We have on the websites some works which are now out of print and difficult to access such as Emmet Farrell’s autobiography, the history of Powderhall and professionalism, the history of the Scottish Marathon Championship by Colin Youngson and Fraser Clyne and several more.   This one is  exceptional and a bit different in that it is from a current work.   It is well worth a read and deals with the elite, classic and unfortunately now defunct Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay.   The introduction below is by Colin Youngson.

Below is a key chapter from Brian Gardner’s excellent 2025 novel ‘Return to the World Cross’ (which is a sequel to his previous work ‘The World Cross’), both of which are available from amazon.co.uk. These books include a great deal of authentic detail about cross-country running in particular. (Brian himself raced well in the Scottish Senior National and went on to win the M45 division of the annual British Veteran Five Nations Cross-Country Championship.) His main characters are three young runners who look strangely similar, despite coming from different places (Australia, England, Scotland). In this sequel, they are training together and preparing to race for Scotland in the 1979 World Cross-Country Championship in Limerick, Ireland. The E to G is a vital part of their preparation. Although the chapter is fiction, it is firmly based on the real 1978 Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay.  

Edinburgh to Glasgow

Extracts from Running Shorts by kind permission of Colin Youngson

The Gathering

‘Now remember, young Danny. This is a team race, the most important one in Scotland. You’ve seven runners relying on you. So hang on to the group until the hill after the Barnton roundabout. Then give it everything you’ve got left. One hundred per cent, all the way to the line, eyeballs out!’

‘Okay, Jock. I promise I’ll do my best.’

‘I’m sure you will. You’ve got the talent and the guts. Right, two minutes to go. I’ll take your tracksuit and pick you up at the other end. Best of luck! I’ll be watching!’

No pressure then, thought Danny nervously as he stripped down to his red vest and shorts, a cold blast of air whipping his bare skin. He edged into the gathering crowd of equally nervous runners, their collective anxiety so acute that he could almost taste it. The freezing wind blew into their faces while they shivered outside the ornate gates of Fettes College, Edinburgh at 10.30am on Sunday 19 November 1978 for the start of the annual Edinburgh to Glasgow road relay. It was going to be a long day.

A whistle blew and a serious-faced official called each runner, in alphabetical order of club, to the white line chalked across the road. Each man was handed a light, metal baton. One, decorated with dark blue ribbon, was presented ceremoniously to the athlete wearing a white vest with two dark horizontal bands hugging his chest as if to keep him slightly warmer. Tradition had it that last year’s winning team carried a baton with a message from the Lord Provost of Edinburgh to his counterpart in Glasgow. This year the honour fell to Edinburgh Western Harriers, whose first stage runner, Menzies Haven, accepted the challenge with suitable grace, and then returned to his shivering.

Our main rivals, so Jock keeps telling us, thought Danny. He looks more confident than I feel. Standing behind the line, he nodded to Haven and waited for the signal to begin the be-all-and-end-all of road races. Jaysus, I wish this bloke would hurry up and get on with it, we’re all freezing our bollox off here.

‘All the best!’ shouted Archie and Eddie from the pavement.

‘Take it steady,’ called Sandy.

Less stressy than Jock, Danny thought appreciatively.

‘Good luck, Danny!’ called his mum tentatively.

Mum’s come all this way on the bus just to see me off, she’s trying really hard, all those years ago we travelled here together to escape Glasgow, now I’m about to run in the opposite direction, Mum never said how she’s getting back though. Then there was no time left to think, because the starter finally called the runners to their marks and raised his arm.

Stage One (five and a half miles) Fettes College to Maybury Roundabout

Crack! went the starting pistol, and the first of eight stages on the far-reaching road to Glasgow began. Long before the athletes disappeared around the first bend, officials and supporters dived into their cars to motor five and a half miles west to the first changeover at the Maybury roundabout. Sandy’s car would continue further to the start of stage three, where Eddie would complete his warm up and wait for Clyde Glen’s second-stage runner to pass him the baton. Archie was due to start the sixth stage and run into Airdrie, home territory.

Meanwhile, Danny was not happy. Something’s not right, he worried, no way should I be this tired and sore already, we haven’t run a mile yet.

‘Come on, Danny! Stay in touch!’ called Jock near the junction of the Craigleith and Queensferry roads.

How did he get here so quick? As promised, Danny was trying his best to do what Jock had asked of him, but he was going backwards. His body wasn’t responding to the pressure of the race. It was one thing to push yourself in training but the stress of competition was something else entirely. It must be the glandular fever, worried Danny. What else could make me feel so shit? There was no escaping that negative conclusion. Nor was there any escape from the race because, unlike another on the roads years ago when Danny gave up and dropped out, this was a relay. Jock’s words rang ominously in his ears: ‘This is a team race. You’ve seven runners relying on you.’

Danny plodded on as another two athletes easily overtook him and sauntered ahead as though they hadn’t a care in the world. And there was nothing that Danny could do about it. ‘You’ve got the talent and the guts,’ Jock had said. What talent, what guts? Danny asked the icy downpour as, clutching his half-frozen gut, he staggered into the gale. Barton roundabout, must get to the Barton roundabout, then eyeballs out and it’s all over, Barton roundabout.

Miles of pain later Danny heard Jock from the roadside again: ‘Last mile, Danny! Stick in there, you’re not that far behind!’ Where the feck is that bloody Barnton roundabout? Following instructions, Danny tried to push hard up a steep hill, and there at last was the elusive way marker, overgrown as though it had been waiting all year for Danny. It must be downhill to the finish from here, please! Glimpsing the road ahead through the foliage, his spirits sagged, because the hill kept going up. Oh, God, Jock did say to hang on until the hill after the roundabout, I forgot, oh no! A wave of weariness slowed the pitifully increased pace that Danny had fought to muster. Another rival passed him and his stride degenerated into a shambling shuffle.

Half a mile to go, downhill to the main road and the changeover zone at the top of the next hill was within his blurred vision. John Black jumped up and down in his eagerness to collect the baton that Danny couldn’t wait to get rid of. When he was close enough to hear his team-mate’s shouts of encouragement above the howling wind, he remembered the extra rep that Sandy had sprung on them in that hill session a few weeks ago, and he dredged up something resembling a sprint, running the last twenty metres with his baton-clenching hand outstretched, and then the cold metal was no longer his responsibility. Thank feck for that.

‘Not too bad, Danny,’ said Jock, clapping him on the back, nearly sending him sprawling. ‘Twelfth, we can catch up. Now come one, here’s your gear. Do a wee jog and get your breath back, then I’ll drive you on to your dad. Don’t hang about though, we haven’t got all day.’

Danny muttered something unintelligible between heaving gasps, hefted his tracksuit top over his aching shoulders and struggled manfully to pull the trousers over his shoes. One wee jog later he was bundled up in the front seat of Jock’s car and looking forward to a rest, although aware that it was bound to be disturbed by the driver’s nonstop encyclopaedic blethering about the greatest relay in Scottish athletics, even greater than Scotland’s history-making triumph in the Commonwealth Games 4×100 metres, apparently. No sooner had Danny sat down than his head was shunted backwards on to the headrest as Jock rammed his foot on the accelerator and the car screeched into action. The team manager was obviously in more of a hurry than his first stage runner had just been.

‘The leader’s a minute and twenty-eight seconds ahead of us. More to the point, we’re only just over a minute slower than Edinburgh Western. John’ll make most of that up.’

1. Albert Park AC (A. Black) 27:03

2. Glasgow College (F. Fyne) 27:04

3. Forrest Runners (G. Killin) 27:09

4. Cambuswee Harriers (C. Connelly) 27:13

5. Edinburgh Western Harriers (M. Haven) 27:24

6. Edict & District AC (A. Muller) 27:25

. . . 12. Clyde Glen AAC (D. O’Toole) 28:31

Stage Two (six miles) Maybury Roundabout to Broxburn

‘Did you spot that official in the striped blazer nicking the fancy baton from the Edinburgh Western runner?’

‘Yeah,’ grunted Danny, gripping his seat tightly as Jock’s car took a corner Grand Prix style.

‘Oh, aye, they gave him an ordinary one instead. They save the special one for the leader at the start of the final stage. Can’t risk losing it before then, you know. They’ll never forget the year that Western runner stopped dead and chucked the baton into a garden. Had enough, he said, until his manager kicked him up the backside and told him to get on with it, not in so many words, mind, and not before a big row with the guy who lived in the house. He’d just shut his front door on his way to collect his News of the World when this metal tube landed in his pride and joy.’ Jock sighed. ‘Aye, great memories.’

‘Erm, do you think you could slow down a wee bit, please?’ asked Danny, feeling sick.

Jock carried on as though his passenger hadn’t spoken. ‘Of course, your stage was like a normal race. The weaker clubs always put their star on the first stage, which is partly why you were back in twelfth, but now it’s every man against the elements. Determination, intelligence, self-motivation—a relay runner needs the lot. Mind you, a good second stage runner can make up a lot of places; most of the guys are still close together.’

‘What’s this stage like?’ asked Danny, feigning interest in the hope that Jock would remember he had a passenger whose life might be in danger.

‘Six miles straight and flat until the last mile uphill. Ideal for track athletes; a lot of fast guys on this one. The best teams put their top men here and stage six. Innes Steward holds the record, and he won the Commonwealth 5000 metres in this city back in 1970. Won the World Cross once as well.’

‘I know,’ gasped Danny as Jock suddenly swerved to avoid a cyclist.

‘Look at that: John’s made up four places already. I told you not to worry.’

I’m worried now, thought Danny, wondering if he dared ask Jock to pull over so that he could throw up. However, Jock was in full stride:

‘Of course, they invite the top twenty clubs in Scotland to this race—there’s even a guest team from Norway this year—but only half a dozen can compete for the medals. That’s how many have the strength in depth for an eight-man relay. Are you feeling better, by the way?’

‘Erm—’

‘Wind your window down, will you?’ interrupted Jock. ‘You’re doing great, John!’ he bellowed, leaning precariously over Danny and breathing stale bacon-and-egg fumes all the way down into his already delicate constitution. ‘They’re all lining up for you! See you at the finish!’ Only just remembering to look at the road ahead, he swung left to avoid an oncoming car, horn blasting. ‘What a man, that John Black, eh? He’s bringing us right back in contention. I told you twelfth wasn’t too bad.’

Please stop, thought Danny. This is worse than the run, even the glandular fever was a walk in the park compared with this.

Jock kept up his obsessive patter for another couple of miles until the car, tyres shrieking in protest, shuddered to a halt on a grass verge near the Broxburn town baths changeover. Danny piled out and immediately emptied the contents of his stomach all over the pavement.

‘You runners are all the same,’ tutted a sour-faced woman walking her dog. ‘Walk on, Lachie, never mind that disgusting boy, you’re much more discreet, aren’t you? Good dog.’

Over at the start line, Eddie glanced across at Danny while he waited for John Black to appear. Poor Danny, he thought, as Sandy and Archie headed over to console their friend. I’ll see you later, I’m a bit busy at the moment, and I’ve got a point to prove.

1. Edinburgh Western Harriers 56:27 (I. Stobs 29:03),

2. Clyde Glen AAC 56:58 (J. Black 28:27—fastest of the stage)

3. Cambuswee Harriers 57:25

4. Albert Park AC 57:39

5. Shingleston Harriers 57:41

6. Edict & District AC 57:43

Stage Three (four and a half miles) Broxburn to Wester Dechmont Farm

The reason that Eddie had a point to prove was that Jock had put him on the shortest stage because he was a poor wee lad who was the first to catch the lurgy. Jock’s skewed logic was that Eddie must be the weakest not only of the three residents of Cairnhill Hospice but also of the whole team. That’s how Eddie had found himself amongst the gnarled legs and bald heads of the older runners clustered around the changeover area. He rubbed his gloved hands up and down his arms and thighs, trying to generate some heat, although thermal long johns would have done a better job. Jogging on the spot, he extended a cold arm, ready to grab the baton from John, who came huffing round the corner in a cloud of steam like he had his own personal generator. So fast was the incoming runner’s approach that he collided with Eddie and shoved him on his way as soon as the precious tube changed hands.

I’ll show Jock, Eddie promised himself as he powered up the first of a series of short hills.

These pathetic humps in the road are easy peasy after training up and down Airdrie’s seven hills, he thought later as he piled up the last of them.

‘You’re doing great!’ shouted Jock from his car, passing perilously close to Eddie’s elbows. ‘You’re catching him!’

It’s hard enough being battered by hailstones without your team manager nearly running you over, Eddie grumbled to himself, then peered ahead at a white vest barely visible through the near-whiteout. Jock was right: he was getting closer.

‘You’re closing in, Eddie!’ called Archie from the front passenger window of his dad’s car.

‘Brilliant running,’ added a pale faced Danny from the back seat.

The course flattened out, the hail mercifully eased off and Eddie had a clear view of Edinburgh Western’s Charlie Fume not far ahead. They were in the last half-mile; was that long enough for Eddie to catch him? Inexorably, stride by stride, the gap closed. Glimpsing a nervous expression on the face of Fume as the leader glanced back, Eddie found another gear but Fume responded, and the space between them stubbornly remained at the next exchange outside a gloomy Wester Dechmont Farm.

‘Well done, man!’ Jock-on-the-spot shouted in his ear, only moments after Eddie had safely transferred the baton into the waiting hand of Jim Montrose. ‘You’ve made up twenty-four seconds on Western. We’re only seven seconds behind now. We’ve got this.’

But there’s another five stages, reasoned Eddie, although he didn’t say it out loud. There was obviously no point in arguing with Jock when he was excited; he never listened. Besides, Eddie didn’t have enough breath to contradict anyone. However, he was feeling good; tired but satisfied. This was a successful comeback on the road to Dublin and the World Cross—or at least to Glasgow, for now.

1. Edinburgh Western Harriers 1:18:51 (C. Fume 22:24)

2. Clyde Glen AAC 1:18:58 (E. Hollingsworth 22:00—fastest)

3. Albert Park AAC 1:19:44

4. Fife Kingdom Runners 1:19:57

5. Cambuswee Harriers 1:19:57

6. Shingleston Harriers 1:20:10

Stage Four (five and a half miles) Wester Dechmont Farm to Armadale

‘Great running, Eddie,’ said Sandy. ‘That must be the fastest of the stage. How are you feeling?’

‘Surprisingly okay, thanks.’

‘Well, you’ve put the team in strong contention now, and Jock’s a happy man.’

‘So I gather.’

‘Anyway, the main thing is that you’ve had a good run and you’re okay, unlike Danny unfortunately.’

‘How is he?’

‘Groggy. He assumed he was still getting over the fever but now he thinks it’s a bug or something. I’m going to drive him and Archie on to stage six. Look, there’s your dad. See you along the road, right? And again, well done.’

‘Brilliant run, Son,’ said Edward, grinning. ‘Proud of you.’

‘Thanks, Dad, thanks for coming.’

‘Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.’

The sound of squealing tyres and roaring engine signalled Jock’s pursuit of his fourth-stage runner. Sandy’s car followed more sedately, a groaning Danny in the back, his pale complexion replaced by a sickly green. Archie fidgeted in the passenger seat. He was wearing his club vest underneath his top to save time, and the over-large race number was irritating him. The stiff paper was inflexible and its sharp corners dug into his armpits. I know, he thought. Mum always keeps a pair of scissors in the glove compartment.

‘Can you see if Jim’s any closer to Rabson?’ asked Sandy, interrupting Archie’s thoughts. ‘I’m having enough trouble seeing the road.’

It had taken longer than expected to locate the leading pair, such was the speed of the chase on the opening, downhill section of the stage. The windscreen wipers were working overtime because the hailstorm had returned with a vengeance. Sandy and Archie peered at the familiar, forward-leaning, long-striding, wide-armed running style of the tall Jim Montrose.

‘Looks to me about the same gap,’ answered Archie. ‘That’s a Commonwealth medallist he’s chasing. It’s a big ask.’

‘What do you reckon then, our steeplechase star or their 1500-metre maestro?’

‘What do you think, Danny?’ Archie said over his shoulder, ‘Can our man do it? He’s a Scottish Native record holder, like you.’

Danny whimpered in response. He knew that Archie meant well, but the distant memory of a record breaking summer only emphasised how crap he felt now. Running to the toilet would be about all he could manage now. Come to think of it . . .

1. Edinburgh Western Harriers 1:48:14 (J. Rabson 29:23—fastest)

2. Clyde Glen AAC 1:48:22 (J. Montrose 29:24)

3. Albert Park AAC 1:50:25

4. Shingleston Harriers 1:50:32

5. Cambuswee Harriers 1:50:55

6. Fife Kingdom Runners 1:51:00

Stage Five (five and a half miles) Armadale to Forrestfield

‘That’s Sandy’s car,’ said Eddie as he and his dad drove past later. ‘And there’s Danny bent over again. He must have been there a while. Dad, turn back! Archie should be at his start! He must be panicking. We need to help.’

Archie was jogging back and forth in the layby while Sandy tried to reassure patient and son at the same time but for different reasons.

‘Sandy, we’ll take Danny home!’ Eddie shouted through the downpour as his dad’s car skidded to a halt.

Moments later, Sandy and an anxious Archie sped away in a race to beat the leaders to the stage six start. A miserable Danny wobbled on weakening legs to unleash another vile torrent from his insides, Eddie and Edward holding him up, preventing him from collapsing into his own gloopy mess.

Sandy’s car slowed down slightly to negotiate the interim changeover zone, too late to find out who had won the battle of the fourth stage, and in too much of a hurry to ask. Jock would surely tell them later. Jock! He must be having a fit at the start of stage six! Quick!

Crossing the ‘border’ from the East to the West of Scotland the hail turned to snow, making visibility even worse. Fortunately, the snow had yet to lie on the road surface, which was Sandy’s excuse for giving the accelerator some welly. They whizzed past tailenders and followers, and then the two leaders suddenly appeared, Edinburgh Western’s ever-reliable Craig Rawson ahead of Clyde Vale’s Rab McRonald, and it looked as though the lead had increased, but not by much.

Archie was too worried about his own impending race to shout encouragement. ‘Drive faster, Dad!’

‘Archie, try not to waste valuable energy panicking about something you can’t control. We did the right thing stopping with Danny. In years to come you’ll look back on this as a good memory because you put your friend’s health first. Anyway, we’ll be there in a few minutes, well before the runners. You’ve got your number on and your racing shoes, you’ve warmed up a wee bit, you did your business in the hedge back there. All you have to do is strip off, jog and stride a bit more, and enjoy a good run. Everything’s going to be fine’

‘You make it sound so simple, Dad,’ said Archie, wriggling out of his tracksuit in the tight space.

‘It is simple. Look, there’s the Forrestfield Inn. Get ready to hop out.’

No sooner had Archie fallen out of the car and rushed to the start than Jock was on him like a ton of bricks. ‘Where have you been? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?’

‘Sorry,’ mumbled Archie, jogging in a circle around the zone.

‘First I thought you were in the pub like that bloke the other year who missed his start. I’ve spent the last, long half-hour of my life staring into the blizzard, like Scott of the Antarctic hoping to be rescued.’ He paused to stare at Archie’s chest. ‘Oh-oh, your number.’

Right on cue, red-striped-blazer man appeared: ‘Whit’ve ye done to yer number?’ he demanded. ‘Tamperin wi race numbers is contrary tae rule fifteen! Clyde Vale could be disqualified for this!’

‘Erm . . .’

‘Hold on, sir, please,’ pleaded Jock, bending at the waist at clasping his hands together submissively. ‘The lad’s come all the way from Australia to run the E to G, so famous is this brilliantly organised race of yours. He doesn’t know the rule about numbers. Where he comes from they use jackets for football goalposts, so what chance has he got of understanding intricate regulations? Have a heart, would you?’

‘All the way across the world tae run in oor relay, ai?’ replied red-stripe, flattered, stroking his chin pensively and staring at Archie’s hopeful expression. ‘Haud oan a wee minute, did Ah no see you oan stage wan?’

‘I thought I saw him on the third stage,’ added another official, helpfully.

‘Come on, Jock,’ said red-stripe. ‘You’ve been in this game lang enough tae ken that ye cannae run the same man on mair than wan stage.’

‘Leaders approaching!’ warned the other official.

‘We’ll huvtae take this matter up again in Glasgow,’ said red-stripe, blowing his whistle.

Splashing through the puddles on the exposed lochside road came Craig Rawson, head down into the gale, hurtling towards the inn without a backward glance. His experience would tell him that although Rab McRonald had not closed the gap, every second could be the difference between his team winning or losing. He sprinted towards his waiting team-mate, who stepped calmly in front of Archie to receive the baton. It was Albert Moor, reigning Scottish Cross-Country Champion and road runner extraordinaire. Waiting in the wings was a rival familiar to Archie: Shingleston’s Nicol Morland.

The big guns were gathering outside this lonely inn near Airdrie for the longest stage of them all. Archie tried manfully to shrug off the effects of his chaotic build up—the glandular fever, the months of isolation, the panic en route to the changeover and now a threat of disqualification—and remind himself that he was the champion of the world, not only of Scotland, not only this windswept corner of Lanarkshire. It’s them that should be worried about me, he mumbled as he stood behind Albert Moor and waited for Rab McRonald and his precious metal cylinder.

1. Edinburgh Western Harriers 2:17:13 (C. Rawson 28:59)

2. Clyde Glen AAC 2:17:23 (R. McRonald 29:01)

3. Albert Park AAC 2:19:31

4. Falkirk Flyers 2:20:50

5. Cambuswee Harriers 2:21:11

6. Fife Kingdom Runners 2:21:24

Stage Six (seven miles) Forrestfield to Airdrie

Archie shuffled into the space vacated by the outgoing Moor and gave a final shout of encouragement to the incoming McRonald. There’s no one else in sight, was Archie’s last, fleeting thought of the nineteen teams that were now out of the equation; his last glance behind when he grabbed the baton from his team-mate. He turned to face front and set off in determined pursuit of the galloping leader of this two-horse race in the grand stakes of the E to G.

Snow gave way to sleet and then rain, all in the opening miles of undulation. Edinburgh Western had started the stage ten seconds in front of Clyde Glen but it might as well have been ten minutes for all that Archie could see of his white-vested target in the enveloping murk. With each bend and rise in the road, Moor flitted in and out of his pursuer’s vision. One minute he seemed to be closer, the next further away. Relentlessly, Archie kept up the chase, racing against the elements and his elusive prey, the Arctic wind a bitter enemy. A road that was also taking Archie into familiar training haunts. He rounded another bend and sloshed through a flood underneath a bridge, which he knew was three miles away from Airdrie Cenotaph and the end of this stage. Only three miles, nearly all downhill, on a surface that remained solid despite the constant battering from the skies. Surely an insignificant distance for a well-trained runner who had conquered the world on the stormiest of days in the muddiest fields imaginable.

The road straightened out on the relentlessly long main street of Plains, and still Archie maintained his dogged pursuit, and still his rival remained just out of reach. Down a leafy glen, up the other side and into Clarkston, through traffic lights—red, but controlled by a police officer signalling all vehicles to stop. Just as well, because there was no chance of Archie stopping; he sprinted straight across, utterly single-minded in his effort to reduce the rift.

Downhill again, zipping over the black and white chequered roundabout known as the terminus, although trams had long since ceased to roll through the town. Careering down Forrest Street, past the big posh houses and into Airdrie’s thoroughfare. Calm the breathing, check knee-lift, grip the baton safely and concentrate, work hard but don’t overdo it, keep a bit in hand for the final flourish. Crashing through another set of red lights at Airdrie Cross, scudding alongside the town hall and public baths, leaving the shops behind, flashing past the big Tudor Hotel. What’s that sound, not a bugle? And there was Westend Park on the left, and just beyond, the cenotaph and its attendant crowd of matchstick figures, Lowry style, and still Archie was still the same distance in arrears! Sprint!

‘Sprint!’ echoed Jock. ‘Eyeballs out!’

‘Last effort, Archie!’ cried his dad. ‘Big finish!’

Archie sprinted, eyes popping out of their sockets, staring straight ahead at the eager face of the waiting Innes Gillanders. Tired legs carried a wheezing Archie and steered his priceless cargo into the dock-like, grasping fingers of his team-mate. ‘Go, go!’ he gasped, and Clyde Glen AAC entered the penultimate stage in their now accustomed role of pursuing Edinburgh Western Harriers.

1. Edinburgh Western Harriers 2:50:59 (A. Moor 33:46)

2. Clyde Glen AAC 2:51:11 (A. MacTavish 33:48)

3. Albert Park 2:54:40

4. Falkirk Flyers 2:55:23

5. Cambuswee Harriers 2:55:47

6. Shingleston Harriers 2:56:00 (N. Morland 33:17—fastest)

Stage Seven (five and a half miles) Airdrie to Barrachnie

‘Great run, lad!’ shouted the ever-present Jock. ‘You’ve set Innes up nicely. Twelve seconds is nothing to him. Brilliant run by Nicol Morland, though—33:17 is some going, but his team’s no threat, they’re miles behind. No, it’s us against those Prima donnas from Edinburgh who think they own the place because they’ve won everything else this year. Well, they’re not going to win the main event. We’ve got them now, you wait and see. Right, I’m away to the next changeover. See you at the finish, and don’t worry: I’ll smooth over that number problem. Nothing’s going to get in our way today!’

Archie slumped over the bonnet of a parked car and waited for Sandy.

‘Dad?’ he asked, after absorbing his less obsessive praise. ‘Was that really a bugle or was I hearing things?’

Half an hour later they drove through the final changeover zone, having just missed the exchange between Gillanders and Clyde Glen’s anchor leg runner. Sandy spotted his friend and Scotland team manager, Neil, heading for his car.

‘Hey, Neil,’ he called out of the window, slowing the car to a crawl. ‘What’s happening?’

‘Big rumpus. The official got himself into a right fankle, wondering who to give the fancy baton to. Gillanders was closing up on Andy Robinson so fast that the poor bloke was hovering between the two eighth-stage runners. First of all he pointed it to your man, then to the Edinburgh guy. It was comical. Anyway, Robinson just held off your man, and his mate grabbed the fancy baton off the official to make up his mind for him. Then, what do you know, Gillanders clattered into his mate and their ordinary baton flew up in the air. Both of your blokes caught it between them and then away went your glory-leg man. You couldn’t make it up.’

‘That’s hilarious, Neil.’

‘There’s more, wait til you hear this. That tuneless trumpeter from Edinburgh Western played The Last Post when your man ran past him, still some way behind Robinson at that point. You know what your Jock told him when he caught up with him here? He said he was premature in his ejaculation, which I thought was quite witty for Jock in all this excitement. And you know what he said after that? He told him to stick his bloody bugle up his—’

A blast of a horn warned Sandy that his car was blocking the road. He jolted into action and joined the line of cars leaving the housing schemes of Baillieston behind and following the leading duo on the final stage towards Glasgow’s George Square—a place steeped in Scottish history, where pens were poised to write a new page in the history of Scottish road relay running.

1. Edinburgh Western Harriers 3:17:34 (A. Robinson 26:35)

2. Clyde Glen AAC 3:17:35 (I. Gillanders 26:24)

3. Albert Park AAC 3:21:49

4. Shingleston Harriers 3:22:22 (S. Weston 26:22—fastest)

5. Falkirk Flyers 3:22:31

6. Edinburgh Central AC 3:23:07

Stage Eight (five miles) Barrachnie to George Square

Jock had said that he could name any one of half a dozen club-standard runners to fill the final place in the team of the century. In top junior Baird McCloy, he had far more than that minimum requirement. The pesky bugler and the rest of the Edinburgh Western contingent placed their trust in seasoned campaigner Irvine Morton, but it soon became clear that he was struggling in the renewed blizzard. By the time that Sandy edged his car ahead of the front-runner it was the Clyde Glen man who held a commanding lead in the busy streets of Glasgow.

‘He’s going away,’ said Archie. ‘All those miles running west, chasing Western, and now it’s too easy. Jock must be in a lather.’

‘Definitely. It’s a proud day for the team manager.’

Jock was jumping up and down in childlike delight at the finish line in the shadows of the dignified monuments in George Square when Sandy and Archie arrived.

‘Team of the century! I told you it was our turn to win this year!’ he spluttered to anyone who might be listening.

‘Congratulations, Jock,’ said the Edinburgh Western team manager, patting his counterpart on the back. ‘The best team won.’

Jock calmed down momentarily to acknowledge his rival’s sporting gesture, and then resumed his bouncing on the spot when the rapidly striding figure of Baird McCloy entered the Square. This was Jock’s crowning achievement. Years of domination by the team from the east with the name from the west, and now with only seconds of almost four hours of road racing remaining, the usurpers named after the west’s famous river were flowing unimpeded towards a glorious victory. Baton raised high above his head, Lanarkshire lad McCloy breasted the tape and broke the hearts of Midlothian.

For the first time in his life Jock was lost for words. He bent over and coughed into a slushy puddle. The stress of months of preparation, miles of tension and anticipation on the road and the exertions of his demented leaping up and down had finally caught up with him, here at the climax of it all in Scotland’s so-called second city. There was nothing second best about Jock’s team of the century though.

‘Superb management,’ said Neil as he, Sandy and Archie joined the crowd gathering in concern around the victor apparently choking.

‘Ma-cough-marvellous! I-cough-told you we’d do it!’

‘You did at that, Jock.’

‘And do you know what? Cough. The team wasn’t even at its best. Cough. Rab’s not fully fit, Innes obviously enjoyed a long holiday after the Commonwealths, there was that mix-up with the baton at the last changeover, and your three lads haven’t properly recovered from the glandular fever, have they?’ Jock asked Sandy. ‘Where’s the other two by the way?’

‘Eddie and his dad are looking after Danny back home in Airdrie. Archie and I are going to head off soon to check on the poor lad . He’s had a rough day of it.’

‘There you go then,’ said Jock. ‘I hope he’s okay. Anyway, just think what we can achieve when everyone’s fit. Roll on, Livingston.’

‘Livingston?’ asked Archie.

‘That’s where the Scottish Cross-Country is this season,’ explained Neil. ‘Jock won’t be the only team manager keeping an eye on you Clyde Glen stars.’

‘Oh, aye,’ added Jock. ‘You’ve got three months to get fully fit, and then we’ll show those Edinburgh guys that their days of domination are over. Look, there’s that red-striped official taking the poncy baton off the Edinburgh guy and passing it to our Baird, and there’s the Glasgow provost waiting for it.’

‘Oh-oh, Jock,’ said Sandy. ‘Red-stripe’s coming this way.’

‘Hmm, cough.’

‘Congratulations, Jock,’ said red-stripe. ‘Noo, aboot yon race number . . .’

1. Clyde Glen AAC 3:46:07 (B. McCloy 28:32—fastest)

2. Edinburgh Western Harriers 3:48:42 (I. Morton 31:08)

3. Albert Park AAC 3:51:35

4. Shingleston Harriers 3:52:29

5. Edinburgh Central AC 3:53:07

6. Falkirk Flyers 3:53:08

We have only just heard of Chris’s death and Colin Youngson has written this tribute to a man liked and respected in equal measure.

Chris Leck was a very valuable team man for Spango, contributing to medal-winning successes in all three major winter relays. In the Scottish cross-country relay, Spango finished third in 1983 and second in 1986. The E to G (which Chris ran eight times in succession between 1980 and 1987) added ‘most improved’ awards for 7th place in 1981; and bronze in 1984. The Scottish Six-Stage Road Relay produced three bronze medals in 1983, 1985 and 1986.

Chris was a very good runner who was highly rated by everyone on the scene. Principally a classy cross-country and road runner who never showed the same form on the track but had some outstanding runs in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay.

“SPANGO VALLEY AAC (excerpt) by Cameron Spence

Spango Valley AAC was formed in September 1973 when a group of IBM employees decided they would like to form an athletics club. 

From early local successes the club started to make its presence felt nationally from about 1978 winning many Local, County and District Championships at cross-country Relays and 6-man team contests. The results they achieved at the National Relay were outstanding for a provincial club. But the highlight for the club and myself was winning the National 4 man Relay at St. Andrews in 1985. The four man team was Peter Conaghan, Chris Robison (there’s is another great story on how he joined Spango), my brother Lawrie and myself. To win the National in the mid 80’s was something special. Scotland at that time had an abundance of athletic talent. What a day it was for the club. And the trip back to Greenock will go down in history.

Over the years the club has had many international athletes running in the famous blue and yellow stripes. Here are some of the names: Graham Clark, Peter and Steven Conaghan, Lachie Stewart, Hammy Cox, Tommy Murray, Chris Robison, Mark Pollard (as a boy), my brother Lawrie and myself. Many of these athletes had won National and District titles. But we had a lot of very gifted and talented club runners who did a fantastic job for the club. Here are some of their names: Chris Leck, Terry Wilkie, Joe Gallagher, Charlie Doyle, Ray Hyett (the father of Graeme), Martin Coyle,Tom Dobbin and Stuart Hodge. These runners were just below International standard. In fact the times they were doing back in the 70 and 80’s would put them among the best runners around today.”

In the Scottish National Cross Country Championships, the club’s best performance was fifth in 1985 when Cammie himself led the team home and they had four runners in the first 100 – he was 13th, Chris Leck was 22nd, brother Lawrie was 31st and Peter Connaghan was 61st.

In the West District Cross Country Championships, Spango Valley’s first win was in 1985/86 with 93 points and the athletes responsible were Chris Robison 2nd, Lawrie Spence 3rd, Chris Leck 18th, Cammie Spence 29th, Lachie Stewart 32nd and Ed McKee 37th. 

Robert Quinn (former Scottish Cross Country Champion) and many more of Chris Leck’s Facebook Friends expressed great sadness at his sudden death. Chris was widely considered not only a very talented runner but more importantly an extremely popular and valued friend. Sincere condolences.

John Brown Senior’s scrapbook was a traditional sort of scrap book in which he kept such records written by hand as he wanted to keep mixed in with cuttings from newspapers and magazines.  The order was chronological order and the cuttings covered Olympic Games, sports meetings, articles on training, on athletes and on the history of the sport.   We have a small selection from the book below.   The first piece on training by Joe Binks was typical of the advice given out by most coaches and ex-athletes of the time.   I know of one international athlete and coach who wrote to him c/o The News of the World asking for advice and saying he was training 5 days a week, only to receive a handwritten reply telling hom for goodness sake to ease up, he would only harm himself.

Now a report from Dunky Wright followed by a report on the SAAA Championships at Meadowbank.

A question often asked of runners is whether they have any family background in the sport.   John Brown had such a link because his father was a member of Maryhill Harriers.   John may well have inherited his attention to detail from his father too.   Most runners keep a training and racing diary, some keep a scrapbook – John’s father did both.   We are glad that John kept the diary because it tells us a lot about the time in which it was written.   No computer printer, just hand written – but look at the handwriting; well, it’s more calligraphy than handwriting.   I don’t know of any of my contemporaries who could spend so much time writing out the detail of the sport that he so obviously loved.   We’ll start at home with training speeds noted down – he was a sprinter so that was where his attention was.   His pride in his craftsmanship is obvious from the writing and the spacing.

His career went into the 1950’s when all the newspapers covered all sports.   Football at Wembley as well as Hampden, cricket between England and Australia, world championship boxing and, as far as athletics was concerned, the Olympic Games were covered at great length.   For a man like John’s father, the statistics were meat and drink.   At a time when there was no TV to distract people, when training was not a seven day affair, the statistics and results were focused upon.    The scrapbook contains all the results from all the Olympics from 1896 through to 1948.   First of all we have the venues for the various Olympiads.

The results of the 1896 Games in Athens was first – 

The ‘biggest of the big’ was of course when they came to London.   It was after the War, a time when Scots, English, Irish, Welsh all served in the same command, shared billets and grumbled about postings and Great Britain was both ‘Great’ (we had won the War after all) and Britain.   There was barely any talk of independence for Scotland.   The British team was ‘our team’.   John really went to town on the results.

The immediate difference spotted is that ALL finishers in the finals are listed, with times.   The page is of course beautifully laid out.

There was  a total of five pages devoted to the London Olympics.   They covered all events, nut just sprinting or not even just running – all the field events were covered.   Then looking for records he came up with previous winners of his own events, the 100 and 220 yards.   The 100 yards is reproduced below.

The man clearly loved his sport.   But he loved sport in general – note this page: he not only covered endurance running and field events as well as his own sport, but to spread to the Olympic movement as far as the Winter Olympics to this extent was simply unique in my experience

…

The Olympic Games are known of and revered the world over.  There are arguments about some of the events included now, there is serious concern about the size of the event but there is no one who is ignorant of the Olympic movement.    There are remarkably few however who have ever heard of the Intercalated Games never mind know much about them.    The 1904 Games had been held in St Louis, Missouri and spread over several months between 1st July and 23rd November.   Overshadowed by the Russo-Japanese War and with difficulties in travelling to St Louis very few of the top athletes, other than American and Canadian, were present.   These, the III Olympic Games were the first to be held outside Europe.   The main addition to the format was the introduction of gold, silver and bronze medals for first, second and third places.   The movement favouring the Intercalated Games  had the intention of holding them everu four years midway between the original Olympics.

The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games were held from 22 April 1906 to 2 May 1906, and were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games and were referred to as the “Second International Olympic Games in Athens” by the International Olympic Committee.    However, the medals that were distributed to the participants during these games were later not officially recognised by the IOC and are not displayed with the collection of Olympic medals at the Olympic Museum in  Switzerland.

Lord Desborough, competed for Great Britain at these Games and won silver.  He was Chairman of the International Olympic Committee and the British Olympic Association from 1905 – 1913 and played a significant part in the organisation of the 1908 Olympic Games held in London.   

The Games are covered in the following article by Tom McNab.   It is an informative piece but there is also a great deal about the meaning of ‘amateurism’ and what constituted an amateur – there are places where it raises an incredulous laugh from the reader.    Read on.

Q 1906 is outside the four year Olympic cycle- why is that?

A  As I explained before, the Greeks wished to keep the Olympic Games in Athens forever. De Coubertin ignored them at first, but the failure of the next two Olympics, in Paris and St. Louis, had given the Greeks the strength to suggest another series, 1906, 1910, 1914 etc, and they held what they planned to be the first of these in 1906.

Q And were they successful?

A Yes, relative to the Games of 1896, though the standards were similar to those of 1900 and 1904. They were now much more representative of world sport.

 Q Are they now viewed as an official Games?

A  They are covered in most histories and at the time they initially had a sort of semi-official status, if only because the IOC was still reeling after two failed Olympic Games. The Greeks had originally intended to hold them in 1901, and even de Coubertin could not have done much to prevent them from doing so. Politics intervened, and the Greeks were unable to hold them, and their 1906 Games were at one point to be given “Panhellenic” status by de Coubertin, though that seems to have come to nothing. Later, an IOC committee met to decide their status, and put them outside the Olympic definition.

The Panathinaikos Stadium in 1906

Q Did they introduce anything new?

A Yes, quite a lot. A march-past in teams, a closing ceremony, and an Olympic Village, based in the Zappeon, next to the Averoff Stadium.

Q Was the standard high?

A Much higher than in 1896, because of it was now more representative of world sport, but the track events were still hampered by the tight bends of the Averoff Stadium,( and runners ran clockwise) and the infield was narrow, dangerous for the long throws.

Q So the Games were not yet truly representative of world standards?

A  No. They were still essentially the province of the upper classes, those with the time and the funds to attend. This meant East Coast American Ivy League students and Oxbridge, and their equivalents in other nations.

And there was not yet a fixed Olympic programme of sports, and even within sports like athletics there was as yet no agreed schedule. International governing bodies were still a decade away, and it was only then that there would be standard programmes of events in each sport.

Q And sport was unevenly developed throughout the world?

A It still is. But in those early years of the 20^th century, the gaps were much bigger. Only a handful of nations had well-structured governing bodies, notably USA, Great Britain, Germany and the Scandinavian nations. Eastern Europe was poorly-developed, and Africa, South America, the Middle and Far East had not yet entered the world of sport in any coherent manner.

Q So this meant too that few nations had any capacity to hold an Olympic Games?

A Yes. Only Great Britain had any really strong traditions in holding big sports events, with gatherings like Wimbledon, Henley, Bisley and Ascot, but even the UK had no experience of holding a big multi-sport event like the Olympic Games.

Q So why was Rome chosen for the 1908 Games?

A  That is a difficult question to answer, because Italy was not yet in the top division of sporting nations. As things turned out, in 1906, Vesuvius erupted, causing massive damage, the Italians withdrew, and Great Britain picked up the baton.

The finish of the Marathon

Q The issue of amateurism seems to have been important at that time, and it is difficult, at this distance, to see why so much importance was attached to it.

A That is quite understandable. It is an issue which will keep coming up as we move forward into the 20^th century, so let me try to explain it.

 First, the ancient Greeks had no word for “amateur”, simply because they did not divide the world of sport into categories such as amateur and professional. Their four Crown Games offered no money prizes, or prizes in kind, only wreaths of olives. This did not however prevent their city-states honouring victors with pensions, homes, even wives. But a network of festivals developed over the years in Greece, Italy and the Middle East, all offering prizes. These were sometimes money, and often prizes in kind, such as much-valued oil.

Q So the “amateur”is really a modern construct?

A Exactly. Sports of one kind or another existed all over the world, in a primitive form, at local level, but it was the English middle classes who in the second half of the 19^th century codified and structured them. Earlier, public school headmasters such as Thring of Uppingham had deployed sport as a means of focussing pupils’ energies, of controlling them, and as a vehicle of education. When these boys moved on to Oxbridge, they re-created the sport of their youth in their colleges. And in the second half of the 19^th century they began to create sports associations for adults.

Q That doesn’t quite explain the “amateur”.

A No, it does not. Initially, they hoped to keep the membership of their clubs to their own class. Sometimes they wished to go even further, and one writer even went as far as to express his distaste for athletes from the Midlands, even though they had come from a similar educational background as himself!

Q Their definition of a “club” might seems to have been an organisation which you tried to keep people out of !

A You are not far off. These first amateurs now appear to us as superannuated children. They drew the line at the acceptance of money for sport, and rationalised this by making the argument that a man who made his living out of sport had a clear advantage over one for whom it was merely a recreation.

Q That is a reasonable argument.

A It is. The problem was that in most sports there was no professional class, and by that I mean men for whom sport was a full-time occupation. There were exceptions, (such as boxing and wrestling), but few sports offered anything approaching a profession. But the first amateurs simply drew the line at competing for a cash prize.

Q What happened if you entered an event offering a cash prize and won nothing?

A You were still considered to be a professional.

Q But the amateurs, didn’t they compete for prizes?

A Yes, mostly in handicap events. Initially, medals were given, but the athletes protested that this was surely inappropriate for handicap events. So prizes were reluctantly given, but only those to which a steel plate could be stapled, indicating how and where it had been won.

Q Crazy.

A  There is more. This requirement clearly limited the kind of prizes that could be offered, so the athletes again put in a protest, and it was removed.

Q What if you tried to sell your prize?

A That made you a professional.

Q What if you took it back to the shop and tried to replace it with something that you actually liked?

A Same again-that professionalised the athlete.

Q The line seems to have been drawn at acceptance of money.

A Yes, but more than that, at winning anything of value. Listen to this. “Prizes must be of a character which cannot be possessed or retained for the period of the life of the recipient.”

Q What year was that?

A  As late as 1946, in the IAAF Handbook. You really could not make it up. Four whole pages are devoted to defining the amateur from every possible angle. It is, however, remarkable that this type of material was still in print as late as this.

Q What happened if you were a professional footballer, and wanted to take part in athletics?

A That was not possible. Professional status in one sport travelled across all sports. There were even heated debates on whether someone who was paid a few pence to chalk billiard cues should have amateur status in sport!

Q And teachers of physical education in schools?

A They automatically lost their amateur status. Mike Sweeney, the great American high jumper of the late 19^th century, lost his the moment that he became a P. E. teacher. He could easily have won medals in the first three Olympic Games of the modern era.

Q When was this rule rescinded?

A  After the Second World War.

Q It is difficult, at this distance, to make sense of all this.

A Agreed, but it is worth noting that de Coubertin’s first two Paris Conferences, in 1892 and 1894, centred on issues of amateur status. Remember that this was at the dawn of the creation of national governing bodies. Only in Great Britain was there any depth of experience in this area, and only in the Anglo-Saxon world was there a culture of cash-prize athletics and betting-based running-events. The former was essentially recreational, and indeed the Scottish Highland Games programme became the basis of American college athletics, and many of its athletes became its first coaches.  The running-events ( pedestrianism), though sometimes prone to corruption, was also essentially recreational. The advent of amateur athletics placed all of these expressions of athletics, which had been the source of the modern sport, outside of the Olympic movement.

Q Wasn’t that a little short-sighted?

A At this distance, yes. In Great Britain, some sports like racing, cricket and football formed governing bodies that embraced all codes, but most sports simply drew a line at the acceptance of money, or competing against anyone who had done so.

Q  What about the amateur administrators?

A That is a quite different story. From the outset, they were provided with what was called an “honorarium”, often sometimes close to what a working man might earn in a year.

Q Humbug.

A Pretty close, one law for the rich, another for the poor.

Q Did the early European sports administrators take their lead from us?

 A Yes. These were early days, and European amateur administrators, who had a much shallower sports experience than ours, tended to take their lead from us at this point, simply because we had been first in the field.

Q Where did de Coubertin stand in all of this?

A The Baron was a pragmatist, Amateurism was the only game in town, and de Coubertin to go with the flow. Later, in his Memoirs, he revealed that he saw no virtue, no real logic, in amateurism.

  Tom McNab, February 5^th, 2016

Lord Desborough, a very enthusiastic outdoors man took part in many sports.   Educated at Harrow and at Balliol College, Oxford, he was a ferocious fast bowler for the school and rowed for Oxford in the University boat race.   He enjoyed swimming ( swam the Niagara Falls twice), rowed across the English Channel, climbed the Matterhorn by three different routes, and on a long holiday climbed the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and the Weisshorn in just eight days total.   There were many other feats that he achieved in the course of a very active sporting career.

At the time of the Intercalated Games he was a noted fencer who competed for Great Britain at these Games and won silver.  Away from the competitive arena. as Chairman of the International Olympic Committee and the British Olympic Association from 1905 – 1913 he had offered London as a venue for and was responsible for having the of London Franco- British Exhibition switched from 1907 to 1908.  They agreed, and as a result built the White City, holding 70,000, and the Games also featured the first (and last) 100m. swimming pool. This Olympics set the standard for all future Olympic Games.   Under his chairmanship, this 1908 Games proved to be a great success.   

The 1908 Games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome, but were relocated on financial grounds following the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, which claimed over 100 lives.   These were the fourth chronological modern Summer Olympics in keeping with the now-accepted four-year cycle as opposed to the alternate four-year cycle of the proposed Intercalated Games. 

World Championships Team, 1983 – all details below

Like all sports athletics has had its share of genuine talents which have never been properly fulfilled.   One of these in distance running in Scotland was John McNeil of Law and District AAC.   His length of stay might have been longer had the club been under the influence of Andy Brown as it had been when it was first set up, but although there were still very good runners indeed in the club (Doug Frame springs to mind) none was quite as much a father figure as the founder member.   For instance, Andy was heard telling another Motherwell runner not to do his immediately pre-race strides away from the starting line but to do them in the direction the race would go – “They’ll start the race if you’re down there, but they won’t start it if you are 50 yards down the course.”    or  telling his younger brother at a handicap mile to watch the starter and go when he saw the puff of smoke from the gun – you see that before you hear the report and sometimes get away before those around you.  Andy might have prolonged John’s career.

John McNeill, born on 31st August, 1964, had a very short career in which the highlight was undoubtedly the winning of the National Cross-Country 1983 at the Jack Kane Sports Centre in Edinburgh,   He had started out in athletics as a Senior Boy (under 15) in season 1979/80 when he finished fourteenth in the West District Cross-Country Championships.   This was to be the lowest position he would ever occupy in the event.   A year later he was 11th in the Youths section (under 17).   The National was usually held in February and there were some cross-country races before the track season proper began and on 3rd April in 1981 he was second in the Arbroath Cross-Country meeting, organised by Tayside AAC, behind C O’Brien of Shettleston Harriers.

Still an under 17, on 5th December 1981 he was third in the Youths race at the Fife Southern meeting where his team mate A Russell was first.   Later in the month, 21st December, he represented Lanarkshire in the Inter-Counties fixture at Houston and was first in his age group.   He didn’t run in the District or National Championships but in summer 1982 he was clocked at 14:44.0 for the track 5000m to be 26th fastest Scot for the distance.     He had a good summer but cross-country was his forte and he headed for 1981/82 with some more speed in his legs than the previous season.     

In 1982/83 John was a Junior (Under 20) man and had to race against Senior Men as well as Juniors for the first time.   Not all good young athletes respond well to this challenge.   John did.  On the third weekend in November he ran the first stage of the Edinburgh to Glasgow and finished 5th for the team that finished 8th.   A very good run on a hard road surface.   Then on  3rd December in the Lita Allan Cross-Country races at Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy he was first Junior.      On   9th January in 1983 there was a new race on the calendar.   Shettleston Harriers put up a trophy worth £2000 for the Flockhart Memorial race to be held at Coatbridge.  John was first Junior here too beating Alan Puckrin, also a Junior, by 11 seconds.   He followed this by running in the West District Championships on 22nd January at Lenzie where he was third in the race ahead of virtually all the Senior ‘big guns’.   Just 12 seconds behind race victor George Braidwood and 8 behind second placed Lawrie Spence on a very heavy muddy course, it was a race to be proud of.          One week later he was in action again running for an SCCU Select team.   The opinion of all who had followed the Cross-Country scene in Scotland is seen in the following cutting appraising the team as selected.                     

 The SCCU Junior Championships were held on 26th February, 1983, at the Jack Kane Centre in Edinburgh where he won in 28:13, ahead of A Wilson of Glasgow University  (28:27), and P Connaghan  Ayrshire (28:37).    It was a run that earned him selection for the International Championships to be held in New York.   The teams, Senior and Junior, are noted below.

In these, the IAAF World Championships, held in Gateshead at the end of March, John finished 77th out of 107 runners from 25 countries.   In the team race, the scoring runners were Robert Cameron (48th), Peter Connaghan (64th), John (77th) and Alan Puckrin (78th).     

The following summer, he brought his track time down to 14:16.40 for 5000m which was the ninth fastest by any Scot that year and much quicker than the 14:57.8 that won him the SAAA Junior Track Championships.  

In November ’83 he ran in his second (and last) Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay.   Running on Stage 4 for a weakened Law team, he took over in 19th place which he held to the changeover.   His time of 27:26 was only 15th fastest out of the 20 teams contesting the race.  The team was 15th, having been 19th right up to the start of stage 7 where Hugh Forgie pulled the, through to 13th place, only to see a drop of two places on the final leg.    He ran in the Lita Allan race in Kirkcaldy where he was 15th overall but first Junior Man.   He was not running at all well and was nothing like his form of the previous year.   

John did not run for any team in 1984 – not the District Championships, not the National Championships, not the Edinburgh to Glasgow.   There are many reasons why a talented young runner may leave the sport – career development, educational studies, social reasons, illness and even  emigration in several cases – but whatever the reason in John’s case, the sport lost a very talented athlete.

Time for more from Hugh Barrow’s collection of photographs, cuttings and other memorabilia.   It’s a quite remarkable collection of items covering the entire history of endurance running people, events and coverage of the sport in general.   Let’s start this page with one of the man himself from the “Kirkintilloch Herald” after one of the early Luddon Strathkelvin Half Marathon races with Brian McAusland in the background who would later organise the British Milers Club Street Mile races held while the 13 miler was taking place.

We follow with three extracts from the Scottish Football Annual of  1878/9: on the Rangers FC information, note the joining fees.   Yes,  you  could join  the Rangers as  you  could  any  other sports  club.

At the big football matches the invalid cars were parked in front of the spectators so that the owners could see the action without the difficulty of leaving their cars and without the cars causing difficulty for the other spectators too.   Occasionally there were some at at bg athletics meetings but not in the numbers as shown below.

The Olympics have always been seen as the prime example of friendship through sport, of all sports engaging together in fraternal spirits.   Read this extract:

From the archive: Olympic Games are a threat to world peace On this day 100 years ago Monday July 22 2024, 12.01am, The Times From The Times: July 22, 1924 The message we publish today on the subject of the Olympic Games was evidently written under a profound sense of disappointment. Even those who went to Paris most full of hope are completely disheartened. In the opinion of our special correspondent, the Games have shown that the world is not yet ripe for the ideal which was the object of their revival — creating a brotherhood of sport to reflect the improvement of international relations. The experiences of the present Olympiad have confirmed the long-felt misgiving that the tendency of these Games is to inflame international animosities rather than to allay them. Both the actions of individual competitors and the behaviour of spectators have given rise to “disagreeable incidents” of a provocative and volcanic character. Even the judging has not been free from reproach. In a boxing match last week one of these “incidents” was so flagrantly unsportsmanlike, and the verdict of the judges so questionable, that it was agreed that unless the decision was reversed all the English-speaking contestants, including the Americans, would withdraw in a body. Yesterday the British Olympic Committee found it necessary to take more decided action. The Olympic boxing came to an end amid scenes of such disorder that they have notified the International Committee that British boxers will not compete at future Olympic meetings. Shameful disorder, storms of abuse, free fights, and the drowning of National Anthems by shouting and booing are not conducive to Olympic calm. Disturbances of this kind, with open expressions of national hostility, could end in worse trouble than the duel which it is feared may take place after a quarrel between a Hungarian and an Italian fencer. The peace of the world is too precious to justify any risk of its being sacrificed on the altar of international sport. Noting the loss of self-control to which national partisanship can give rise, French newspapers suggest that the Olympic Games do more harm than good in international relations. Our correspondent says that no one will feel justified in again appealing to the public to support the sending of a full team to another Olympiad, and that the death-knell of the Games has, in fact, been sounded .

A bit grim and, thankfully, wrong.    On a happier note, the Rangers Sports are always interesting.

Now, one of the oldest known pieces of Rangers memorabilia, photograph and info received by Hugh from David Mason, who says: 

After the death of William Wilton in 1914, Bill Struth was appointed manager of the Rangers and there was as expected a lot of comment in the Press – this is a simple factual statement that accompanied the appointment.

Ibrox was purchased in 1904 and the comments below on the respective merits of Ibrox, Celtic Park and Queens Park ground are interesting.

More to come.

When you think of Shelagh King, you think of her smile.  Always the same, always smiling, always ready to take part, to help and always doing her very best.   Shelagh was one of the very first Clydesdale Harriers women to take up hill running.    It was not her first experience of running – coming into the sport in the mid-80’s, she ran in several Glasgow Marathons before she joined the club and she tells us of her beginnings in the sport below.   A good and popular club member, she ran for the club on the road and track but was seen principally as a hill runner.   We asked her to complete a short questionnaire as an introduction to a closer look at her career as a runner.    The photograph of her finish in her first marathon as an unattached runner lets us see the smile.   

Shelagh, right,  finishing her first marathon

Name:  Shelagh King

Club/s: Clydesdale Harriers from 1988 to summer 2004,  Gala Harriers 2004 to date.

Date of Birth:  14 May 1955

Occupation:   Retired Doctor

How did you get into the sport initially?  I did a little running after leaving school.

Hill running?   I was encouraged by Bobby Shields and his wife Jan.

Has any individual or group had a marked effect on your attitude to the sport or to your performances?  Both clubs I’ve been part of, and the hill running community.

Can you describe your general attitude to the sport?   Just enjoy taking part, don’t expect to do well, enjoy the social aspect, meeting folks.

What exactly do you get from the sport?   Fun, Friendship, Exercise.

What do you consider your best ever performance?   Hard to say.   Maybe Wooller Marathon (Over 60’s women’s record in 2018.

Did you have a favourite event?   Hard to say. . .  Glamaig?  Ben Lomond?  Carnethy?   Creag Dhu, Stuc a Chroin?   Which year, what social events and which friends.

What has running brought you that you would not have wanted to miss?   Friendship, exercise, fitness.

Can you give some indication of your training?   Very disorganised.   Usually run with club about once a week, run on my own as the fancy takes me and depending on what’s coming up, social weekend runs sometimes.   No routine.

Part of a very good group of club hill runners including the Shields twins – Bobby and Jim -, Brian Potts, Ian Murphy, Andy Dytch and Pat Bonner, Shelagh with Cathie Farrell, Christine Menhennet and Marjorie Small formed a group of women runners just as the sport for women was taking off who enjoyed the sport and proved to men that they really could compete.   As an example of Shelagh’s running at the time, the following results have been taken from the ‘Fellrunner’ magazine.    Note that this is only a fraction of the events she took part in.   Not all results were covered by the magazine, in many cases only the winning Lady was noted, while much more detail was provided for the men.

There was also the SHRA Championships held over a series of races with a mix of long, medium and short events.   In these Shelagh showed up well.   In 1989 Shelagh had a very good showing in the SHRA Championships and then turning out in more championship events in 1990, she was sixth of the 28 listed.   Her points were gained from Culter Fell, Glenelg, Creag Dhu and Pentlands.  In 1991 she had moved up again to be 5th, this time she had run in Screel (short), Stuc a Chroin (Long), Cairngorm (Medium), Dalchully (M) and Pentland Skyline (S).    She appeared for many years covering all sorts of challenges eg in 1993 she was  25th of 44, 1995 she was 22nd, 

What we have learned from the above is that Shelagh travelled to get to the races she wanted.   Lots of races in the Central Belt (there were lots to choose from), she ran in the Borders, in the West Highlands, in Angus and Fife in the East.   She ran at a great variety of distances from 2.6 to 18 miles, and in all weathers.   

Shelagh’s cheery and optimistic personality shone through everything she did.   I remember watching the runners in the Stuc a Chroin race at Strathyre coming to the top of the first rise before the drop down into Glen Ample and Shelagh came into sight as part of a small group of runners; we cheered a bit and she pointed at us and told those with her that we were part of the team too!   If she thought she could help, she was there to do so.   

Being the very friendly person she is, she also keeps up with special friends like Christine Menhennet and Marjorie Small – the photograph below is of Shelagh with her twins and  Clydesdale Harriers team mate Hylda Stewart at Posties park Dumbarton after a county cross-country championships.

Here they are with Christine – looks like she has them up at a trig point at an early age.   

Although not thought of as a track and field athlete, Shelagh turned out for Clydesdale Ladies Section in their League matches.   A super-enthusiast she did whatever needed to be done on any day without being asked to do so.   The club website blogspot had this to say:   “The most versatile senior was Shelagh King whose enthusiasm was really infectious. In 1990 she ran at one meeting or another 200 metres, 400 metres, 1500 metres, 100 metres hurdles, 400 metres hurdles, and also covered the shot and discus plus the 4 x 400 relay! ”   How about this, also from the blogspot, for ‘above and beyond’ –   “Shelagh was a very good Harrier turning out in all the hill races – she even ran many events including the 400 Hurdles for the Track & Field team. On one occasion, Jimmy Bryce  (Lochgelly) protested that our ‘A’ Hurdler (Shelagh) was 19 seconds slower than our ‘B’ hurdler (Caroline Evans). But when I explained to the referee that Shelagh had run the Ben Nevis race the previous day and hurried back to hurdle on Sunday, she was quite understanding!”    Shelagh remembers this and her comment was:   “I do remember the track league, It was mainly for the youngsters but we oldies took part just to get the points for being last.  I remember doing various different distance races , shot put, discus, and of course hurdles. None of which I was trained to do. I remember doing the hurdles the day after Ben Nevis, and wishing I had a wee sign saying ‘ I did Ben Nevis yesterday ‘ so they’d know why I was so awful.”

Not at all awful  – there was a runner behind her who hadn’t run up even a slight slope the day before – as well as a couple in the ‘B’ race.   

Track League Appearances in 1990

In 2004, Shelagh moved from the west of Scotland to the Borders and joined Gala Harriers.   She is still running on the hills, in club races and in local events now in 2025.   Power of 10 has a list of 72 (seventy two) races to her credit between June 2009 and December 2024.    It includes  more than a dozen  Open races at Lauder, Campbeltown, Abbotsford, Wooler, Paxton House, the Three Eildons in Melrose, Kielder, Loch Eribol, Durness, Carnethy and Yetholm; it includes National Masters Championships;  but is mainly made up of club cross-country races and local League events.   Distances range up to the marathon and include some of the hill races that she used to run frequently such as the Carnethy 5 and the Eildons which was formerly the two Eildons but now includes the third of the hills and is the Three Eildons.   At the start of 2025 she was out running in the Feel the Burns race – a race which tells intending runners “This race is an arduous event which should not be undertaken by runners who are unfit, or are inexperienced in the hills. Runners must be at least 18 years old. The organisers cannot accept any liability for any accident or injuries. No accompanying dogs are allowed. Organisers reserve the right to postpone or shorten race due to severe weather conditions.”   Shelagh ran it at the age of 69.

If we focus on her racing performances over the past 10 years, she was a Vet 55 in 2015 and ran in 7 Scottish Borders League meetings plus the Three Eildons 10.   In the League she was first in her age group four times out of the seven races, and in the Eildons, she was 7th Over 55.   That was basically the pattern over the ten years.   Racing mainly for Gala Harriers in the Borders League and the Borders Winter Series with some appearances in the hill and trail races.   Her Open Races over that ten years are in the table below.

Only one race in 2020 ( a league race), and 2021; only league races in 2022. 

But we’re not finished there – look at the photograph below.

There is however another side to Shelagh and that is as a fund-raiser-for-charity and with a bit of style too.   Not for Shelagh doing a 10K or even a half marathon.   No, she forsook the running gear to cycle over 800 hilly miles to do it.   When we asked her about it she told us the story behind it.

“The cycle trip was from Hastings to Edinburgh in July 2019, for Freedom from Torture. . It was conceived when an Edinburgh supporter was visiting friends in Hastings. She and I did the whole trip over 4 weeks. The route wasn’t direct, being determined partly by where we were offered support by FfT supporters and Quakers. About 860 miles in all. 

The ‘running boom’ of the 1980’s introduced many who had never raced any distance at all and who did not consider themselves ‘runners’  to the sport.   Many excellent talents appeared apparently from nowhere and many new practices were developed to help officials deal with big numbers and the value of almost blanket local coverage was emphasised.   One thing that pleased the runners was a development which took the former certificate of performance awarded to all finishers of some races and produced a certificate with a photograph of the athlete crossing the mine with his/her time displayed on a banner above the finish line.   You had your certificate whether you were outside 6 hours or inside 2 hours 15 minutes.   You had to pay for it, but it was a genuine souvenir and memento of performance.   We have some of these certificates below, they come from the Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Dundee and Moray marathons.   

What they show us is how fresh many of the runners were after completing their first or second run over 26+ miles – not one of them is struggling or needing assistance, we see the friendship and companionship of novice runners as well as how some of the very best marathon runners we have had were maintaining their form as they crossed the finish line and we see how much interest the general public had in watching these feats of endurance.  We wouldn’t have seen these things without these certificates.   The athletes were of all standards from outside 6 hours from total neophytes to inside 2:15 for the top runners.   The small selection of runners includes Olympians, Scottish, English and Irish internationals as well as club runners.    At its peak, the mass city marathons in Scotland saw 14 held in one year.

There are still some races that provide the service – eg London Marathon – but they were a feature of all the mass marathons of the 80’s and 90’s,  The reproductions below are of a variable quality because of their age but all have a part to play in the history of the certificates, and include quite a few excellent black and white photographs by Graham MacIndoe, most of which he forwarded.   Thanks to Graham and to all who sent in the pictures  The pictures are in chronological order.

1982

Tommy Wiseman (Garscube, Victoria Park, Clydebank AC, Clydesdale Harriers) finishing in VPAAC colours.  The photo is a wee bit blurred but it is the earliest that we received and Tommy was a well known and talented runner.

1983

Leslie Watson, Edinburgh.

Phil Cunningham finishing in 1983 after only 14 months training.  Unattached in ’83, he joined Edinburgh AC

Allan Faulds (St Modans, Stirling, Glasgow University, Exeter, Clydesdale and Fife) running in the first Dundee Marathon in 1983 at the end of his career.   He ran 3 hours 20 minutes.   He had already run 2 hours 41 minutes 28 seconds in the Shettleston Marathon of 1971  Allan was a Scottish Universities and SCCU international representative.

1984

Eddie Devlin (Monklands, Strathclyde U, Clyde Valley)   

Graham Getty (Bellahouston, Strathclyde U, Cambuslang and Shaftesbury).   Graham was another Scottish Universities internationalist as well as a talented runner over all endurance events.

Graham Getty ran in two sub 2:20’s that year.

Many runners kept the proof of their finishing photograph: this one is Tom Ulliott doing his best time to that point

Denis Bell (HELP) and team mate Phil Beeson 

Lindsay Robertson: Lindsey ran 17 sub 2:20 marathon races with a best time of 2:13:30 in Frankfurt in 1987

Evan Cameron (Edinburgh Southern Harriers) was a Scottish international runner and national champion.

Proof photograph of the end of the Ian Skelly Motherwell Marathon which shows how closely the runners packed and the interest of the crowd in a marathon well outside Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or Dundee.    Runners include Alex Jackson (Ferranti AC) 2hrs 53mins 46secs PB (3rd from the left) ; Eric Stevenson of (Edinburgh AC) also 2hrs 53mins 46secs also PB (4th from the left)

John Sneddon finishing the Moray Marathon

1985

Tommy Hughes: Tommy was an Irish international marathon runner who ran 2:30:02 at the age of 60 in 2020 to break the age group world record by 6 minutes.   He had earlier won the Marrakesh Marathon in 1988 in 2:15:48 and ran in the 1992 Olympics.  

Shelagh King (17589): first marathon after not too much training but just look at the delight on the women’s faces.    Shelagh ran four marathons before joining Clydesdale Harriers in 1988.

Jim Wright who had just come into the sport after being a good football player since boyhood and winning a gold medal as a Scottish boxing champion.

Phil Cunningham who ran four marathons, every one faster than the one before!

Phil Cunningham

Ron Hill: no comment needed

Lorna Irving finishing second to Angie Pain who ran 2:37

David Lowes: GB and England international runner from 3000m to half marathon and cross country.   This was his marathon pb.

Mike Carroll: Scottish international runner who ran and was highy ranked at distances from 3000m to marathon.

Ron Hill

1986

Marjorie Small (checking her watch !) and Josephine Giblin.   Marjorie was a very good hill runner and ran in all the big Scottish mountain events – Isle of Jura, Ben Nevis, and the Lairig Ghru.   This came before the hills and was her first marathon

Tom Ulliott recording his best ever time for the event.

Brian Carty, Edinburgh

Shelagh King

John Donnelly

Billy Robertson (Bellahouston)

Allan Adams (Dumbarton)

Jim Doig (Aberdeen)

1987

Shelagh King

1990

22 Apr 1990: Allister Hutton of Great Britain crosses the line to finish the London Marathon. Hutton finished in first place with a time of 2:10.10 hours. Mandatory Credit: Dan Smith/Allsport

1995

Scott Cohen

1996

Now for one a bit different – this from Dougie McDonald (below) shows him finishing in Dallas Texas.    And that’s a Maryhill Harriers vest!

The photographs above have come from many different races and from runners themselves, from friends or relatives of runners and from Graham MacIndoe.  I’d like to thank them all and say that we will be posting some more soon.    Thanks to all for their help.

Above is one of Christine Menhennet’s photographs , from 1993,with the women on the right of the front row.  Christine says: “Scottish Island Peaks Race the year our all women team came 2nd overall out of a fleet of nearly 70 boats. We were first rounding Mull of Kintyre and up to Sanda ( mainly down to our superfast boat but Helene and I did hold our position in good times on the hill), then wind dies to nothing and we just could not row our big trimaran fast enough – a tiny tri passed us and there was no way we cd catch two top Lake District male runners!”

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Helene ran with many partners in the course of her running career.   She chose them well – they were all friends and they were all top class runners.    As far as the Scottish Island Peaks Race is concerned she ran it with three very good athletes, and in fact donated a trophy jointly with Christine.

Both having run it before, she teamed up with Christine Menhennet, another Scottish International Athlete, in in May 1988.   The preview in the Oban Times of 12th May told us that sponsorship had been taken over by Islay malt company Bruichladdich and that the event would take place between May 20th to 22nd with 38 teams taking part – a third more than the previous year.   The route of the race is as in the map below – through the streets of Oban, yacht to Mull where the two runners ran up the hills (land route marked in orange), back to the boat which took them to Jura, the runners route is again marked in orange, then on to Arran where the runners route is marked and then sail to the finish in Troon.    The sailing course is 160 nautical miles includes the strong tides and overfalls of the Corryvreckan and the Mull of Kintyre, with the runners covering 60 miles including 11,500 ft of climbing.   What it doesn’t say is that the runners must carry a sleeping bag, orange survival bag, waterproofs, fleece, tracksters, hat, gloves, map, compass and food!

Tom Haley, the company’s marketing director commented on the quality of competitors and after the race the same paper commented further on the sponsor’s all-women team by giving the names of the runners and commenting on the runners from the  third placed “Two Hoots” team.    “Oban Bay on Friday bristled with masts at the start of the race which saw 76 runners making a quick dash  from  the  South  Pier  round  Pulpit  Hill  then  up  George  Street  to  the Esplanade  where  they  joined  their  yachts   for  the  first  leg  to  Mull.   The sponsor’s  entry,  Bruichladdich,  had  the  added  advantage  of  two  runners  of  the  highest  calibre:  Christine  Menhennet  and  Helene  Diamantides,  the current  Everest-base  Katmandu  world  record  holders.   Throughout  the  race  winds  varied  from  a 30  knot  blow  to  a flat  calm  which  favoured  the  lighter  craft  and  the crew  of  Two Hoots  finished exhausted,  having  rowed 40  miles  in  14  hours with  only  10  minutes  breaks.   Two Hoots  runners,  Brian  Potts  and  Andy  Dytch had  the  fastest  aggregate  mountain  run  times.”

The race in 1990 started on 17th May in 1990.   Extracts from the preview of the race in the Glasgow Herald are below.

    MOLLS OF KINTYRE CAN SHOW MEN THE WAY HOME

 “More than 50 craft, a record entry and representing the highest quality in the eight-year history of the event, are scheduled to start at noon.  The yachts must flirt with the tidal race at Corryvreckan, which at its most malign will boil and take control of craft even as big as 30ft – about a quarter of the entry in this race. The bravest may even try to harness its power, riding it to take a shortcut as they make for the southernmost tip of Jura.   By the time the survivors reach Troon Marina on Sunday the yachts will have covered at least 160 miles, while the two runners on board each will have raced more than 60 miles with climbs totalling 11,500 feet – that is how it looks on the map, but over some of Scotland’s hardest terrain, it works out at roughly the equivalent of three marathons.”     and

“Also in action are female runners, including Glasgow landscape gardener Chris Menhennet and Mount Everest veteran Helen Diamantides. It gives great affront to male entrants to have this duo gallop past them on the hills, especially when they do so wearing fishnet tights and feather boas, the self-styled Molls of Kintyre.”

The “Molls of Kintyre title came from a trophy presented by Christine and Helene in 1989 to the first all-women team in the hope that it would encourage female participation.   It was called the “Molls of Kintyre” because they had actually competed that year in fishnet tights and feather boas!  It’s maybe the best title for a trophy for any race in the country.  The race is covered in detail (with pictures) in “Scotland’s Runner” of  July, 1990, ( SR No 47.pdf  ) .   

The boats were of different sizes and capable of different speeds with runners competing for the fastest boats.   Two Hoots was one of the faster and featured in the results often, but the very fastest was perhaps Severalles Challenge.  It was the yacht that Christine and Helene were to sail in in 1993 but in 1990 t runners for it were Martin Stone and Michael  McDermott.    Their progress (Martin and Michael’s) during the race was, like every crew, slowed considerably by the calm conditions requiring a lot of rowing by the five crew members.  The women’s progress was  described as follows:  

On Mull: The women’s pair of Helene Diamantides and Christine Menhennet  recorded a particularly good time of 3:59:59 to best many of the men’s pairs.

On Jura: For the women Diamantides and Menhennet were well ahead with an impressive 4:01:40. 

On Arran: By this stage many of the boats were retiring, exhausted from rowing, and simply because they ran out of time and had to get back to work.   The Bruichladdich Cheetah, carrying Diamantides and Menhennet, was one of these, and pulled out so Diamantides could be sure to get to a Monday afternoon exam.   Sadly they had to do so after reaching Arran before completing the final run.”

The women had run very well indeed and it would have been really interesting (to put it mildly) to see where they would have been placed had Helen been able to complete the final stage.

Christine on left with Helene second right

By 1993 they, Christine and Helene, were a well known double act and the preview in the “Scotsman” of 18th May that year is reproduced below since it gives a good picture of the race as a whole.   Under the following headline it read:

FIERCE AMBITION OF THE MOLLS OF KINTYRE: WOMEN’S TEAM FACE ONE OF THE GREAT TESTS FOR RUNNERS AND SAILORS. 

Stephanie Merry has successfully completed round-Britain and transatlantic yacht races and Helene Diamantides is in the Guinness Book of Records for her mountain-running achievements, but this Friday they will team up for their greatest challenge yet in the Scottish Islands Peaks Race.

Both have tackled the annual Hebridean odyssey many times before, pitting their talents and strengths against the forbidding mountain heights and treacherous tidal waters of the islands. The race covers 160 miles of coastal sailing, visiting Mull, Jura and Arran, where two of the crew of five must run 60 miles across five summits totalling 11,000 feet of climbing. It is a test of endurance few could survive but in the male-dominated worlds of offshore yachting and mountain racing Merry and Diamantides intend to achieve the previously unthinkable. With an all-female crew on the trimaran Severalles Challenge they aim to win outright.

When they leave Oban harbour on Friday they will be aboard a pounds 100,000 yacht which has won the race twice and was purpose-built to do so. The millionaire businessman, Dick Skipworth, who is currently indulging another of his passions by racing his vintage Jaguar on the Continent, has sailed the 36ft trimaran to many victories and offered it to an ecstatic Merry, giving the women’s team a realistic chance of victory.

A 43-year-old lecturer in mechanical engineering at Southampton University, Merry is an experienced offshore racer and has competed in the race four times with an all-female crew though she denies being anti- male. ‘I’ve raced in many mixed crews but am often the only lady as it is very difficult for women to get the necessary experience. Most skippers prefer men for their strength so I like to give women the chance to race. They get on better, aren’t afraid to ask each other for help and are more supportive. Egos don’t get in the way of teamwork.’

For crew she selected Gaye Sarma and Heidi Bell, and the choice of runners was easy. Diamantides has won international mountain races as far afield as Cameroon and Borneo and last year won the 220-mile Dragon’s Back race, beating the world’s best male endurance runners after five days’ racing across the Welsh mountains. Her partner will be Christine Menhennet and between them they have won all this year’s long Scottish hill races. Menhennet recently won the Ben Lomond race and is in the Scottish national team.

Together they hold the women’s records for all the runs to the summits of Ben More on Mull, the Paps of Jura and Goat Fell on Arran, and as veterans know what to expect. Storms and seasickness, rowing when becalmed, landings on slippery, seaweed-covered rocks and trackless terrain are all familiar hazards but the faster yacht makes the task harder. ‘To win we may have to do three 20-mile runs in 36 hours,’ says Diamantides, ‘and the noise and motion of the boat allow little rest. It’s like sitting in a bidet and having buckets of water thrown over you and is the only yacht I’ve been on that gives you a kick up the backside when they hoist the sails. It just takes off.’

Merry views the yacht differently. ‘It has everything you could want, 1,000 square feet of sail, satellite navigation, four batteries with solar charges, even sliding rowing seats. It’s superbly designed and is so fast sailing it is very, very exciting, especially in this race. Crossing the Atlantic is just a journey from A to B but here you’ve got fierce tides, rocks, whirlpools, fickle weather and rounding the Mull of Kintyre to cope with.’

In previous races Merry has suffered with poorly equipped yachts while Menhennet and Diamantides have been grounded, rowed to exhaustion, seen the skipper fall overboard and rounded the Mull only to be pushed back by the tide and forced to do it again. Since then they have been known as the Molls of Kintyre and that name is on a trophy they donated for the fastest women runners. This weekend they aim to win it back and help Merry and crew to victory.”

That was quite a write-up so how did the five women deal with it when the race started in Oban?   The “Scotsman” said briefly on the Monday:   

“Light winds plagued much of the Scottish Island Peaks Race.   Last night only three boats had arrived at Troon Marina, having had to spend long hours rowing and sailing to make progress towards the finish.   First to finish at Troon was the 27 foot American build Trimaran Tri Harda skippered by owner Nic Slocum who held off the powerful purpose-built 36 foot trimaran Severalle’s Challenge which was sailed by an all-girl crew.”   Having read pre-race that the “all-girl crew” had been skippered by Steph with Helene and Christine as the runners, we knew that they had done very well indeed. 

How did the women themselves feel about it?   Christine is quoted in “Voices From The Hills” as saying “In 1993 Helene and I were part of another all-women team taking part in the SIPR.   Steph Murray was our skipper again and our yacht was the super-fast trimaran Severalle’s Challenge, kindly lent to us by the owner,   There were about 60 participating boats that year and we rounded the Mull of Kintyre in first overall position!   The wind died and we had to row to Lamlash as a result of which we were passed by the eventual winners, rowing a much lighter boat.   Nonetheless, an all-women team were second in to the finish at Troon and we were fifth overall on the running stages out of nearly 50 running teams.” 

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However, successful as the pairing was, Christine was not the only partner Helene had for the SIPR.   She had two other partners after this with the first being another top rated athlete, Angela Mudge.   

A diversion.   Coverage of the event has been scanty.   Largely because there is limited space on sports pages on Mondays and a three-day event which has two members of a team, a named yacht plus times will take up a lot of space.   Editors can only print what they get and even the ‘Fellrunner’ did not publish the results every year although there were several long articles, with photographs, over the years.   The same is true of the ‘Scottish Runner’.   The actual race website, excellent as it is, only has results going back to 2008.   If we go through the British Newspaper Archive, coverage is variable from very little indeed in some years, to a great deal in others – they also stop in the year 2000.   There are inevitably gaps in the coverage of the races, and apologies for that.   

We take up the event in May, 1996.   In 1996  Helene and Angela, in the yacht Matilda finished 3rd overall with a time of 42 hours,28 minutes and 25 seconds. behind English pair  K Taylor and J Holt who were first in 39:49:15;  Colin  Donnelly and A Keith were second in  40:11:26.  The second place overall equalled her previous best with Christine in Severalles Challenge in 1993.

Angela and Helene with Scottish team in 2001

The results for 1997 are not to hand although we know that the Matilda took part.   That really tells us nothing because the fast boats like Two Hoots and Kaos were eagerly sought after and may well have had two different athletes on board.   We do know however that they were again in action as the runners using the ‘Matilda’ in 1998 when they were third overall in 45:03:21.   The winners were D Rodgers and B Rodgers in 43:17:42.   Their running time was 11:37:38 to be fourth fastest of the 36 teams that finished.   Helene was at that time a member of Fife AC while the King of the Bens were Terry Mitchell and Adrian Devies, also of Fife AC with 11:13:52.   There was not a big difference in times given the nature of the terrain to be covered.

They were still together in the race in 1999, this time the boat was HeeBeeJeeBee.   The overall winners were  J Davies and M Hartell in Kaos with a time of 39:47:11; Helene and Angela were again second team overall but only 28 seconds back in 40:21:15.   What we said above about reports of the race was exemplified by the 2000 race which had a two page article on the race by a contestant without any result at the end.   Nor were there any results in the Results pages.  Why the runner did not pass on the race result to the editor is a bit of a mystery.  However we know that Helene took part in abother multi-sport event that year – see below.

“… new to mountain biking and sea kayaking  …. beating the next (male) competitor by 4? hours.

You can’t top that!