1930: The First Race

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The first running of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay took place on Saturday, 26th April, 1930 with a 2:30 pm start.   The agreed route was:-

St Andrew’s Square to

Maybury Cross (now a roundabout)   5 miles

Broxburn                                              5.5 miles

Wester Dechmont Farm                     4.5 miles

Armadale                                               5.5 miles

Forestfield Inn                                     6.25 miles

Airdrie War Memorial                               7 miles

Barrachnie                                              5.5 miles

Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow        5 miles

44.25 miles

With the route from Barrachnie going through Shettleston, old Edinburgh Road, Duke Street, High Street and Ingram Street.

The pre-race favourites were Maryhill Harriers and Dundee Thistle with Plebeian Harriers, Springburn Harriers, Irvine YMCA, Garscube Harriers and Bellahouston Harriers all expected to do well.

Nineteen clubs:- Bellahouston H, Canon AC, Clydesdale H, Dumbarton AAC, Dundee Thistle, Edinburgh Northern, Edinburgh Southern, Eglinton H, Garscube H, Hamilton H, Irvine YMCA, Maryhill H, Monkland H, Motherwell YMCA, Olympic H, Paisley H, Plebeian H, Shettleston H, Springburn H, entered for the race but on the day only  eighteen faced the starter, Treasurer Henderson of Edinburgh (Eglinton Harriers having withdrawn and only seventeen finished the course due to the sixth Paisley runner failing to take over at the 700 feet above sea level Forestfield Inn.   .   The race was run in fine weather and resulted in a win for Plebeian Harriers with Dundee Thistle second and Maryhill Harriers third.

A Ingram of Plebeian led at the first changeover from Dundee Thistle, Maryhill, Motherwell, Irvine and Edinburgh Southern.    There was little change at Broxburn except that Irvine were now fourth and with Edinburgh Southern fifth and Motherwell sixth.   The third stage saw one of the best runs of the afternoon when H McNair took Maryhill into the lead for the first and only time.   Plebeian, Dundee, Irvine and Motherwell followed.   On the fourth stage, JM Petrie of Dundee and O McGhee of Plebeian overtook A Mitchell of Maryhill with Irvine, Garscube and Motherwell now chasing.

The fifth stage saw WJ Gunn of Plebeian pass WS Russell of Dundee and open up a 30 second lead.   At Forestfield, Maryhill had fallen back but were still followed by Irvine, Garscube and Motherwell.   On stage six, Max Rayne ran valiantly to hold off the many time Scottish champion J Suttie Smith of Dundee and led by five yards at Airdrie.   Maryhill, Irvine and Motherwell were followed by Springburn recovering well from 13th at the first changeover.   From Airdrie to the finish there were no changes in position with the Glasgow club Plebeian Harriers moving steadily clear to win by three hundred yards.

  1. PLEBEIAN HARRIERS.   A Ingram   26:49; AM Murray   32:37;   E James   23:19;   O McGhee   32:07;   IJ Funn   28:17;   M Rayne   34:45;   PJ Connelly   30:37;   J Lamond   25:35.
  2. DUNDEE THISTLE.   W Macgregor 27:07;   J Brannan   32:23;   J Mckechnie   23:37;   JM Petrie   31:07;   W Russell   29:34;   J Suttie Smith   34:07;   A MacQueen   31:58;   WD Slidders   25:06   3:55:00
  3. MARYHILL HARRIERS.   AH Blair   27:09;   DM Robertson   32:27;   J McNair    22:39;   A Mitchell   32:28;   DT Muir   29:22;   T Blakely   37:03;   D McLean   31:11;   D McL Wright   25:54   3:58:13
  4. IRVINE YMCA.   R Wilson   27:32;   D McGowan   32:30.5;   D Aldie   23:40.5;   A Aldie   33:01;   D Kerr   30:57;   CP Wilson   36:54;      D Fry   30:33;   J Watson   25:48   4:00:55
  5. MOTHERWELL YMCA.   R Graham   27:30;   R Maitland   33:30.5;   R Simpson   23:16.5; WJ McEwan   34:48;   J Archibald   30:23;   JNH Gardiner   36:26;   D Shaw   32:23;   WH Gardiner   25:35   4:03:51
  6. Springburn Harriers   J Stevenson   28:22;   J Mars   33:39.5;   J MacKay   23:54.5;   W Grant   33:13;   G Tully   30:23;   R Allison   36:52;   E Campbell   32:04;   A Stevenson   25:38.   4:04:06
  7. Garscube Harriers   4:04;17
  8. Bellahouston Harriers   4:04:47
  9. Monkland Harriers   4:06:16
  10. Edinburgh Southern Harriers   4:06:40
  11. Shettleston Harriers   4:08:16
  12. Hamilton Harriers   4:09:37
  13. Edinburgh Northern Harriers   4:13:02
  14. Dumbarton AAC   4:13:54
  15. Canon AC   4:15:08
  16. Olympic Harriers   4:15:11
  17. Clydesdale Harriers   4:16:24

Inaugural Stage Records

1. A Ingram Plebeian Harriers 26:49.5
2. J Brannan Dundee Thistle 32:23
3. J McNair Maryhill Harriers 22:39
4. JM Petrie Dundee Thistle 31:07.5
5. WJ Gunn Plebeian Harriers 28:17
6. J Suttie Smith Dundee Thistle 34:07
7. D Scott Monkland Harriers 30:18
8. FL Stevenson Monkland Harriers 24:22