Author: The Author

Palm winning the Tom Scott 10 Miles in 1985: winner in 66:42 

Palm Lindsay was brought up in a family associated with running.   All through her childhood her parents had been members of Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, first of all as runners and subsequently as officials, and her sister had also been a member of the club.   When Palm was about 13 years old her Dad took her along to the club where she started off being coached by Tom Crighton.   Her Dad was a starter in the area although the main starter was a chap called Sid Whyte. Palm is best known as a cross-country and road runner but before looking at that, it should be pointed out that she was actually a good track runner.   This was almost all at the start of her career and, although there was an overlap, the most successful and long lasting period came after the track running. 

Almost from the start she was performing well.   In the East District Track Championships in 1963 she was a medallist in the high jump (and she was ranked eleventh in Scotland in that event in 1969 too), and there were creditable performances in long jump and javelin too.   In 1964 she was first equal in the Harris School Sports Championship.   Club champion in 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1974, there were successes in the East District Track championships too.   In 1965 she was first intermediate in the 880 yards and in 1967 second in the Mile.   

Competitively, Palm’s track championship record there was also good.   In the District Championships, she won the 3000 metres 1971, 1973 and 1974, and in the 1500m in those years she was second, third and first.   Places in the National championships were also hard fought, partly because there were so many England based runners coming up who only ever set foot on a Scottish track , but nevertheless Palm raced well.   On 23rd June 1973 she was third in the 3000m and also a member of the Medley Relay team that finished third.   On 22nd June 1974 there was a second in the 3000m and a fifth place in the 1500m.   Also in 1973, she won the indoor 1500m, with a very convincing victory.   The results read: 1.   P Gunstone 4:47.9;  2.  F McKenzie (Pitreavie)  4:58.9;  3.  L Inglis (Edinburgh AC)  5:00.3.

Palm’s rankings in the official Scottish track statistics lists are as below.  She had personal bests of 5:03.1 for 1500m indoors, 4:57.02 for the same distance outdoors, and 10:40.8 for the 3000m.       

There were also good performances in field events other than the high jump – eg the javelin and long jump – but distance running was always her forte.   

 

The Hawkhill team after the first SWCCU Championship win

Palm, Joan Will, Ina Coull and Christine Haskett

By 1969, Palm was a very good cross-country runner, a member of the group coached by the well-known Dundee coach Harry Bennet.   She was successful at club, District and National level, ran against the best in Britain in the English championships and in International Championships.     In the club championships, she was victorious in 1964/5, 1965/6, 1967/8, 1968/9 and 1973/74; in the East District championships, there was a third place in 1971, and then first in 1972, 1973 and 1974.   The next step up the competitive ladder was the National Championships where she competed every year from 1969 to 1976. which should maybe be looked at in more detail.   

Her first Scottish National Team Gold medal came in season 1969/70 when Christine Haskett (2nd), Palm (10th) and Joan Will (20th) won the title.   It was a time when there were real speedsters at the top of women’s cross-country in Scotland and the top ten in Palm’s race were 1st M McSherry;  2nd.  C Haskett;  3rd.  S Fitzmaurice;   4th.  S Kirk;  5th.  A Barrass;  6th.  M Speedman;  7th.   K Mackie;  8th.  D Greig;  9th.  L Watson;  10th.  P Lindsay .   There were quite a few very fast runners behind her too – eg Georgena Craig was eleventh.   Four of the first five in the race were Anglo-Scots.   Every one of them was a top ranked track runner and two would go on to become very good marathon runners.   Palm’s run in tenth was a very good one.      The following year  (1970/71) the Dundee trio successfully defended their title but all moved up the field a bit – Christine won, Palm was 7th and Joan 14th.   Finishing places were 1st C Haskett;  2nd  M McSherry;  3rd A Barrass;  4th  S Sutherland;  5th  B Grinney;   6th  R Murphy;  7th   P Lindsay;  8th.  M Speedman;  9th  L Watson;  10th  D Greig.   The unfortunate thing for Palm about this race was that she was only a single second behind Rose Murphy of Bathgate and that cost her a place in the international st San Sebastian as the first six were picked.     By 1971/72  Margaret McSherry was Mrs Coomber.  Palm was again the top ten and Hawkhill won the title for the third consecutive year.    The winning team was Christine  2nd, Palm 9th and Fiona Murdoch 13th with Joan Will in 14th.   Places at the finish were 1st M Coomber;  2nd  C Haskett;  3rd  A Barrass;  4th  M Chambers;  5th  B Stone;  6th.  W Sosinska; 7th  P Spence;  8th  E McCulloch;  9th  P Lindsay;  10th  S Henderson.    Again four of the first five were English women.

Like the other members of the winning teams, Palm’s training and racing had been guided by Harry Bennett, the well known coach at Dundee Hawkhill.   Times change, athletes change too and Palm’s running  and the success that she enjoyed after that were down to Doug’s guidance.   She chose her own routes and long runs and decided when they had to be done, but Doug kept her on the right path with the various sessions such as hill sessions, Fartlek and rep sessions and how often to include them.   They enhanced her enjoyment of the sport, attitude to it and the many successes that came thereafter.

Winning teams do not usually happen by accident.  The fact that Christine, a quite superb athlete, Palm and Joan were all SWAAA medallists in the track over 1500m and 3000m was obviously a key factor in their success.     In 1972/73 Palm was Mrs Gunstone and finished fifth.   The team was  unplaced partly because Christine Haskett was running for Stretford in England and the Athletics Weekly had  this to say about the race: In the Senior race Christine Haskett – now training in social science in England and entered from Stretford AC – broke away from holder Margaret Coomber and Ann Barrass in the last quarter of the race to win impressively.   With Mary Chambers fourth, Palm Gunstone – top of the domestic scene all winter – was the first home Scot in fifth position.   Dale Greig with eyes on the Boston Marathon in April, was happy with her finishing position in the first dozen.”   An interesting wee sidebar is revealed in the following comment, also from Athletics Weekly: “In the Junior Race Anne Cherry was bidding for her third title in a row, but could not shake off Penny Gunstone, who finally broke the “Fauldhouse Flyer” in the run-in to win by four seconds.”   Palm’s place gained her her first selection for the international, held in Belgium that year, where she finished 74th.  

The club had also, run well in the Scottish Road Relay Championships with Palm having good runs all the time.   The club was second in 1970 and she had the third fastest lap time; second again in 1972 and in 1973 they won the race with Palm having the fastest time of the day.   

In 1973/74 the winner was Moira O’Boyle from three Anglo-Scots in Haskett (Stretford), Barrass (Aldershot) and Purseglove (Westbury) with Palm in fifth place.   The ‘Athletics in Scotland’ magazine reported that ‘Palm Gunstone, wife of Douglas, ran one of the best races of her career to finish fifth overall in the race in 23:17, thus clinching her place in the Inter-Territorial Championships at Leicester on the 23rd.’   This race on the 23rd was to be a quite momentous event.   Palm thinks it was the best race she ever ran.   The lengthy report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ which came under the headline of “Scots selectors saved from embarrassment” read:

‘The 12 women who select Scotland’s cross-country teams will meet on Wednesday to choose six senior runners for the women’s cross-country international at Monza, Italy on March 16th.   Quite a few of them will be breathing sighs of relief after having seen the resukts of the English cross-country championships on Saturday, because one potentially embarrassing situation has been thankfully avoided.   

The difficulty stems from the presence among the selectors of Mrs Lindsay whose daughter, Mrs Pam Gunstone, is a strong contender for a team place.   The fly in the ointment is one Mrs Arlene Purseglove – no, not a character in an Ian Fleming novel but a little known Anglo-Scot who came fourth in the Scottish championships two weeks ago beating Mrs Gunstone into fifth place.   Consternation in the ranks.   The three others ahead of the aforementioned Miss Purseglove are all certain of selection.   Moira O’Boyle, Christine Haskett and Ann Barrass.   Add to them the 16 carat certainty Mary Stewart must be despite missing the Scottish and English races, and the other top ranked Anglo-Scot Margaret Coomber and one reaches the conclusion that the remaining sixth place is a toss-up between Miss Purseglove and Mrs Gunstone.    

In Saturday’s English championship race at Leicester Mrs Gunstone ran the race of her life by finishing 22nd in a field of 200, but what was more important to her, and no doubt to her mother, she finished 13 places in front of Miss Purseglove who was running for the London club Westbury Harriers.   Wednesday night’s deliberations will certainly focus on the relative merits of these two girls, but with Mrs Gunstone showing immense improvement this year, I doubt if the 12 selectors need feel any embarrassment at plumping for their colleague’s daughter.’  

Doug was selected for the men’s team and both represented Scotland in Italy in March.   

Scottish women’s team for Monza in 1974 – Palm on extreme left.

In 1974/75 Palm finished fourth – her highest placing since her debut in the senior event in 1969.   In the race, held at Lesmahagow, the first three were all Anglos and Palm,who according to the Athletics Weekly ‘ran most of the race in isolation’ again had to wait for selection since neither Mary Stewart, another Anglo who could not fly up from Birmingham because of a strike at the airport, nor Moira O’Boyle, suffering the effects of of smallpox vaccinations, could run.   She was selected however, and finished 67th in the race held at Rabat in Morocco.   She had earlier – on 18th January that year, run for the Scottish team, crossing the line in 14th,  that finished second to England in the Home International held in Coatbridge.   

By winter 1975/76 Palm had basically stopped serious training.   Doug and herself had moved to Lenzie, near Glasgow, and she turned out in the National Championships that year as part of the Victoria Park team and – with Moira O’Boyle in second, Noreen O’Boyle being 26th and Palm in 28th – won another medal in the team championships, silver this time to go with the three golds with Hawkhill.   

Palm and Margaret Coomber in Leicester, 1974

Over the period between 1969 and 1975 Palm had run in every English National Cross-Country Championship: 1969  –  Aldershot  –  51^{st, ;} 1970  –  Blackburn  –  52^nd; 1971  –  Wolverhampton  –  44^th; 1972  –  High Wycombe  –  61^st; 1973  –  Rawtenstall  –  33^rd; 1974  –  Leicester  –  23^rd; 1975  –  Parliament Hill  –  28^th.    These races often incorporate domestic international matches – as the photograph above shows

 “The individual I admired and think greatly of, and who gave me the desire to compete in cross-country, road and hill running was Dale Greig.   She was quite a private person but once I got to know her I found her to be one of the most under-rated of athletes.   Dale was a true pioneer of women’s cross-country and road running, and it’s a shame that the majority of women competing in these mass events will never have heard of Dale, or realise that without the determination she had to get women included in all types of races a lot of  races in Scotland would not exist today.”   

Given these comments and the inspirational effect of her friendship with Dale, it should be no surprise that she ran a marathon – the 1981 version of the London Marathon where she ran a very creditable time of 4 hours 14 minutes and 40 seconds, given that with two very young children and limited training it was a good run.   The following year she again tackled the event taking four minutes from that time (4:10:39).   Palm’s running from this point was entirely road and cross-country with some hill running added.    She returned to the East District Cross-Country Championships where she had performed so well in the past and in 1983 finished 14th with 19th place in 1984 being good enough to help Hawkhill to a team bronze medal.   These were probably good enough to win veterans medals because her running at that point was good enough to win the Scottish Vets Cross-Country medals in 1984 (1st) and 1985 (2nd).   In 1984 she had a really active and successful series of races including 

4th February, Scottish Vets Championships, 1st

11th August, Largo Law Hill Race, 1st

26th August, Glasgow Hospice 10K, 1st Vet

7th October, Vets Races Victoria Park Road, 1st

4th November, Vets Races, Aberdeen Cross Country, 1st

 In 1985 the SWCCU Road Race 10K Championship, incorporating the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice run, was held in Glasgow.   Palm entered and ran well – so well that she was first veteran and Scottish champion.    First veteran in this Ladies Only race was no easy task.     It was to be a good day for Dundee – Liz Lynch, home from America, won the race and Palm was first vet to finish.   

Palm wins the Glasgow 10K Race 

Her principal races that year were as follows.

24th February 1985, Scottish Vets Championships, 2nd

13th April, Tom Scott 10M, 1st Lady + 1st Lady Vet

19th May, Glenrothes Half Marathon, 1st Vet and 2nd Lady

2nd June,  Glasgow Hospice 10K, 1st Vet.  

16th June, Lomonds of Fife Hill Race, 1st

4th August, Auchtermuchty, 1st

10th August, Largo Law Hill Race, 2nd Lady

The London Marathon experiences inspired Palm to aim for her home town version – the Dundee Marathon was one of many that had sprung up across Scotland at the time, and this one was given a big build up including regular daily radio slots by Donald Macgregor on training for the distance as well as schedules in the local papers.  It was to be held on 28th April when the weather could have been expected to be fairly good for distance running.  However, Pressreader tells us that ‘April showers were in full flow as runners from across the country flocked to Dundee …” and after the race Doug, Scottish Marathon Club treasurer at that point, reported on the race with an opening line of ‘“A cold, if not gale force, westerly wind greeted runners and soon after halfway, even for the leaders, this was accompanied by sleet. This made life miserable.”   Neither did full justice to the conditions – it was maybe sleet at the finish, but it was certainly snow during the race!   Palm had been training hard and hoping for a sub-3 hours time.   It was all planned carefully including deciding which male runners to run with.   But the race stewards had other ideas and separated the men from the women by a rope which split the road in half with women on one side and men on the other.   In addition they were lined up alongside the fast men.   She started a bit quickly but then the sun which had been shining brightly at the start changed to snow.   In short sleeves and not wearing gloves she was frozen by the time her Mum had managed to get a pair of glove to her at about halfway.   All the runners were suffering to some extent – Palm points out that the runner in front of her was given an anorak by a spectator!   She started walking for a bit but a friend in the race caught up with her and encouraged her to press on because a 3:15 time was on.   She didn’t quite make that but her finishing time was 3:17:39.   As Doug said in his article for the SMC Magazine, “This (weather) made life miserable.”     It was still a very respectable time.  

It has been really memorable career so far – a good track runner, a very good road runner and an international cross-country athlete.   She really loves running and there have been moments and memories scattered through her career in the sport.   For instance, she ran in the Around Cumbria race in 1978 when her daughter was about 9 months old after being invited by Dale Greig.   Dale was concerned after persuading the organisers to put on a women’s race that nobody but herself seemed to be going to turn up so she asked Palm if she would go.  She really only went as it was Dale who asked and didn’t want all her efforts to be wasted or her embarrassed as they had put up a trophy.

Then there was the cycling.   Another unknown was that she joined the Heatherbell Ladies Club back in the late 1960’s because she was friends with some of the cyclists:  and on 3rd June 1969 she took part in their club championship 15 mile time trial.   Despite falling from her bike at a turn, she won the Novice Trophy and gained their bronze standard for her time of 44:04.   Palm at that time used to attend a circuit class and one of the cycling coaches there had maintained that cyclists were only ‘bike fit’ and not physically fit.  He encouraged her to take part in the championships where the competitors went off at one minute intervals – she nearly caught one of the top club members.   Fortunately for us, she decided to stay with athletics!

The programme above is a reminder that Palm is more than just a runner of serious ability.   In addition to being a talented athlete, Palm was also an effective and efficient administrator in the sport  where she was Scottish Women’s Cross-Country Union Secretary in 1969/70, 1970/71 and 1971/72.   This was followed by three years as President in 1979-80; 1980-81; 1981-82.  By the time of the 1970 Empire and Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, she had already officiated at the international cross-country championships in Clydebank in 1969.   The late 1960’s and 1970’s were a very significant period in Scottish athletics with the sport enjoying a high profile.   Palm’s name can be seen at the foot of the page as one of the Communications team.   When asked, she tells us that her job was to answer the telephone if and when the judges phoned up with any queries.   As one who has been in a similar team for the GB championships at Meadowbank, it is not a sinecure but as Palm said, they were housed up in the box which overlooked the entire arena so they had the best seats in the house.   Not all tasks which were allotted to her as Secretary or President of the Union would be as rewarding.   

It all comes back to the running though and we can close by echoing Palm’s comments that she is glad she discovered road and cross country running.   Reasons?   The officials who would stand in all sorts of weather encouraging all runners right down to the last across the line; the runners who are very friendly and always friends for life and finally because she has seen parts of the world she would not otherwise have seen at the time.

 

 

The Family connection goes back to the 1920’s when George Lindsay wore the club vest

When Palm Lindsay married Doug Gunstone in 1972 two families which were in athletics and which would greatly  influence Scottish athletics for the better came together.   Palm’s family had been involved in the sport from the 1920’s when her father was a member of the Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, and her mother had been one of the pioneer members of women’s cross-country running from 1931.   They would both go on to become Grade 1 athletics track and cross-country officials.   Doug was one of Scotland’s best road, cross-country and track runners, his sister was an international athlete and his brother John was a Scottish Universities representative athlete.   His mother was a significant and influential administrator at Scottish and British levels. 

If we look at the SAAA Handbook for 1980, we note that Mrs MA Lindsay was a Grade 2 official for Jumps and also for throws while Eleanor Gunstone was a Grade 3 for both.   George Lindsay meanwhile, was a Grade 1 Field events official.   

 

They had many things in common – both sets of parents were top grade SAAA officials who had officiated at Commonwealth Games – Palm’s parents in 1970, Doug’s mother in 1986.   Both were involved in cross-country running with Margaret (Palm’s mother) and Palm  both serving in their turn as President of the SWCCU, and Eleanor (Doug’s Mother) being really involved in the setting up of the new joint governing body of athletics in 1995 representing the SWCCU.   

The running careers of Palm and Doug were both very successful with each of them representing Scotland.Their two children, Kim and Neil, were also involved in athletics with Neil taking it rather more seriously and over the longer term, but both still involved in running for pleasure.   And of course, Doug’s brother John was a successful University athlete and his sister Penny (Rother) ran for Scotland on all three surfaces (track, road and country) and then became an international triathlete.

It really is a quite unique family involvement and should be looked at more closely.   Just click on the names below.

Margaret and George Lindsay      Eleanor and Frank Gunstone     Douglas Gunstone    Palm Gunstone   Penny Rother    John Gunstone   

Kim Gunstone     Neil Gunstone

 

Neil in the Six Stage Relay in 2010

Always interested in how athletes come into the sport, I asked Neil the question and here is his reply.

 “​I was always at or around races when younger but at that time children didn’t train in groups like they do now. I was never pushed into it but at the same time having parents that know the setup makes it an obvious thing to do. Initially when suggested I backed away from it – possibly because when very young I saw how time consuming it was and how being taken to running events often meant I couldn’t play with friends etc. I did initially want to play football at beginning of secondary school but wasn’t particularly talented. In order to get fitter for football I started going to the Hawks once a week. I soon realised the football team I was in was terrible and as I was sometimes sub, I didn’t like not being involved whereas apart from track events in running you compete if you want to at most races not if your picked or not. The training group at the Hawks was a decent bunch of both boys and girls so mainly it was good fun but we also trained hard and I gradually improved from being near the back to mixing it up at the front. I really only started to realise I might be able to be quite good at age 16 or so. This was when a huge number of people I ran with stopped citing school/uni commitments but really what they meant was they preferred to go out drinking! I took the opinion I’ve trained so hard to just get to a good level I don’t want to not take it further now. ” 

Neil ran in all types of endurance events, track, road, cross-country, hill races, highland games and local sports meetings.   The main things is that he progressed through the ranks quite steadily.   Many young athletes progress by leaps and bounds with fallow years in between but that was not what happened here.  Neil made steady incremental improvements to his times.  At the longer distances his 3000m time went from 9:53.15 in 1995 to  9:21 in 1997, while the 3000m steeplechase went from 10:55.8 in 1996 to 10:12.43 in 1998 and the 5000m improved by almost 25 seconds by 1998.    We should however look at his running in more detail.  Not all races will be included – that would be impossible – but there will be enough to trace his route through the sport.   In 1994 he was just 15 years old, first year Under 17 and the record that the races were few in number and mainly at a local level.   They were not without success though.   [DHH stands for Dundee Hawkhill Harriers]

1994 – DHH U17 Boys Road Silver

         – SCCU national Cross-Country Championships 96th
1994/1995 – DHH Cross Country Championships 1st equal (held over a series of races: not a dead heat!)

1995 – SCCU national championships 39th
          – Grove Academy Senior Boys Sports Champion

 Came the summer, 1995, and he was third in the East District 3000m age group championship  in 9:53.16.  

Neil running in the Forfar 10K

The following season, 1995/96 there was a similar pattern with the addition in summer 1996  of the event that was to become his specialist track event, the steeplechase. before heading into winter 1997

1/11/1995 – Arbroath High School Invitational Cross-Country – 1st over 15
11/12/1995 – Fife AC Lita Allan Memorial Race – 5th

1995/96 – District Championships Under 17 16th

Feb 1996  – National Under 17  –  34th

Also in winter 1995/1996 – DHH Under 17 Road Racing Championships – 2nd
                                              – DHH Under 17’s Cross Country Championships – 3rd

In Summer 1996 Neil moved up to the Under 20 (Junior) age group.
15/7/1996 – 2km steeplechase – 5th, 7.01.57
25/6/1996 – Grove Academy Sports – Sports Champion

18/8/96 – 3000m steeplechase 10:55.8

Running in the National in 2008

He was clearly getting stronger as an athlete and in his first year as an Under 20 over the country he was 15th in the national.   This was followed  swiftly with fifth place in the  Under 20 men’s national road championships  on 15th March.   If that was good what followed was his best summer season to date.

1996/1997 – Grove Academy Senior Boys Pentathlon – 1st
1997 – Grove Academy Sports Champion
10/3/1997 – TSB Scottish Schools Championships Irvine Over 17 – 9th 21.45
17/3/1997 – Scottish 10k Road Race Strathclyde Park 5th 25m41s
22/3/1997 – TSB British Schools International Cross Country Championships, Chepstow over 17 men – 6th 25m22s

Neil himself thinks that this Chepstow race was one of his best races.   Certainly running in the Schools International and finishing sixth was at least a very good run.   June was the peak month for Neil when he had no fewer than three ranking times, all at Meadowbank.   On 20th June he ran 6:32.64 for 2000m steeplechase and on 21st June he was 3rd in the Scottish Schools 5000m championship.   A week later, 28th June, he recorded 10:23.07 for the 3000 metres steeplechase, which time ranked him 9th in Scotland at the end of the year.   Came July and on the 15th in Carmarthen, he ran 3000m on the flat in 9:21.73.   

He was still running local races and was third Junior in the  Fife Scared Hare Series.

In winter 1997/98, Neil had his first taste of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay when he ran the third stage for Dundee Hawkhill Harriers.   He ran well on this high profile race picking up one place, going from 12th to 11th and passing the English runner from Bedford and County in the process.   In the National at the start of 1998 he finished 21st.   There was  a silver medal in the  SAF Road Race National Championships U20 Strathclyde Park on 9/3/1998. 

That summer, his best steeplechase was over 3000 metres on 26th April and that saw him ranked fourth in the country at the end of the season.  In the 5000 metres he was timed at 15:58.16 which won him third place in the East District Championships.

1998/99 saw Neil run in his second Edinburgh to Glasgow, this time on the fifth stage where he held on to 13th position for the club. Fourth Junior in the East Districts, he ended the winter with a very good fifth in the National Cross-Country Championships – just 16 seconds away from the bronze medal!   The 16 seconds was the difference between a very good run and the run that his form at that time deserved.   He was in his last year in the Junior Men’s age group, he was in very good form indeed and on the day on a frozen, icy surface he just missed what would have been a deserved individual national medal

Neil was now in the Senior Men ranks and he was facing the best runners in the country as well as the wily old-timers who knew how to use their elbows and keep young aspirants in their place.  He was not ranked in anything that first summer as a Senior but did run in the eight man relay in November when he finished 18th on the first stage.    Neil had one of his best races over the country when he finished sixth in the East District championships, in the same time as the fifth placed runner, one place ahead of team mate Matthew Strachan.  Just look at some of the names behind him that day – 

7.   M Strachan; 8. Colin Meek (Livingston); 9. Martin Ferguson (EAC); 10. Robert Russell (Central); 11. Terry Mitchell (Fife); 12. David Adam (Fife); 13. Alan Robson (Mizuno); 14. Alistair Anthony (Central).   There were 224 finishers in the race.   In the National there was another sparkling run when he was thirty seventh with a lot of good ‘scalps’ behind him – names like Mark Rigby, Alan Robson, and Kevin Forster not far in front,  and   Dermot McGonigle, Graham Wight and Alan Reid not far behind.   He was running in good company.   

Neil had progressed steadily from his days as a Youth through to early steps in his career as a senior runner and could cope with good standard Scottish runners whatever their age, and however sharp their elbows.   

Glasgow 10K 2010

Neil started the 21st century with some very good runs but it was a time when he was working hard at University and had other things on his mind to occupy him, nevertheless he managed to get some good running done.   On the track he was ranked in Scotland at 5000m and in the steeplechase as in the following table.

Looking at the table above, it should be noted that the 5000m PB of 2001 was at the AAA’s U23/U20 championships in Bedford where he struggled a bit in the second half, mainly because it was a hot day in late spring/early summer in Bedford.    He’s a bit wiser now about running conditions in the South – “I now realise living in the South of England, the heat builds from early April.   I was used to the fresh East Coast breeze (which I battled against in virtually every summer track session ever done at Caird Park!) so a hot and humid Bedford was a shock to the system and a real battle.”   The race was combined with the Under 20 men and he was actually ninth U23 which wasn’t too bad at all.

Neil became an enthusiastic and prolific racer in the 21st century – below is just a list of his domestic races up to 2007:

27/12/2000 – 132nd New Year Sprint Musselburgh Youth One lap open handicap – 1st + 2 Lap Open Race – 4th
15/01/2001 – East of Scotland League Race Gorebridge – 3rd
23/4/2001 – Scottish Universities Championships Grangemouth 3000m steeplechase – 1st 10.11.2
12/7/2001 – Sri Chimnoy 2 mile Road Race – 2nd 9.55
13/8/2001 – Perth Highland Games 3200m Open – 1st
4/3/2002 – Cupar 5 mile Road Race – 3rd 25.44
2/5/2002 – Fife Mid Week Blebo Craigs – 1st
9/5/2002 – Kinnoul Hill Race – 1st 25.49
13/5/2002 – East of Scotland Championships 3000m 9.57.95
25/5/02 – Black Rock Race – 3rd 24.03
11/7/2002 – Newburgh Race – 3rd 23.25
17/1/2006 – East District Championships – 3km 3rd
2006 – The Highland Spring 2 Inches 10K Race – ? place
2007 – Gauldry 5m – 1st 26.31

If you look at that list, you will note a significant gap from July 2002 through to the start of 2006.   He was running consistently well and holding his own in the senior ranks.He was training and racing hard and results were good.  He felt there was a lot more to come.   He had run the Capital City Challenge (also Scottish 10k champs that year) in Sept and finished with a time of 31.55  in about 13th in 31:56.   He reckons that it was the 1st 10k  he’d raced, rather than just running and it felt good. He was looking forward to doing more.    What happened next was really unexpected.   Let him tell it:

“A week or so later at the district cross country relays in Galashiels I was full of confidence. I was on leg 1 and started hard, leading up the early steep climb. I got to the top and it was like a tap had been turned and all my energy poured out. I had nothing and only got round as had teammates awaiting. I then remember sitting under about 4 layers of coats all the way home shivering and feeling awful. A trip to the doctors on the Monday gave the usual ” its just a bug that’s going around, a few days rest and you’ll be fine” By the end of the week I couldn’t eat, sleep or talk easily and a revisit to the doctor was met with far more concern (a different doctor I might add). He was convinced it was Glandular fever and tested for it (it was) but the results were another week or 10 days away.  

” I had forced myself back to University as it was my final year and my tutors gave me 2 options: Get the work done or redo the year (after 6 years I didn’t want to sit and watch all my friends finish and leave me to slog it out while they all got jobs etc).   I struggled to recover the rest of that year and the stress of finishing university meant I kept picking up colds and sore throats. I tried to build up and get back to fitness only to race at the East District Track Championship 5000m, only to have a severe tear of my calf with a lap or so to go. From then on I had years of either calf tears or severe colds/throat infections stopping any decent training I built up.”

There were only three Edinburgh to Glasgow Relays after 2000, and he turned out in two of them, running very well in both.   In 2000 he was on the fourth stage and was fourth quickest over the distance to lift his team from tenth to eighth.   The fourth is recognised as one of the top four stages of the race because of the calibre of runner on it, so fourth time is an achievement in itself.   The following year he was on one of the two ‘big’ stages of the race – the sixth – which is also the longest at 7 miles.   He maintained his place (eighth) and his time was in the top ten for the stage.  

We can maybe digress for a bit at this point for some comments on the conduct of the stage and some of Neil’s retrospective observations.   The sixth stage is one of the two toughest in the race, the second being the other.  All the top guys are on these two legs.  They are both run on very busy stretches of road and the runners have to keep their wits about them at all times.   Each stage has an official supervising it, watching for infractions of the rules and these judgements are naturally usually subjective.  Neil comments: 

“I don’t remember too much of the 4^th stage run but the last year I remember it well but for the wrong reasons. I was going well and I think Dad had said it’s a leg you can build into and pick up on. I got towards one of the small villages midway through when an official in a car drew up beside me and started giving me alot of abuse about running on the road. Considering there had been no pavement I was pretty shocked and the runners ahead of me were all on the road! He continued to harass me and said if I didn’t get on the pavement then he would disqualify me and the team there and then. It completely knocked my concentration and I lost all momentum. On finishing the same official then said I had sworn at him and gave him foul abuse and that he wanted me disqualified anyway. Anyone that knows me knows I wouldn’t say what he was claiming I’d said even if I was angry and funnily all my team mates said they would have said a whole lot worse and wouldn’t have accepted any disqualification!”

Over the country, in the national, he was 37th out of 386 runners in 2000, 79th out of 362 in 2001 and 22nd out of 423 in 2002.   The 2002 race must be another one of his best races.   Runners behind him on that occasion included Jethro Lennox, Adrian Callan, John Cowan, Alistair Anthony, Eddie Stewart, Alaister Russell, Martin Ferguson and many other weel kent athletes.   Maybe one was having an off day, or even two, but there is no way they all were.   That 2002 national was actually one of his best years.    All bar two of thee runners listed above were regular or frequent Scottish international runners. 

Neil left Scotland to continue his education and started to put some decent training together.   He ran for Teesside University and then for Morpeth Harriers.   He was back racing too.   Between 1st January 2010 and the end of 2019, he ran a total of 146 races according to the runbritain rankings.   They included English Cross-Country Championships, Scottish Cross-Country Championships, British Universities Cross-Country Championships Relay Championships, League Matches and Open races.   On the road they included every distance from 5K parkruns to the London Marathon.     This was a very good transition to good class English running.   When Neil was asked about how it came about, he said:

I had done a track session on my own not long after starting and was pointed in the direction of Gordon Surtees who trained Jonny Taylor and Richard and Adam Morrell – he said I could join them.   I now realise how lucky I was as Gordon didn’t accept time wasters. His dry sense of humour I appreciated and his dedication to his athletes was immense for a man that didn’t drive and lived a 30-40 min bus journey away – he rarely missed a session. Even so he could be blunt in telling me I wasn’t an Olympic potential, but he knew exactly how to taper the sessions so I got the best from them. These sessions were rarely a recognizable distance (even for some track sessions, he used the conditions and locations he new and they were always intense).   At the end of the 1st year, Ross Floyd joined us and as he and Jonny Taylor were both racing for Morpeth they persuaded me to join and get high quality races. Teesside didn’t have a club but were happy to enter us into university events) From joining Morpeth I realised what an excellent club they are. Predominantly set up for local participation but with Jim Alder and Mike Bateman’s passion to compete they brought the best out of their athletes and rather than poach local talent it naturally drew to them as they guarantee meaningful national competition. After leaving Middlesbrough I moved to Newcastle and trained with Jimmy’s group and had one of my most enjoyable spells of running/racing.” 

For the full list go to https://www.runbritainrankings.com/runners/profile.aspx?athleteid=635  and you’ll be amazed.   If you want to see his results from all the championships, etc, you can go to the power of 10 website  (  https://thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=635 ) 

One final thing: Neil and his Dad, Doug, have a rare distinction shared by few others in Scottish athletics.   These include Gerry and Kenny Mortimer (Edinburgh Northern, Kirkcaldy YMCA and Edinburgh AC) and Bill and Brian Scally (Shettleston).   The distinction?   They have between them run every stage of the late, wonderful Edinburgh to Glasgow eight stage road relay.   Neil has run stages 1, 3, 4, 5  and 6; Doug has run 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.   There were no ‘easy’ stages in the race but by common consent stages 6, 2 and 4 were the most difficult in terms of the opposition faced.   For the few father/son combinations who have accomplished it, it is an honour that will never be achieved again since the race is now discontinued.  Their joint time?  Only 4:00:40!    Well done, chaps!

 

 

Like the club groups, the different styles and poses through the ages can be seen in these pictures of club winning teams and groups – tracksuits vary as the ages go by.   Millington’s finest via Admiral’s money makers to the modern synthetic fabrics that never saw a sheep’s back or a cotton bud.    From neatly dressed for the sports day through 60’s and 70’s hippiedom to today’s neat, usually, hair styles, from formal posing to informal standing around,    There are a range of clubs here from Aberdeen to West Kilbride in alphabetical order – more photographs of winning, placed or just teams always welcome.

Aberdeen: Scottish Junior Cross-Country Champions, 1976

Fraser Clyne, Danny Buchan, Graham Laing, Steve Cassells

Aberdeen AAC after winning vets Cross-Country, Troon, 1992

Graham Milne, Colin Youngson, George Sim, Francis Duguid

..

Aberdeen AAC

                                                                                         Graham Milne, Mel Edwards, Fraser Clyne, Graham Laing

Cambuslang Harriers Scottish Masters M50 Team, 2015

Cambuslang Harriers: Scottish Masters M40 Team winners, 2015

Cambuslang Harriers2010 BMAF Road Relay winning team

 

 

Clydesdale National Cross-Country winning teams from 1904 and 1905

Clydesdale Harriers: West District Relay winning team, 1995

Ewan Calvert, James Austin, Grant Graham, Des Roache

Dundee Hawkhill Harriers team, 1930’s

Edinburgh University team taken after winning medley relay in North Berwick: CAR Dennis, JV Paterson, A Hannah, WH Watson

Edinburgh University, Edinburgh to Glasgow Winners, 1965

Back: Roger Young, Chris Elson, Willie Allan, Frank Gamwell, Iain Hathorn (Hon Sec);  Front: Fergus Murray, Jim Wight, Alex Wight, Alistair Blamire

Edinburgh AC  24 hours x 1 mile world record team

Back: Joe Patton,  Danny Knowles, Doug Gunstone, Jim Alder, Jim Dingwall; Front:   Ronnie Knowles, Phil Hay, Alex Wight, Jim Wight, Alex Matheson

                                                                                                                      Falkirk Victoria Harriers

Glasgow University team at the Isle of Man:

Dougie McDonald, Alastair Douglas, Ian Archibald, Raph Murray

Hunters Bog Trotters: Capital City Challenge

 

Law and District AAC: West District Relay Champions 1974

Alex Miller, Hugh Forgie, Jim Thomson and Billy Dickson

 

Pitreavie AAC, Scottish Vets Cross-Country winners, Musselburgh, 1987

Archie Duncan, Phil Shave, John Linaker, Bill Ewing

Two photographs below of Shettleston Harriers teams with the Elkington Shield for the National Championship

Shettleston H National winning team, 1921

Shettleston Harriers, National winners, 1948

The team that won the six stage road relay in centenary year with David Morrison holding the trophy

With the trophy for the McAndrew Relay.

 

The National Cross-Country Relay winners

The Allan Scally winning team

The Shettleston team which went to Arlon and came within a single point of winning the European Clubs Championship

Lachie Stewart, Dick Wedlock, Henry Summerhill, Norman Morrison, Paul Bannon and Tommy Grubb

Shettleston team, second in the 1999 Edinburgh to Glasgow

Spango Valley won the McAndrew Relay in 1986.

Chris Robison, Lawrie Spence, Peter and Stephen Connaghan

Springburn Harriers team – second in GB Vets Championships

Bill Ramage, Tom O’Reilly and Tony White

Victoria Park AAC

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…

Allan Watt (Shettleston) and Sydney Wooderson

The Rangers Sports had been going since the first one was held in 1881.  There was a brief hiatus but they ran continuously from the late 19th century.   They carried on through the first world war and now there was a second war to fight.   Between 1914 and 1918 the Sports had held some events confined to the services and there was fund raising for the cause between 1914 and 1918.   Would this, the biggest and longest running amateur sports meeting continue?    Colin Shields in his centenary history of the SCCU says:

“In September 1939 the National Cross-Country Union joined with the SAAA in suspending organised athletics in Scotland and setting up Emergency Committees to look after the sport during the War.   The long period of drawn out tension between Germany and Great Britain had given the Committee time to prepare for the suspension of championships and permitted meetings in a similar manner to the First World War.   But the conduct of the War in its early stages was entirely different from the First War as there was no long term fighting on the continent and after the withdrawal of Allied troops from Dunkirk  there were large numbers of servicemen stationed in Scotland.   

As well as large numbers of harriers club members being called up to the forces, there were considerable numbers who were still civilians engaged in war work at home.   They kept the clubs open and active and made welcome the servicemen stationed in the neighbourhood engaging them in club runs and inter-club fixtures.”

There were, then, numbers of active domestic club runners as well as servicemen from all over the UK stationed in Scotland.   Would the Sports go ahead?   The answer is contained in the cutting below from 1940.

So it was that on the first Saturday in August, at Ibrox Park, in the Rangers Sports there were three invitation events, eight open events, two cycle races and the obligatory 5-a-side football tournament.    There were athletes from Dundee Hawkhill, Maryhill, Shettleston, Springburn, Greenock Wellpark, Bellahouston and Beith Harriers as well as Glasgow University, Edinburgh University and Motherwell YMCA and many other new and established clubs.   Rangers won their own football tournament from the other seven teams taking part.   No doubt about the event of the afternoon though – bespectacled Sydney Wooderson, a star athlete on the world stage, ran and set a ne all-comers record.   The report below tells the story of the meeting.

A successful meeting like that one was sure to be followed up, even in wartime and on 2nd August, 1941, the athletes were back.   Five invitation events, seven open events, a cycle race and the essential football 5-a-side tourney.   The big draw this time was the Canadian Joe Addison who won the 220 yards and the half mile.   There was also a Polish hammer thrower, a AAA’s team in the relay and some fine sprinting from Allan Watt of Shettleston Harriers.   Joe Addison had competed in the 1938 Empire Games in Sydney in Australia and was by the start of the War a member of the Canadian Forestry Corps.   In the Sports he won the open 100 yards from a mark of 10 yards in 22.4 seconds and then won the 880 yards in 1:54.2 from 40 yards.   He won the 220 yards by a foot but was reported to have won the half mile easily.   The young Shettleston Harrier Allan Watt won the invitation 120 yards in 11.7 from Heaton of Bolton Harriers.   He would go on to win the SAAA 100 yards in 1947 and 1948, doubling with the 220 in ’47.    The invitation mile was won by F Close of Surrey (70 yards) from D Wilson of Polytechnic (75 yards) in  4:12.2.   Wilson was a figure that the Rangers Sports fans would come to know better.   The Invitation Hammer Throw was won by D McLean from D Campbell – both Glasgow Police.   The AAA team won the medley relay.   The remaining invitation event was the Two Miles Military Team Race which was won by the Grenadier Guards team (3 runners to count) from the KOSB.   

In the open events, McGregor of Edinburgh Harriers won the 100 yards from William Mason of |Heriot’s; the mile by Hayman of Victoria Park from Gardner of Bellahouston; the eight laps steeplechase by Hier of RAF and Surrey AC (100) from R Graham of Maryhill (scr); the high jump from McGregor of Glasgow University from D Scott (unattached) and there were two cycle races.   It was quite a range of quality athletes such as

* Bobby Graham of Maryhill (who had run in the 1936 Olympic Games, the 1938 Empire Games and won 4 SAAA Mile titles)

*Frank Close had run in the 5000m in the Berlin Olympics,

*promising young athletes like Allan Watt of Shettleston 

*Doug Wilson who would be AAA Mile champion in 1947 and Olympian in 1948, 

* George Kordas, Hammer thrower from Poland (a disappointing third here)

 

  The sad news is that Addison was killed in action in 1943 when his Lancaster bomber was shot down over Germany.

 

Bob Graham, Maryhill Harriers

The Glasgow Herald, 3rd August 1942:

“Rangers |Football Club’s 90th annual sports at Ibrox Park on Saturday proved very successful.   For once in a while the visitors did not fare as well as of yore.  Their only outstanding achievement was the winning of the mile, in this race DG Wilson of Polytechnic Harriers won from the short mark of 15 yards in the time of 4:13.5.    The most successful competitor of the gathering was JT Law d Shettleston Harriers who won the open sprint from 4 yards in 10 sec and 120 yards in 11.8 sec.   Ian H Brown of Shettleston Harriers and Glasgow University gave another rare account of himself in the half mile winning a fast race from the 30 yards pin.”   Rangers beat Queen’s Park in the final of the 5-a-sides.  “

Maybe the visitors did not do as well as before but their mark was certainly made – in the Mile there were three places for English runners (Wilson from Betts from Close), in the Mile Medley Relay the AAA’s won from the AAA’s B team).   Wilson and Close helped the Rangers tradition of having Olympians at their sports.

In 1943 the three W’s all ran well.   Wooderson ran ‘the best mile ever run in this country under those conditions’, Wilson ran well enough to indicate that he might succeed him as Britain’s best miler – and Arthur Warton of Garscube won the open half-mile.   The 35,000 crowd for the sports was not all down to Wooderson, how could it be when there was a 5-a-side tournament with the Rangers in action, but many of them were.  They were a bit disappointed to see him finish fifth in the Mile – but he was conceding starts up to 145 yards.   The Glasgow Herald reported that although he had failed to set a new Scots record but his 4 min 15.2 seconds may well have been the best ever run in this country under the conditions.    The winner was ‘the strong and powerful track runner, Sgt G Minshall, of the RAF.’   The Empire Games 100 yards champion of 1938 (in 9.7 sec), CB Holmes of England, failed to make it through the third heat of the special 120 yards race which was won by English team mate AT Liffen to whom he conceded 3 yards.   Wooderson and Wilson had both run in the Mile and their outstanding team mate H Fox showed that he too was a class performer by running into second place in the 880 yards from scratch, the race being won by Arthur Warton who was off 44 yards.      Events and winners were as follows:

Invitation Events: 120 yards: AT Liffen AAA (3 yards) 11.7 sec; Mile: Sgt GE Monshall RAF (90) 4 min 12 sec; Mile Relay: Civil Defence AAA 3:50.3.

Open Events: 100 yards: Sgt AS Pryce, RAF (6 yards) 10 sec; 220 yards: J McDonald Victoria H (14)  23 sec;  Half-mile: A Warton, Garscube H (44) 1:58.5; Mile: Sgt A Holmes, Dundee H and RAF (138)  4 min 24; Obstacle Race: HR Mitchell unatt; Steeplechase  T Gibson Bellahouston H, (120) 9 min 24; high jump  a/c J Gavin, RAF and Gala H (8 in) 5’10”.    Youths 100 yards   HK Healy Dunfermline (4)  10.1; Service Relay: Infantry Training Centre.  

Pictured below in the spirit of ‘rally round the flag’ is a photograph of Arthur Warton on the right with team mate Alex Kidd running in the McAndrew Relays immediately after the War.

The 1944 version of the sports was notable for many things: the quality of athlete for one – Doug Wilson in great form, the giant West Indian Arthur Wint in the 400 yards, a Glasgow select beating both AAA’s teams in the medley relay and Alan Paterson of Hutchie Grammar clearing 5′ 11″ in the high jump.   But in retrospect the emergence of the Victoria Park sprinters as a force in the land, a force that would dominate Scottish sprinting for more than a decade after the war was clearly hinted at.  Just look at these results: George McDonald won both 100 and 220 yards, he also won the invitation 120 yards and Arthur Wint was beaten by Ian Panton to whom he gave only 5 yards in the handicap.   Add in G Smellie in the half mile (off 45 yards) and James McEwan who was second in the Mile, and it was a great day for the club which had yet to celebrate it’s 15th birthday.   Looking back from the 21st century it is interesting to see Gordon Porteous of Maryhill winning the steeplechase – he was setting world marathon records into his 90’s and a celebrated veteran athlete.    In the quarter, Wint jumped the gun and was penalised for it but the crowd took it out on the officials rather than on the runner.  He took the lead but tired off the last bend and Panton came through to win.

Paterson showed a lot of nerve for a school pupil by defeating not only England’s Stanley West who was jumping from scratch, but also Arthur Wint who cleared 5’9 1/2″.   Being on the fan at the same time as the 6’5″ West Indian and the England international, not to mention performing in front of 35,000 people, must have been a tough outing for him

Winners: Invitation Events.   120 yards:  G McDonald, Victoria Park (8)  11.7 sec;  440 yards:  J Panton, Victoria Park (12)  48.9 sec; Mile: DG Wilson, Polytechnic Harriers, (scr) 4:13.4;  Medley Relay: Glasgow Select (Richie, Watt, Warren, Panton) 3:34.0.

Open Events: 100 yards: G McDonald, Victoria Park, (7) 10.2; 220 yards: G McDonald, Victoria Park, (14) 22.5; Half Mile: G Smellie, Victoria Park (46) 1:55.7; Mile: A Foster, Shettleston, (140) 4:16.4; Eight lap steeplechase: G Porteous, Maryhill Harriers (155)  8:55.9; high jump: A Paterson, Hutchesons Grammar Schoool, (5 1/2″) 6′ 4 1/2″ .    

Arthur Wint competed in two Olympic Games – 1948 and 52 – winning for medals.   In the first one he won gold for the 400m and silver for the 800m, and in the second he won gold for the 4 x 400m relay and silver for the 800m.    He was 6′ 5″ tall, with an un deniable physical presence  and as an athlete he was liked by everybody in Scotland.   He ran in several sports meetings here including the Edinburgh Highland Games and mixed freely with the locals.   There are stories of him in Edinburgh or Glasgow joining in a warm up jog with local club athletes and passing the time of day with them.   He would probably have won a third medal in 1948 had he not pulled a muscle during the Final of the 4 x 400m relay.   After Helsinki in 1952 he ran at Ibrox with many other West Indian and American Olympians on their way home after the Games. The 4 x 400m  relay team had Wint, Herb McKenley, George Rhoden and Les Laing who were all top flight athletes.   

In 1945, CB Holmes was back again and was the only Olympian on the bill but the record of always having one competing was maintained.   He ran well but did not win although he ran two tenths inside the Scottish All-Comers record.   It was not ratified as such because of the following wind.   Paterson had by now left school and was competing for Victoria Park AAC when he won the high jump with a height of 6’3″ which beat his own British high jump record by half an inch.  The crowd this time was even bigger than the previous year with an estimated 40,000 inside Ibrox.   Panton won the quarter from scratch in 49.6 from Desroche of the AAA’s and Arthur Warton in third.   Results:

Invitation events:   120 yards:  JL Law, Shettleston, (5 1/2) 11.6 sec; 440 yards:  J Panton, VPAAC (scr) 49.6; 880 yards: G Smellie, Victoria Park, (21) 1:56; Mile: G oosterlyack, Brussels (35) 4:25.6; Medley Relay: dead heat: AAA of England  and  Scottish Select  3:39.7.

Open Events: 100 yards:  W Christie, VPAAC, (9.9; 220: W Christie, VPAAC (15)  22.4;  880: J Small, Garscube Harriers (52) 1:558.5; Mile: AF Horne, Eastleigh, (150)  4:20.4;  eight laps steeplechase:  C McLennan, Shettleston (170) 9:56.5; high jump: AS Paterson, Victoria Park, (scr)  6′ 3″.   Youths:  100 yards: J Aikman, Shettleston Harriers (5 1/2)  9.9.  

There were two cycle races and the Rangers team of Shaw, Little, Young, Waddell and Gillick defeated Particks side of Curran, McGowan, Husband, Parker and Shankley 2 – 0 in the 5-a-side.    

It had been another very good meeting and the club had managed to hold a meeting of quality every single year for the duration of the War – and every meeting had at least one Olympian competing, many young athletes were helped to come through the ranks, the Glasgow public were entertained with a quality product and the post war series was set up.

This page will be one of several pages of photographs – this one will be of more or less formal club groups from all round the country and from whatever era.   The oldest is of West of Scotland in 1887, then there is Clydesdale in 1889 and Bellahouston in 1910; the more ‘modern/ ones are of Aberdeen (below) in 1976, and Bellahouston in 2017.   The re are also University teams on display – they were/are a major part of the athletics scene. There will be pages of smaller club groups at races, winning teams and, if we can get enough photographs, of women’s teams and clubs too. 

Aberdeen AAC, 1976

Hunter Watson is extreme right of second back row.   Also in that row are Fraser Clyne, 8th right, and Graham Laing, 3rd right,  both ran in the Commonwealth Games: Graham in ’82 and Clyne in ’86.   Also in the picture is Mel Edwards, 6th right.

First team: Back row: John Dixon, Bob Anderson, John Aberdein, Hamish Cameron, Kenny Laing, Charlie Macaulay.
Front row: Charlie Downing, Jim Maycock, Colin Youngson, Andy Downing.

Aberdeen University Hare & Hounds 

Bellahouston Harriers, 1910

Bellahouston Harriers Centenary Photograph

 

 

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.Above:  Bruce Street, 1957;    Below, Whitecrook, 1989

Dundee Hawkhill

Edinburgh Harriers winning team in the inaugural Scottish Cross-Country Championship of 1886: 1 Tom Fraser, 2 David Colville Macmichael, 3 David Scott Duncan, 4 William Mabson Gabriel, 5 John William Lodowick Beck, 6 Peter Addison, 7 Robert Cochrane Buist, 8 John M. Bow

 

 

Edinburgh Southern Harriers

 

.Edinburgh University Hare & Hounds, 1950’s

GUAC: 1961

Glasgow University H & H:

Greenock Glenpark Harriers, 1950’s

Greenock Glenpark Harriers, 1960’s

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Springburn Harriers (above and below: 1950’s)

(Above) A later one of the Springburn club – Dunky McFarlane on the right, Jim McKenzie on the left

Shettleston Harriers founder members, 1904

The first of the Shettleston Harriers photographs: Above the oldest know club group, 1906

Club Group, 1920

 

 

 

 

Shettleston Harriers: Club muster run, 1933

The next three are all Teviotdale Harriers.   In the first one note the bags of shredded paper or straw used to lay the trail in the early days of Hare and Hounds paper chases.

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Victoria Park Group, Mountblow Recreation Ground 1950

Victoria Park club group, Milngavie, 1951

 

West of Scotland Harriers, 1887

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Various online sources miss out a very important part of Priscilla’s athletic progress: when she was living in Shetland and often racing in Scotland between 1981 and 1983.

Wikipedia sums up her running career as follows:

“Priscilla June Welch (born 22 November 1944). 

Priscilla Welch was a very good marathon runner indeed – one of the best in Britain – whose career has been deservedly covered in detail.  But various online sources miss out a very important part of Priscilla’s athletic progress: when she was living in Shetland and often racing in Scotland between 1981 and 1983.

Online reference site Wikipedia sums up her running career as follows:

She twice broke the British marathon record, with 2:28:54 when finishing sixth at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics; and 2:26:51 when finishing second at the 1987 London Marathon. The latter time stood as the W40 World Masters record for over 20 years. She also won the 1987 New York City Marathon in 2:30:17..

Born in Bedford, England, she had a most unlikely career in international athletics, having smoked a pack of cigarettes a day until she began running competitively at age 35. An officer in the British Army, Welch met her future husband Dave while serving in Norway. She quit smoking and, under his tutelage, ran in the 1981 London Marathon at age 36, finishing in 2.59.00.

Welch won the 1981 Glasgow Marathon (2.55.15) and 1982 (2.46.58), before twice improving her best in 1983 with 2.39.29 for 10^th in London and 2.36.32 when winning the Enschede Marathon in Holland.”

Further research revealed an online interview Priscilla Welch did years later for her English club Ranelagh Harriers; and a fine 1987 article by the well-respected athletics writer Mel Watman; reveals significant details about the Scottish Connection!

Mel Watman wrote: “When Priscilla met Dave in Norway, she was a petty officer in the Wrens, serving as a NATO communications clerk; and he was stationed with the Royal Signals. Dave was a keen runner and Priscilla found a new interest. She took part in her first marathon in Stockholm in August 1979, finishing ninth in 3.26. She was two minutes slower a couple of months later, but a year’s solid training paid off for the late-starting newcomer, when she edged under 3 hours in the 1981 London.

In July 1981, Dave was posted to the Shetlands for two years, but the harsh conditions encountered in that most northerly outpost of the UK failed to deter the increasingly enthusiastic Priscilla. Indeed, the adversity was a blessing in disguise, as it toughened her up for the challenges ahead. During the winter, while logging up 85 miles per week, she had to wear a miner’s helmet with a lamp, just to see where she was going.

Undramatically, [she won the Glasgow in 1981 (2.55.15) and 1982 (2.46.58)] it would have needed a vivid imagination to picture her as a future British Marathon record-breaker and Olympic representative.

However, in 1983, she made a major breakthrough by cutting more than 14 minutes off her best time. After placing tenth in London (2.39.29), she was selected for her first international, in which she excelled by finishing fourth in the European Cup Marathon in Laredo, Spain. In very hot weather, she came in less than four minutes behind the winner in 2.42.26.

Later in the summer of 1983, having moved from Shetland to Kingston upon Thames near London, she scored her first international victory, clocking 2.36.32 at Enschede. That 1983 campaign ended with yet another personal best (2.32.31) for third in her New York debut – a performance which, at the time, only the trail-blazing Joyce Smith had ever bettered in British marathon history.”

After the 19 84 Olympics Marathon: Sarah Rowell (14th), Priscilla Welch (6th) and Joyce Smith (11t)h

Mel Watman missed out a few relevant Scottish details. Lynda Bain (Aberdeen AAC), twice Scottish Marathon champion, who in 1984 at London set a new Scottish Women’s marathon record (2.33.37) and ran for Great Britain, remembered her first attempt at the distance: the Aberdeen Marathon in September 1981, which was run in gale-force winds with driving rain, making conditions almost unbearable. Lynda showed great resilience in coming home third (3.21.12) behind Katie Fitzgibbon (3.07.46) and Priscilla Welch (3.08.55). A month later, Priscilla won the Glasgow Marathon in 2.55.15.

In 1982, Priscilla ran London in 2.53.36, the Bolton Marathon (2^nd in 2.56.19); and the Scottish Championships at Aberdeen, where, running for Shetland Harriers, she was third in 2.55.59 (behind Lynda, who was second in 2.53.04.) After all that hard Shetland training and tough racing, Priscilla deserved her improvement, recording 2.46 to win in Glasgow!

In 1983, her London pb (2.39.29) and subsequent good GB race in Laredo, were both based on training in Shetland.

When she moved to the London area in summer 1983, and joined Ranelagh Harriers, this may have ‘sharpened’ her for that international victory in Enschede (2.36.32) and fine New York Marathon (2.32.31).

The rest has been summarised above by Wikipedia, or mentioned in her Ranelagh interview: training in Lanzarote with the British Olympic Squad; a marvellous second place in London 1984 (2.30.06); altitude training in Boulder, Colorado (later to become home for Priscilla and Dave); that fantastic Olympic sixth place (2.28.54); working on speed for two years [plus six American marathons (including a victory in Columbus) and two Japanese)]; then that superb 1987 London (2.26.51) and a win that year at New York (2.30.17).

Priscilla Welch secured her selection for the Seoul Olympics with that New York performance plus 4th place in the April 1988 Boston (2.30.53) but unfortunately injury prevented her from taking part.

Priscilla continued to run at a high level in the States for four more years before breast cancer in 1992 brought her serious running career to an end. In 2003 Runner’s World magazine voted her the best-ever female masters marathoner.

Personal Bests: 16.13 (5k), 26.26 (5m), 32.25 (10k), 53.51 (10m), 73.06 (half marathon, but 71.04 on a slightly short course), 2:26.51 (marathon)

Priscilla’s favourite running memories?

“London Marathon 1987 – Seeing the finish clock on Westminster Bridge and saying to myself, “Bloody Hell, this is a good day!” I think the clock read 2.24+. I crossed the line in 2.26.51 – fresh as a daisy. Yee-hah for running with a free brain!!

Olympics 1984 – Crossing the finish Line (with instructions from Dave to behave myself seeing as I was a rookie) I became 16 yrs old and crossed the javelin competition which was live (twice) looking and cheering for Joyce and Sarah. Was well told off by an official, and became 39 again. Saluting the British fans with Joyce and Sarah. Dave meanwhile had started to lose his hair!”

In her online Ranelagh interview, Priscilla Welch comes across as a clever, thoughtful, athlete, who loved distance running and deserved every triumph in an outstanding career. There is little doubt that she laid the foundations for that success in Shetland, Aberdeen and Glasgow!

 

The original route of the North Berwick to Edinburgh race.

They were impressionable young men. Old enough to remember the childhood privations of war but too young to recall what went before. But even in the years before the war, marathon running had been little more than a fringe sport that led a Cindarella-like existence. The 1908 Olympic Games had, thanks to the futile heroics of a dehydrated and strung-out confectioner from Capri, elevated the marathon to a certain popularity north of the border. While the professionals had embraced its commercial appeal, the Amero-Canadian Hans Holmer notably setting a professional world record on the cinders at Powderhall in 1911, the fervour in amateur circles had, with few exceptions, been relatively short-lived. The number of important amateur marathon races in Scotland since the London Olympiad could be counted on one hand: a 15-mile “Marathon” from Dalkeith to the Scottish National Exhibition Grounds at Saughton in 1908, a 20-mile “Marathon” from Stonehouse to Hampden Park in 1909; a 16-mile “National Marathon Race” at Glasgow in 1911, where runners from south of the border filled the first seven places; an Olympic trial at Glasgow in 1912 that was ignored by the A.A.A. selection committee; and, in 1923, a full-fledged marathon race from Fvyie Castle to Aberdeen that unearthed a rough diamond in Dunky Wright. Lately the marathon had been on people’s lips again, garnering press coverage and building a grassroots following thanks to Wright’s triumph in the 1924 London Polytechnic Marathon and Olympic Trial. A spindly little Glaswegian runner would become an unlikely anti-hero in a hungry nation starved of sporting role models.

It was astonishing at all that Scottish marathon runners could even make a ripple on the British scene, let alone shake it up. For unlike their English brethren, they had no national association behind their endeavours and would have to wait until 1946 to crown their first national champion.

In the early 1920s the clubs in the East were short on long-distance running talent, the war having taken its toll on some of their numbers. The numbers had been less depleted in the West thanks to the proliferation of essential war occupations in the Clydeside area. The consequence of this was that athletes from the West of Scotland enjoyed an unbroken run of success in the national cross-country and 10-mile track championships between 1920 and 1927. In the pre-war years, Edinburgh clubs were still able to hold their own in the long-distance stakes thanks to outstanding runners such as Tom Jack, John Ranken and Jimmy Duffy, but those heady days seemed to be over for the time being at least. Aberdeen was the sole eastern bastion of long-distance running, the Aberdeenshire Harriers and Aberdeen Y.M.C.A. clubs having resumed their annual “marathon” fixtures after the War. Apart perhaps from Alex King, however, none of the men from the Granite City could make a compelling case for national honours.

Into this void stepped Canon Athletic Sports Club, a new club formed at Canongate (hence the name), Edinburgh, in 1922. They recruited their membership largely from the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders regiment stationed at Redford Barracks, where the training facilities were the envy of other Edinburgh clubs. What set them apart was that they also catered to hill and road running, “indulgences” the more established clubs were reluctant to entertain. It was not as if Canon ASC were ahead of their time because road races had enjoyed some measure of popularity during the Marathon Craze in the years preceding the war. During the 13 years of their existence, before they changed their name to Edinburgh Eastern Harriers, who in turn merged with Edinburgh Harriers and Edinburgh Northern Harriers to form Edinburgh Athletic Club in 1961, they instituted several popular, long-running fixtures. Among its members was one Willie Carmichael, an enterprising young sprinter, a visionary with organisational talent who would later become an influential figure in Scottish amateur athletics (http://www.anentscottishrunning.com/willie-carmichael/). Their most famous member was the John T. Suttie-Smith, the noted Dundee runner, who joined in 1932 as the Scottish cross-country champion and 10-mile record holder. The Arthur’s Seat Hill Race and the Queen’s Drive Races, for example, were the brainchild of Canon ASC. Likewise the first full-distance marathon race for amateurs in Edinburgh. Ironically, their most enduring legacy would be an event they did not institute: the race from Edinburgh to North Berwick.

Late in 1925 a small band of Canon ASC runners centred around the 21-year-old Lance-Corporal Edward Hoare Fernie began looking into the possibility of running the 22-mile route from North Berwick to Edinburgh as a time trial rather than a full-blown race. Of course, it was not a marathon run in the classic sense, but neither was it a world away from it. In fact, it happened to be almost identical to the distance that the messenger Thersipus is said to have covered from the battlefield of Marathon to Athens to announce the victory over the Persians in 490 BC. And it was without doubt a tougher test of endurance than the Powderhall race, which had been downsized from 26.2 miles to a mere 10 miles while hanging on to the grand “Marathon” tag.

Fernie, a stonemason from Falkirk, is said to have been a cousin of the 1932 Olympic marathon silver medallist Sam Ferris and was evidently cut from a similar cloth to his famous relative. On New Year’s Day 1926 he took advantage of the quiet roads on the morning after Hogmany for his undertaking. The run started at North Berwick P.O. and went along the coastal road to Edinburgh via Dirleton, Gullane, Aberlady, Longniddry, Prestonpans and Musselburgh, and ended opposite Edinburgh G.P.O. at Waterloo Place, a distance of exactly twenty-two and seven-eighth miles or 36.8 km in metric units. Accompanied by a motor car and his club mates W. Simpson and A. Good as pacemakers, Fernie ran a steady race and finished the course in 2 h 54 mins. He arrived covered in mud, but comparatively fresh, despite the heavy going on the still unpaved section between Longniddy and Musselburgh.

Local and even some regional newspapers covered the race and aroused unexpected interest. Members of the other Edinburgh running clubs evidently felt called upon to take up the challenge. In March 1926 Dr. A. Millar of the Edinburgh University Hare and Hounds launched an attack on the course record, but broke down on King’s Road in Portobello and gave up after covering just over 20 miles in 2 h 37 mins. Another medical student at Edinburgh University, James D. Horsburgh, made the next record attempt on 17 April 1926. Horsburgh, a member of the Edinburgh Southern Harriers, used the favourable conditions to set a fast pace and at one point was 17 minutes ahead of record schedule. However, he too had misjudged his capabilities and was reduced to a crawl during the closing stages of the run, failing narrowly with a time of 2:55:15.

The great response prompted Fernie to undertake another solo run from North Berwick to Edinburgh on 13 November 1926. Despite a strong southwest wind, he managed to improve his own course record to 2:48:36 thanks to the active support of his club mates.

In 1927 the members of the Canon ASC undertook two more runs, albeit neither from North Berwick to Edinburgh. After Fernie was defeated by Andrew Ruthven in the 44 1/4 mile race from Glasgow to Edinburgh on New Year’s Day, he won the 26-mile 385-yard Canon ASC Marathon Race by a large margin in 3:26:06 on 6 August.

In 1928, however, interest in the North Berwick to Edinburgh run was reawakened when Edward Fernie undertook his third solo time trial. He got off to a good start by covering the first 4 ½ miles from North Berwick P.O. to Gullane in 26:30 min, then he passed Aberlady (7 ¼ miles) in 49 min, Prestonpans (13 ¼ miles) in 1 h 35 min and Levenhall (15 ¼ miles) in 1 h 50 min. Could he keep up the pace on the last part of the run through the eastern suburbs of Edinburgh? He struggled a little and lost some time but he still made it to the finish at Waterloo Square in a new record time of 2:45:24.

 

After Fernie’s departure, the North Berwick course record went unchallenged for a couple of years. Nevertheless, the rank and file of Canon ASC had not lost sight of the record or interest. On 22 February 1930, three members set out to erase Fernie’s record once and for all. This one was to be an actual race. The runners – W. Gilchrist, A. Good and J. Morrow – started from the North Berwick G.P.O. in ideal conditions and were accompanied by a considerable retinue of supporters, including the record holder. To save their strength for the last and most difficult part of the route from Portobello to the G.P.O., they started conservatively and were over four minutes behind the record at five miles. All three kept together until just beyond the Musselburgh town hall (about 17 miles) where Good dropped back due to a stitch. The race was decided at Piershill (about 20 miles) when Morrow broke away from Gilchrist. Morrow, a 4:47.8 miler in 1926, finished the last part of the Levenhall course eight minutes faster than Fernie and sprinted to the finish in new figures of 2:38:15. Gilchrist and Good also bettered the old record, running 2:39:50 and 2:44:25 respectively. Nearly two years later, on 2 January 1932, Morrow rang in the New Year with another attempt at a record. Despite stormy winds and pouring rain, he was on course for the record halfway through the race when the battle with the elements began to take its toll. In the hilly second half he slowed considerably but refused to give up and dragged himself to the finish in 3:00:41.

There was no further record attempt on the North Berwick route until December 9, 1953, when Joe McGhee, Scotland’s latest marathon sensation, did a solo time trial in the style of Edward Fernie 27 years previously. There is no other way to say it: he destroyed the course record! By completing the distance in 2:05:19.6 he gave a glimpse of the rare talent that would carry him to a shock victory a few months later at the Empire Games Marathon in Vancouver, Canada. It should be noted that McGhee ran the route in the opposite direction – from Edinburgh to North Berwick – to take advantage of the prevailing westerly wind.

When annual North Berwick to Edinburgh Road Race was inaugurated in 1958, the organisers also adopted the more advantageous west-east route. From the outset, the race was well received by the Scottish long distance elite, with the 1966 Commonwealth Marathon Champion Jim Alder among the early winners. The two-hour mark was broken for the first and only time in 1968, when strong winds blew Don MacGregor, 7th placed in the marathon at the 1972 Olympic Games, to a time of 1:59:57. Edward Fernie, the original course record holder, would have been amazed, but unfortunately he had died of pneumonia earlier that year. The 1969 race was the last on the original route. From 1970 onwards the race started at Meadowbank Stadium and was over a mile shorter at 21.7 miles. It was also run as a full-length marathon from 1971-73, and again in 1991.

The event continued each year as an irregular distance until 2009, when it changed into a measured 20-mile race from Portobello to North Berwick, continuing as such until 2017, after which it collapsed. In 2022 the famous race was successfully revived by Alan Lawson, best known for his 40+ years of staging the Seven Hills of Edinburgh event. He also managed to find the event’s (lost) trophy, below, which had originally been presented to the Scottish Marathon Club in 1960 by North Berwick Town Council.

 

Three of the finest: Adrian Stott, Donald Ritchie and Willie Sichel

Anglo-Celtic Plate 100km, 24^th March 2019.

The Scottish Athletics website reported as follows.

“On a chilly, but mainly sunny, early spring day, with a strong breeze at times, the runners ran 42 laps of 2.38 km on the North Inch Park by the banks of the River Tay.

In the accompanying 50K event Paulo Natali ran an excellent 3.02.14 in the challenging breezy conditions, with Kerry-Liam Wilson of Cambuslang taking second place in 3.13.45.

The popular Scot thus claimed the Scottish 50K title to add to his many other Scottish championship medals.

Andrew White of Greenock Glenpark took third and second place in the Scottish championship in 3.14 .51. David Tamburini of Inverclyde in fifth took third in the Scottish championships.”

K-L wrote that he couldn’t have asked for more from his debut at the Ultra distance (or venture to the ‘darkside’). He was delighted to be a double Scottish Athletics Champion, winning both Senior and Masters 50K titles.

This excellent result by a current Masters athlete, who is closer to 50 years of age than 45, started me wondering about Scots who were successful in long-gone road events like: the Two Bridges 36; the Edinburgh to Glasgow 44 (or 50); the Speyside Way 50km trail race; and the current Scottish 100km and 50km championships. I decided to add the annual Anglo-Celtic Plate International 100km race, which has often been held in Scotland.

Many names must be mentioned; several (especially those active before 1990, have profiles in the Who’s Who section of scottishdistancerunninghistory.scot). On that website, at the foot of the home page, click on ‘The Ultra Marathons’ for more on the Two Bridges, the Edinburgh to Glasgow individual race, and the Speyside Way race.

THE EDINBURGH TO GLASGOW ULTRA-MARATHON (44 MILES)

Gordon Eadie (Cambuslang), who in 1960 had become Scottish Marathon champion, won the E to G three times: in 1963 (37 minutes clear of second place, in a new record 4:51:17, against heavy rain and strong winds); 1964; and 1966 (new record 4:41:27). Gordon was an excellent third in the 1965 London to Brighton; and next year gained revenge on Bernard Gomersall, (who had won the 1965 L to B). Gordon finished more than nine minutes ahead on July 23^rd 1966 when victorious in the Liverpool to Blackpool 48 and a half miles race, recording 5.00.22. The award for Scottish Road Runner of the year was the Donald McNab Robertson Memorial Trophy. Gordon had received it in 1960. In 1966 he regained the Scottish Marathon Club championship, for a number of road race successes, culminating in the E to G and Liverpool to Blackpool victories. Jim Alder had won the Commonwealth Games Marathon in Jamaica, and Alder and Eadie were both considered for the Robertson Trophy. Gordon Eadie was selected as the recipient for this honour by five votes to four. Jim Alder was made a Life Member of the SMC, an organisation which achieved a great amount for post-World War Two Scottish distance running.

Andy Fleming (Cambuslang) was second in the very first E to G in 1961; and won the event in 1965 (team-mate Willie Kelly was fourth, so Cambuslang also secured the team trophy). Andy was fourth in the 1965 London to Brighton.

Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston H), twice (1964 and 1969) silver-medallist in the Scottish Marathon, won the E to G in 1967 and 1968 (when he set a new record of 4:39:52); and finished second in 1969. In the Two Bridges 36, Hugh was second in 1968 and third in 1969. Shettleston Harriers (Mitchell and J Macdonald 4^th) won the team prize in 1968. (Scottish Veteran Harriers Club readers should note that Hugh finished second in the very first SVHC cross country championships in 1971, and was second in 1972.)

Bill Stoddart (Greenock Wellpark H) was second in the 1968 E to G. In 1969, as reigning Scottish marathon champion, he won the E to G, breaking the course record with 4:36:13. Bill and D Anderson (7^th), won the team prize. Bill Stoddart finished first again in 1970, but Shettleston (Willie Russell 3^rd and J McNeill 5^th won the team award on countback from Wellpark (Stoddart and George King 7^th). In 1972, Bill Stoddart won the second SVHC cross-country championships and went on to be an outstanding World Champion veteran athlete.

Alex Wight (Edinburgh AC), intending to attempt only a long training run, managed to win the 1971 E to G event. Team-mate John Gray was sixth so EAC won the team award. Alex went on to win the Two Bridges 36 in 1971, and won again in 1972, breaking the record with 3:24:07. He and his brother Jim (second), plus Jimmy Milne (9^th) won the team prize.

Jimmy Milne (EAC) won the 1972 E to G. This was, apparently, the 12th and last of the event series. He also contributed to EAC winning the 1972 Two Bridges team award.

Donald Ritchie (Aberdeen AAC) was an easy winner in the one-off 1984 E to G, which now started at Meadowbank Stadium, with the overall distance increased to 50 miles. Don’s finishing time was 5 hours three minutes 44 seconds, which was relatively faster than the record for 44 miles. Donald’s team mate Colin Youngson was third, behind EAC’s Dave Taylor, so Aberdeen won the team award. Back in 1977, quite early in his wonderful ultra-distance career, Donald (Forres Harriers) finished second in the Two Bridges 36, a race which he won in 1983, 1986 and 1990.

Don Ritchie and Cavin Woodward in the Two Bridges Road Race

THE TWO BRIDGES 36 MILES RACE.

The first Two Bridges took place in August 1968, and the victor was Don Turner, an Englishman who ran for Epsom and Ewell, but for Pitreavie AAC when he lived in Scotland between 1959 and 1964. Don had been a close second in the 1962 London to Brighton 52 miles race. He finished third in the 1968 Scottish Marathon championship; and later became President of the prestigious Road Runners Club.

In 1969, Alastair Wood (Aberdeen AAC) became the first Native Scot to win the Two Bridges 36, in the record time of 3:27:28. Then he broke the World 40 Miles Track Record. Three years later, in the 2B, Alastair was a minute ahead of the field when a marshal went missing, sending the leader off course, so he finished third behind the Wight brothers – Alex won, with Jim second. However, two months later, Alastair Wood won, and smashed the record, in the famous London to Brighton 52 miles road race. A year later he was second in the South African Two Oceans (Indian to Atlantic) 35 miles event near Cape Town.

Jim Wight (Edinburgh AC) was second in the 1969 Two Bridges; second again in 1972; and won the race in 1974. He ran for Scotland in cross-country and the 1974 Commonwealth Games marathon.

Donald/Don Ritchie (Forres Harriers) won the Two Bridges in 1983, 1986 and 1990.

In 1991, Andy Stirling (Bo’ness Road Runners) finished first in the Two Bridges. Later that year, he represented Scotland in the Home International 100km race near Edinburgh. Andy won the 2B again in 1993.

Peter Baxter (Pitreavie AAC) won the Two Bridges in 1992 and, along with clubmate Kenny (or Archie) Duncan, who was second, and Paul Swan (7^th), the team title.

Colin Hutt (Bo’ness Road Runners) achieved Two Bridges victory in 1997; and finished first again in 2000.  

Simon Pride (Keith and District AAC) won the Two Bridges with ease in 1998. In May 1999, running for GB, he triumphed in the World 100km road championship, with a superb UK best road time of 6:24:05. He was Scottish Marathon champion four times.

Alan Reid (Peterhead AC) won the Two Bridges in 1999. His finest ultra-running achievements include: Gold (2001), silver and bronze medals in the British 100km Road Championships, the Scottish 50km title in 1999 and 2000 and winning the Barry 40 miles track race in 2001.

A number of Scots finished a meritorious second in the Two Bridges, which for more than 30 years was Scotland’s premier ultra and frequently attracted international opposition. They were: Hugh Mitchell (1968); Jim Wight (1969 and 1972); Willie Russell (1970 – a year later, he won the very first SVHC cross-country championships); Rab Heron (Aberdeen AAC) in 1974, plus the team award (with Alastair Wood 3^rd and Don Ritchie 5th), then (for Brighton and Hove AC) in 1978, 1979 and 1980. Rab was also second in the 1977 London to Brighton; Colin Youngson in 1975; Don Ritchie in 1977, 1984 and 1991; Kenny (or Archie) Duncan in 1992; Allan Stewart (Moray Road Runners) in 1997; Peter Morrison (Fife AC) in 2000; and Stevie Ogg (Carnegie Harriers) in 2002.

The only Two Bridges Scottish team win, which has not been mentioned above, was by Fife AC (Ian (or Sam) Graves, Dave Francis and Ian Mitchell) in 1983.

Trudi Thomson (Pitreavie AAC), such a versatile runner, won the 2B Women’s race three times and held the course record. Her finest ultra-distance performance, running for GB, was a silver medal in the World 100km road championships in 1994, by Lake Saroma in Japan. Her time of 7 hours 42 minutes and 17 seconds still stands as the Scottish record and third on the UK all-time list. In 1999, running for Scottish Masters, she won the W40 British and Irish International Masters cross-country championship. In 1992 and 2001 she won the Scottish Marathon.

THE SPEYSIDE WAY 50KM TRAIL RACE

Simon Pride

This was held, in April, 11 times between 1994 and 2005. The route followed the Speyside Way from Ballindalloch to Spey Bay. To accomplish the full distance a deviation of approximately 5km commenced on the descent from the forest track off Ben Aigen, to the east of Boat O’Brig. The track from Bridgeton Farm was taken to the right, onto the B9103, past the Distillery, and then next left onto a road through the Moss of Cairnty. The Speyside Way was resumed on the Ordiequish road. After skirting round Fochabers, the final stretch was a track by the river Spey to the Moray coast at Spey Bay. Altogether a safe and very scenic route. The event was devised and organised by Donald Ritchie, with considerable assistance from volunteers.

Simon Pride (Keith and District) AAC won the race an incredible seven times, usually as preparation for British, European or World ultra-distance performances for GB. His course record time, in 1997, was 2 hours 59 minutes 54 seconds.

The M45 record (3.26.54) was set in 2000 by British 100km champion and World Masters ultra-marathon age-group record-breaker William Sichel from Orkney, representing Moray Road Runners. However, this was a little slower than Don Ritchie’s M50 mark of 3.26.25. Another M50, Charlie Noble of Peterhead AC, the Scottish 100km champion, recorded 3.26.44 in 2002. Don Ritchie set the M55 mark (3.43.32) in 2000. The Women’s record was 3.31.59, set in 1999 by regular GB International ultra-runner Carolyn Hunter-Rowe, a World and European 100km champion.

Other Scottish winners were: Fraser Clyne (Metro Aberdeen RC) in 1994, setting an inaugural course record of 3.02.03. (Fraser was Scottish Marathon champion five times and a frequent GB International); Peter Baxter (Pitreavie AAC) in 1995; Alan Reid (Peterhead AAC) in 2000; and Carl Pryce (Cosmic Hillbashers) in 2005. Scots who won the Women’s race were: Helen Diamantides (Westerlands AC) in 1997; and Kate Jenkins (Carnethy HRC), usually accompanied by her spaniel, in 2000, 2002 and 2004. Kate won the Scottish Marathon four times.

Scottish second-placers included: Alan Reid (1994); Andy Farquharson (Inverness H – a GB ultra-marathon international) 1995; Robert Brown (HBT) 1996; Allan Stewart (MRR) in 1997 and 1998 – he ran for Scotland in the 100km Anglo-Celtic Plate; Steve Reeve (MRR) 1999; William Sichel (2000); Ian Lewis (Shettleston H) 2002; Nigel Holl (Stirling) in 2003 and second-equal in 2004; and Ritchie McCrae (Penicuik H) in 2005.

SCOTTISH 50KM CHAMPIONSHIPS

(Results online are incomplete)

The most prolific winner was Terry Mitchell (Fife AC) who won the first event from Simon Pride in 1996, setting a record (3.02.27) which lasted 20 years. Terry also won in 1998, 2001 and 2002. Terry was second in 2007. He won the Scottish Marathon twice (1987 and 1991).

Peter Morrison (FMC Carnegie H) finished second in 1997.

Alan Reid was champion in 1999 (in front of Clyde Marwick of Shettleston H); and 2000.

In 2004, Jamie Reid (Ronhill Cambuslang H) won from Andreas Merdes (Lothian). Jamie was Scottish Marathon champion in 2002, 2003 and 2007.

Andy Farquharson was second in 2005.

In 2009, David Gardiner of Kirkintilloch Olympians was second.

Marcus Scotney, an Englishman from Dumfries RC, won in 2010, from Roger Van Gompel of Dundee Hawkhill H.

In 2010, Cambuslang’s John Brown won from Gavin Harvie of Kirkintilloch Olympians.

Dr Andrew Murray, the Edinburgh doctor who has run very long-distance routes filmed for TV) finished second in 2013.

Ross Houston (EAC) created a new record (2.56.37) in 2016, from Mark Pollard of Inverclyde. Ross was Scottish Marathon champion in 2011 and 2012; and represented Scotland in the 2014 Commonwealth Games marathon.

Women’s Champions include the following.

1996 – Isobel Clark (Arbroath Footers). She also ran 100k for Scotland in 1996..

1997, 1998, 1999 and 2002 – Carol Cadger (Perth Strathtay Harriers). Carol won Scottish Marathon silver medals twice (2000 and 2001).

2001 – Avril Dudek (Perth Strathtay H)

2003 – Lynne Kuz (Carnegie H) 

2004 – Debbie Cox (City of Glasgow)

2005, 2006 and 2010 – Elaine Calder (Strathaven Striders). Elaine won Scottish Marathon silver medals in 2002 and 2004.

2007 and 2011 – Kate Jenkins (Gala Harriers/Carnethy HRC). Kate won four Scottish Marathon titles: 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2007.

2009 – Isobel Knox (HBT) in a record time of 3.55.21

2019 – Angela Howe (Fife AC)

SCOTTISH 100KM CHAMPIONSHIPS

For some reason, results online are even more incomplete

1992 was the first Scottish title that the legendary Donald Ritchie ever won! Aged 48, he recorded a fine time of 7.01.27, with Ian Mitchell (FMC Carnegie) second. N.B. Donald Ritchie has been inducted into the Scottish Athletics Hall of Fame.

In 2010 Grant Jeans (unatt) won from Dave Gardiner of Kirkintilloch Olympians. Grant was a confident 26 year old from Elgin – a boxing enthusiast who worked as a journalist and part-time postman in Glasgow. He was first Scot to finish in the 2010 Anglo-Celtic Plate 100k; contributed towards Scottish team victory in the 2011 Plate; and won the Welsh classic ultra (Barry 40 Mile Track Race) in 2012 and also 2015.

2011 brought victory to Craig Stewart (Forfar RR), who also won the Anglo-Celtic Plate International race in 7.01.36.

In 2016, Rob Turner (EAC) won the Scottish title.

2019 was when Rob Turner finished second in the Anglo-Celtic Plate (which he had won in 2018) but secured the Scottish title in both years. In 2019 Kyle Greig (Metro Aberdeen and Forres Harriers), the Scottish Ultra-Trail Champion, was second in the Scottish 100km.

ANGLO-CELTIC PLATE 100KM INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

This annual 5 Nations event has almost complete online results

Many Scottish ultra-marathoners, male and female, ran very well in this annual Four Home Countries (plus Ireland) International contest.

FIRST SCOTS HOME (and Scottish 100km Champions)

1995 – William Sichel third.

1996 – Don Ritchie second; Kate Todd (Kilmarnock) second. Kate had been second in the 1993 Scottish Marathon.

1997 – Simon Pride second; Kate Todd second again.

1998 – William Sichel second.

1999 – William Sichel fourth; Carol Cadger fourth. (She ran ultras for Scotland three times)

2000 – Alan Reid second; Carol Cadger third.

2001 – Alan Reid won, and became UK champion.

2002 – John McLaughlin (Springburn H) third; Lynne Kuz fourth.

2003 – Clyde Marwick (Shettleston H) 5^th; Lynne Kuz third.

2004 – Andreas Merdes (Lothian AC) 4^th; Debbie Cox (City of Glasgow) third. She ran ultras for Scotland five times.

2005 – Les Hill (Dumfries RC) eighth; Debbie Cox sixth.

2006 – Les Hill eighth; Debbie Cox third.

2007 – Paul Hart (Dumfries RC) fifth; Anglo-Scot Sandra Bowers (Winchester) second. She ran ultras for Scotland five times.

2008 – Paul Hart seventh; Sandra Bowers second.

2009 – Andy Rankin eighth; Sandra Bowers fourth.

2010 – Grant Jeans sixth; Nathalie Christie (EAC) second; Gail Murdoch (Carnegie) third. The Scottish Women’s team won. 

2011 – Craig Stewart (Forfar RR) first; Gail Murdoch seventh. She ran ultras for Scotland five times.

Scotland won the Men’s Team Title: Stewart first, Grant Jeans fifth, David Gardiner (Kirkintilloch Olympians) eighth.

2012 – Thomas Loehndorf (Greenock Glenpark H) fourth (and Scottish Champion); Isobel Knox (HBT) fourth (and Scottish Champion). She ran ultras for Scotland six times.

2013 – Donnie Campbell (Glasgow) third (and Scottish Champion); Charlotte Black (Shetland AAC) fourth (and Scottish Champion).

Scotland won the Men’s Team Title: Campbell third, Marco Consani (Garscube H) fifth, Paul Giblin (Paisley) seventh.

2014 – Paul Giblin third; Rosie Bell (Strathaven Striders) sixth. She ran ultras for Scotland three times.

2015 – Ross Houston (Central AC) first (and UK Champion) in a record event time of 6.43.35; Rosie Bell second – and won the Women’s Team Title with Charlotte Black fourth.

2016 – Rob Turner (EAC) third (and Scottish Champion); Sophie Mullins (Fife AC) third (and Scottish Champion).

2017 – David McLure (Johnny Walker Kilmarnock Harriers) third (and Scottish Champion); Rosie Bell fifth (and Scottish Champion).

2018 – Rob Turner first (Scottish and UK Champion); Scotland won the Men’s Team Title: Turner first, David McLure fourth, Dave Ward (HBT) fifth.

2019 – Rob Turner second in the UK championship (and won the Scottish). His team-mate Kyle Greig (Metro Aberdeen and Forres Harriers – the Scottish Ultra-Trail Champion), was third in the UK championship and second in the Scottish.

                                        Left to right: Rob Turner, Kyle Greig, Charlie Harpur (England), who won the British title.

Sophie Mullins (Fife AC) became the very first Scottish woman to win the Anglo-Celtic Plate (along with UK and Scottish titles). 

                                                                                        Sophie Mullins

The Scottish women were clear winners of the team competition ahead of England and Northern Ireland & Ulster. (Sophie Mullins, Morgan Windram [Fife AC] 2nd, Jo Murphy [Carnegie H) 3rd and Lynne Allen [Kirkintilloch Olympians] 4th.)

Turner and Mullins in claiming the Scottish titles also became the first winners of the Don Ritchie Trophies. The two cups were awarded to celebrate the pioneering ultra distance exploits of the legendary Scot who passed away last year and on Sunday were presented by Isobel Ritchie, Don’s wife.

(N.B. Pauline Walker (Carnegie Harriers) ran ultras for Scotland six times.)

 

ANGLO-CELTIC PLATE 2021  REPORT

The Mondello motor race track, in Co Kildare just west of Dublin, was the venue for the Anglo-Celtic Plate, the annual Home Countries 100k International on Saturday 22 August 2021.

And it was to become a field of dreams for our Scottish ultra-runners – and a very special venue in the history of Metro Aberdeen Running Club in particular.

The event was preceded with a short tribute and a moment’s silence and spontaneous applause in memory of Norman Wilson, a key figure in the Anglo-Celtic Plate organisation and in ultra-running in Great Britain over many years.

Chris Richardson, Jason Kelly and Kyle Greig all members of Metro Aberdeen took a clean sweep of the medals and with it the men’s Anglo-Celtic Plate for Scotland.

The three North East based runners along with Rob Turner (Musselburgh) held back off the early pace sticking to their own schedules.

When the early leaders eventually faded it was Kelly who took the lead at 70km with Richardson moving into second. Greig was well placed in seventh at that stage.

From 80-90 km the two Aberdeen runners traded the lead until 95 km when Kelly, suffering from cramps, fell behind. Richardson went on to take the win in 7:00:49, with Kelly hanging on for 2nd in 7:05:15.

Both were running their first 100 km races and their times take them to 7th and 9th respectively in the Men’s Scottish all-time lists.

The more experienced Kyle Greig had a really strong last 20k to move up the field and clinch third in 7:07:07.

Even with the absence of teams from England, who earlier in the summer, made the decision not to send any teams outside the UK for the summer, it was a memorable and worthy Scotland 1-2-3 securing them the Men’s Plate comfortably from Ireland.

Chris said: ‘All four of us had plans to aim for sub seven hours. It was very humid though, and the thunderstorm around five hours in made things interesting for a while.

‘Jason and I really helped push each other the last couple of hours. Although I really faded those last few laps just missing the seven hours, I was really happy to take the win and also help us land the Plate for Scotland.’

In the women’s race Irish Marathon International Catriona Jennings, led from the start with England’s experienced Sam Amend in pursuit. Amend had made the trip as an individual, to compete in the open race.

Jo Murphy, currently without a club, and who always seems to have a smile on her face, ran her own race some way back.

When Amend faded slightly around 40-45 miles, the Fife-based athlete moved up to second and with a sub eight-hour performance now looking likely, powered on, even making inroads into Jennings lead.

Jennings held her own form well though to record an excellent 7:43:01. Her time bettering Helen Crossan’s 7:52:45 from 2007.

Murphy, improving her time from Perth in 2019 by over 30 minutes, recorded an excellent 7:50:58.

This moves her to fourth in the women’s Scottish all-time list with only World 100k championship medallists Ellie Greenwood, Jo Zakrzewski and Trudi Thompson ahead of her.

She was backed up by debutantes Nikki Gibson (EAC) 8:44:46, now 13th female on the Scottish all-time list and Alison McGill (Fife AC) who despite having a challenging race, hung in well to help finish a team in 9:33:35.

The Ireland ladies team won the women’s Anglo Celtic Plate for the first time in a close contest, with Scotland second.

Murphy said: ‘I can’t believe how well that went. It was certainly tough at times but everything fell into place for this one and wearing that Scotland vest just keeps you smiling.

‘The support and camaraderie from the whole team was awesome.’

The race also doubled as the Scottish 100k championships and the Don Ritchie trophies, which honour Scotland’s greatest ultra-runner. These are now awarded annually to the Scottish Champions and were won by Murphy and Richardson.

With thanks to Adrian Stott and Debbie Martin-Consani

 

Note that Adrian Stott’s ‘History and all-time results for Anglo-Celtic Plate 100km Event’, is available to download online. Many Scottish ultra-marathoners, male and female, ran very well in this annual Home Countries International contest.

(N.B, Adrian Tarit Stott (Sri Chinmoy AC) is based in Edinburgh, and has competed for Great Britain in World and European 24 hour Championships, has done an incredible amount for Scottish and British Ultra-Distance Running. He has run the West Highland Way race 15 times, which equals the record. (Do go to West Highland Way Race History to discover a great website, featuring many top Scottish ultra trail racers). In 2018, Adrian was presented with the Tom Stillie Award, which is given to the person who has contributed the most to Scottish Athletics each year.)