SVHC FIRST TWO RACES

Posted on March 29, 2016 by The Author

SCOTTISH VETERANS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

THE FIRST TWO RACES

Bill Stoddart with the British Veterans Cross Country Trophy. He defeated England’s Arthur Walsham by thirty seconds

The very first SVHC Cross Country Championships took place on Saturday 20^th March 1971. The venue was Pollok Estate, Glasgow. 33 ran and 32 finished the course.

Willie Russell won, followed by Hugh Mitchell, Willie Marshall, Tom Stevenson, Willie Armour, Chick Forbes, Jack McLean and Andy Forbes, who won the Over 50 title from Tommy Harrison and Walter Ross. John Emmet Farrell was first Over 60, in front of Harry Haughie and Roddy Devon. Shettleston Harriers won the Team Award.

The second Championship, this time officially recognised by the Scottish Cross Country Union, was on 4^th March 1972, at Clydebank, Dunbartonshire. The course was five miles (or eight kilometres) long. The SVHC organised the event, assisted by Clydesdale Harriers.

Bill Stoddart (Greenock Wellpark H) won easily, from Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston H) and Moir Logie (East Kilbride AAC). M50 champion was Andy Forbes (Victoria Park AAC), in front of Tommy Harrison (Maryhill H) and Walter Ross (Garscube H). Emmet Farrell (Maryhill H) retained his M60 title from Ron Smith (SVHC) and George Taylor (Shettleston H). Greenock Wellpark Harriers won the Team Award.

In the programme, Walter Ross, the SVHC Secretary, and a very important figure in the development of Scottish Veteran Athletics, published a poem (written many years earlier by an anonymous Clydesdale Harrier). Walter suggested it could be retitled ‘To a Veteran’.

To a Harrier

Some fellow men seem lucky, yet

I yearn to change with few,

But from my heart this afternoon,

I needs must envy you,

Mud-splattered runners, light of foot,

Who on this dismal day

With rhythmic stride and heads upheld

Go swinging on your way.

A dismal day? A foolish word;

I would not, years ago,

Despite the drizzle and the chill,

Have ever thought it so;

For then I might have been with you

Your rich reward to gain:

That glow beneath the freshened skin,

O runners through the rain.

All weather is a friend to you:

Rain, sunshine, snow or sleet.

The changing course – road, grass or plough –

You pass on flying feet.

No crowds you need to urge you on;

No cheers your efforts wake.

Yours is the sportsman’s purest joy –

you run for running’s sake.

O games are good – manoeuvres shared

To make the team’s success,

The practised skill, the guiding brain,

The trained unselfishness.

But there’s no game men ever played

That gives the zest you find

In using limbs and heart and lungs

To leave long miles behind.

I’ll dream that I am with you now

To win my second wind,

To feel my fitness like a flame,

The pack already thinned.

The turf is soft beneath my feet,

The drizzle’s in my face,

And in my spirit there is pride,

for I can stand the pace.

(Editor adds: a romantic view of cross-country, no doubt, but perhaps how we all feel, briefly, on a very good day! The first SVHC championship took place in 1971: no less than 45 years ago. We owe those pioneers a great deal.)

The ‘anonymous Clydesdale Harrier was Thomas Millar who had been club secretary for many years and contributed to the local Press under the pen name ‘Excelsior’. After being a member for decades he moved to the English Midlands which was where he sought work as an accountant. His son Gavin is a film director, BBC programme producer, director, actor and has been responsible for many excellent programmes.

Seven Hills of Edinburgh Race

Posted on March 28, 2016 by The Author

Running through the gate at Edinburgh Castle Esplanade

(This imaginative, unusual and challenging race, which takes place every June, has a long and interesting history – and a really excellent website, from which much of this information is ‘borrowed’. Do look up the full site! Then consider entering very early next year, since the 2016 race is full up already!)

The Concept: Back in the 1970s, there were two fit young guys who went running together in Edinburgh, David Salmond and Alan Lawson. One day DS came across a guide-book to Edinburgh which used the phrase ‘seven hills’, so they investigated the possibility of creating a route which included them all. After some adjustments, the current route was fixed upon.

The Beginning: The event was first staged in 1980, as part of a political/cultural festival on Calton Hill, in support of the Scottish self-government movement; the Seven Hills race was included as a sporting adjunct to the other activities. About 75 people took part in that first year.

Colin was second to Sandy Keith in the first race

Expanding: It was soon recognised that the route was something a bit special compared to other athletic events, as well as being a considerable challenge to complete for anyone who was not a regular runner. So, as the great 1980s upsurge of distance running got under way, The Seven Hills became an annual (stand-alone) event, with an increasing number of participants each year.

The Challenge: Although the leading runners always took the race seriously and ran to win, the ethos of the event included a challenge to more modest performers to just get round the course (and tell the story for the next ten years!). Understanding the wide ability-range of the various entrants, the organisers soon divided the event into two — The Race (for the serious runners), and The Challenge (for those of more limited ambitions)… the Challenge event starting half-an-hour before The Race, ensuring that the ‘challengers’ didn’t get tailed off. This formula seemed to work pretty well, and has been retained ever since. (One of its benefits is that ageing runners can ‘drop down’ from the Race to the Challenge in their later years.)

Website Sponsorship: We are grateful to Learntech, a Scottish e-commerce and e-learning specialist company, who created the basics of this website in 2003.

Regulars: Quite a number of runners have participated on many occasions; a handful have an almost complete record.

Mementoes: Initially, each finisher got a simple certificate to mark their completion of the event, but since 1991 the memento has been a drinks-coaster; some ‘regulars’ in the event now have quite a collection. Good-quality T-shirts are also produced each year, available for sale on the day

Race Personnel: Of the race’s originators, David Salmond died of leukemia in 1994; Alan Lawson continues as the main organiser, helped by many friends and relations who have both run and assisted over the years.

The Course

The course is a combination of road-running, cross-country, hill-running, and urban orienteering. The total distance is a little over 14 miles, and there’s about 2200 feet of ascent/descent. There are, unfortunately, many road-crossings, quite a few of them major roads.
There are five water-stations on the course; these are at or near the checkpoints. They have water, orange squash, and sultanas; they also have first-aid kits.

Calton Hill is the Start and Finish point. Competitors have to find their own route, as the course is not marked, but they must pass through the 6 checkpoints in the following order (and punch their race-number there with clippers):-

The Castle (esplanade)
Corstorphine Hill
Craiglockhart Hill (East)
Braid Hill
Blackford Hill
Arthur’s Seat

Route-finding: choosing the optimal route is all part of the event, and the course does change slightly over the years, due to growing shrubbery, altered field-use, increasing road-traffic, and hill-erosion. In the fortnight before each year’s event, it is common to find entrants out on the course evaluating the options. Harvey’s useful Edinburgh Seven Hills Map is displayed on the day at Calton Hill (it can be bought in map-shops).

Route guide: For those unfamiliar with the fine detail of Edinburgh’s geography, the website has a detailed rough guide for getting safely round the course. Faster runners may find a quicker route!

RACE TROPHIES

There are 4 main, very unusual trophies —
a Race trophy and a Women’s trophy. These consist of pieces of volcanic lava from Arthur’s Seat.

VETS TROPHIES

There is also a Male Vet (over 50) trophy, and a Female Vet (over 45) trophy.

Old rocks for old crocks!

Edinburgh Doubles

For those especially-heroic runners who complete ‘the double’ for the year — The Edinburgh Marathon AND The Seven Hills of Edinburgh — there’s a whisky miniature.

There are also many other prizes, including age-category ones.

Dutch Connection

Seven Dutch runners are entered once again in 2016. On the night before the event, a barbecue is staged for all overseas entrants. In recent years this has been held at the Midmar Allotments, beside Blackford Hill. Williams Brothers excellent beers are normally served.

Portobello Runners is the top club for supporting the event. Their website is also impressive.

The Southside Six is the equivalent event in Glasgow.

Points of Interest

Viewing-point: In the 1990s, an information-board was erected at the top of Braid Hill, specifically describing the seven hills which make up the course. The prime mover of this initiative was John Bartholomew, of the famous map-making company.

Special Map: A special Seven Hills map has been commercially produced, and is available in many Edinburgh bookshops. It is produced by Harvey’s of Doune (tel. 01786-841202), and gives a detailed depiction of each hill.
www.harveymaps.co.uk

Fireworks: The organisers of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations have taken up the seven hills theme; fireworks are set off from each of the hills at midnight, to welcome in the new year.

Music: In 1988, a musical composition by Neil Butterworth entitled “The Seven Hills March” was played at the tops of the 7 hills by members of the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra.

Television: The event has featured once on television. Channel 4’s sport department appeared in 1997 — the only year the event has ever suffered from heavy rain!

Runners on Arthur’s Seat

Past Winners

	Race winner	Women’s winner	M50 vet	F45 vet
2015	Dessie Flanagan	Megan Crawford	Stewart Whitlie	Rhona Anderson
2014	Iain Whiteside	Nicola Duncan	Peter Buchanan	Rhona Anderson
2013	Ross Houston	Jennifer MacLean	Peter Buchanan	Susan Johnston
2012	Michael Reid	Eilis McKechanie	Stewart Whitlie	Susan Johnston
2011	Ross Houston	Jennifer MacLean	Willie Jarvie	Phyllis O’Brien
2010	Matt Bell	Lucy Colquhoun	P. Mack	Phyllis O’Brien
2009	David Simpson	Amelia Lloyd	Phillip Huxley	Phyllis Mitchell
2008	Simon Peachey	Jill Mykura	Martin Hulme	Judith Dobson
2007	Simon Peachey	Jill Mykura	Martin Caldwell	Phyllis Mitchell
2006	Stewart Whitlie	Kim Threadgall	Martin Hulme	Gillian McKelvie
2005	Stewart Whitlie	Gillian Godfree	Werner Kittel	?
2004	Stewart Whitlie	Gillian Godfree	Martin Caldwell	Gillian McKelvie
2003	Graeme Ackland	Claire Williams	Scott Balfour
2002	Martin Flynn	Angela Mudge	I. D. Cumming
2001	Graeme Ackland	Kate Jenkins	Chris Northam
2000	Martin Flynn	Anna Bausili	Scott Balfour
1999	Graeme Ackland	Karen Newman
1998	Stewart Whitlie	Kate Jenkins
1997	Neil Wilkinson	Joyce Salvona
1996	Graeme Ackland	Joyce Salvona
1995	Andy Kitchin	Karen Dobbie
1994	John Wilkinson	Janice Christie
1993	Graeme Ackland	Joyce Salvona
1992	Graeme Ackland	Joyce Salvona
1991	Graeme Ackland	Joyce Salvona
1990	Bill Gauld	Miranda Balfour
1989	John Wilkinson	Tricia Calder
1988	Alan Farningham	Patricia Calder
1987	Mike Lindsay	Penny Rother
1986	Michael Burton	Stephanie Quirk
1985	Andy Spenceley	Ann Curtis
1984	Zen Bankowski	Ann Curtis
1983	Andy Spenceley	A. Bauermeister
1982	Brian Kirkwood	?
1981	Sandy Keith	?
1980	Sandy Keith

Entry Form

Go to www.seven-hills.org.uk/entry.asp

The Entry Form is provided as a Microsoft Word file.

Postal entries are accepted up until 5 days before the event, if places are still available.

(No on-the-day entries)

Runners cross the grounds of Holyrood Palace

Portobellorunners.co.uk/archived-reports-to-august-2010 has reports by successful participants. For example, look up 2008 and scroll down to find ‘Recce of 7 Hills Route’ and ‘Seven Hills report’.

Memories of the first ever race on Saturday 28^th June 1980

“A week after I (Colin Youngson) had finished second in the Scottish marathon championship, my skinny legs were still tired and a bit sore, but this event seemed a great innovation and could not be missed. The original route actually started inside the walls of Edinburgh Castle, so competitors did not actually have to run up the first hill! Instead, we poured through a gap and down steep, narrow, winding paths, out through Princes Street Gardens and turned left. Down to Haymarket, straight on for a while, and eventually a slanting right turn onto a long gradual road hill which took us up to the top of Corstorphine Hill. By now, my redoubtable road running rival, Sandy Keith, was drawing away, moving strongly. I suspect he had a clear idea about the precise route, unlike myself, who possessed only a hazy notion. I just wanted to get round, hopefully avoiding defeat by many new rivals! As Sandy disappeared, never to be seen again, until the finish, I overshot the hill and belted down a road to the left. As I reached the main Corstorphine Road, I was mildly dismayed to note four of my training mates sneaking out through the Zoo gates. Ah, well. Since my orienteering skills were obviously lacking, I decided to tag along for a while.

My Edinburgh-savvy companions, including Dave Logue and Davie Watson, did not, as rumour had suggested, cut into people’s front gardens, muscle straight through their houses and escape via back gates, but cunning shortcuts were used. I waited patiently until we reached ground which seemed more familiar, from racing or training. Approaching Craiglockhart, I mused about the great poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon meeting in the hospital there during World War One. Up and over: no problem if you are merely following! Braid Hill was better-known, since it was Edinburgh University’s home cross-country course, which I had raced often, back in the late 1960s, while I was an Aberdeen University harrier. From the top, one could see Blackford Hill Observatory.

On the climb up Blackford, I tried a little harder and, fairly confident of navigating round the rest of the race, edged away from my friends. Somehow I found an adequately direct route to Arthur’s Seat, and then had to pick one of several paths to the summit. Luckily I selected a good one. It was hard work scrambling up to the trig point, but then came the dodgy bit. My downhill running was very amateurish – partly because of fear and lack of suitable quad strength, but mainly because I had not undergone the lobotomy operation, which was essential if one were to become a good hill runner!

Somehow I avoided tripping, injury and generally making a fool of myself. A horde of phantom tough guys pursued hotly, jumping over cliffs and probably baying like bloodhounds – but they existed only in my tired mind. Fortunately I ran through the right streets for Calton Hill and then it was a puffing plod to the finish, at least a couple of minutes in front of the cavalry charge of true hill-men. Sandy had managed about one hour 38 minutes, and I was probably about ten minutes slower, but hey! Another very interesting running adventure had been completed. My running diary noted: “Legs knackered but basic fitness helped, so jogged home as well. £8 Runsport voucher and certificate. Prizes presented by (1964 Olympian) Fergus Murray.”

Ross Houston, who is at present one of the finest distance runners in Scotland, won the race in 2011 and 2013 and remembers the following.

“I ran the 7 Hills Race twice, in 2011 and in 2013. In both years, I was looking for something a bit different after building up to and running spring marathons (Edinburgh in ’11 and London in ’13).

Since the event was in my back yard, and combined road running with some less familiar off-road scrambling and hill climbing, this was an obvious choice. In 2011, I prepared quite meticulously, studying maps and going for several recce runs, sometimes with other runners with more route knowledge than myself (e.g. Tom Ferrington). I had it all planned, but remained a bit nervous about particular sections, such as trying to squeeze through the bars of the gate at Pollock Halls, and not really knowing the route up Arthur’s Seat (how difficult can it be? – very, as it turns out). I was also aware of other key route decisions, such as whether to charge straight over Braid Burn or to take a longer but safer route over a bridge (charged over the burn in the end).

The race started with an excellent atmosphere. There is something unusual and a bit special about dashing over North Bridge in a large group of runners, as motorists and tourists stare in awe / astonishment. I was actually quite far back down the field at the Castle, but steadily moved through and had taken the lead by the time we approached Corstorphine Hill. The run from Corstorphine to Craiglockhart is straightforward, albeit runners need their wits about them for road crossings. The climb up Craiglockhart Hill is bloody hard, but nearly manageable if underfoot conditions are kind. In the wet, wearing racing flats, it’s a nightmare! Sneaking through the aptly named ‘fly walk’ towards Braidburn Park, a more gradual climb to the Braids was rewarded with outstanding views and a fast descent to follow.

I decided to take the safe (but stupid) option of running round, rather than through, Pollock Halls, which probably added a good 30 seconds. Then the climb up Arthur’s Seat was a case of applying the logic that if I kept going up then I’d get there eventually. After kindly requesting tourists to allow me some space to reach the checkpoint on the summit, there was another fast descent to the palace, before the sting in the tail up to Calton Hill. A load of pink ladies were circulating Arthur’s Seat as part of a fun run, and the second placed runner in the 7 Hills (Al Anthony) had an ‘incident’ , while trying to dodge spectators and their not-fully-under-control canine friends.

In the end, in both years, I won the race in around 1 hr 38 min, which was decent (indeed a record) for the modern era, but not a patch on the fast dudes from the 80s/90s. At least in 2011, the race was followed by some serious rehydration at one of the (many) nearby pubs, and an unsteady walk / bus ride home carrying the impressive trophy (a piece of ‘volcanic’ rock from Arthur’s Seat). One of the great things about the 7 Hills is that (if you’re local) you tend to pass across the route frequently, and you can bore whoever you are with (for me, usually my wife) by pointing out the route and its nuances. Another plus point to the 7 Hills as a race, is that it really combines road running and hill running skills quite nicely. A pure road runner will grind to a stop on some of the steeper sections, while an out-and-out hill runner won’t enjoy the long flat sections of the route. Unfortunately, like many good events, it suffers from hysterical online entering syndrome, that results in it filling up very quickly. In summary, a great event with an impressive history and long may it continue.”

Rhona Anderson, who recently won the W45 race twice, wrote the following.

“2014 was my first time running the event. This was great fun and a bit of an adventure as I wasn’t entirely sure of the route. I definitely went a long way round after the Braid Hills golf course, as runners behind me were then ahead on Blackford Hill! I followed some Dutch runners up a very steep climb on rocks up Arthur’s Seat, which was not for the faint hearted! My descent back and across Holyrood Park was definitely not the most direct but I made it back to Calton Hill.

In 2015 I ran some of the course with a club-mate in advance, so found a couple of shortcuts I didn’t know about, and also decided that the steepest option up Arthur’s Seat wasn’t necessarily the fastest. I ran almost 3 minutes faster than in 2014, which was all down to taking a better route in places. Still didn’t get the best way to Blackford Hill right, as again runners behind me ended up ahead somehow – so there is still room to improve in 2016!”

There are also two articles about a pint-drinking version of this race!

7 hills 7 beers

On the blog of Peter Buchanan of Portobello

7 hills and 7 beers record

On the Carnethy Hill Running Club website

ABERDEEN

Posted on March 28, 2016 by The Author

The Chris Anderson Stadium at Aberdeen Sports Village

Probably quite a few Scottish middle or long distance runners have never raced in Aberdeen. Yet since the 1960s many good athletes have lived and trained in the area. Aberdeen AAC and Metro Aberdeen RC have done well in team contests – particularly road racing events like the late-lamented Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay (AAAC won three times in the 1980s). A number of international runners (for example cross-country men and women) have improved their fitness in the Granite City.

What is it like to train there? Apart from the longest stretch of sand in the British Isles, Aberdeen and District has quiet country roads and forest paths, hills and parks, golf courses and many miles of suburban pavements. There are knowledgeable coaches for athletes of all ages; and packs of runners train hard on club nights or Sundays. Between the early 1960s and the 1990s, Aberdeen developed many sub-two hours twenty minute marathon runners, including several male or female Scottish marathon champions. In addition, a ten man AAAC team twice broke the relay record for the 850 mile relay from John o’Groats to Land’s End. (In 1982 they finished in 77 hours 26 minutes 8 seconds – just work out speed per mile!)

What about racing venues? Linksfield Stadium was opened on the first of January 1940. In the early sixties, Aberdeen AAC legends Alastair Wood and Steve Taylor took part in a Britain-wide 20 mile Paarlauf competition, and came second, despite the old chunky cinders underfoot. (They each ran 40 220 yard sprints, plus jogs over the track centre in time to take over again.) In the 1980s, Linksfield became the Chris Anderson Stadium and gained a modern hard running track. (In 2007 it was upgraded further to Aberdeen Sports Village, a really impressive resource. Scottish Athletics championships have been held there.) However gales from the North Sea still tend to slow the times of longer track races. Not until 2000 was the four minute mile broken in Aberdeen: 3.57.5 by two young Kenyan athletes. (Three year previously, another unknown African, Noah Ngeny, narrowly missed the target at Linksfield, winning in 4.00.83. However in the 2000 Sydney Olympics he won gold in the 1500m!)

Before and after WW2, Aberdeen FC’s Pittodrie Stadium used to host an annual Sports Day – my father James Youngson ran the mile there in 1934. Occasional races thereafter featured as half-time entertainment. The photo below shows how narrow the space was between touchline and crowd; and how much shoving was necessary at the start!

The Aberdeen Marathon (which usually included the annual Home Countries International match) and Half Marathon used the spectacular Beach Promenade as part of their courses. Nowadays, the Aberdeen Baker Hughes 10k is the big event, with a huge turn-out from runners of widely-varying ability. In 1982 the Aberdeen Marathon record was set by England’s Gerry Helme, who recorded a rapid 2.15.16. Local woman Lynda Bain did 2.41.41 in 1984. Both athletes went on to represent Great Britain. The fastest times in the Half Marathon were in 1984, when Denis Fowles of Wales ran 64.41 and Lynda Bain 73.22. These were all performances on the verge of world-class; and race-day atmosphere at these events was second to none, with in-depth media coverage.

For a few years from 1992, Aberdeen’s splendid Duthie Park hosted an International Festival of Running. For example, during the first promotion, winners included Britain’s Olympic silver medallist Peter Elliott, who won the road mile; and World 10,000m champion Moses Tanui, from Kenya. The latter’s effortless yet powerful style was the most impressive running I have ever seen in Aberdeen.

Later versions of this event included a memorable battle between (World Indoor 3000m champion) Yvonne Murray and her Scottish rival (World 10,000m victor) Liz McColgan; and a Union Street Mile featuring amongst others (former World Cross-Country winner) Zola Budd-Pieterse. Autographs collected included those of many major international champions: Peter Elliott, Zola Pieterse, Steve Cram, Steve Ovett, Brendan Foster, John Treacy, Khalid Skah, Eamonn Martin, Kirsty Wade, Rob Denmark, Moses Tanui, Sonia O’Sullivan, Liz McColgan, Yvonne Murray and many more. Not surprisingly, these fixtures were marvellous treats for enthusiastic fans.

Local runner Alan Reid, with Khalid Skah on his left shoulder, leading the 5k in the Duthie Park

But what about other less glamorous races in Aberdeen venues? The North-East Cross-Country league, which flourished from the 1960s to 1970s, and featured clubs from Aberdeen, Dundee and St Andrews, used two different courses in Aberdeen. One was at Hazlehead Park, through tree-lined paths and past golf courses. The only problem that the route involved a pony track and, occasionally, runners collided with horses!

The alternative course was devised by Aberdeen University Hare and Hounds Club. This started on cobbles, went onto tarmac, down dangerous steps, over a metal bridge, along a dusty path, up a steep grassy bank, onto playing fields, down a long tarred road, right over a dangerous main road, onto sand dunes, then harder sand right beside the sea, across the main road again, along a rough undulating path and finished up a very steep little hill! Six and a quarter miles of very varied terrain. John Myatt and Bill Ewing (both Scottish international athletes) were the two fastest men on this course.

In recent decades, most of the main Aberdeen cross-country races have taken place at Balgownie, which offers flat grass near rugby and football pitches, plus a major climb each lap. Hydrasun used to sponsor races for all ages there; and the Scottish Masters and East District championships were held successfully at the venue.
Runners will certainly enjoy training and racing in Aberdeen!

Meadowbank

Posted on March 20, 2016 by The Author

Meadowbank

Meadowbank Stadium was built on the site of the old New Meadowbank which was used for athletics and football competitions. It hosted the first post-war international match between Scotland, England and Ireland and also hosted the SAAA Championships from 1952 until 1966. The Meadowbank that most of us know was built for the 1970 Commonwealth Games and was opened officially in May, 1970. Two Commonwealth Games were held there – 1970 and 1986 – as well as the annual SAAA/SWAAA Championships and numerous international matches.

The stadium hosted many very close races and enthralling competition – for instance any distance running enthusiast must rank Lachie Stewart’s 10000m victory in 1970 among his top three or four moments in the sport, and at the same Games the McCafferty/Stewart 5000m race was also quite outstanding. One of my own favourites however was on 8th September, 1973, when Frank Clement won the Europa Cup 1500m in 3:40.8. He went to the front early on in the race and won by a distance. The best coverage was in the Athletics Weekly and it read:

Frank Clement started the ball rolling when, on Saturday, he delighted the predominantly Scottish crowd by destroying the opposition in the 1500m. His rivals were men with fast times and greater international experience to their credit – Olympic finalists Jacky Boxberger (best of 3:36.8), Paul-Heinz Wellmann ((3:38.1), and Vladimir Panteley (3:37.8), wide-ranging international cross-country champion Pekka Paivarinta (3:37.2) and former European junior champion Klaus-Peter Justus (3:39.0) – and yet the bearded Glaswegian was utterly dominant. One has difficulty in recalling a more convincing display by a British 1500m runner in a major competition. The sky is the limit for the 21 year old Strathclyde University student, for not only does he bring to the event an under distance ability (1:46.0 800m) matched only by handful of men in the world but he also clearly possesses those three most precious attributes: a keen racing brain, a sense of adventure, and the knack of drawing the best from himself in the races which matter.

Clement went ahead soon after 400m (62.6), dissatisfied with the slow pace, and from then on there could be no turning back. A 58.9 lap was followed by one of 57.5 (2:59.0 1200m) and still faster he went on the last lap. One by one his opponents dropped back until only Wellmann was left in contention. He closed slightly some 60m from the end, but Clement saw the German’s shadow, accelerated again and easily disposed of the challenge. No wonder the opposition was routed for Clement covered the last 800m in 1:53.6!”

Note the number of superlatives in the report – ‘one has difficulty in recalling a more convincing display’, ‘the sky is the limit’ ‘matched only by a handful of men in the world’ – which is not in a red top but in the Athletics Weekly. Result: 1. Clement 3:40.79; 2. Wellmann 3:41.85; 3. Justus 3:42.61; 4. Paivarinta 3:43.03; 5. Panteley 3:43.10; 6. Boxberger 3:46.16. It was a wonderful race which set the GB team on course for a very good weekend with Andy Carter winning the 800m (1:46.44) and Brendan Foster the 5000m in 13:54.65.

Frank was another really first-class athlete who is not known to the current generation. Frank set British records for the 1500m of 3:37,4, and the Mile of 3:54.95 in 1975, and 3:54.2 in 1978. Fifth in the Olympic 1500m in 1976, he was most unfortunate in being barged off the track on to the infield with 300m to go. He nevertheless got back on to the track worked his way through the pack and was coming fast at the end – five yards past the line he was first! Unlucky that day but a really first class athlete.

There were so many great races at this iconic Scottish Track and Field venue that it was a pity that the Council could not find their way to maintaining it. The state of the stadium was allowed to decline until it was such that the cost of reinstating it as a state of the art facility was too big for them to bear. This ‘Scotsman’ article ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-35726113 ) was sent by Joe Small and holds out promises of wonderful things. If the final provision is as good as the artist involved then it will indeed be a wonderful addition to Scottish athletics facilities and all 500 seated spectators.

Judith Shepherd

Posted on March 8, 2016 by The Author

Judith Shepherd (823) leading club mate Fiona McQueen in the 1979 Round the Walls race in Berwick where they finished first and second.

Judith Shepherd was an excellent runner who won three SWAAA titles over 3000m, two SWCCU championships and set one Scottish record but is a runner who is almost completely forgotten. An internationalist, a runner who is still in the top ten athletes for the 3000m and the 5000m at Clemson University in the United States and an All America championship runner as well as a three time competitor in the NCAA championships, she is a runner whose name is never mentioned at present.

Judith Shepherd was born on 19th March 1959 and was educated at Bearsden Academy. When I was secretary of the British Milers Club back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s I tried to get her into some of our races but by then she had gone on to Clemson University in the United States. She was a very good athlete indeed and while she was at Clemson, Kerry Robinson was also a student, so there was a corner that was forever Scotland. More recently, Andrew Lemoncello was a student at Clemson.

Judith’s career began in 1974 when she won the Scottish Schools 1500m championship in 5.04.6, defeating Ann Cherry of Pitreavie by 15 seconds. Cherry had won the East District championship and went on to win the SWAAA title in the Intermediate age group. Judith had by that time joined up with Western AAC – the short-lived but very good Glasgow club run by Tom Williamson. Still an intermediate she was ranked in the senior 1500m with this time recorded when placing fifth at Meadowbank in the final league match of the season on 18th August but it was really only the 14th fastest among the inters. Her best time over 800m was also at that meeting in Edinburgh where she won the event with 2:22.7 although it was only 17th fastest. The times weren’t the fastest but Judith had won two important races. By 1975 she was still an Intermediate and running for Western in their last year before merging in to the new Glasgow AC club. The only time that I can find for 1975 was a 1500m in 5:08.8 run at Grangemouth on 17th August.

Into 1976, running for the new club and her first serious championship victory when she won the Scottish Schools 1500m in 4:51.1. By the end of the summer her best time for 1500m was 4.48.6 which ranked her 14th and for 3000m 10.14.8 – always her stronger event – which ranked her 4th Scot behind the formidable trio of Mary Stewart, Christine Haskett and Penny Gunstone. She was only 17 years old at the time.

Despite her ability at the longer distances, she had not yet appeared in the SWCCU championships and would not do so for another two years. Meanwhile in summer 1977, on 24th April Judith ran a 3000m in the British League match at Coatbridge in 9:51.0. Two weeks later on 7th May at Grangemouth Judith won the 3000m and the ‘Glasgow Herald’ reported on it. “The longest distance at the meeting , the 3000 metres, was steadfastly gobbled up by Judith Shepherd (Glasgow AC) in a meeting record time of 9 min 51.6 sec. The Bearsden girl had no help from either her opponents or the conditions, and a season of some hard work must surely bring that time tumbling down.” That same weekend she ran a 4:29.9 for the 1500m – a weekend that demonstrated pace and strength that would stand her in good stead for the rest of the summer. In the East v West match on 22nd May at Meadowbank, she stepped down a distance and won the 1500m in 4:31.8. At the end of May there was another 3000m on the 28th of the month where she recorded 9:40.4.

June was always national track championship month and Judith’s first 3000m was held on 4th June when she ran 9:36.2 – her fastest of the season so far. A week’s break followed before a 1500m in 4:31.6 and an 800m in 2:15.6 both on the 19th. The Scottish championships were held at Meadowbank on 25th June and Judith was second in the 1500m in 4:31.2 behind Margaret Coomber, and first in the 3000m in 9:39.2 which was more than 12 seconds ahead of Christine Price.

There was no slacking of competition after the SWAAA championships, however, and Judith ran a very good On 17th July it was a 1500m in 4:32.7, on 20th July the time was 4:28.8, on 30th July she ran 9:30.0 for the 3000m; in August it was 1500m on 14th in 4:28.9, 3000m in 9:20.0 on 13th and 9:41.1 on 20th. Into September and she ran 9:43.7 on 3rd of the month in the international between Scotland and Norway at Coatbridge to win the 3000m.

After what had been a very good year her best times were 800 2.15.6 (ranked 14), 1500m 4.26.5 (2), 1M 4.49.9 and 3000m 9.20.0 (1). To elaborate, Judith had the top seven times by a Scot and nine of the top ten at 3000m. She also had 8 of the top 19 times at 1500m with only Margaret Coomber being faster. In the all-time to 10, Judith was 5th in the 1500m and 3rd in the 3000m.

Although she hadn’t run the national cross-country championship as an inter or as a senior, she ran in 1978 and won the SWCCU championships and was selected for the team for world championships. The world championships sounds like a glamorous affair but that year they were held in a wet and rainy Bellahouston Park. The Glasgow AC runner was first Scot to finish when she crossed the line in twenty second place with Margaret Coomber back in 69th as second team runner.

1978 was a Commonwealth Games year and Judith, on the form shown in 1977 was a genuine candidate for selection and opened her season with 9:37.5 on 23rd April. Into May and in the West District championships, held at Grangemouth on the 8th, she won the 1500m in 4:34. A week later, 14th May, she ran the 3000m for Scotland against Greece in the international in Athens and finished first in 9:40.5.

There was a midweek 3000m in 9:54.1 before the East v West confrontation at Meadowbank on 21st May where Judith won the 1500m in 4:30.1 for the West team that was well beaten by 260 to 195 points. On 3rd June in the SWAAA Championships, she won the 3000m again in a time of 9:34.8 – 5 seconds faster than last year but not fast enough to count for selection. There was however another international selection – this time against Norway in Larvik on 5th/6th July. Clearly not her usual running, Judith was fourth of four in 10:02.9, well behind clubmate Fiona McQueen in third place with 9:47.2. She returned exactly that time on 29th July too and then 9:49.7 on 20th August and 9: 51.4 on 26th August.

Her best times in ’77 were 4:26.5 and 9:20.0: in ’78 they were 4:30.1 and 9:34.8. The top Scottish time for 3000m in ’78 was 9:32.3 by Fiona McQueen. It seems fair to assume that she suffered injury or illness in 1978. This impression gains strength when we look at her running in 1979.

Judith beating Leslie Roy to the tape at Coatbridge in 1978

In February 1979 Judith won the SWCCU championship ‘in devastating fashion’ according to the ‘Glasgow Herald’ and ‘outclassed her rivals’ according to the Athletics Weekly but in any case she won by 150 yards. The International was held on 24th March in Limerick and she was again the first Scot to finish but this time she was down in 44th of 96 runners.

On 12th May, Judith took part in the Scottish Cup competition at Coatbridge and was second to Carol Lightfoot in the 1500m who won in 4:27. On 26th May in the British League match at Birmingham Judith was timed at 9:27.2 – the fastest time of the season by a Scot and 7 seconds better than 1978. Thus early in the season it was a good omen. Just how good was seen in the |British Meat Scottish Championships at Grangemouth on 16th June when she set a Scottish Native Record for the 3000m of 9:20.3 with Kerry Robinson of Pitreavie second. They had come up through the ranks together and Judith had usually been on top. Then two weeks later on 30th June, running for GB ‘B’ team against France ‘B’ Judith not only won the match 3000m but took six seconds off the record with a time of 9:14.1. The international honours continued to come and on 23rd July she turned out for Scotland against Wales and Israel at Cwmbran. This time Judith ran in the 1500m and won in 4:23.9 seconds as part of the winning Scottish team. On July 30th the ‘Glasgow Herald’ reported that very few Scottish competitors took part in the Sunsilk WAAA Championships at Crystal Palace and Marea Hartman was quoted as saying that “some of the Scots girls admit that they cannot afford the travelling expenses” although several girls did travel with Lynne McDougall (winner of the 1500m) and Linsey McDonald (intermediate 100m and 400m) being gold medallists. The summer competition ended in a proliferation of league matches but Judith’s season was basically over. Best times for the year of 4.21.9 for 150mm ranking her 4, 4.46.7 for 1 Mile and 9.14.07 for 3000 being comfortably the best time by a Scot for the year showed that after 1978, she was back to her best. It is only a pity that ’78 was the Commonwealth Games year.

1980 was another difficult year for Judith but not nearly as good as ’79 had been. At the end of the year her best time for 1500m was 4.33.9 ranking her 13th which was her lowest position for many years and her 3000m was 9.35.65 which saw her 3rd it was her slowest end-of-year time since 1976 at age 17. In 1981 Judith was third in the SWAAA 3000m behind Fiona McQueen and Yvonne Murray in 9:38.04 and by the end of the season, she was ranked in the 1000m with 2.54.5 which saw her 5th, the 1500m with 4.34.0 (18th) and 3000m 9.38.04 (7th). The 1500m and 3000m were her slowest times and lowest ranked positions ever as a senior athlete. There was clearly something not right with Judith’s running. Summer 1982 was a bit better but by the end of the summer she was twenty second in the 1500m (4:40.2) and fifth in the 3000m (9:25.020

That winter Judith went to Clemson University in South Carolina on a sports scholarship. Her old friend and rival Kerry Robinson from Pitreavie had gone a year earlier and that may have influenced her but whatever happened, it turned out to be a good move for her. Her first good run was in February, 1983 when she ran 9:28.4 indoors in Boston University Commonwealth Armory to set a meet record. From a running point of view, the move to America seems to have been a very good one. The ARRS website lists what they consider to be her best runs over there and they are reproduced here:

9th Apr ’83: 9:21.2 3000m Knoxville, Tennessee

21 May ’83: 9:13.8 3000m Knoxville, Tennessee

1st Jun ’83: 9:21.44 3000m Houston, Texas

3rd Jun ’83: 9:14.50 3000m Houston, Texas

21 Nov ’83: 17:33 5K CC Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

13 Apr ’84: 9:29.71 3000m Knoxville, Tenn.

31 May ’84: 9:31.66 3000m Eugene, Oregon

9th Feb ’85: 9:31.32 3000m (indoors) Gainesville, Florida

April ’85: 16:22.67 5000m Des Moines, Iowa

30 May ’85: 17:14.79 5000m Austin, Texas

She ‘lettered’ in all three years and in 2012 she was still in the Clemson top ten for 3000m and 5000m. Although she had seemed to have the beating of Kerry Robinson early in her career, by now, although the two Scots girls were in the top three or four at the college, Kerry was slightly ahead. In the top ten for 3000m Kerry was first ranked with 9:05.65 with Judith fourth on 9:13.38 (run in ’83); for the 5000m, Kerry was top with 16:02.76 while Judith was sixth with 16:22.87 (run in ’85).

She also ran in the NCAA Track & Field championships every year she was at Clemson and ran well every time. For instance, the 9:14.5 from 30th May, 1985, above was set in the final of the NCAA championships and the quality of athlete running is indicated by the fact that Patti Sue Plummer was second, Lynn Jennings was fourth and Judith was a good fifth. That was the day after she had run a qualifying heat in 9:21.44.

Her results were carefully monitored back home in Scotland and she ran when home on holiday so the ranking appearances were continued. At the end of summer 1983 she was ranked in 1500 with 4.25.72 (12th), 3000 9.13.38 (2nd) and 2 Miles with 10.14.08i. In 1984 her recorded times were 1500 in 4.26.25 (8th), 1 Mile 4.59.42 (8th) and 3000m 9.29.71 (3rd). 1985 had times and places of 1500 4.37.40 (21th), 3000m 9.31.32i (7th) and 5000m 16.22.67 (3rd)

Although her times have been beaten and she no longer appears on the all-time lists in Scotland, there is no doubt that Judith Shepherd was a very good athlete – had she been running today, she would still be a very good athlete holding a position near the top of the sport. Three national track titles (plus a second and third), two cross-country championship victories to her name, international appearances on the track for Scotland and Britain, records set in Scotland and the USA plus of course the schools, District and Inter-District championships, races in the NCAA Championships – all these and more indicate a career in the sport that she can be justifiably proud of.

Judith’s Trophies

RACE CERTIFICATES: 1

Posted on March 7, 2016 by The Author

Race Certificates used to be designed with a certain flair; and prized by finishers. Since the 1980s certificates have usually been replaced by medals, especially in mass participation events. This is a pity – a medal tells you nothing about the event whereas the certificate gives you date, event, distance, runner’s name, often time as well and on occasion more than that. We have about 40, from 6 runners, shown below dating from 1932 and including international participation examples as well as many others. We start with some from the 1930’s then go on to Colin Youngson’s from the 1970’s – what a contrast! Colin has a wide range of certificates in every sense of the word: ranging across three continents, and a wide range of distances from 10 miles to 50+ miles. There is a second page of certificates mainly for hill races and from Denis Bell’s collection. Just click on his name. By the way, runners were also awarded track suit patches – of you’d like to see them, just go here .

Not strictly speaking certificates, but we’ll make an exception as part of Colin’s collection!

Cut-down winner’s sash for Swedish Winter Marathon (November 1973, minus five centigrade)

Marathon to Athens marathon 1976

Edinburgh Southern Harriers – Grand Slam Winter 1978-1979

Second in the First 7 Hills of Edinburgh Race 1980

James Youngson finished third M65. The Scottish M65 team won World Veteran Marathon gold medals!

Not a bad time, aged 67! Meanwhile, on the same day, his son was racing from London to Brighton

1980 London to Brighton Road Race: 54 and a quarter miles: 7th place

Having a look at the certificates, I still prefer them to the medals – not the gold, silver and bronze ones that are for those fighting out the leading positions, but those given to all finishers – simply because the medal tells you nothing about the race. The certificate, whether decorous or not, tells the time, date, often the place and the name of the person winning it. Authenticity is pretty well guaranteed by the signatures at the foot of the document. The medal tells you none of that. You can frame them and hang them on the wall, you can put them in an album as a record of your career or you can put them in a drawer until some performance needs to be verified.

The second page of certificates are almost ll for hill races. But for six exceptions (3 are from Shelagh King’s collection and 3 are of Lanarkshire championships).

Race Certificates: 2

Carol Sharp

Posted on March 6, 2016 by The Author

Carol Sharp (61) leading in the SWAAA Championships 1984

There are times when a good runner, even a very good runner, gets less recognition than is their due. When we think of women middle distance athletes of the late 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s we automatically reach for Liz McColgan, Yvonne Murray, Karen Hutcheson, Lynne McDougall and Ann Purvis. But there is one surprising omission from that select group and that is Carol Sharp whose record includes three SWAAA titles, three second places and two thirds, she has run for Scotland (ten times) and for Britain (three times) and has competed at Grand Prix meetings on the continent. She also ran over the country and on the roads with many Scottish team medals on both surfaces to her credit: medals of all colours and even in 1993 she was a member of the City of Glasgow team in the last ever SWCCU Relays before they merged with the men. It is however as a track runner that she is best known and that is what we will concentrate on. It is a record that should be looked at quite closely.

Carol told me for an article that appeared in the BMC News of Spring, 1995, that she had come into the sport and joined Shettleston Harriers wanting only to be a jogger. Well-named for a runner, she was Carol Lightfoot and as for being a jogger – the club had other ideas and took her to an inter-club at Stirling where she ran 3:03 for the distance and that was the start of her racing career! At that time Graham Everett, seven times SAAA Mile champion/AAA Mile champion/SCCU champion and multi medallist was coaching a very good group of girls including his daughter Andrea and Carol linked up with that group. She was in very good hands to start her career as an athlete. By the end of 1976 Carol’s best marks were – 400m 60.0 (ranked 26th) and 800m 2:14.1 (10th).

In the first championship of 1977 Carol finished first – she won the West District 800m in 2:21.8 – not nearly as fast as she would become but a gold medal is a gold medal and a wonderful motivating factor. Came the National Championships in June at Meadowbank and there was another medal for her third in the National Championships where she ran 2:10.8 behind Christine McMeekin (2:05.7) and Alice Linton (2:06.9). There was even an international selection for her and on 3rd September in the Scotland v Norway match she was 4th in the 800m in 2:17.0 Scotland beat Norway with 81 points to 74. Other notable performances were a 400m in 58.5 and a 1500m in 4:34.7, both on 20th July.

Her best performances at the end of the season were: 400m in 58.5 sec (to be ranked 20th) ; 800m in 2:10.8 (7th) ; and 1500m in (4:34.7)

Carol started summer 1978 on 9th April when she ran in an inter-club match where her only noteworthy time was in a 400m Hurdles race in 67.5 – not bad for a middle distance runner. Before the end of the month the venue was Meadowbank for participation in a classy graded meeting where she competed in the 800m running a time of 2:10.3 and the 1500m in 4:26.2. These were to be her fastest time for the distances that season. The events were won by Ann Clarkson and Margaret Coomber. The standard in Scotland was very high with Ann Clarkson, the McMeekin twins and Margaret Coomber all running really well over 800m and 1500m. Carol kept racing in club matches and in the West District championships at the start of May she was third in 2:14.6 and was rewarded with selection for the match in Athens on 14th May against Greece. She partnered Margaret Coomber in the 1500m which was won by Coomber (4:23.47) with Carol second in 4:32.16. This helped Scotland to a 102 – 54 victory. Unplaced in the SWAAA Championships, Carol’s next very good performance was on 6th August when she ran in the 3000m and recorded a time of 9:58.2 which was the sixth best by a Scottish woman in 1978.

She finished the summer of 1978 with best marks of 800m in 2:10.3 which ranked her 6th ; 1500m 4:26.2 which placed her 3rd; 3000m 9:58.2 for 7th; and of course that 400m H in 67.5 seconds and 11th best by a Scot.

Her first notable run in 1979 came on 26th May in the Fife British Airways Games when the ‘Glasgow Herald’ reported that Carol Lightfoot was inside 5 minutes for the Mile when she won in 4:58.2. The highlight of the year however had to be the first SWAAA 800m title in the championships held at Grangemouth on 16th June. Carol won in 2:10.7 – not her fastest but it was on a very windy afternoon – with V Porter second and Anne Clarkson third. Her story about that goes like this: after winning her heat, she overheard one of a famous pair of twins talking about her to the other – “How did X get on?” “She was beaten by some scrubber!” And that she says, fired her up to win the title!

There was also an international at Grangemouth on 7th July 1979 against Norway and Greece in which Carol was fourth in the 1500m ahead of the two Greeks in 4:46.6. In the match, Scotland won with 121 points with Norway on 115 and Greece on 76 points.

The 1979 summer season finished with the following best marks.

400m best of 57.5 which places her 15th, an 800m in 2:05.9 (3rd), a 1500m in 4:26.2 (7th) and a Mile in 4:58.2

The West District Women’s Championships were held at Grangemouth on 3rd May and in the 800m the result was first, Christine McMeekin in 2:09.7 and second, Carol Lightfoot in 2:15.1. The Inter-District match was held on 24th May at Meadowbank Carol was second in the 800m (2:11.5) behind Ann Clarkson (2:08.3) but in front of Barbara Harvie (2:12.7) and Lynne McDougall (2:12.6). Then just one day later, 25th May, In the British Airways Games at Grangemouth Barbara Harvie won the 800m in 2:08.7 from Liz McArthur in 2:08.8, Lynne McDougall in 2:09.2 and Carol in fourth in 2:11.6.

The biggest championship however is always the SWAAA, held that year on 21st June at Meadowbank. Carol was again second – this time to ‘newcomer; Elizabeth McArthur’ in a close run race – McArthur ran 2:11.15 and Lightfoot 2:11..97.

1980 was otherwise a quiet year with no personal bests and by the end of the season there were four ranked times.

400m 57.7 17th; 800m 2:08.7 5th; 1500m 4:28.9 5th.

By the end of 1981 Carol would be ranked seventh on the Scottish all-time list for 800m and have set two more personal bests. Starting out with a ‘one place better’ run in the West District championships she won in 2:11.7. Missing the AAA’ Carol had an excellent late seasn packed full of good quality runs. At Crystal Palace on 24th July it was 2:07.9, 25th July still at Crystal Palace, she ran 2:06.5, on 1st August in Antrim it was 2:05.9, on 16th August she dropped down to 400m at Coatbridge where she recorded 56.6 seconds, on 22nd August at Meadowbank the time was 2:05.6 and finally on 28th August at Ardal in Norway she was fourth in the international against Norway and Wales in 2:05.3. And on 6th September at Balgownie in Aberdeen she recorded 4:29.2 for 1500m. By the end of the season she had 5 times in the top 16 in Scotland with only Clarkson being better.

Top times at the end of ’81 were 400m 56.6 12th; 800m 2:05.3 2nd; 1500m 4:29.2 8th

On 18th April 1982 Carol started out with an over distance race where she had in the past opened the summer with a 400. It was a 3000m at Coatbridge and she was timed at 9:58.6. Carol then won the West District 800m for the third time in 2:12.3

In June she won the SWAAA 800m for the second time in the splendid time of 2:05.15 and earned selection for the international in Yugoslavia on 24th July. Before that however she ran for Britain for the first time – against Sweden in Karlstad on 3rd July and finished fourth in a three runners per side match. In the 800m she ran 2:07.06 in the race won by Anne Clarkson in 2:05.05. On the following day she guested in the 1500m in 4:23.51 for fifth place. Here best time was reserved for the Grand Prix in Bislett in Oslo on 7th July where her 800m time was 2:02.91. This 800m time was one second faster than Shireen Bailey, coached by Cliff Temple and recognised as one of the country’s very best middle distance runners. The British Milers Club had set up a race the following week to help Shireen break two minutes for the race but unfortunately before that came up, Carol had raced at Grangemouth and blistered her feet making it impossible to turn out against the English woman.

This was followed up by a 1500m at Grangemouth on 18th July where she was clocked in at 4:18.9.

Then at last came the 24th July international at Maribor, Yugoslavia between Yugoslavia, Spain, England and Scotland. This time as Scottish 800m champion she was out in the 800m where she was fourth behind Boxer, Clarkson and Hassan in 2:06.49.

It was off to sunny Australia after that and on 28th September in Brisbane a 400m in 56.43 set her up nicely for the Games. October was Commonwealth Games time – they went from 3rd to 10th of the month. In the event in Brisbane Carol was eliminated in the second heat after running 2:09.68 to finish fifth. The heat, a very good one, was won by Shireen (Bailey) Hassan from Kirsty McDermott. The final was won by Kirsty McDermott (born in Scotland but running for Wales) from Ann Clarkson .

Despite the Games disappointment it had been a good year for Carol with a new pb for the 800m of 2:02.91, four races sub 2:06 and a second SWAAA 800m title. By the end of the summer her top ranked times were 400m 56.43 14th; 800 2:02.91 2nd 6th in all-time list); 1500m 4:18.9 6th (8th in all-time list); 3000m 9:58.6 13th

In 1983 Carol had not one but two international appearances for GB, both indoors, against France and Russia. The first of these was on 12th February at Cosford against France when she was timed at 2:07.79 finishing second to Teena Colebrook and the second was on 23rd February, also at Cosford, when she finished fourth in 2:11.35.

Outdoors the season proper started with the West District Championships at Grangemouth – there was no outdoor track in Glasgow in 1983 so the athletes had to trek out to Grangemouth which was a good, fast track. Carol was in two events the 800m and the 1500m and the ‘Glasgow Herald’ report on the 1500m tells both stories: “Fiona McQueen smashed the 1500 metres record by nearly seven seconds. Leading from the start she recorded 4 min 27.2 sec with Carol Lightfoot, her Glasgow team-mate, a distant second. But Miss Lightfoot had earlier just lost out in a desperate finish to the 800m, Lynne McDougall got the verdict in 2:09.9.’ Both winners were coached by Victoria Park man Ronnie Kane whose group included many top class runners including both those mentioned and Judith Shepherd.

She ran some cross-country that winter including first leg for the team that won the SWCCU relays, but the summer of 1983 was a step back after the Commonwealth Games year of 1982 with the trip to Australia and races all over the continent although by the end of the year her best times were both good ones: 800m 2:05.67 (5th); 1500m 4:22.47 (9th).

Talking about racing indoors, Carol has said that she ‘absolutely loves/adores indoor racing. There is a real sensation of speed coming off the bends, you have to concentrate harder on the shorter laps, there is more aggression and the whole thing is so much more intense.” She also loves track generally but hates cross-country: she only ran it because she had to as part of a general strategy for the year. She ran well on the roads too but nothing, for her, compared to track racing.

Training? She reckons that on one occasion she ran 52 x 300m in one week. Sessions included were 10 x 300 with three minutes recovery, and two sets of 3 x 300m with 300m jog recovery. When she was training with Graham Everett she often did not know what the session was until she turned up at the track.

Cameron Sharp

She married successful international sprinter Cameron Sharp in August, 1983 and kept right on running. There would be a well earned hiatus when their two daughters were born (Carly in 1987 and Lynsey in 1990) but meanwhile Carol was racing again in 1984. Racing so well that she won the SWAAA 800m title. The summer of 1984 started badly with Carol when she had to have a cartilage operation right at the start but nevertheless, just five weeks later she was winning the West District 800m for the fifth time in 2:13.7. It was Olympic year and all the top meetings were crowded with the best runners around going for the selection times. Not in the first three at any of the major meetings in the south, where Ann Purvis was the top Scot, Carol went out in the SWAAA Championships at Meadowbank on 30th June. In the 800m however the main opposition was lacking – Carol won from A McGeown of Shettleston who ran 2:10.74. The Olympians themselves were absent – Lynne McDougall was not out in the 1500m and Allan Wells passed up the sprints. Only Sandra Whittaker of those going to Los Angeles was out and she won the 100m and 200m. Possibly because of the cartilage operation, Carol was not at her best with her 800m time four seconds shy of her 2:02 pb.

At the end of 1984 her best performances were 400m 57.6 ( 20th) ; 800m 2:06.5 (7th) ; 1000m 2:49.41 (no rankings for the event) ;1500m 4:24:36 (7th)

In 1985, Carol won her sixth West District 800m title at Grangemouth on 6th May in 2:10.4 – more than three seconds faster than 1984. On 12th May – again at Grangemouth but this time in a League Match – Carol ran 800 metres in 2:10.8 to take first place in the A race. On May 26th however Carol ran what was to be her fastest time of the season when in the HFC UK Championships in Antrim amidst security precautions that included armed troops, sniffer dogs and close surveillance, she ran 2:06.76. This was also only the third quickest Scottish time of the day with Liz McArthur recording 2:05.5 and Karen Steer of Exeter clocking 2:06.60. The new all weather track in Glasgow, at Crown Point Road in the East End, was opened with a high-powered meeting in which Carol lined up against Yvonne Murray and Liz Lynch. Yvonne was on a real high that year and won in 2:06.5 with Carol second in 2:08.7 and Liz third in 2:09.1. Sports writers at the time were very taken with the Cameron and Carol double act as top Scottish athletes. For instance at the Glasgow meeting they remarked on the fact that both were in second place in their respective events. A week later (17th June) the reports read as this one in ‘The Glasgow Herald’: “Cameron and Carol Sharp both recorded victories in an exciting GRE Cup second round meeting where the semi-finals in both the men’s and women’s contests were decided by the final event, the 4 x 400 metres relay, at Grangemouth Stadium yesterday. Sprinter Cameron won the 100m in 10.5 sec with a slight following wind, and later added the 200m with the wind now slightly in his face in 21.0, the fastest legal hand timing in Britain this season. …. Mrs Sharp won the 1500 metres in 4 min 30.1 sec to help McLaren Glasgow wi n the women’s contest.”

The Scottish championships were held at Meadowbank on 22nd June and Carol was the defending champion in her event but Cameron could not run on the day. Ann Purvis was the form athlete that Saturday and won (2:05.75) from Carol (2:07.9) and Karen Hutcheson (2:08) . This was followed with a victory at Cosford in the British League in a time of 2:07.4. The season ended with a victory in the British League Match on 25th August in which Glasgow AC gained promotion to Division One of the League. She won her race in 2:08.6 and the Press linked this with Cameron’s victory in the Zurich spectacular meeting where he was timed at 10.31 sec for 100m which was the fastest time by a British sprinter that year. At the end of another very good year, Carol was again ranked in four events with the 800m being the highest position. They were 400m in 57.3 (18th); 800m in 2:06.76 (5th); 1000m in 2:48.86; 1500m in 4:30.1 (15th)

1986 was Commonwealth Games year again and it was in Edinburgh too. All Scots eyes were on selection – as were the eyes of Anglo-Scots who saw Scottish vests as targets, some for the first time. There was no District title for Carol with the medals going to Christine Whittinghame (formerly McMeekin) in a fast 2:02.59 from Yvonne Murray (who would probably only run longer distances than 800 in the Games) in 2:03.6 and Sue Parker (An Anglo-Scot who, as a doctor in the Army, ran in the Army colours) in 2:04.44. The 1500m that day was also a fast one with Lynne McDougall winning in 4:10.23 – a meeting record and 13 seconds faster than the previous year. On 24th May in the UK Championships at Cwmbran in Wales, several Scots took part in the women’s 800m with Ann Purvis being the best fastest qualifier for the final in 2:03.25 while Carol also qualified for the final with 2:06.24. Anne won the title in 2:01.63 with Liz McArthur of Pitreavie fifth in 2:05.03 and Carol was eight in 2:09.63. Her heat time was to be her fastest of the season and the 800m the only event in which she would be ranked. The following week – 31st May – was the East v West championships and there Carol was well beaten by Yvonne who won the 800m in 2:05.5. Scottish athletics then took second place to preparations for the Commonwealth Games and the Games themselves. That left Carol with her one best performance being the race at Cwmbran back in May.

Carol did not compete in 1987 for the best of all possible reasons – Carly Sharp was born in September. Sister Lynsey was born in July 1990 and both girls would go on to become Scottish champions in their own right with Lynsey winning medals in European and Commonwealth Games. In 1991 Cameron was involved in his terrible road accident and with all that going on in her personal life Carol was pretty well out of athletics from 1987 to 1992. She did some running (800m in 2:15.09i in 1988, in 2:14.99 in 1989 and 1500m in 4:41.0, also in 1989). She started racing properly again in 1992 and her international career started up almost immediately with representative honours and trips to Athens in 1992, Israel in ’93 and Istanbul in ’93. The injuries kept coming back though. Having worked with Graham Everett to start with, she says that she also owes a debt to Jimmy Campbell and she was also coached by Norman Brooke as well as having a lot of contact with Frank Dick, who was coaching Cameron.

The following is a summary of her first season back. There was no 800m in the West Districts in 1992 so Carol entered the 1500m and won in 4:46.07 for a good start to the season. Staying with the 1500m she improved that time in Coatbridge on 31st May by 13 seconds to run 4:33.7. In June she was back to 800m and ran 2:10.6 at Grangenouth. In the SWAAA Championships in June a 2:12.6 was good enough for second in the Scottish Championships and she ran her best 400m of the season in London on 29th August when she ran 59.2.

By the end of 1992 her best marks were 400m 59.2 (28th) ;800m 2:10.6 (5th) ; 1500m 4:33.7 (16th)

1993 was even better It started with a second place in the Scottish championships, then a third place in the International v Wales on 19th February in 2:12.69 and by the end of the indoor season she had a best time of 2:09.74 run in Birmingham one week later. The summer started with a win over 1500 in 4:32.8 on Apr 25th at Crown Point in Glasgow and the second international of the year was on 26th May in Tel Aviv on what was originally called the Small Nations International. viz. Scotland v Israel, Turkey and Wales where Carol ran and won in the 800m in 2:12.03. The Scottish championships were held on 3rd July at Meadobank and she was third in 2:11.01 for another national championship medal. Her next race saw her finish sixth in 2:10.4 at Newham on August 6th, and two days later on 8th August at Wrexham in the Scotland v Wales, N Ireland, North of England and the, Midlands she was third behind C White (Wales – 2:07.86). Sue Bevan, formerly Parker, (2:09.22), in 2:12.66.

The list of her representative honours is impressive if we just recap the events. Twelve internationals over an eleven year period.

1976: England, Wales 800m

1977: Norway 800m

1978: Greece 1500m.

1979: Greece, Norway 1500m

1979: Wales, Israel 800m

1981: Norway, Wales

1982: Commonwealth Games

1982: Yugoslavia, England and Spain

1983: Belgium, Netherlands 800m, 4 x 400m

1984: Iceland 800m

1985: Catalonia, Wales, England 800m

1985: Norway, Ireland 800m

After a wee gap, there were another four selections:

1992: Greece, Cyprus 800m

1993: Israel, Turkey, Wales 800m

1993: Wales, Northern Ireland 800

1994: Turkey, Israel, Wales 1500m*

This was her last international. Carol was fourth in 4:36.86. It was a month short of her 39th birthday and made her the oldest female to compete for Scotland in a track event.

It had been a good season for Carol and although she was eligible to run in vets races, she was not interested in that competition, preferring to test herself against the best in the land. Her marks for the year were: 800m 2:09.74i/2:10.4 (6th); 1500m 4:32.8 (11th)

By then she had had a good career. The girls were now 5 and 7 years old and she had had some injury trouble so the athletics took a back seat and although she had some good runs her best performances for 1994 and 1995 were 1500m 4:32.8 (11th) for 1994 and 800m 2:16.0 (14th) and 1500: 4:40.9 (17th) for 1995. At that point Carol hung up her spikes her own career was over.

However Carly and Lynsey were both very good athletes in their own right and, with the help and support of their parents, won Scottish titles as they worked their way through the age groups. Lynsey of course went on to win medals at Scottish, British, European and Commonwealth levels and run in the Olympic Games over her mother’s favourite distance of 800 metres. But let no one say that Carol was not a very good runner in her own right and a real credit to herself, her club and her country.

World Cross-Country Championship, 1978

Posted on February 6, 2016 by The Author

Tom Callaghan’s account of the decision by the SCCU to host the Cross-Country Championships at Bellahouston rather than at Coatbridge follows. It is clearly written, with fact and opinion being clearly separated and no mixing of the two.

Coatbridge – Cross Country & The Festival Road Race

My recollection of events, leading to the acrimonious decision by the S.C.C.U. to reverse an earlier commitment to Coatbridge and award the I.A.A.F. event to Glasgow, and the politics leading to the demise of the 5 mile road race and, ultimately, the festival itself, are as follows:

In the early years of the regeneration of Monkland Harriers during the 1960’s it was decided that we should seek council assistance and it was recommended to me that I should contact a young councillor named Tom Clarke. He agreed to attend a meeting in the clubhouse to meet members of the club and parents of boys who had recently joined after competing in our schools races.

He was very supportive of what we were trying to achieve and did so not only in word, but also in deed, since he supported any request we made to the council. The free use of St. Ambrose school, and assistance by council workers with the preparation of the course prior to races in Drumpellier Park, to mention just two.

In 1972 the council held a press conference in the Coatbridge Hotel to announce the sponsorship of the 1973 S.C.C.U. National Cross Country championships. Ronnie MacDonald and myself were invited to attend. After the event was over I asked Tom Clarke what he thought of a Coatbridge Highland Games being organized and taking place in Dunbeth Park. He replied, “Put your proposals I writing to the council and I will support it.”

By the summer of ’72 the council had approved the proposal and the Games would take place on 30^th June 1973. We had the National and now a Highland Games in the town.

This was the beginning of a great relationship between Monkland Harriers and Coatbridge Town Council. Tom Clarke had been true to his word with his support; over the next three years we would put Coatbridge firmly on the map for cross country and road running in Scotland.

Cross Country:

In 1973 the Scottish Cross Country Championships came to Coatbridge for the first time, sponsored by Coatbridge Town Council. The man behind this initiative was Bob McSwein, Honorary Treasurer of the S.C.C.U. and at the time an employee of Coatbridge Town Council. The Council was so impressed by the organization of the event and the publicity the town received, that they wrote to the Hon. Secretary of the S.C.C.U. offering continued support for the event.

From 1973 to 1976 Coatbridge Town Council sponsored the Scottish Cross Country Championships at Drumpellier Park. The County and District cross country Championships were also held there, in addition to the County Road Relay Championships.

During this period Coatbridge enjoyed a reputation for sponsoring and organizing events thanks to the Council, the members of Monkland Harriers, their relatives and friends, who gave so much of their time to make these events the success they were.

After 1976 all our good work came to an abrupt halt. The National Cross Country Championships never came back to Coatbridge and the road race came to an end.

Since then I have never been involved in organizing any athletics events, or attending any.

Joe Small recently gave me his copy of Colin Shields excellent book on the centenary of the S.C.C.U. and I have been given a copy of Joe’s recollection of the Coatbridge 5 road race.

I thought it might help interested parties understand why these events ended in 1976 if I give a factual account as to why this happened, as I was heavily involved in both.

Coatbridge – S.C.C.U. National Championships & I.A.A.F. Championship 1978

In 1973 the S.C.C.U. were aware that the I.A.A.F. event would return to Scotland. At this point no fixed date had been set. It is my understanding that after the success of the National Championships that year, Bob McSwein alerted the Council to the possibility of the I.A.A.F. event.

The Council sent a letter to the S.C.C.U. Hon. Secretary, Bob Dalgleish, offering, “to sponsor the National Championships, up to and including, the International Championship, should Scotland be successful in securing the event”.

It was later confirmed that the I.A.A.F. event would take place in Scotland in 1973. We all thought `fantastic, we’ll have the National at least till 1978, possibly Coatbridge will become the new home for the National, we’ll get the I.A.A.F. event, we have the best road race in the country, the Council had announced they were to build a new all-weather track’. Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.

The 1974 National was especially pleasing with Jim Brown winning the Senior title wearing the colours of Monkland, having won the Junior event in ’72 and ’73.

The day of the 1975 National is one that I will never forget. In St. Ambrose school prior to the start of the races, Bob McSwein approached me. He told me that at a meeting of the General Committee a few days prior, it had been decided that the International event in 1978 would held in Glasgow. The offer of sponsorship from Glasgow was the only one put to the Committee and a decision had to be made at that meeting. Bob McSwein claimed he had no prior notice of what had taken place.

At this point I was not aware of the Hon. Secretary’s response to the Coatbridge Town Council’s offer to sponsor the International event. However, I decided I had to confront him with the information I had been given by Bob McSwein, which I did later that afternoon. He confirmed this account was accurate, to which I replied “You do realise that these Championships will never be back in Coatbridge if you go ahead with this.”

A few days later I arranged to meet with a Council official with whom I had a good working relationship due to the work I had put in organizing many events for the Council.

I explained what had happened concerning the International event and asked if I could have access to the Council’s file with the S.C.C.U. This was granted, he produced the file and left me to do my research. This was when I found the letter from the Council to the Hon. Secretary offering sponsorship of both the National and International Championships, and his letter of acceptance on behalf of the General Committee, “It is indeed with pleasure that my Committee accepts the very kind offer from Coatbridge Town Council to sponsor the International Championships should Scotland be invited to act as host nation in the near future.”

I discussed the content of these letters with my contact at the Council and his view was that the Council would not consider legal action against the S.C.C.U., however, if they were not willing to honour their commitment to the Council, the Council would terminate their agreement forthwith.

I suggested an alternative route, if he was prepared to give me copies of the letters, I would raise the matter at the next meeting of the S.C.C.U. AGM and report back. This was agreed.

I now had the evidence I needed. I knew this would cause the S.C.C.U. not only extreme embarrassment, but possible resignations. By this time we were Clyde Valley, I knew I could trust the Monkland Harriers members, after all they had played a big part in what we had achieved. I was secretary of Clyde Valley, but there were some members of Clyde Valley outwith the Monkland section I felt I could not trust with this information. (An assessment that later turned out to be well founded.) I couldn’t ask for this to be included on the agenda for the AGM, therefore my only opportunity would be under A.O.C.B.

When my opportunity came, I asked “Why was it necessary for the General Committee to accept an offer from Glasgow City Council to sponsor the 1978 I.A.A.F. Championship when they had previously accepted another offer.”

I was asked what evidence I had. I handed over a copy of the Hon. Secretary’s response to the offer from Coatbridge Town Council. The letter was handed to the Hon. Secretary who confirmed its authenticity.

It was agreed that the President for 1975/76, Donald Duncan, would investigate and report back his findings.

I reported back to my contact at the Council, who agreed to take no action until the matter was resolved. Appreciating that this would take some time, he agreed that the Council would again sponsor the 1976 National.

Having been agreed by member clubs at the 1975 AGM that the President would investigate events surrounding the General Committee decision to award the 1978 World Championships to Glasgow, you would have thought the findings of the report would have been circulated to member clubs for their consideration, followed by a Special General Meeting to discuss his report and vote to approve or reject the General Committee decision to award the event to Glasgow.

Who did he consult with in order to prepare his report? I think he did have a meeting with Coatbridge Town Council. When that took place and what was discussed I have no knowledge of. As I raised the issue at the AGM as a member club, not a representative of Coatbridge Town Council, you would have thought that he would want to hear what I had to say.

As far as I am aware, member clubs did not receive a copy of his report, I therefore assume it was restricted to the Hon. Secretary and the General Committee, who then decided to rubber stamp their earlier decision to award the event to Glasgow.

I would submit that this assumption is supported in Colin Shields book, page 160 – “The controversial matter of the World Championships was finally settled during the season. General Committee early in the season decided not to hold the Championships in Coatbridge and confirmed Glasgow as the Championship venue.”

Having learned what had happened, I decided the matter could not rest there, member clubs should know what was in the report, and have an opportunity to make their views known and vote accordingly.

The only way to achieve this was to enlist the support of a number of member clubs and force a Special General Meeting to be held. I compiled my account of events and sent a copy to member clubs; followed by a phone call to those I thought would support me. I managed to obtain enough support to enable a S.G.M. to be held.

A date was set for the meeting, Saturday 14^th. February 1976, venue – Springburn Sports Centre. The same day the National Championships were being held in Coatbridge. Was this by accident or design?

The changing accommodation for the National was at St. Ambrose High School, across the road from Drumpellier Park. If requested, I’m sure the Council would have allocated suitable facilities for this meeting to be held there, thus saving many people inconvenience. However, I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.

In the lead up to the meeting I became concerned that the support of the Clyde Valley committee, and in particular the club’s representative to the S.C.C.U. could not be relied upon. To me their attitude was that this was nothing to do with them, it was a relic of the Monkland Harriers days. I was obviously dismayed by this attitude, and at the last club committee meeting prior to the SGM; I proposed that we mandate our representative at the SGM to support the Coatbridge bid. This was rejected. This decision was to prove crucial at the SGM.

Special General Meeting – 14/2/1976

What transpired at the meeting is best summed up by again referring to Colin Shields book, page 161 – “Inverness solicitor Donald Duncan, President in 1975/76, presented his inquiry report on the factors leading to the choice between Glasgow and Coatbridge, and the Presidential report was exhaustively discussed for over 21/2 hours. T he report received approval by the narrowest of margins, being passed by 28 votes to 27, although Glasgow as the official venue was later approved by the greater margin of 31 votes to 23. Duncan chaired the meeting with courtesy, tact and firmness, requiring all his professional skills to control the meeting which, at times grew angry with intense, heated discussion and argument over the issues at stake.”

The first vote was intended not only to accept or reject the President’s report, but also a vote of confidence on the General Committee – lose the vote and they resign.

As you will observe from Colin’s account the report was passed by 28-27. During the vote I sat there with a feeling of disgust and betrayal as the Clyde Valley representative, Roddy Devon, voted with the General Committee. My concerns expressed earlier had been confirmed. Had he been mandated, the vote would have gone the other way, the Committee would have resigned and both bids would have been off the table. The second vote confirmed Glasgow, and as far as I was concerned that was the end of the road.

It was also the end of the road for me as secretary of Clyde Valley. How could I work with a committee that would not support me, I resigned at the next meeting. I also saw it as the beginning if the end for Clyde Valley. Too many people had their own agenda; it was doomed to fail in its present form. It took a few years, but in the end I was proved right.

I have tried to paint you a picture of what was happening in Coatbridge from 1973/76. During this period the sport enjoyed great support from Coatbridge Town Council, as you would see from the events listed previously. However, events outwith the control of the Council and Monkland Harriers conspired against us and all was lost.

So far I have tried to refrain from opinion and stick to the facts, although this has not always been possible. However, the facts raise many questions from which opinions are formed. I’ll start from the beginning, list some questions that I do not think were ever asked or answered and give you my opinion.

The 1973 letter from Coatbridge Town Council to the S.C.C.U. Secretary offered to sponsor the National up to and including the International. The Secretary’s reply read “It is indeed with pleasure that my Committee accepts the very kind offer from Coatbridge Town Council to sponsor the International Championships should Scotland be invited to act as host nation in the near future.”

Question – Does this mean that the offer to sponsor the National and International was put to the General Committee and agreed?

If the answer is yes:

Question – In 1975, why was it necessary to ask the same committee to approve an alternative offer, which had to be decided `at that meeting. `

If the answer is no:

Questions – 1) Why was the offer not put before the General Committee in ’73?

2) Why did he write, “My Committee accepts”?

3) Why did the venue have to be decided at the ’75 meeting?

4) Why was the General Committee not made aware of the previous Coatbridge offer?

Opinion

I am of the view that the Coatbridge offer of 1973 was never put to the General Committee. At that point the International had not been confirmed. The Hon. Secretary on his own initiative decided to seize the dual sponsorship. If the International was confirmed, he could then agree finance with the council and put the offer to the General Committee. If the International never happened, he still had the offer to sponsor the National for several years.

I support my opinion by again referring to Colin’s book, page 157 “Somehow this commitment had not been made known to the General Committee during the debate on where the Championships were to be held, and the decision on Glasgow as host venue was taken in ignorance of the agreement made by the Honorary Secretary with Coatbridge just a year earlier.”

Did he forget? I don’t think so.

A few days after the 1975 meeting he would be in Coatbridge for the third consecutive National. If he could remember that part of the offer, why not the other?

There had to be a reason – my opinion of the Hon. Secretary is that he was very efficient and I got on well with him. In the early seventies, I was asked by Airdrie F.C. if I would assist them with their early season training at Drumpellier Park. I agreed and did two nights a week for six weeks. They had a match against Rangers one mid-week early season and I was asked if I could arrange a race for the half-time interval. They in turn would hold a collection and make a donation to whoever I wanted.

They collected £70.00, made it up to £100.00, and I asked that it be made out to the S.C.C.U.

As far as I was aware there was a good relationship between Coatbridge Town Council, Monkland Harriers and the S.C.C.U.

The only thing I can think of, which may or may not have been a factor in the Hon. Secretary not having advised the General Committee of the previous Coatbridge offer is that, as far as I can remember, the Hon. Secretary at the time of the Coatbridge offer was employed by a private company and, at the time he presented the Glasgow bid, was employed by Glasgow City Council. Whether the General Committee was made aware of any conflict of interest, I do not know.

The President’s Investigation:

I agree that the venue for the 1978 International could not be discussed at the 1975 A.G.M., as members were not aware of the 1973 letters until I produced them.

It is my view (in hindsight), that the A.G.M. agreed to an investigation without any terms of reference being decided, and that trust was simply placed on the President’s word that he would carry out a thorough investigation.

What we did not know was:

Who he would take evidence from.
Would member clubs be consulted?
Would member clubs receive a copy of his report?
Would he make recommendations and to whom?
In the event of a conflict of interest, how would the final decision be made?

Who did he take evidence from? As far as I know, the Hon. Secretary and Coatbridge Town Council.

Were member clubs consulted? No.

Did member clubs receive a copy of his report? No.

Did he make recommendations? Yes.

To Whom? The S.C.C.U. General Committee.

Upon completion of his report a copy should have been sent to member clubs, and a Special General Meeting called with all members in possession of the facts.

I also think that he should have consulted with myself and other members of Monkland Harriers, in order that we could explain that this was not just about the International, but also about the progress we were making in conjunction with the Council for athletics in Coatbridge, details of which have been previously described.

In my view, had a wider consultation been carried out and a proper disclosure of findings been made available to member clubs, the bad blood that was spilled at the S.G.M. could have been avoided.

Opinion:

In my view, had a proper consultation taken place, his recommendation should have been that both bids should fall and a new process commence, opening up the opportunity for all areas of the country, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh etc. in addition to Glasgow and Coatbridge. All bids should have been considered by a committee, chaired by the President, and made up of one member from each area of the S.C.C.U. Their decision, which would have been final, would then have been circulated to the member clubs explaining their reasons.

The investigation that took place was, in my view, inadequate and was designed to protect the Hon. Secretary.

In my opinion the Hon. Secretary should have done the honourable thing after being shown the letter he sent to Coatbridge Town Council in 1973 at the 1975 A.G.M. and resigned. His position was untenable.

Coatbridge Town Council (now Monklands District Council) honoured their commitment to sponsor the 1976 National, withdrew all sponsorship to the S.C.C.U and all other events.

P.S. – in 1971 National Championships were held in Glasgow for the first time in fifty years, ironically sponsored by a Coatbridge company. They returned again to Glasgow in 1978 as part of the deal to secure the International event.

They never returned to Glasgow again under the SC.C.U.

I rest my case.

Road Race:

In April 1973 the Council decided to hold a week long event, to be known as the Coatbridge Festival, to take place in September that year. As the Council then did not have all the specialized departments today’s councils have, it was decided to invite all interested local organizations to submit their proposals. The Council would support those agreed upon.

At Monkland Harriers we decided that this was an opportunity to build on the success of the Cross Country Championships. Our view was that the middle of September was the perfect time for a road race, track season finished, cross-country season starting early October.

The Council was keen to make the Festival a big success, so it followed that we had to make the road race a big success also. The aim was to attract the best runners in Scotland at senior, veteran and junior level and include a team race. The prize values had therefore to match our ambitions, but not only for the winner. Prizes were agreed as follows: First ten finishers, first vet, first junior, and 1st 2^nd and 3^rd teams, 3 spot prizes.

The maximum prize value allowed at this time was £40.00 (which we advertised), However, the in-thing back then was portable televisions, retailing at about £70.00, and we decided this was to be the first prize. The Chief Executive of the Council received a phone call from A.A.A’s asking how we could get a television for £40.00.

We had place an advert in Athletics Weekly in the hope that some clubs from the north of England might show some interest, I think this is how the AAA’s obtained the information. (Changed days)

As secretary of Monkland Harriers at that time I assumed overall responsibility for the presentation to the Council and the organization of the event. However, this was not a one-man show, many people, too numerous to mention, played their part.

At my meeting with the Council, I outlined our proposals and asked for £250.00 for prizes, plus expenses for which all invoices would be submitted. They thought this would be a great way to kick off the Festival and agreed to everything.

In August, Ian Gilmour, who was at Birmingham University and trained with Ian and Peter Stewart, contacted me to ask if Ian Stewart could run in our race. After the ’72 Olympics, Ian had turned to cycling for a period of time and had now decided to return to athletics. I spoke to the Council and explained to them that the 1970 Commonwealth Games 5000m gold medal winner and 1972 Olympic 5000m bronze medal winner wanted to make his comeback to athletics at our event. They agreed to pay expenses, not only for Ian, but also for a team from his club, Birchfield Harriers.

The opening day of the inaugural Coatbridge Festival was Saturday 15^th September 1973.events were to be held in the town’s West End Park and the Council were delighted at our proposal of a road race of several laps with runners entering the park on each lap and the finish being in front of a small enclosure, erected to hold Council officials and invited guests.

We had certainly achieved our objective with the quality of field that lined up. Ian Stewart, Lachie Stewart, 5000m and 10000m gold medallists at the 1970 Commonwealth Games, Jim Brown, World Junior cross country champion, Andy McKean and Fergus Murray Scottish cross country champions, add Jim Dingwall, Don McGregor and Doug Gunstone etc. and you know you have assembled the best of Scottish road runners.

Everything seemed to work out as planned, thanks to the officials, stewards, police – who did a great job of traffic control (streets were not closed off in those days), friends who organized catering etc. and most importantly any comments we received from competitors were positive.

Ian Stewart won his comeback race from Andy McKean with Jim Brown in 3^rd. place.

For the 1974 race we had to make alterations to the course due to reconstruction work taking place in the town centre. However, the prize values remained the same, another quality field was assembled and most pleasing was the race being won by a Monkland Harrier, Jim Brown from Jim Dingwall with Steve Edmunds (Sale Harriers) in third place.

The 1975 event saw further changes to the course. The new track at Langloan had opened several months earlier and the Council wanted the race to finish there. Another Monkland Harrier, Ronnie MacDonald, won the race from Jim Dingwall with Laurie Spence in third place.

By 1975, changed had taken place in local government, Coatbridge Town Council had been replace by Monkland District Council and a department known as Leisure and Recreation was established. One of the positions that became available was that of management of the new athletics track. I presume that due to my involvement with Coatbridge Town Council and good relationship with several councilors, I was encouraged to make application for this position.

However, I was content in my current employment with Wm. Bain & Co. (Structural Engineers) with whom I had started as an apprentice in March 1959, and was aware that I might soon become works manager upon the imminent retirement of the current manager. I decided to submit my application for the track job – if I got the job, I had options, if I didn’t I was happy where I was working anyway. If I was offered the job and declined, I could justify my reasons to those who had encouraged me to apply.

At a meeting of the Leisure and Recreation Committee, the Director had drawn up a shortlist of applicants to be interviewed; my name was not on the list. Neither was any other local applicant. A councillor with considerable influence, who had been late for the meeting due to prior engagements, noticed that the names proposed for interview did not include myself. He drew to the Committee’s attention that no local candidates had been included and suggested that another and myself be added to the list. This was agreed by the Committee.

When I was told what had taken place ay the Leisure and Recreation Committee meeting, I knew what I had to do. Attend the interview and should I be offered the job, accept, find out the terms and conditions (these were not available at the time of interview) and then decline.

There were three people who interviewed the candidates, the Director of Leisure and Recreation and two councillors, both of who had supported every initiative Monkland Harriers had proposed. I was offered the job, accepted, and a few weeks later declined. How could I walk away from the prospect of a good job, to work with someone I knew didn’t want me? I could also see things from his position. Why would he want someone working for him who had influence with several important councillors over many years? (This would later be confirmed)

Good relationships with councilors was important. They supported initiatives proposed by Monkland Harriers, who in turn organized schools races, highland games road races and encouraged other events to come to Coatbridge. The Council got good value for money and the sport benefited.

I later found out that the second choice of candidate also declined.

The position was re-advertised. Eddie Knox was appointed with David McMeekin as his assistant, both excellent athletes and decent people who I knew would do a good job.

Eddie asked me at some point later why I didn’t take the job. As best I can remember I replied something along the lines of “I didn’t think it was in my best interests to have my job and my hobby as the same thing.”

Of course, I couldn’t reveal that I was never on the Director’s short list and was only added at the insistence of a particular councillor.

The 1976 Festival was now under the umbrella of Monkland District Council although the organization of events, including the road race, would continue as in previous years. In the spring of ’76 I was advised by the Director of Leisure and Recreation that he could only allocate £150.00 towards prizes for the road race, a reduction of £100.00 on previous years. My initial reaction was – no chance (which I kept to myself)

We have the best quality road race in Scotland, runners were receiving decent prizes for their efforts to a level not matched anywhere in the country. I was of the view that so much time and effort had been put in over the years to establish Coatbridge as the centre for cross country and road running in Scotland this event was not going to be downgraded for the sake of £100.00

I could not allow this to happen for what I considered had become a personal issue. Perhaps I could have made up the shortfall by securing outside sponsorship. I decided that Monkland Harriers members were already contributing a considerable amount of their time organizing events for the Council; therefore £250.00 was not unreasonable.

I also saw this as the first step in dispensing with Monkland Harriers as Leisure and Recreation now had their own men in place. If this was the last race we were going to organize, standards were not going to drop.

I decided to speak to the Councillor who had supported us on many occasions; I knew I could depend on him.

Arrangements were made for me to attend the Municipal Buildings prior to a Leisure and Recreation Committee meeting. The Councillor I had spoken to showed me into a room, left, and returned with another Councillor and the Leisure and Recreation Director. I was asked to explain my problem. I explained the budget for the prizes was being cut substantially. One Councillor asked, “How much are we talking about?” I replied £100.00.

He turned to the Director and said “Why are wasting our time over £100.00, just give it to him.”

Meeting concluded, objective achieved!

The 1976 race went ahead as planned and was won by Jim Dingwall from Jim Brown with Frank Clement third.

A few months prior to the ’76 race, a meeting had taken place at the new track; the inaugural event in ’75 had been organized by Monkland Harriers. Eddie and David had been in place for some time and had been responsible for the organization of the ’76 meeting; Monkland Harriers were not invited to contribute in any way. Ronnie MacDonald and I decided to attend the event and paid our entry at the gate. Inside the ground we met Bob Dalgleish who like us had paid his own admission.

Despite our differences over the I.A.A.F. affair the previous year Bob and I had shaken hands and were on good terms. Early in the proceedings, an announcement was made asking Bob to identify himself to a steward, at which point he left our company. I’m sure that in Bob’s case it was nothing more than an oversight, the same could not be said for the exclusion of Monkland Harriers. I’m sure our exclusion had nothing to do with Eddie or David, more likely the result of an earlier event that year when their boss was humiliated by the two Councillors in my presence.

After the ’76 Festival, Monkland District Council were now firmly in control, Leisure and Recreation were responsible for organizing future events. A comment that was alleged to have been made by the Director of Leisure and Recreation was that “Future Festivals would be organised by the professionals, not the amateurs”

What became clear after local government reorganization was that departments now in place would take over the work previously done by volunteers. Monkland Harriers were never involved again and what became of the road race, I do not know.

After my efforts to secure the I.A.A.F. for Coatbridge failed, resulting in my resignation as secretary of Clyde Valley, the National Championships never to returned, attempts to downgrade the road race, it was time to re-think my priorities.

I had spent the last ten years, starting with the regeneration of Monkland Harriers, played a large part in organizing most of the events that took place in Coatbridge from 1973-1976.

I had enough of broken promises, backstabbing and politics. It was time to move on.

In 1976 Ronnie MacDonald and I opened a small sports shop in Coatbridge, appropriately called Monkland Sports. I was now works manager at Bain’s, my girls were now 6 and 9, and these things would now be my priorities.

The Festival? Well, the professionals took over, the amateurs gradually fell away and the event collapsed.

The actual programme for the race as it went ahead

Courtesy Denis Bell

A Hardy Race: STATISTICS

Posted on February 5, 2016 by The Author

Lynda Bain, winner of the first Scottish Women’s Marathon Championship

SCOTTISH WOMEN’S MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Inaugurated 1983

1983 Aberdeen, Lynda Bain (Aberdeen AAC) 2.50.29; Jacqui Hulbert (Wales) 2.56.20; Morag Taggart (Aberdeen AAC) 3.07.08

1984 Aberdeen, Lynda Bain (AAAC) 2.41.41; Margaret Baillie (Fife AC) 3.00.57; Morag Taggart (Pitreavie AAC) 3.10.23

1985 Aberdeen, Ann Curtis (Livingston) 2.55.55; Theresa Kidd (Ireland) 3.01.09; Janine Robertson (Aberdeen AAC) 3.01.57

1986 Aberdeen, Stephanie Quirk (Isle of Man); Janine Robertson (Aberdeen AAC) 3.16.15; Morag Taggart (Fife AC) 3.21.26

1987 Aberdeen, Carol-Anne Gray (Edinburgh AC) 3.17.12; Margaret Oliver (Aberdeen AAC) 3.17.26; Sheila Cluley (Forfar) 3.19.49

1988 Aberdeen, Eileen Masson (Kilbarchan) 2.47.23; Sue Graham (Wales) 3.01.38; Margaret Stafford (Aberdeen AAC) 3.10.01

1989 Aberdeen, Liz Hughes (Aberystwyth) 2.54.24; Margaret Stafford (Aberdeen AAC) 3.06.36; Linda Trahan (unatt) 3.14.42

1990 Aberdeen, Liz Hughes (Aberystwyth) 2.49.47; Diana Jermieson (Aberdeen AAC) 3.25.08; Joan Molloy (Aberdeen ) 3.33.27

1991 Inverclyde, Eileen Masson (Kilbarchan) 2.50.12; Julie Harvey (City of Glasgow) 3.03.19; Margaret Blaikie (SVHC) 3.07.39

1992 Elgin, Trudi Thomson (Pitreavie AAC) 3.14.30; Fiona Nicholson (Forfar) 3.45.06; Clare Slatter (unatt) 3.48.27

1993 Inverclyde, Eleanor Robinson (NE Vets) 2.55.42; Kate Todd (JW Kilmarnock) 3.19.08; M. Thomas (Westerlands) 3.23.04

1994 Loch Rannoch, Janis Gjelseth (Shettleston) 2.58.37; Jan Thomson (Pitreavie AAC) 3.07.34; Diane Harvey (Tipton) 3.18.29

1995 Lochaber, Margaret McLaren (Fife) 3.07.17; Susan Low (unatt) 3.09.57; Corina Cramer (Perth) 3.15.45

1996 Inverclyde, Eleanor Robinson (Border H) 2.56.47; Carol Lisle (FMC Carnegie) 3.27.17; Pat Donald (Deeside R) 3.44.38

1997 Elgin, Kate Jenkins (Carnethy Hill R) 3.18.07; Pat Donald (Deeside R) 3.44.38; Val Goldie (Milburn H) 3.51.48

1998 Inverclyde, Pat Affleck (Gala) 3.04.05; Frances Florence (Shettleston) 3.11.29; Val Goldie (Milburn H) 3.47.46

1999 Dunfermline-Edinburgh, Esther Kiplagat (Kenya) 2.33.09; Violetta Kryza (Poland) 2.33.44; Angelina Kanana (Kenya) 2.34.48

2000 Elgin, Kate Jenkins (Carnethy) 3.04.21; Carol Cadger (Perth) 3.12.24; Averil Dudek (Perth) 3.18.34

2001 Elgin, Trudi Thomson (Pitreavie) 2.49.33; Carol Cadger (Perth) 3.20.57); Scarlett Courtney (Milne’s) 3.21.54

2002 Lochaber, Dawn Scott (Lochaber) 3.09.54; Elaine Calder (Strathaven) 3.12.04; Debbie MacDonald (HBT) 3.20.51

2003 Elgin, Kate Jenkins (Carnethy) 3.09.18; Morag Taggart (Dundee RR) 3.10.14; Margaret Anderson (Stonehaven) 3.18.04

2004 Lochaber, Janet Laing (Portobello ( 3.12.09); Elaine Calder (Strathaven) 3.18.44; Maggie Creber (Carnethy) 3.19.14

2005 Edinburgh, Shona Crombie-Hicks (Bourton) 2.44.58; Ros Alexander (Carnegie) 2.48.25; Elka Schmidt (Bellahouston) 3.14.10

2006 Loch Ness, Jennifer Maclean (City of Edinburgh( 2.58.57; Iona Robertson (Bella) 3.14.02; Erica Christie (Bella) 3.14.10

2007 Elgin, Kate Jenkins (Carnethy) 3.10.43; K McKinnon (Carnegie) 3.16.27; L Schumacher 3.18.09

2008 Lochaber, Rebecca Johnson 3.05.18; Louise Beveridge (Metro Aberdeen RC) 3.13.38; Kate Jenkins (Gala H) 3.15.35

2009 Edinburgh, Toni McIntosh (Ayr Seaforth) 2.47.18; Jennifer MacLean (EAC) 2.51.37; Izzy Menzies 3.02.45

2010 London, Susan Partridge (City of Glas) 2.35.57; Shona McIntosh (Hunters BT) 2.48.46; Nathalie Christie (EAC) 2.55.52

2011 Loch Ness, Lisa Finlay (Dumfries RC) 2.59.14; Carole Setchell (Shettleston H) 3.02.56; Gail Murdoch (Carnegie H) 2.57.10

2012 Loch Ness, Avril Mason (Shettleston) 2.54.54; Lisa Finlay (Dumfries) 2.57.55; Jill Knowles (Scottish Prison Service) 3.03.07

2013 Loch Ness, Megan Crawford (Fife AC) 2.46.37; Lisa Finlay (Dumfries) 2.52.25; Carole Setchell (Shettleston) 2.57.10

2014 Loch Ness, Jennifer Emsley (Central) 2.46.06; Megan Crawford (Fife) 2.46.20; Shona McIntosh (Hunters Bog Trotters) 2.53.11

2015 Loch Ness, Megan Crawford (Fife AC) 2.44.49; Shona McManus (Kelvin R) 3.02.06; Gillian Sangster (Dundee RR) 3.02.49

2016 London, Freya Ross (Edinburgh AC) 2:37:52; Lesley Pirie (VP City of Glasgow) 2:41:13; Gemma Rankin (Kilbarchan AAC) 2:46:34

2017 London, Susan Partridge (VP City of Glasgow) 2:37:51; Fanni Gyurko (Central AC) 2:41:29; Katie White (Garscube H) 2:42:39

2018 Stirling, Alison McGill (Fife AC) 3:02:35; Michelle Mackay (Dundee RR) 3:05:01; Rhona Anderson (Dunbar RR) 3:09:56

2019 Stirling, Jennifer Wetton (Central AC) 2:56:06; Lesley Hansen (Inverness H) 3:04:50; Rhona van Rensberg (Fife AC) 3:09:55

(No Scottish Marathon Championships in 2020, 2021 and 2022, due to the Covid Epidemic.)

2023 London, Sara Green (Gala H 2:44:41); Natalie Wangler 2:51:09; Rhian Dawes (VP City of Glasgow) 2:52:15

Fraser Clyne, five times winner of the Scottish Marathon Championship

SCOTTISH MEN’S MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS

Inaugurated 1946

1946Edinburgh, Donald McNab Robertson (Maryhill H) 2.45.39; Dunky Wright (Maryhill H); Andrew Burnside (Maryhill H)

1947 Edinburgh, D. McNab Robertson (Maryhill) 2.37.49; John Emmet Farrell (Maryhill) 2.42.53; John Park (W. Kilbride H) 2.56.05

1948 Perth-Dundee, Charlie Robertson (Dundee Thistle H) 2.45.12; J. Emmet Farrell (Maryhill)2.48.34; Bob Sime (ESH) 2.48.54

1949 Gourock-Glasgow, Jack Paterson (Polytechnic H) 2.57.07; James MacDonald (ThamesVH) 2.57.11; Harry Haughie (Springburn) 3.02.30

1950 Edinburgh, Harry Howard (Shettleston H) 2.43.56; Charlie Robertson (DTH) 2.44.09; J. Emmet Farrell (Maryhill H) 2.48.24

1951 Symington-Glasgow, Jack Paterson (Polytechnic H) 2.43.21; A. Arbuckle (Monkland H) 2.47.42; J. Bell (Kirkcaldy YM) 2.50.38

1952 Perth-Dundee, Charlie Robertson (DTH) 2.38.07; John Duffy (Hadleigh Olympians AC) 2.38.32; J.E.Farrell (Maryhill) 2.40.54

1953 Edinburgh, John Duffy (Hadleigh) 2.38.00; Alex McLean (Greenock Glenpark H) 2.38.43; Joe McGhee (St Modan’s) 2.39.02

1954 Gourock-Glasgow, Joe McGhee (Shettleston H) 2.35.22; J.E. Farrell (Maryhill) 2.43.08; George King (Greenock Wellpark H) 2.47.04

1955 Falkirk-Edinburgh, Joe McGhee (Shettleston H) 2.25.50; George King (Greenock W. H.) 2.34.30; Hugo Fox (Shettleston H) 2.37.35

1956 Edinburgh, Joe McGhee (Shettleston H) 2.33.36; Alex Kidd (Garscube H) 2.46.58; W McFarlane (Shettleston H) 3.00.18

1957 Edinburgh, Harry Fenion (Bellahouston H) 2.25.44; Hugo Fox (Shettleston H) 2.28.57; George King (Greenock W.H.) 2.37.20

1958 Edinburgh, Hugo Fox (Shettleston H) 2.31.22; Alex McDougall (Vale of Leven) 2.32.35; Harry Fenion (Bellahouston) 2.36.05

1959 Falkirk-Edinburgh, Hugo Fox (Shettleston H) 2.28.27;Gordon Eadie (Cambuslang H) 2.29.22; Jackie Foster (Edinburgh Southern H) 2.32.38

1960 Edinburgh, Gordon Eadie (Cambuslang H) 2.36.40; John Kerr (Airdrie H) ; Charlie Fraser (Edinburgh Southern H)

1961 Falkirk-Edinburgh, John Kerr (Airdrie H) 2.36.06; Bill McBrinn (Monkland H) 2.37.32; E.W.Holmes (Burn Road)

1962 Edinburgh, Alastair Wood (Aberdeen AAC) 2.24.59; John Kerr (Airdrie H); Charlie Fraser (Edinburgh Southern Harriers)

1963 Glasgow, Ian Harris (Beith H) 2.25.23; Jim Alder (Morpeth H) 2.32.04; Clark Wallace (Shettleston H)

1964 Edinburgh, Alastair Wood (Aberdeen AAC) 2.24.00; Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston H) 2.35.01;Charlie McAlinden (B + W)2.39.22

1965 Glasgow, A.J. Wood (Aberdeen) 2.20.46;Donald Macgregor (ESH) 2.22.24;Charlie McAlinden (Babcock + Wilcox) 2.26.25

1966 Glasgow, C. McAlinden (Babcock and Wilcox) 2.26.31; G. Eadie (Cambuslang) 2.28.19; Andy Fleming (Cambuslang) 2.32.47

1967 Grangemouth, Alastair Wood (Aberdeen AAC) 2.21.26; Donald Ritchie (Aberdeen) 2.27.48; Alex Wight (Edinburgh U) 2.29.36

1968 Grangemouth, Alastair Wood (Aberdeen AAC) 2.21.18; Donald Ritchie (Aberdeen) 2.32.25; Don Turner (Pitreavie AAC) 2.32.42

1969 Edinburgh, Bill Stoddart (Greenock WH) 2.27.25;Hugh Mitchell (Shettleston) 2.31.20;Peter Duffy (Motherwell YMCA) 2.37.04

1970 Edinburgh, Jim Alder (Morpeth H) 2.17.11; Donald Macgregor (Edinburgh Southern H) 2.17.14; Fergus Murray (ESH) 2.18.25

1971 Edinburgh, Pat Maclagan (Victoria Park AAC) 2.21.18; Bill Stoddart (Greenock WH) 2.23.31; Willie Day (Falkirk VH) 2.26.07

1972 Edinburgh, Alastair Wood (Aberdeen) 2.21.02; Davie Wyper (West of Scotland H) 2.26.14; Colin Youngson (VPAAC) 2.26.45

1973 Edinburgh, Donald Macgregor (ESH) 2.17.50; Jim Wight (Edinburgh AC) 2.18.24; Rab Heron (Aberdeen AAC) 2.21.15

1974 Edinburgh, Donald Macgregor (ESH) 2.18.08; Rab Heron (Aberdeen AAC) 2.19.18; Colin Youngson (AAAC) 2.21.36

1975 Edinburgh, Colin Youngson (Edinburgh Southern H) 2.16.50; Sandy Keith (EAC) 2.17.58; Alastair Wood (AAAC) 2.21.14

1976 Edinburgh, Donald Macgregor (Fife AC) 2.24.12; Doug Gunstone (EAC) 2.25.23; Alastair Macfarlane (Springburn H) 2.30.14

1977 Edinburgh, Jim Dingwall (Falkirk Victoria H) 2.16.05; Willie Day (Falkirk VH) 2.17.56; Sandy Keith (EAC) 2.18.52

1978 Edinburgh, Ian Macintosh (Ranelagh H) 2.23.07; Donald Macgregor (Fife AC) 2.23.33; Eric Fisher (Edinburgh AC) 2.28.15

1979 Edinburgh, Alastair Macfarlane (Springburn H) 2.18.03; Donald Macgregor (Fife) 2.19.15; Colin Youngson (ESH) 2.19.48

1980 Edinburgh, Graham Laing (Aberdeen AAC) 2.23.03; Colin Youngson (ESH) 2.24.56; Alastair Macfarlane (Springburn) 2.27.21

1981 Edinburgh, Colin Youngson (Aberdeen AAC) 2.20.42; Don Macgregor (Fife) 2.21.31; Alastair Macfarlane (Springburn) 2.22.25

1982 Grangemouth, Colin Youngson (Aberdeen AAC) 2.18.02; Sandy Keith (EAC) 2.26.34; Peter Wilson (Aberdeen AAC) 2.27.01

1983 Edinburgh, Peter Wilson (Aberdeen AAC) 2.26.20; Colin Youngson (Aberdeen AAC) 2.28.46; Evan Cameron (ESH) 2.29.31

1984 Aberdeen, George Reynolds (Aberdeen AAC) 2.21.04; Charlie Haskett (Dundee HH) 2.21.37; Colin Youngson (AAAC) 2.23.36

1985 Edinburgh, Evan Cameron (Edinburgh SH) 2.22.49; Colin Youngson (AAAC) 2.23.46; Graham Getty (Bellahouston H) 2.24.13

1986 Edinburgh, Brian Carty (Shettleston H) 2.23.42; Donald Macgregor (Fife AC) 2.27.30; Rab Marshall (Bellahouston H) 2.27.58

1987 Dundee, Terry Mitchell (Fife AC) 2.22.19; Charlie Haskett (Dundee Hawkhill H) 2.28.03; Ian Graves (Fife AC) 2.29.13

1988 Lochaber, Colin Martin (Dumbarton AAC) 2.30.09; Donald Ritchie (Forres H) 2.30.26; Bill McNeill (Pitreavie AAC) 2.36.39

1989 Aberdeen, Ian Bloomfield (England) 2.22.30; Terry Mitchell (Fife AC) 2.24.53; Mick McGeoch (Les Croupiers) 2.25.57

1990 Aberdeen, Chris Tall (England) 2.23.32; Stan Markley (England) 2.24.53; Brian McEvoy (England) 2.25.46

1991 Inverclyde, Terry Mitchell (Fife AC) 2.24.50; John Stephens (Low Fell) 2.27.10; Charlie MacDougall (Calderglen H) 2.35.51

1992 Elgin, Fraser Clyne (Metro Aberdeen RC) 2.25.38; John Duffy (Spango Valley) 2.28.25; Stuart Mills (NZ) 2.30.16

1993 Inverclyde, Fraser Clyne (Metro Aberdeen) 2.26.40; Raymond Lees (England) 2.29.39; Denis McAra (Falkirk VH) 2.32.09

1994 Loch Rannoch, Fraser Clyne (Metro Aberdeen) 2.23.08; Terry Mitchell (Fife AC) 2.23.46; Jim Douglas (FMC Carnegie H) 2.38.16

1995 Lochaber, John Duffy (Shettleston H) 2.31.19; Alan Reid (Peterhead AC) 2.35.52; Richard Davidson (Dundee RR) 2.35.59

1996 Inverclyde, Fraser Clyne (Metro Aberdeen RC) 2.28.25; John Duffy (Shettleston) 2.30.41; Brian Scally (Shettleston) 2.31.37

1997 Elgin, Fraser Clyne (Metro Aberdeen) 2.29.37; Stevie Ogg (FMC Carnegie H) 2.39.39; Steven Kovacs (London) 2.45.18

1998 Inverclyde, Brian Scally (Shettleston H) 2.29.32; David Thompson (Portsmouth) 2.33.48; Terry Mitchell (Fife AC) 2.39.06

1999 Dunfermline-Edinburgh, Andres Espinosa (Mexico) 2.14.31; Wicslaw Mokaya (Poland) 2.16.33; Eliass Chelanga (Kenya) 2.16.59

2000 Elgin, Simon Pride (Keith) 2.21.17; Martin Ferguson (C. of Edinburgh) 2.35.49; Nick Milovsorov (Metro) 2.40.04

2001 Elgin, Simon Pride (Metro Aberdeen RC) 2.28.34; Martin Ferguson (City of Ed) 2.32.50; Robert Davidson (2.42.55)

2002 Lochaber, Jamie Reid (Law and District) 2.21.46; Brian Fieldsend (Inverness H) 2.35.02; Martin Ferguson (EAC) 2.36.20

2003 Elgin, Jamie Reid (Ronhill Cambuslang) 2.34.08; James Snodgrass (Kilbarchan) 2.37.20; Andreas Merdes (Lothian) 2.39.58

2004 Lochaber, Simon Pride (Metro Aberdeen) 2.21.21; Andreas Merdes (Lothian RC) 2.37.50; John Duffy (Shettleston H) 2.44.32

2005 Edinburgh, Robert Gilroy (Ronhill Cambuslang H) 2.26.42; Jamie Reid (RCH) 2.30.51; Frank Harper (Carnegie H) 2.35.54

2006 Loch Ness, Simon Pride (Forres Harriers) 2.22.25; Jamie Reid (RCH) 2.24.04; Stephen Wylie (RCH) 2.30.09

2007 Elgin, Jamie Reid (RCH) 2.33.11; Simon Pride (Forres H) 2.33.46; David Gardiner (Kirkintilloch Olympians) 2.38.07

2008 Lochaber, Stuart Kerr (Kirkintilloch O) 2.34.01; Keith Buchan (Fraserburgh AAC) 2.43.12; Paul Hart (Dumfries RC) 2.45.10

2009 Edinburgh, Martin Williams (Ronhill Cambus H) 2.18.24; Chris Wilson (RCH) 2.26.36; Robert Turner (Harmeny AC) 2.33.50

2010 London, Andrew Lemoncello (Fife) 2.13.40; Neil Renault (EAC) 2.18.29; Ross Houston (Central AC) 2.22.49

2011 Loch Ness, Ross Houston (Central AC) 2.20.49; Chris Wilson (RCH) 2.25.15; Kerry-Liam Wilson (RCH) 2.31.06

2012 Loch Ness, Ross Houston (Central AC) 2.20.24; Ben Hukins (Aberdeen AAC) 2.29.17; Kerry-Liam Wilson (RCH) 2.30.36

2013 Loch Ness, Patryk Gierjatowicz (Ed Uni H&H) 2.30.39; Ross Clark (HBT) 2.36.05; Roger Van Gompel (Dundee HH) 2.36.35

2014 Loch Ness, Patryk Gierjatowicz (HBT) 2.24.17; Kerry-Liam Wilson (RCH) 2.28.56; John Sharp (Inverclyde AC) 2.31.56

2015 Loch Ness, Patryk Gierjatowicz (HBT) 2.27.46; John Newsom (Inverness H) 2.32.54; Donnie Macdonald (Inverness H) 2.33.28

2016 London, Callum Hawkins (Kilbarchan AAC) 2:10:52; Tsegai Twelde (Shettleston H) 2:12:23; Derek Hawkins (Kilbarchan AAC) 2:12:57

2017 London, Robbie Simpson (Deeside R) 2:15:04; Craig Ruddy (Inverclyde AC) 2:22:22; Andrew Lemoncello (Fife AC) 2:24:11

2018 Stirling, Michael Wright (Central AC) 2:29:19; Patryk Gierjatowicz (Hunters Bog T) 2:33:10; Tom Roche (Insch Trail RC) 2:33:38

2019 Stirling, Michael Wright (Central AC) 2:29:32; Kevin Wood (Fife AC) 2:30:52; Donnie Macdonald (Inverness H) 2:34:19

(No Scottish Marathon Championships in 2020, 2021 and 2022, due to the Covid Epidemic.)

2023 London, Luke Caldwell (Dorking & Mole Valley) 2:13:29; Weynay Ghebresilasie (Shettleston H) 2:15:41; Fraser Stewart (Cambuslang H) 2:18:34

2000 SCOTTISH ALL ALL-TIME RANKING LISTS

Allister Hutton (2)

MEN
Allister Hutton 2.09.16 21/04/85
John Graham 2.09.28 23/05/81
Jim Dingwall 2.11.44 17/04/83
Fraser Clyne 2.11.50 02/12/84
Jim Alder 2.12.04 23/07/70
Lindsay Robertson 2.13.30 25/10/87
Peter Fleming 2.13.33 31/10/93
Alastair Wood 2.13.45 09/07/66
Graham Laing 2.13.59 29/03/81
Donald Macgregor 2.14.16 31/01/74
Andy Robertson 2.14.23 21/06/81
Alex Wight 2.15.27 08/05/71
David Clark 2.15.28 09/05/82
Fergus Murray 2.15.32 23/07/70
Jim Wight 2.15.43 08/05/71
Andy Daly 2.15.47 21/04/85
Lawrie Spence 2.16.01 30/09/84
David Cavers 2.16.06 19/04/98
Sandy Keith 2.16.12 25/10/75
Colin Youngson 2.16.50 28/06/75

WOMEN
Liz McColgan 2.26.52 13/04/97
Lynn Harding 2.31.45 23/04/89
Sheila Catford 2.33.04 23/04/89
Karen MacLeod 2.33.16 27/08/94
Lynda Bain 2.33.38 21/04/85
Heather MacDuff 2.34.26 16/10/88
Sandra Branney 2.35.03 23/04/89
Lorna Irving 2.36.34 01/08/86
Inez McLean 2.38.17 03/02/85
Trudi Thomson 2.38.23 30/10/95
Lynne McDougall 2.38.32 16/04/00
Alison Rose 2.42.42 09/04/95
Louise Vandyck 2.43.18 23/04/89
Rosemary Wright 2.43.29 04/10/81
Eileen Masson 2.43.50 31/10/88
Leslie Watson 2.44.18 24/10/82
Ann Curtis 2.48.00 28/04/85
Catherine Robertson 2.48.22 10/05/87
Patricia Calder 2.48.26 28/05/85
Margaret Baillie 2.51.12 29/04/84

2015 SCOTTISH ALL-TIME RANKING LISTS

MEN
2:09:16 Allister Hutton 21 Apr 85
2:09:28 John Graham 23 May 81
2:10:36 Paul Evans 12 Apr 92
2:11:44 Jim Dingwall 17 Apr 83
2:11:50 Fraser Clyne 2 Dec 84
2:12:04 Jim Alder 23 Jul 70
2:12:17 Callum Hawkins 25 Oct 15
2:13:30 Lindsay Robertson 25 Oct 87
2:13:33 Peter Fleming 31 Oct 93
2:13:40 Andrew Lemoncello 25 Apr 10
2:13:45 Alastair Wood 9 Jul 66
2:13:59 Graham Laing 29 Mar 81
2:14:04 Derek Hawkins 28 Oct 12
2:14:16 Donald Macgregor 31 Jan 74
2:14:23 Andrew Robertson 21 Jun 81
2:15:27 Alex Wight 8 May 71
2:15:28 David Clark 9 May 82
2:15:32 Fergus Murray 23 Jul 70
2:15:43 Jim Wight 8 May 71
2:15:47 Andrew Daly 21 Apr 85

WOMEN
2:26:52 Elizabeth McColgan 13 Apr 97
2:28:10 Freya Murray 22 Apr 12
2:28:39 Kathy Butler 22 Oct 06
2:29:18 Hayley Haining 13 Apr 08
2:30:46 Susan Partridge 21 Apr 13
2:31:45 Lynn Harding 23 Apr 89
2:33:04 Sheila Catford 23 Apr 89
2:33:16 Karen Macleod 27 Aug 94
2:33:38 Lynda Bain 21 Apr 85
2:34:26 Heather MacDuff 16 Oct 88
2:35:03 Sandra Branney 23 Apr 89
2:36:29 Lynne MacDougall 24 Feb 02
2:36:34 Lorna Irving 1 Aug 86
2:38:17 Inez McLean 3 Feb 85
2:38:23 Trudi Thomson 30 Oct 95
2:38:42 Shona Crombie-Hicks 25 Sep 05
2:39:22 Joasia Zakrzewski 27 Oct 14
2:40:14 Shona McIntosh 26 Apr 15
2:40:26 Megan Crawford 26 Apr 15
2:40:39 Gemma Rankin 6 Apr 14

BRIAN CARTY

Posted on February 4, 2016 by The Author

Brian Carty was born on the 19th of November 1943. During his short but very successful running career, when he was in his early forties, Brian ran for Shettleston Harriers. He worked at the BMC car factory in Bathgate. Hugh Mitchell, who had been a prominent, medal-winning Scottish marathon and ultra-marathon racer in the 1960s, became Brian’s advisor and trainer.
In 1983, Brian Carty ran what seems to have been his first marathon – the Scottish Championships from Meadowbank, Edinburgh. The result was: first Peter Wilson (Aberdeen AAC – 2.26.20); second Colin Youngson (Aberdeen AAC – 2.28.46); third Evan Cameron (Edinburgh Southern Harriers – 2.29.30); and fourth Brian Carty (unattached – 2.33.45). An impressive debut, aged 39! He must have joined Shettleston shortly after this event.

Brian Carty breaking the record in the 1985 Cairnpapple Hill Race, which was the Scottish Veterans Championship.

In the 1985 Scottish Veterans Cross Country Championship at Callendar Park, Falkirk, in a particularly competitive field, Brian finished 6th. Then, in the famous Tom Scott Memorial 10 Miles Road Race, he crossed the line as first Veteran in 52.17 and was presented with the Turnbull Rose Bowl. In the Inverclyde/SVHC Marathon he was timed at 2.29.28 behind Allan Adams and David Fairweather. That November, aged 42, he ran for Shettleston Harriers in the prestigious Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay.
The 1986 SAAA Marathon, which took place on the 1st of June, was part of the Edinburgh Marathon which followed a tortuous route from outside Meadowbank, up to the Royal Mile, down Lothian Road, right along Princes Street and back to the start. Then it continued to Seafield, Cramond and back to Seafield before climbing up to the start/finish.
This race was to be the battle of the veterans – Donald Macgregor, the favourite, and Brian Carty of Shettleston Harriers. The latter, a steadily improving, strong-looking man, had finished second in the Scottish Veterans Cross-country Championships, although he much preferred road racing. Brian remembered that he was wary of going too fast, too soon, on a hilly course, so he stayed with the second pack some distance behind the group of six leaders. As far as he could see, Don Macgregor was playing ‘cat and mouse’ with them. Eventually Donald went off into a clear lead, until Brian came through and caught him at Cramond (17 miles).

Carty’s coach, Hugh Mitchell, had advised him, ‘When you catch someone up, talk to them – it shows that you’re fresh.’ So Brian asked how Donald was feeling, and shortly afterwards began to draw away. He finished very strongly indeed, while Donald faded. Although he felt good all the way, he was a lone figure, especially through Seafield, because of the lack of spectators. Only at the finish was there applause, as Brian Carty won the Edinburgh Marathon and the Scottish Marathon Championship in 2.23.42, a personal best, with Donald second in 2.27.30 and Robert Marshall, who much, much later became a British Masters M65 Cross-Country Champion, third in 2.27.59.

Brian Carty wins the 1986 Scottish Marathon Championship

Brian’s training was not unlike Hugh Mitchell’s twenty years previously. Overcoming initial reluctance, he gradually built up to a very strenuous regime indeed. On weekdays he might run thrice: twelve or fourteen miles to work at British Leyland; four miles fartlek at lunchtime; and another ten to twelve miles home. He remembered many hard sessions in the Bathgate hills. In total he might run 120 or even 150 miles per week. So his 1986 triumph was hard-earned indeed.
Donald Macgregor had less happy memories of the event! He wrote that he was quite fit, having done 2.22.05 in London, followed by six weeks of moderate mileage. Since he had done ‘the diet’ for London, it didn’t work properly for this race because the gap between the two events was too brief. Donald lamented that the Edinburgh Marathon was “the least convincing city marathon because the Edinburghers didn’t really give a damn, whereas in Dundee, Glasgow and to some extent Aberdeen you got a lot of interested spectators. Edinburgh is always associated in my mind with a picture of a woman wheeling a pram past us – in the opposite direction, I hasten to add – and seeking to ignore our unpleasant existence.”
“However the organisers offered to put up our family in the George Hotel. That was great, but for some reason I sweated a lot and couldn’t sleep. At last the fulfilment (not for the first time) of Jim Alder’s nightmare: ‘Due for a bad un.’ The course started through the centre of Edinburgh for once before heading out west – I recall passing through the dreaded Granton area again – and finished climactically in a side-street next to Meadowbank, to make sure not too many of the genteel folk would see us. The ‘bad un’ started after 11 very boring miles of cruising along in the lead wondering how long it was going to be before someone came up to my shoulder. Then I began to feel weak at the knees. Brian Carty appeared, and ran away from me for a popular and well-deserved win, but one he told me he had not expected. I crawled in (2.27.30), and unfortunately my father and stepmother had come in person to see me run for the one and only time. I looked like an escapee from some 15th Century Durer woodcut (one of the victims of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) as I was led away to the shelter of the stadium shower room. I am unlikely to be doing another SAAA Marathon unless paid heavily to take part.”
Apparently, Brian Carty was not officially entered in the rain-swept 1986 Glasgow Marathon, but someone could not start, so Brian donned the spare number and, in a rather ineffectual attempt to conceal his identity, wore a hat.

Brian running the 1986 Glasgow Marathon – in disguise!

1987 was also a good year for Brian Carty. In the Scottish Veterans CC at Huntershill he improved to 2nd, behind Brian Scobie, but just ahead of David Fairweather. Then he showed greatly increased speed in the Tom Scott Memorial 10, recording 50.01 to secure the title of First Veteran again.
On 26th April, the Lochaber Marathon featured a duel between two SAAA Marathon winners. Colin Youngson, aged 39, set out over-confidently, building up a two-minute lead by ten miles into what he thought was a headwind. However after the turn he discovered that there was another headwind to struggle into on the way back, and also that Brian Carty was pulling him in steadily. When Brian caught up at 22 miles, Colin assumed he was ‘dead and buried’ but Brian, true to form, started chatting pleasantly! Too knackered to respond in more than grunts, Colin dropped in behind for a bit of shelter. Just before 25 miles, he had recovered enough to make a last-ditch effort, ran very hard for half a mile and hung on desperately to the finish. Eighteen seconds later, a fresh Brian, such a genuinely nice guy, rolled in to congratulate Youngson who was panting helplessly against a wall. Colin’s 2.26.15 was a course record until Fraser Clyne raced Lochaber. Brian Carty, aged 43, had the consolation of winning the Scottish Veterans Marathon title.
Then, in the 1987 Glasgow Marathon, when more than 5000 ran, Brian Carty of Shettleston Harriers finished an excellent 17th and First Veteran, in 2.25.18.
The 1988 Scottish Veterans CC at Dalmuir Park, Clydebank, was run in a blizzard and Brian Carty, aged 44, ended up 14th.
Sadly, Brian Carty had to give up running after a bad accident at work when his arm got dragged into a machine. However he made a real impression and was liked and respected greatly by runners who trained or competed with him.