. Her time was over 4mins quicker than her recent outing at the Bramley 20m and shows steady progress towards her sub 3hr marathon target in April.

Haweswater Half Marathon – Lake District – 7th March

Michelle Hetherington conducted her second cross-border raid in as many weeks, this time for the Haweswater Half Marathon in the Lake District. Despite the hilly nature of the route the event grows more popular each year and the field numbered over 500. Rock-solid seven minute miles for the 13.1 route brought Michelle home in 1 hr 31 mins 28 secs for a spot well inside the top 100 overall as seventh woman and fourth in her veteran Over 40 category.

Malcolm MacDougall Memorial Netherhall 10 Miles – Cumbria – 28th February

Michelle Hetherington returned to her native Cumbrian roots to contest the Netherhall 10 mile race, a low-key but high quality event on a very hilly course that renders comparison with previous times over the distance fairly meaningless. Nonetheless she achieved her aim of sharpening up in preparation for the London Marathon in April. Her time of 68:40 placed her 23rd overall and 4th woman in the field of 82 and her cross-border raid was rewarded with first place in the Veteran Over 45 category.

Jack Crawford 10K – Bishopbriggs – 27th February

Paul Thompson and Jan Fellowes took in the Jack Crawford 10K in Bishopbriggs, postponed from January but still not escaping the effects of the winter weather. A slushy canal bank route following the latest snowfalls still produced some fast times with Paul posting an impressive 35:41 to finish 7th overall and first Veteran over 50. Jan clocked 45:28 for 88th place in the 189 strong field.

Cupar 5 Miles – Cupar – 27th February

Julia Henderson travelled East to the Kingdom of Fife for the Cupar 5 Miles race, joining a very competitive field of 246. The race is an out and back affair along country roads and is a traditional opener to the road racing season for many athletes. In windy conditions,  a swift 30:43 for 49th place overall earned her first prize in the Over 35 category with just four other women ahead of her. Womens race winner Aly Dixon’s time of 27.37 was the 3rd fastest of all time with only Liz McColgan and Angela Mudge ahead of her in the rankings. For the record Julia is ranked 20th on the all time list for her efforts.

National Cross-Country Championships – Callendar Park, Falkirk – 20th February

The Burgh Babes achieved the Club’s highest-ever placing in the National Cross-Country Championships, finishing 5th of the dozens of teams competing from across Scotland. The women faced two large, undulating laps for a total of five miles on the frost-bound course at Callendar Park in Falkirk.

With the first four runners home from each club counting for the team score, Julia Henderson again lead us home. Claire Heasman was in close pursuit as the pair completed the opening lap positioned in the low thirties. However, drawing on the endurance base she’s built up in preparation for the Rotterdam Marathon, Julia gained half a dozen places on the second lap to finish in 25th place with a time of 32:27.

Claire hung on to her position to finish 31st in 33:03 and was followed home by Michelle Hetherington in 51st with her time of 34:26. Jenny Fitzgerald completed the Burgh scoring team in 68th place in 35:23.

In a field of just under 200, the scoring team were backed up by Jan Fellowes, 38:07, Tina Munro, 38:36, Sarah Walker, 40:06 and Mary Connolly, 44:50.

A depleted Burgh mens squad fell one short of a scoring team of six for their three-lap race over seven and a half miles. In a highly competitive field of 447, Paul Thompson’s typically all-out effort brought him a well-deserved spot in the top one hundred with his time of 45:02. Iain Walker was next home in 48:14 followed by Robin Steacy, 53:29, Gordon Howatt, 53:45 and Andrew Stafford, 67:49. See the team in action, clickity, click

Valentine’s Day – Romance or Racing?

Three of our stalwarts set aside the romance to get in a race.

Julia Henderson, visiting family in the area, contested the Bramley 20 Miles organised by Reading Road Runners. The race is very popular in the build up to the London Marathon on 25th April but for Julia it was part of her preparation for the Rotterdam Marathon a fortnight earlier.

Cold and wet conditions were a bit draining but Julia, in her first race at this distance, raced well to finish in 2:19:48, placing 129th overall and 15th woman in the field of 746.

Nearer home, Paul Thompson finished 3rd of the 86 competitors in the ATHelite in the Park Multi Terrain Race in Chatleherault Country Park in Hamilton. Paul clocked 18:03 for the 5K race while Gordon Howatt clocked 20:49 to finish 14th.

Tiso Carnethy Five Hill Race – Penicuik – 13th February

Three of our hillrunners turned out to tackle the Tiso Carnethy Five Hill Race. This sellout race, with a field of almost 500, is the real start of the hillracing calendar. The “5” in the race title refers to the number of peaks included in the 2500 feet of heathery ascents packed into its 6 mile distance. Conditions ranged from thick smelly bogs at the start line, to frozen slippery summits, snow fields and scree slides.

Iain Walker was first home for the Burgh in 1.01.26, a commendable 57th position and also claiming the Mike Reynolds Trophy for first serviceman home.

Sarah Walker, after suffering with a sickness bug the day before, jogged round in a time of 1.23.05, coming 45th female. Ann Mclachlans plucky descents brought her home in 1.32.46, 78th female. The trio managed to take advantage of the school dinner and good showering facilities provided by the host club Carnethy at the local school.

Race winner was Robb Jebb (Bingley Harriers) in 48:41 with Claire Gordon (Hunters Bog Trotters) first woman in 1:05:12.

Scottish Masters Cross Country Champsionships – Forres – 6th February

Julia,Michelle, Jan and Claire

A round trip of 350 miles and a challenging 4 miles course at Grant Park, Forres on Saturday 6 February 2010 in the Scottish National Masters Cross Country Championships, saw the Burgh Babes quartet of Julia Henderson, Claire Heasman, Michelle Hetherington and Jan Fellowes go one better than the recent silver medal earned at the Scottish Masters Road Relay Championship defeating a host of strong teams from all over Scotland to claim top spot and gold medals. After a nail biting wait after the finish the Helensburgh team was confirmed as queens of the country beating Edinburgh AC by just 1 point, with Aberdeen AAC a close 3^rd and Central AC 4^th. This was a significant and well deserved achievement from a provincial club with a small catchment area and a fitting testament to the hard work and dedication shown by the team over recent years, marking a high point for Helensburgh AAC on the national scene.

Julia led the team home by example setting off with the front group of runners from the gun and over the hills, trails and icy fields.  She worked her way through the field with her customary determined stretch for the finishing tape earning herself 5th position overall in 24.30 minutes. Claire followed closely behind Julia to finish in 6th place overall in a time of 24.46 minutes, gaining vital places en-route and valuable points out sprinting Rhona Buchan of Aberdeen AAC in the closing few hundred metres and Michelle consolidated the teams top spot keeping ahead of the other teams third scoring place runners with a strong run in 25.33 minutes for 14th place.

In addition to the main team gold, Julia also picked up more silverware in the womens V35 category finishing 2nd in the individual event with Claire bringing a bronze medal back to the Burgh in the same age category. Not to be left out of the podium celebrations Jan Fellowes grabbed silver beating a host of good athletes in the over 50 competition finishing 33^rd overall in 28.04 minutes.

PT @ XC

The men’s event was run over a mixed terrain 10km course and whilst there were no medals to bring back home, there was no less effort and determination. Paul Thompson once again showed why he is still Helensburgh’s top runner finishing in 20^th place overall in a time of 36.02 minutes which also placed him 5^th in the highly competitive over 50 age category. Andrew Henderson in his first race of this winter’s cross country campaign cruised home just inside the top one hundred in 99^th place in a credible 52.57 minutes.  FULL RESULTS

Scottish National 4K Cross-Country Championships – Bellahouston Park – 3rd January

The Scottish Athletics 4K Cross-Country Championships favour younger, track runners doing their Winter strength work rather than the veteran Harriers who much prefer a traditional, farmland route of something like three times the distance.  These “short course” championships are therefore a test of speed rather than stamina. Conditions on the parkland course in Bellahouston Park also played in favour of the swift rather than the strong – the frosted ground and cold, sunny day being far less testing than last year’s mudlark in the rain.

Paul Thompson and Jan Fellowes had both run last year and their times were over a minute quicker this time.  Paul placed 46^th in the highly competitive Mens field of just over a hundred, claiming fourth Veterans spot with his time of 13 mins 22 secs.  Robin Steacy clocked 15:48 for 84^th place.

An equally competitive Womens field numbered a disappointing 33 with Jan clocking 18:20 to finish fourth Veteran.

The respective titles went to Irish internationalist Dan Mulhare (11:15) and Kilbarchan AC’s Elspeth Curran (13:21).

Scottish Veterans Road Relays – Strathclyde Park – 24th January

The Scottish Veterans Road Relays were originally due to take place on 17^th January but due to poor underfoot conditions were postponed to the 24^th.  This had a detrimental effect on the Helensburgh AAC turn out for the event with only 1 female team being fielded instead of the intended 3 female and 1 male teams.

Nevertheless the Burgh Babes team proved their worth on the 3 x 3.8 mile legs around the lake in Strathclyde Park and showed no ill effects from their previous day’s excursion in the Devils Burden Hill Race.

Michelle Hetherington led the team off strongly, coming home in 2^nd place in a time of 23.36 minutes only a few seconds behind the lead athlete from Victoria Park City of Glasgow and ahead of competitive teams from Clydesdale Harriers, Motherwell, Kirkintilloch Olympians and Springburn.  Jan Fellowes worked hard on the 2^nd leg, completing her lap in 26.26 minutes and although dropping back to 4^th place kept the team in contention for a podium finish.  On the final leg Claire Heasman quickly caught the Motherwell athlete to move the team into 3^rd position and gradually reeled in the Clydesdale runner, overtaking her in the final half mile to overturn a 1½ minute advantage to bring the Burgh Babes home in Silver medal place behind Victoria Park City of Glasgow.  Claire’s efforts in running a leg time of 22.31 minutes also earned her the prize for the fastest female lap.  FULL RESULTS

Devils Burden Hill Race – Fife – 23rd January

Two Helensburgh AAC teams travelled east to the Kingdom of Fife on Saturday 23rd January for the annual Devils Burden 4 stage Hill Relay Race. The snow and ice has meant a slow start to the 2010 running calendar with many races being cancelled. The races consists of 4 legs with 2 solo runs and 2 paired runners covering the challenging 19 mile course up and over 4700 feet of ascent of the still snow covered tops of the Lomond Hills, starting and finishing in Falkland village.

Team Burgh Devilz were led off straight uphill by Jan Fellowes, a very late and game substitute, and Sarah Walker to finish the 4.4 miles leg in 57.02 mins. Andrew Stafford and Andrew Henderson followed for the Burgh Boys in a time of 1h01.35 mins, with time to take photos from the top! The Devilz passed over to Robin Steacy who ran the 3.5 miles 2nd leg in 34.58 mins. For the Burgh Boyz Ross McInroy picked up the baton and completed this solo leg in 37.34 mins. The 3rd and probably the toughest leg climbed 1850ft and covered 6.4 miles through varied terrain including a good deal of snow. Iain Walker and Chris Moses were the tough guys for the Devilz and completed the 3rd leg in 1h14.34. Making up significant time for the Boys, the evergreen Damien Theaker and Paul Thompson posted the 9th fastest leg time of day to fly in in 1h.07.45, less than a minute behind the Devilz. Two of Helensburgh’s fastest women picked up the last leg for both teams, Claire Heasman ran the final 4.8mile trail leg from Strathmiglo to Falkland in 31.16mins to bring her team in in 45th place and the 5^th mixed team. Less than 2 minutes behind came the Boys guest girl Michelle Hetherington in 32.38 for 48th place out of 120 teams. These were very respectable placings for both teams in a highly competitive hill race with experienced hill running teams from all over Scotland competing.  FULL RESULTS

Scottish Inter-District Cross-Country Championships – Holyrood Park – 9th January

Its's snow joke - Julia competes for West District

Julia Henderson competed in one of the few high profile sporting events to survive the recent severe frost and snow – the BUPA Great Edinburgh International Cross-Country, televised on BBC from the spectacular setting of a snow-covered Holyrood Park.  Julia was again selected to represent the West District in the annual Scottish Inter-District Championships.  The race is combined with the international field and so Julia found herself lined up alongside a host of stars including the reigning Olympic Champion over 5,000 and 10,000 metres, Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba; recently-crowned European Cross-Country Champion Hayley Yelling and last year’s World 1500 metres silver medallist, Lisa Dobriskey.

The race comprised two small laps on the relatively flat park land followed by two larger, hillier laps taking in part of Haggis Knowe.  Despite the freezing temperature and the treacherous underfoot conditions, Dibaba turned up the heat on her rivals over the final lap to finish a clear winner, covering the 6 kilometres in 21 mins 37 secs.

Behind her and the other internationals, the North, East and West District and Scottish Universities teams of ten were battling for places throughout the field.  As expected, the early pace in such exalted company is electrifying but Julia quickly settled into her own rhythm and worked her way through the field to finish in 26:12, earning a bronze medal as fifth-placed finisher for the West.

10K 10 hours into 2010! – Cheung Chau South China Sea 10k – 1st January

Mary-Louise along with the other top ten women

Gordon Howat and Mary-Louise MacQuarrie were the first club members to don their racing vests in 2010.  While some of us were still partying at 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day the two were competing in the Cheung Chau 10 Kilometre race, although the 8 hour time difference to Hong Kong did mean it was actually 10 a.m. locally!

After a one hour ferry ride to Cheung Chau island in the South China Sea the pair found themselves lined up alongside some 400 others.  What followed was the toughest 10K they’ve experienced – an extremely hilly tour of the island and extremely humid conditions, although an otherwise pleasant 19 degrees.  Nonetheless, Gordon was first non-local home in 18^th position in 47:11 while Mary-Louise was 2^nd non-local and 7^th female overall in 56:39.

And of course that puts them both straight to the top of the 10K rankings for the year – a position they might retain for some weeks if the current spate of cancellations continues!