The Author – Page 95 – SCOTTISH DISTANCE RUNNING HISTORY

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.

A Hardy Race: The Nineties and the New Millennium

Posted on January 27, 2016 by The Author

Fraser Clyne winning the 1983 Oakland Marathon near San Francisco

If 1989 had produced the first English winner of the title then the 1990 race, again held in Aberdeen, ended even more dismally for home-based runners. England internationals Chris Tall (2.23.32), Stan Markley (2.24.53) and Brian McEvoy (2.25.46) swept the boards, leaving Fraserburgh’s Charlie McIntyre the honour of being first Scot home in fourth place (2.26.50).

Liz Hughes from Wales successfully defended the women’s title with another personal best time of 2.49.47 while local Aberdeen AAC runners Diana Jermieson (3.25.08) and Joan Molloy (3.33.27) took home the silver and bronze awards.

Liz was a particularly successful Welsh International runner on both Road and Country. She was Welsh Champion at 10 miles and the Marathon; won the Scottish Marathon title twice; finished first lady in the Great North Run; and was victorious in a World Masters 25k Road Race.

The championships moved to a new venue in 1991 with the decision to hold the event in association with the Inverclyde marathon at Greenock. The Inverclyde race, backed by IBM, had first been held in 1981 when Bill Stoddart, the 1969 Scottish champion, won. Terry Mitchell travelled to the west coast hopeful of regaining the title he won at Dundee four years earlier – and he was not to be disappointed. The Fifer dominated the race, despite deplorable conditions (heavy rain and strong headwinds), he won comfortably in 2.24.50 from John Stephens (2.27.10) and veteran Charlie McDougall (2.35.51). Kilbarchan’s Eileen Masson was equally commanding when winning the women’s title for the second time in four races (2.50.12) with Julie Harvey (City of Glasgow – 3.03.19) and Margaret Blaikie (SVHC – 3.07.39) claiming the other medal positions. Eileen’s victory celebrated her comeback year after leaving marathon running in 1988 to have a baby.

John Stephens, from Low Fell, in Northumbria, missed Mitchell’s break after six miles and had to grind out the next twenty on his own. Stephens had won the Inverclyde Marathon in 1983 and 1984, while stationed with the Navy on the Clyde. He had run for Dumbarton AAC at that time and had worked as a Royal Navy physiotherapist.

Charlie McDougall finishing third

Charlie McDougall complained, “The wind killed me.” However the 42 year-old Calderglen Harrier could be proud of a good performance. Charlie went on to have a very successful career as a veteran, including running well several times for Scottish Masters in the annual British and Irish Masters Five Nations International Cross Country.

Terry Mitchell running the 1985 Loch Rannoch Marathon

Terry Mitchell was a versatile, talented and durable athlete who represented Scotland in Cross-Country, Road Racing and Mountain Running. He gained two GB marathon vests – one was for winning the Istanbul Marathon. Terry also won Scottish titles at Half Marathon and 50km (the latter five times!)

Fraser Clyne waited until the latter stages of his career before the national championship grabbed his attention. The Arbroath-born runner made his marathon debut as a 26 year-old at Aberdeen in 1981 on a day ravaged by howling gales and driving rain. It was a sobering experience as, after briefly taking the lead with six miles to go, he faded badly to finish fourth behind Max Coleby, Martin Knapp and Donald Macgregor in 2.23.36. It was to be another eleven years before Clyne entered the Scottish Championship for the first time, at Elgin, but in the intervening period he was to become one of the country’s most experienced exponents of the marathon. Between September 1982 and December 1991 he broke the 2 hours 20 minutes barrier on 22 occasions. His best performance was undoubtedly in the 1984 United States Championship race incorporated within the California International Marathon at Sacramento where he finished runner-up to America’s Ken Martin in 2.11.50. Clyne competed regularly in America and also performed in Australia, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Africa and Germany. He represented Great Britain in three World Cup Marathons but could finish no higher than 47th. He was 10th in the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

The Metro Aberdeen member was a couple of weeks short of his 37th birthday when he travelled to Elgin for the 1992 Scottish Championship race. The event, held along with a 10km and half marathon as part of the Macallan Moray Festival of Running, was organised by Moray Road Runners. It started and finished in Elgin’s Cooper Park and the course followed a series of quiet rural roads past Burghead and Lossiemouth. This was the furthest north the championship had ever been held.

Although Clyne was taking part in the championship for the first time he still wasn’t taking the event too seriously. His training diary reveals that 90 miles had been run in the seven days before the Moray race so he was hardly well rested for the challenge.

John Duffy of IBM Spango Valley (formerly of Greenock Wellpark Harriers – and later of Shettleston Harriers) got the race off to a spritely start on a bright but breezy day. The stiff climb out of Elgin after two miles resulted in a slowing of the tempo and soon a small group which included Duffy, Clyne, George Reynolds of Forres, Aberdeen-based New Zealander Stuart Mills, Ayr’s Alistair Stewart and the Teviotdale pair Nicol Maltman and Andy Fair settled in at the head of the field. Duffy seized the initiative approaching the 12 mile mark by increasing the pace and quickly pulling away from the group which immediately began to break up. Clyne allowed the Spango Valley man to open a lead of 100 metres before setting off in pursuit. The Aberdeen athlete quickly pulled in his rival and swept past to open up a gap which stretched to almost three minutes by the end of the race. Clyne coasted home in 2.25.38. It was the slowest time he had ever run for a marathon but a course record nonetheless. Duffy collected the silver medal in 2.28.25 and Mills was a clear third in 2.30.16.

‘I just did enough to win,’ Clyne said at the time. ‘I wanted to win the title but I also didn’t want to interrupt my training which is aimed at the California International Marathon in December.’ (Clyne later ran 2.20.5 in the American race).

Trudi Thomson of Babcock Pitreavie AC, who would later become an international class marathon and ultra-distance runner, won the women’s race in 3.14.30. Fiona Nicholson and Clare Slatter were well behind in second and third respectively.

Fraser Clyne winning at Morpeth in 1989

The 1992 championship was the last one held under the auspices of the Scottish AAA and the Scottish WAAA. From now on a new single governing body, the Scottish Athletics Federation, would rule the sport.

The 1993 championship returned to Greenock and was again incorporated within the annual Inverclyde race organised by Tom Tracey, Bill Stoddart and their colleagues. Sponsorship was provided by the local IBM factory. On a windy day Fraser Clyne easily retained the title after moving into the lead at nine miles and running solo for the rest of the race. He stopped the clock at 2.26.40 to finish three minutes in front of visiting Englishman Raymond Lees (Clayton-le-Moors) with veteran Falkirk Victoria Harrier Denis McAra outsprinting Martin Coyne (Leslie Deans RC) for third place in 2.32.09. Again Clyne had done little resting prior to the event. The previous Sunday he had won a half marathon at Dyce and four days later posted a sub-20 minute time to win a four mile race in Aberdeen.

Ultra-distance star Eleanor Robinson of the North-East Veterans Harriers Club and Border Harriers travelled north from her home in Brampton to win the 1993 women’s championship in 2.55.42. ‘It was hard going in the early part of the race but there were some beautiful views in the later stages,’ she said. Kate Todd (Johnny Walker Kilmarnock Harriers and M. Thomas (Westerlands AC) won silver and bronze.

Loch Rannoch hosted the 1994 championship. With the familiar shape of Schiehallion providing a dramatic backdrop to a course which followed a loop around the loch, the scenery was impressive. A warm June day with a strong westerly wind made sure life would be tough for the 150 competitors. Fraser Clyne turned up hoping to emulate Joe McGhee by winning the title three years in a row but the presence in the field of Terry Mitchell, also seeking a third championship win, ensured this would not be easily achieved.

Mitchell set the early pace along with Peterhead AAC’s Alan Reid while Clyne was happy to tag alongside. The refreshment stations caused the leaders some concern as the cups were filled with suspiciously discoloured water. Speculation centred upon whether this was the natural peaty colour of the local tap water or, of more concern, had the cups been filled directly from the nearby loch?
Whatever, Reid dropped out shortly before the ten mile mark – but not because of anything he had consumed. A calf injury flared up, leaving the North District man no option but to pull out. Mitchell and Clyne continued onwards through the halfway point together. Suddenly, however, Clyne opened a 100m lead on an uphill stretch at the head of the loch. Any thoughts the Aberdeen man might have entertained that the race was won were quickly dispelled, as Mitchell came storming back a mile or so later. The rejuvenated Fifer brushed quickly past the defending champion and began to pull away. By 19 miles Terry enjoyed a lead of over 200m and Fraser looked beaten. The race, however, still had another dramatic turn to take. Clyne rallied once again as the course twisted through the grounds of Rannoch School. ‘I sensed that Terry was no longer going away from me and that I might still have a chance,’ Clyne said afterwards.

Between 20 and 23 miles Clyne hunted down his rival and with two miles remaining the two men were again locked together in an exciting dogfight. ‘As soon as I caught Terry I got a terrible attack of stomach cramp and thought I’d blown it,’ Clyne recalled. ‘I gained some comfort, however, by looking at Terry and realising he was suffering more than me.’ Fraser summoned up one final effort which gained him an eventual hard-earned winning margin of 38 seconds. It was a course record and the result meant that he had emulated Joe McGhee’s record of three wins in a row. Spectators had to wait over 14 minutes until the bronze medallist came into view when Jim Douglas of FMC Carnegie Harriers edged home, 11 seconds clear of 48 year-old Pitreavie man Archie Duncan.

Janis Gjelseth of Shettleston Ladies took the 1994 women’s title in 2.58.37 with Jan Thomson of FMC Carnegie Harriers second in 3.07.34 and Diane Harvey of Tipton third.

Fraser Clyne passed up on the chance to go for a fourth straight win in 1995 – the 50th edition of the championship. He had received an invitation to compete in the famous Two Oceans Marathon, held over a 35 mile course at Cape Town, just one week before the SAF championship race at Fort William. The lure of representing Great Britain in the famous South African ultra event proved too hard to resist.

In 1995 at Lochaber, John Duffy, a powerful runner who had moved to Shettleston Harriers from IBM Spango Valley, seized the opportunity to grab his first national title. Duffy was pressed hard in the first half of the race by Alan Reid, the 29 year-old Banff-based athlete, who was rated one of the best distance runners in the North of Scotland. (Later on, Alan ran for GB over 100km; and won the British title at that distance.) Reid had made his marathon debut as a teenager in the Easter Ross race many years earlier. His only other attempt at the distance ended in failure at Loch Rannoch when he was forced to drop out with injury – and now he was hoping it would be a case of third time lucky. Duffy, however, proved too strong in the second half of the contest and gradually eased home in 2.31.19. Reid suffered badly in the closing stages and was in danger of failing to get a medal of any description until he rallied to overhaul Richard Davidson and Davie Fairweather – just ten seconds separated these three at the end.

Margaret McLaren became Fife AC’s first-ever women’s marathon champion when she recorded 3.07.17 to get the better of Susan Low and Corina Cramer.

Clyne returned to the fray in 1996 when the championship was again held in conjunction with the Inverclyde marathon at Greenock. The Metro Aberdeen man was familiar with the route having won this race in 1993. He travelled to the west coast with clubmates Peter Jennings, Jackie Stewart and Charlie Benzies and the North-east squad loaded up with carbohydrates in a Glasgow pizza joint on the eve of the contest.

The race got off to an incredibly casual start with no one prepared to take up the initiative. After five miles the leaders were on schedule for 2.40. It was only a matter of time before someone reacted and Jim Bennett of Greenock Glenpark was the first to lose patience and break away. This burst of defiance didn’t stir any of the others into action however and, by the 14 mile point, the local man held a one minute lead over the chasing pack which included Clyne, defending champion John Duffy and marathon debutant Brian Scally. In the subsequent five miles Bennett’s lead was gradually whittled away as Clyne began the long push for home, pursued only by Scally as Duffy began to falter. As Bennett’s brave bid evaporated it was Scally who took up the challenge but his hopes also faded at the 21 mile point when he hit a bad patch. Clyne used his experience to surge clear and eventually ran out an easy winner in 2.28.25. (Fraser also became the M40 Scottish Veterans’ Marathon Champion.)

John Duffy, a Civil Servant, who had won a silver medal in the European veterans’ marathon championship in Malmo earlier in the year, overhauled Scally (2.31.37) in the closing stages to take runner-up spot for the second time in five years (2.30.41). Duffy enjoyed a good career for fourteen years as a marathon runner (Personal Best 2.18.44 in 1987) – with two wins at Lochaber and four at Inverclyde, as well as becoming 1996 British Veterans Marathon Champion at the Potteries Marathon in Stoke-On-Trent.

Ultra-distance expert Eleanor Robinson (Border Harriers) was an untroubled winner of the 1996 women’s title in 2.56.47 with Carol Lisle of FMC Carnegie Harriers taking silver in 3.27.17. Pat Donald of Deeside Runners, competing in her first marathon, took away the bronze in 3.30.35.

Eleanor Adams/Robinson achieved fantastic success as an ultra runner in the 1980s and 1990s. Her best performances included: being the first woman to run over 150 miles in a 24-hour race; and twice being World Champion in IAU 100km events. Wikipedia has the whole amazing story.

Well after her retirement, Eleanor helped the GB Women’s team at the 2014 IAU World 100km Championships, when Scottish International runner Ellie Greenwood (who lives in Canada) won individual gold, setting a new Scottish record of 7.30.48. Along with Joasia Zakrzewski (a Scottish Marathon International, living in Dumfries), Jo Meek and Emily Gelder, GB won the team title as well.

From the left: Eleanor, Joasia, Ellie and Jo Meek

Fraser Clyne travelled to Elgin to bid for a fifth title in 1997 at the age of 42. Interest in the championship had dwindled to an all-time low and even some of the people involved with the organisation of the event were unaware it had been given championship status. ‘When I handed the trophy over to them before the start of the race an official asked what it was for,’ Clyne said.

The race itself was over within the first two miles. On a warm and blustery day Stevie Ogg of FMC Carnegie Harriers kept with Clyne for a little more than ten minutes before dropping well off the pace. Clyne, who had been worried by a foot injury in the preceding weeks, was able to relax and cruised away to win by more that ten minutes in 2.29.39. Ogg achieved his aim of securing a London qualifying time when finishing second in 2.39.39; while Londoner Steven Kovacs seemed bemused at receiving a championship bronze medal after taking third place in 2.45.18 – it was the slowest medal-winning time for more than 30 years.

Kate Jenkins of the Carnethy Hill Running Club was a convincing winner of the women’s race when recording 3.18.07 to finish well ahead of Pat Donald of Deeside Runners (3.44.38) and Val Goldie of Milburn Harriers (3.51.48).

The 1998 championship returned again to Greenock. Brian Scally made up for the disappointment of hitting the wall two years earlier to become the sixth Shettleston Harrier to win the title after leading for most of the way. His time of 2.29.32 saw him finish well clear of Anglo-Scot David Thompson, from Portsmouth, who stopped the clock at 2.33.48. Terry Mitchell added to his medal collection (two gold, two silver and now one bronze) by finishing an isolated and weary third in 2.39.06 – ‘my slowest-ever marathon’.

Tom Hanlon being chased by Brian Scally

The women’s race was won in equally emphatic fashion by Gala veteran Pat Affleck who recorded 3.04.05 for 18th place overall in the field of 63 runners. Frances Florence of Shettleston was second in 3.11.29 and Val Goldie of Milburn claimed bronze for the second year in a row with a time of 3.47.46.

Big-time marathon running returned to Scotland in 1999 with Puma’s decision to back a new race between Dunfermline and Edinburgh. With a huge budget, the organisers set about attracting a world-class field, and the SAF decided this was just the right sort of showcase event with which their championship should be linked. The route chosen between Scotland’s ancient and modern capitals (a hilly one including the Forth Road Bridge) was not the easiest for the huge field of 5000 to negotiate. Not surprisingly any thoughts of British record times were soon thrown out of the window, but Mexico’s Andres Espinosa did set a championship best performance when winning the title in 2.14.31 – bettering Jim Dingwall’s 22 year-old mark. Wicslaw Mokaya of Poland was runner-up in 2.16.33 and Eliass Chelanga of Kenya took the bronze in 2.16.59. Although English runners had taken the top three places in the 1990 championship race, this was the first time that all three medals had left the British Isles. Glasgow-born Paul Evans, who has lived in Lowestoft for most of his days and has represented England, was the first ‘Scot’ to complete the course when finishing fourth in 2.17.35. Evans and the next two Scotsmen – Jamie Reid of Law and District (2.25.39) and Martin Ferguson of City of Edinburgh (2.29.55) – were awarded special medals.

The women’s medals also went overseas with Kenya’s Esther Kiplagat winning in 2.33.09 from Poland’s Violetta Kryza (2.33.44) and Kenya’s Angelina Kanana (2.34.48). Kiplagat’s time was also a championship best, eclipsing Lynda Bain’s 1984 effort of 2.41.41.
With the Edinburgh marathon falling by the wayside after just one year, due to the withdrawal of one of its major sponsors, the championship returned to Elgin for a third time in 2000 and was incorporated within the Macallan Moray festival of running.

The 1999 World 100km Champion, Simon Pride (Keith and District AC), gave the 2000 event a boost by declaring that he preferred going for a first Scottish title rather than defending his world crown in Holland.

Pride was born in Swansea but moved to Fochabers in the late 1980s and later worked there as a postman. He represented Wales in 800m and 1500m track races as a youngster and was in the same schools international team as World Champion hurdler Colin Jackson.

Simon’s promising running career took a back seat after he left school to join the army at 17. Four years later he moved to Moray, where he settled with wife Linda and took a job as a roofer and sheet metal erector. Running remained a casual, but enjoyable, pastime until a frightening and nearly catastrophic industrial accident changed Pride’s outlook on life.

He explained, ‘One day a nail was fired through my thigh bone just above the knee. It was probably the turning point as I thought my running days could well be over. Not only did the incident make me change jobs, it also shook me up into a training frenzy. For too long I had taken my running for granted. Within four months I had won my first GB vest.’

Pride found international success in the world of ultra-distance running. His first 100km, in 1996, produced a Scottish championship bronze medal. The following year he was ninth in the European championships and by 1998 he had a top six finish in the world championship to his credit. Simon benefited from the wisdom of World 100 km record holder Don Ritchie, who lived relatively nearby in Lossiemouth.

The Keith and District athlete’s greatest triumph came in May 1999, in France, where he won the World title with a UK road best of 6 hours 24 minutes 05 seconds. It was a superb performance which took the ultra-marathon world by surprise.

Even more surprising was Simon’s decision a year later not to defend the World title. ‘I need a break from ultras,’ he said at the time. He decided to concentrate on marathons for a while and, when the opportunity to bid for a Scottish title on his home patch presented itself, Pride was in no mood to miss out.

He was determined to win the Scottish championship – and equally keen to break the Moray course record of 2.25.38 set eight years earlier by Fraser Clyne. He achieved both with plenty to spare. Running on his own for almost the whole way, he took advantage of perfect conditions to stop the clock at 2.21.17. It was the quickest winning performance in the championships since 1984, the biggest winning margin ever, and was just 14 seconds outside his personal best set in London four months earlier.

Simon Pride in a posed photo for a running magazine

Martin Ferguson (City of Edinburgh) was more than two and a half miles behind in second place (2.35.49) and Nick Milovsorov (Metro Aberdeen), who was ‘training for the Amsterdam marathon later in the year’ collected bronze in 2.40.04.

Kate Jenkins (Carnethy), who earlier in the summer had set a women’s record for the 95 mile race along the West Highland Way, in which she finished second overall, added another title to her growing list of endurance achievements, by taking the Scottish women’s championship 3.04.21. Carol Cadger (Perth) won silver in 3.12.24 and Averil Dudek (Perth) struck bronze in 3.18.34

THE FUTURE (written by Fraser Clyne in 2000)

Running through the pages of this book have been many varied characters producing a range of gritty performances. No one has ever run a really easy marathon; everyone has had to work hard; many have suffered. What matters is to do the best you can on the day: exploring your potential to the limit. Few experiences can be as satisfying as a really good marathon.

The ‘marathon boom’ has gone, although London and other big city events still capture the popular imagination. Nowadays adventure or multi-discipline events are fashionable. But there is a tough simplicity in the classic marathon which should ensure its survival for many years as a great personal and competitive challenge. If road-runners find ways of organising 10k and half-marathon races despite the disapproval of the police; if other event organisers can be inspired by the success of the 1999 Puma Edinburgh / SAF marathon; then marathons will continue to be contested, not only in London, on the continent of Europe and around the world but also in Scotland. This will maintain or even enhance the Scottish Marathon Championship’s fine tradition.

A Hardy Race: 2001 to 2023

Posted on January 27, 2016 by The Author

Simon Pride celebrates after winning the Belfast Marathon

The Scottish Men’s Marathon Championship in the 2000s was dominated by two runners; one was Simon Pride (2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006) and the other was Jamie Reid (2002, 2003 and 2007). Amongst the winners of the Women’s title, Kate Jenkins, the Champion in 1997 and 2000, won again in 2003 and 2007. However Shona Crombie-Hicks and Ros Alexander (2005), Toni McIntosh (2009) and Trudi Thomson (2001) produced the fastest times during the decade, although Megan Crawford and Jennifer Emsley also ran well during 2013-2015).

Simon Pride’s concentration from 2000 onwards on the marathon distance paid dividends. He recorded an excellent personal best of 2:16:27 in the 2001 London event and represented his adopted country, Scotland, in the Manchester Commonwealth Games marathon in 2002, finishing sixteenth.

After a brief return to ultra running when he finished third in the 2004 European 100K Championships in Faenza, Italy, Simon’s running reverted once more to shorter distances. Marathon victories include Belfast, Dublin, Lochaber and the Loch Ness event. He was Scottish Marathon Champion four times, in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006 (variously representing Keith, Metro Aberdeen and Forres Harriers). In addition he won umpteen 10Ks, 10 milers and half marathons as well as the M35 title in the Scottish Masters Cross Country Championships. Simon Pride was talented, versatile, brave and tough and his finest achievements (all as a Scotsman) were absolutely outstanding.

The 2001 Scottish Marathon Championships, for both Men and Women, started and finished in Elgin, as part of the Moray Marathons series on September 2nd. The Athletics Weekly report by Fraser Clyne was as follows.

“Simon Pride (Metro Aberdeen RC) retained the Scottish marathon title with a comfortable victory over a field of 162 runners, but women’s champion Trudi Thomson was in tears at the finish after missing the Commonwealth Games qualifying standards in tough conditions.

Pride, who clocked a Commonwealth qualifying time of 2.16.29 at London earlier this year, eased round the windswept course to finish in 2.28.34, well ahead of Martin Ferguson (City of Edinburgh – 2.32.50), who collected the silver medal for the second year in a row.

Ferguson had bravely tried to hold on to the former World 100km champion for much of the race but Pride proved to be much too strong over the last six miles. Robert Davidson (2.42.55) was third, while fourth placed Terry Coyle (2.43.48) was top M40.

The result virtually guarantees Pride a place in the Scottish team for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Manchester. He said, ‘I felt quite comfortable but there was a very strong headwind in the closing four miles which made things difficult. The time was unimportant. I just wanted to win and I’ve achieved that, so now I can relax. I’m happy.’

Pride also led Metro Aberdeen Running Club to the team title on a day when the North-East outfit also won the half marathon and 10k team trophies.

Trudi Thomson (Pitreavie AAC) came to the Moray race hoping to get the Games qualifying standard of 2.40, but the strong winds ruined any hopes she had of achieving that mark. She said, ‘I so wanted to get the standard. It was very hard in the first ten miles but, despite that, I was still on schedule at 20. Then it all fell away. I am so disappointed. I cannot believe how tough it was at the finish.’

Thomson, who was beaten by only six men, took little consolation from the fact that her 2.49.33 broke the course record of 2.51.09, set by Belgrave’s Frances Guy in 1987. Carol Cadger (Perth Strathtay) was second in 3.20.57 and Scarlett Courtney (Milne’s) took third spot in 3.21.54.”

Carol Cadger was a durable athlete who won the Scottish 50km title four times, in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002.

Despite the above reverse, near the end of a fine running career, Trudi Thomson had many highlights to look back upon. When she won her first Scottish Marathon title in 1992, she was only starting out. She raced a lot and was known for being a serious athlete who normally trained twice a day. At that time, a well-known former Scottish International steeplechaser and cross-country runner, John Linaker, advised her and was a frequent training companion. Trudi quickly became a good ultra-distance runner and in 1992 she also won the Two Bridges 36 mile classic in 4:48:51 and was to go on and win it in ’93 and ’94 as well. In 1993 she represented Great Britain in the World 100km Championships in Torhout and her team won silver medals.

In 1994 she won the Scottish veteran cross country and marathon titles, finished third in the UK Inter County 20 miles championship, and fifth in the Two Oceans 35 mile race in Cape Town. All this was merely training for an even more important race.

Trudi Thomson front-running a cross-country race

In the World 100km Championship at Lake Saroma in Japan, Trudi finished second individual in the 100K world championships in the wonderful time of 7:42:17 which was a Scottish and British record for the distance. She went on to win her third Two Bridges 36 Miles in a much faster time than before – 4:06:45 which is still the course record for this famous event which has sadly been discontinued.. The Edinburgh to North Berwick 22.6 miles road race was also won in a course record of 2:15:31. In addition she set a new personal best in the Dublin Marathon, recording 2.43.18. All this in the year when she celebrated her 35th birthday.

As a cross-country runner, Trudi Thomson won five titles (three W35 and two W40) as well as, in 1999, achieving W40 victory in the prestigious annual British and Irish Masters International Cross Country.

In 1995 she improved to: 10k in 34.59; Half Marathon in 74.48; and Marathon (Dublin again – in 2.38.23). Subsequently she ran for GB in the World Marathon Championships in Gothenburg, where she finished 22nd, three places behind Fatuma Roba who had won the Olympic Marathon in Atlanta.

Trudi Thomson’s successes continued for several years. For example, in 2000, the Valladolid Half Marathon was at the World Masters Championships where she won the W40 race in 78.16.

Trudi (far right) in the Royal Mail Letters team that won the 2003 Corporate Challenge in New York

In 2002, the Scottish Marathon Championship was held on 28th April, at the Lochaber Marathon in Fort William. Female gold medallist was Dawn Scott, twice silver medallist in the Scottish Hill Running Championship, from the local club Lochaber AC. Her time was 3.09.45. Second was Elaine Calder from Strathaven Striders (3.12.04) and third Debbie MacDonald from Hunter’s Bog Trotters (3.20.51.)

Jamie Reid (Law and District AC) secured his first Scottish Marathon title, recording the good time of 2.21.46. Some distance behind was silver medallist Brian Fieldsend (Inverness Harriers – 2.35.02) and third-placed Martin Ferguson (EAC – 2.36.20).

Jamie Reid

Back in 2000 after finishing a fine ninth in the Scottish Cross Country Championship, Jamie Reid’s 10k road best had been reduced to 30:49 and his marathon time (at London) to a lasting personal best of 2:21:16. Four weeks earlier he had taken the very last UK Inter Counties 20 Mile Championship at Spenborough in 1:47:59 running for the West of Scotland.

A very good year for Jamie Reid was 2002 when he ran 5000m in 14:35.43, 10,000m in 30:16.66, 10 miles in 49:46 and a half marathon in 67:07. In Lochaber, he ran right away from the rest of the field to win his first Scottish title in 2:21:46, just outside Simon Pride’s course record. During the summer he took his only Scottish track title winning the 10,000m gold at Grangemouth on a Wednesday evening in 31:14.31. He then switched clubs from Law and District AAC to Ronhill Cambuslang Harriers. This resulted in many team successes for Jamie Reid, including a Scottish Cross Country Relay win in 2003; Six-Stage Relay titles in 2005 and 2007; and 2008 National Senior Cross Country victory.

In 2003 Jamie Reid reduced his ten mile time to 48:51. Then on 31st August in the Elgin Moray Marathon in Elgin, over a much slower course, he retained his Scottish title in 2:34:08, still three minutes ahead of his closest rival James Snodgrass (Kilbarchan AAC – 2.37.20), with Andreas Merdes (Lothian RC 2.39.58) third.

Jamie in the Moray Marathon

The 2003 Scottish Women’s Marathon victor at the Moray event was the indefatigable Kate Jenkins of Carnethy Hill Runners. Despite the marathon not being her best event, Kate won her third title at the classic distance, recording 3.09.18, with Morag Taggart (Dundee Road Runners) second in 3.10.14 and Margaret Anderson (Stonehaven AC) winning bronze in 3.18.04.

Kate Jenkins has had a long and very varied running career. In 2001, The Independent wrote an article about extreme hill-running, and especially the previous year’s West Highland Way race, including the following.

“More than 45 miles into the race, Kate Jenkins felt euphoric. On a hazy, sunny day she ran through birch-wood glades and over bubbling streams before careering into Glen Orchy in the Grampian Mountains. The formidable Ben Dorain towered over her path as she climbed steeply towards Loch Tulla, where the track headed north to Glen Coe.

Fifteen miles later, she was in desperate trouble. Her stomach was cramping, she felt faint and dizzy. Dehydration was setting in, she was losing her balance and she felt scared. In the middle of the desolate Rannoch Moor – a sombre expanse of peat bog covering 20 square miles – she started to panic. She had 35 miles still to run, and she didn’t know if she could manage five.

Kate, 27, who works for Scottish Forest Enterprise, was running the West Highland Way, from the suburbs of Glasgow to Fort William. For most fit people, it is a formidable 95-mile walk. For an élite few, it is an awe-inspiring hill run. In 18 years of races, fewer than 150 runners have finished; the West Highland Way is at the extreme end of a tough sport.”

“Kate Jenkins did eventually finish the 95 punishing miles of the West Highland Way in a record time of 17 hours 37 minutes. Holding off the dehydration, she fought through “a long silent spell of despair where I was convinced I had reached the limit”.

“It changed my life,” says Kate, who only began hill running seriously in 1996. “It makes you realise you are something you never knew you were. I wanted to spend more time with people who have experienced the same emotions. It is a high I will never experience again.””

Kate ran an incredible amount of races on all surfaces, for Gala Harriers, Carnethy Hill Runners and HBT. Between 1997 and 2012 she won the Moray Marathon twelve times! In addition she was Scottish Hill Running Champion in 1999 and 2001; and first Woman in the West Highland Way Race five times: 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2006. (She also won the 2004 Lairig Ghru Hill Race, which was 28 miles long, accompanied by Ben, the First Dog!)

Kate Jenkins en route to winning the 2006 West Highland Way Race

Simon Pride (Metro Aberdeen RC) was back to form in 2004, winning his third Scottish Marathon title with considerable ease. The event was held in Fort William once again, on 25th April, and Simon ran right away to secure gold in 2.21.21; with Andreas Merdes second in 2.37.50 and John Duffy (Shettleston H) third in 2.44.32.

Scottish Women’s Marathon Champion was Janet Laing (Portobello AC – 3.12.09), from Elaine Calder (Strathaven S – 3.3.18.44) and Maggie Creber (Carnethy HRC – 3.19.14).

In 2005, the event shifted to the Edinburgh Marathon. This had received significant sponsorship and was a genuinely Big City Marathon. The route had been changed to eliminate the tougher hills and was now a much faster course. Feedback from some of the competitors was generally positive: it was considered scenic and well-organised if a little expensive. There were 4421 finishers.

Africans filled seven of the first eight places. Zachary Kihara was first man in 2.15.26; and Russian Zinaida Semenova first woman in 2.33.36.

However Scottish Women’s Marathon Champion (fourth overall) was Shona Crombie-Hicks (Bourton) in the good time of 2.44.58; silver medallist Ros Alexander (Carnegie H – 2.48.25) was fifth overall); and bronze went to Elka Schmidt (Bellahouston RR – 2.54.16), seventh overall.

Scottish Men’s Marathon Champion (ninth overall) was Robert Gilroy (Ronhill Cambuslang H – 2.26.42); in front of his club-mate Jamie Reid (2.30.51); and third was durable former Scottish International Marathon runner Frank Harper (Carnegie H – 2.35.54).

Frank Harper, aged 47, was first M40 in this Edinburgh Marathon. In 1986 he was fourth (first Scot) and set a new best of 2.18.44 while running for his country in the Glasgow Marathon.Then in 1988, Hammy Cox and he were first and second in the Aberdeen Marathon. When Doug Cowie (Forres Harriers) finished fifth, this ensured that Scotland defeated England (as well as Wales) for the only time in the Aberdeen Home International Marathon series.

Shona Crombie-Hicks

Shona Crombie-Hicks was a former jockey who took up running to control her weight. She came originally from Aberdeen but moved to Portsmouth when young. Having become a marathon runner, she won her first three races: in Lanzarote, Manchester and Copenhagen. She was selected for the Scottish Marathon team in the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games but had to withdraw due to injury. Undaunted, once recovered she entered the 2003 Flora 1000-mile challenge, walking one mile every hour for 1000 hours, and finishing by running the London Marathon. The event started on March 2nd 2003. At 8.45 a.m. on April 13th, the five remaining competitors completed the 1000 miles together. Then they ran the London Marathon – and Shona Crombie-Hicks was by far the fastest, recording 3 hours 8 minutes! Later on, Shona set records for marathons in Lanzarote, Jersey and Guernsey. Her personal best time was an excellent 2.38.42 in the 2005 Berlin Marathon; and she also competed for Scotland in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

As late as 2015, Robert Gilroy has continued to improve, due to hard training, involving well over 100 miles per week. He lifted the Scottish 10 miles road title in 2014; and has had many M35 victories including the British Masters Cross Country Championship; as well as many successes with formidable Cambuslang Harriers teams, for example winning the Scottish Masters Cross Country .

Robert Gilroy

2006

At the Loch Ness Marathon, near Inverness, Scottish Women’s Marathon Champion was Jennifer MacLean (City of Edinburgh – 2.58.57); second Iona Robertson (Bellahouston RR – 3.14.02); and third Erica Christie (Bellahouston H – 3.14.10).

Jennifer MacLean also won the 2007 Scottish Half Marathon Championship; and the Scottish Masters Half Marathon title in 2013. In 2009 and 2010 she was victorious in the W35 Scottish Masters Cross Country Championships.

Simon Pride (Forres Harriers) won his fourth and final Scottish Marathon title in 2.22.25; in front of the consistent Jamie Reid (Cambuslang – 2.24.04); and Stephen Wylie (Cambuslang – 2.30.09).

Stephen Wylie enjoyed considerable success during his running career. For example he won the Scottish 10 miles road title in 1993; was first in the Scottish Half Marathon Championship in 2003 and 2004; and lifted the Scottish M35 Masters Cross Country crown in 2009. Of course he had shared in many team wins with redoubtable Cambuslang teams.

2007

In Elgin, at the Moray Marathon, the Scottish Women’s Marathon title was won, for fourth and final time, by Kate Jenkins (Carnethy HRC – 3.10.43); in front of K. McKinnon (Carnegie H – 3.16.27); and L Schumacher (3.18.09).

Jamie Reid (Cambuslang – 2.33.11) won his third Scottish Marathon title, gaining revenge on Simon Pride (Forres H – 2.33.46). Bronze medallist was David Gardiner (Kirkintilloch – 2.38.07).

Jamie Reid wrote very frankly about this race: “My most recent Scottish title was at Elgin in 2007 where I had my first marathon victory over Simon Pride. The previous day, my girlfriend Roisin and I had driven north as she was competing in a a six-a-side shinty tournament near Inverness for her club, Tir Connail Harps from Glasgow. I spent the afternoon watching the tournament, drinking diluting juice and eating large amounts of cake! Afterwards we drove to a B&B in Elgin where we checked in and went out for a meal. We settled for some pizza and relaxed talking about the shinty that afternoon and the race the next day. I wasn’t really nervous as I wasn’t expecting much as recent races hadn’t gone particularly well. I had hit the over-training button again as I had logged a tremendous mileage (maximum of 144 miles per week), switching to this after my best ever fifth place at the National Cross-Country Championships in February. It hadn’t improved me, only made me worse. Never mind, I entered the marathon, hoped for a solid run and then I could look forward to the autumn relays – my favourite part of the season. The morning of the race we had coffee in the hall after picking my number up. I saw that Simon Pride was entered, along with Adam Reid from Peterhead and David Gardner from Kirkintilloch whom I knew fairly well.

Early pace was slow as the four of us settled down and let the countryside pass by. The day was warming up and there was little wind. I managed to get some drinks from Roisin as the race progressed, with the pace beginning to pick up as we passed Burghead (c14 miles). Simon and David pulled away and I knew it was too fast for me. In the distance I could see Simon moving ahead of David, but as we neared Lossiemouth, I could see I was gaining some ground. The sun by now was shining fiercely and I could sense a silver medal. I managed to pass David in Lossiemouth offering words of encouragement to each other, and I now looked to see how far ahead Simon was. He was out of sight.

Still, always believe – funny things can happen in the marathon. I finally caught sight of him as we entered the woods around 20 miles and I checked his lead in seconds. I can’t remember exactly but it must have been at least a minute. After a mile or so, I checked again – it was now around six or seven seconds less. A quick calculation in my head told me it would be close if we maintained the same pace, so I pushed on. Three miles to go, I could see Simon more clearly now and I calculated I could catch him by the end if we both maintained the same pace. Roisin was at this point in the car and she drove quickly back to the finish.

Every step was taking me closer to Simon now and the Scottish title was back in my head. What will happen when I catch him? How much has he left? Is he tiring or just unaware that I’m coming through? I caught Simon just as we entered the outskirts of Elgin, around a mile to go, and I decided to give it a push on to try to discourage any attempt to try to stay with me. Thankfully for me it worked and I went on to win in 2:33:11 with Simon not far behind and David taking bronze – marathon title Number Three! A slow time for all three of us, and perhaps highlighting the dropping standard, but it was one of the few marathon races I’ve run which had been tactical and a real ‘race’. I knew that, due to injuries, Simon had been past his best (although he had won the Scottish Masters M35 title in 2006), and neither David nor I had been at our peak, but it remained a very happy day for me. The rest was spent celebrating with ice-creams in Lossiemouth before driving south to Aviemore where we spent the night and I stuffed myself with burger and chips, washed down with chocolate fudge cake and ice cream!”

2008

At the Lochaber Marathon, near Fort William, the Scottish Women’s Marathon Champion was Rebecca Johnson (3.05.18); in front of Louise Beveridge (Metro Aberdeen RC – 3.13.38); and Kate Jenkins (Gala Harriers – 3.15.35).

The Scottish Men’s Marathon title was won by Stuart Kerr (Kirkintilloch – 2.34.01); in front of Keith Buchan (Fraserburgh AAC – 2.43.12); and Paul Hart (Dumfries RC – 2.45.10).

2009

In the Edinburgh Marathon, Scottish Women’s Marathon Champion was Toni McIntosh (Ayr Seaforth AAC – 2.47.18); in front of Jennifer MacLean (EAC – 2.51.37); and Izzy Menzies (3.02.45).

Earlier in 2009, Toni McIntosh had won a silver medal in the Scottish National Cross Country Championship, behind multiple winner Freya Murray (who went on to run for GB in the 2012 London Olympic Marathon). While at Stirling University, Toni was Scottish Half Marathon victor in 2003 and 2004. In 2009 she won not only the Scottish Marathon but also the 10k and Half Marathon titles! In addition Toni was first Briton in the 2009 Great Scottish Run.

Toni McIntosh (right) on the podium after the 2009 Scottish Cross Country Championship.

The Scottish Men’s Marathon title went to Martin Williams (Ronhill Cambuslang Harriers) in the good time of 2.18.24. Second was his team-mate Chris Wilson (2.26.36); and third Robert Turner (Harmeny AC – 2.33.50)

Martin Williams was based in the Midlands and ran for Tipton Harriers and the Police. In 2011 he won a silver medal in the Scottish Half Marathon Championship. However his peak was in 2010. After a fine 2.17.36 in the Seville Marathon he ran representative marathons for Scotland in the Delhi Commonwealth Games and for GB in the Barcelona European Championships.

In 2010, the Scottish Marathon Championship, for the first time, was held outside Scotland – as part of the London Marathon, which is held on an extremely fast course. One effect of this innovation was that the winning times were much faster than usual. Two of our very best athletes: Susan Partridge and Andrew Lemoncello were worthy gold medallists.

Susan Partridge (VP City of Glasgow) won in 2.35.57, the fastest time set by a Scot in the history of the Scottish Marathon. Second was Shona McIntosh (HBT – 2.48.46) and third Nathalie Christie (EAC – 2.55.52). Shona won four Scottish Cross Country Championship team medals with the Bog Trotters, including gold in 2011. In London 2015 she improved her marathon best to an impressive 2.40.14.

Andrew Lemoncello (Fife AC) finished in 2.13.40, which was also the fastest time set by a Scot in the history of the Scottish Marathon; while Englishman Neil Renault (Edinburgh AC) recorded 2.18.29 for the silver medal; and Ross Houston (Central AC) ran 2.22.49 for bronze. Neil Renault’s fastest Half Marathon was an impressive 64.47; and he also won a silver medal in the 2012 Scottish Half Marathon.

For Susan Partridge this was merely one significant mark in a long, successful running career. In 2011 she represented Great Britain in the World Championship marathon in Daegu, Korea. Her international progress before that was impressive. She competed in: the World and also the European cross-country championships (helping Britain to team gold in the latter); the 2006 Commonwealth marathon; the 2010 European Marathon; and she had top-thirty places from the World Road Running and World Half-Marathon Championships.

She made an early impact on the Scottish cross-country scene, winning the National under-17 title in both 1996 and 1997. In 2003, Susan won the Scottish Athletics Federation Cross-Country title and then became Scottish Champion at 5000m.

In the 2005 London Marathon, Susan Partridge progressed to 2.37.50. In October, she ran for GB in the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton, Canada, finishing 25th in 73.49, only a few seconds slower than her personal best of 73.10, which was set when she won the Bath Half Marathon in March.

2006 was Commonwealth Games year and Susan’s preparations included a PB 10k (33.19) and a good half-marathon (73.14) in Spain, before finishing a solid tenth (2.39.54) in Melbourne, Australia on the 19th of March.

After some slightly less impressive performances, the 2010 London Marathon showed a return to form. As second British woman home, she was selected as part of the GB team for the European Championships at the end of July. After a couple of weeks rest, she got back into 90 to 100 miles per week training. In the heat and humidity of Barcelona she finished in 2.39.07 and Michelle Ross-Cope (14th), Susan (16th) and Holly Rush (20th) were the three scorers for the six-women GB team which won European Cup bronze medals.

The 2011 London Marathon produced a new PB (2.34.13), 25th place (3rd British woman) and selection for the World Marathon Championships in Korea at the end of August. There, in stifling conditions, she ran a calm, sensible race and came through strongly to finish a meritorious 24th (1st GB, 6th European), in 3.25.57) from the 54 starters.

London 2013 produced another outstanding run. The Scotsman reported: “When eventual winner Priscah Jeptoo pulled away, the Scot maintained a steady pace to cross the line 9th in 2.30.46, a time three minutes quicker than her previous best and good enough for fifth in the Scottish all-time rankings, earning a trip to Moscow in August for the World Championships marathon. After being the top British woman and inside the qualifying standard, the only question was whether Partridge (who also secured the 2014 Commonwealth Games standard) wanted to go to Moscow, and she certainly did.”

Susan Partridge moving strongly in the Moscow World Marathon

The afternoon of the tenth of August 2013 was a very humid afternoon in the Russian capital, when 72 athletes started the Women’s World Championship Marathon. Susan, who by now had a full-time job as a researcher in joint replacement at the University of Leeds, set off very carefully, well down the field. After reaching the finish in the Luzhniki Stadium, Olympic Park, she said, “It was all about places today. I was way back at the start and for a minute wondered if I’d been a little bit cautious, but once I got my rhythm going I started to come back and pick people off.” Live television coverage made clear how well Susan was moving up throughout the entire race. Eventually she crossed the line in 2.36.24 to secure a fine tenth place (third European). In the history of the event, Great Britain previously had only four top-ten finishers: Paula Radcliffe (1st in 2005); Joyce Smith (9th in 1983); Mara Yamauchi (9th in 2007); and Sally Ellis (10th in 1991).

Freya Ross, Susan Partridge and Steph Twell after the 2014 Great Scottish Run Half Marathon.

Then, in 2014, Susan represented Scotland in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Marathon. Boldly, she kept up with the fast early pace but eventually, as first Briton, had to settle for sixth place in 2.32.18.

Susan said that she had no regrets and had given herself a real chance – a medal would have been great but “It was an unbelievable experience” in front of the cheering home crowd.

Susan Partridge in Glasgow

Andrew Lemoncello was an extremely successful Scottish male distance athlete, although his career was hampered by injury. Andrew grew up in St Andrews and attended Madras College. He joined Fife AC and was coached for several years by Ron Morrison.

Andrew showed immense promise, even before he was thirteen. Then he went on to win the Scottish Junior National CC in both 2002 (when Fife was first team as well) and 2003. In addition he had started running the steeplechase, winning the Scottish 2000m title in the appropriate year – 2000.

Andrew was offered a scholarship to Florida State University in Tallahassee, which let him train and race regularly with top athletes. 2005 was a busy and successful year. After a hectic Spring season in America, producing a number of track bests, in July Andrew triumphed at the AAA Championships, winning the steeplechase in 8.33.93. Subsequently he was selected for the Great Britain team for the Helsinki World Championships. As part of his build-up he won the Scottish 5000m title; but unfortunately did not get past the heats in Finland.

2007 was World Championship year once more and Andrew Lemoncello responded well. He won the Scottish East District CC championship, followed by a demanding series of races in America. A highlight was second place (behind Kenya’s Barnabas Kirui) in the NCAA steeplechase championships in June. Shortly after that, he was third in the European Cup. Then in Metz, France, Andrew ran a new steeplechase best of 8.23.74; and then won the GB World Trials and AAA Championship. Sadly, although he had no trouble retaining his Scottish 5000m title once more, Andrew fell ill, suffered side effects from an unfamiliar energy gel, and really struggled in his World Championship heat in Osaka. When he was interviewed (for The Winning Zone) a couple of months later, Andrew vowed to learn from the experience and also stated that he believed that he could indeed continue to be world class and that his longer term ambition was to become a successful marathon runner.

2008 was Olympic year. In March, having been fourth in the Inter-Counties CC selection race, Andrew Lemoncello ran for Britain in the World CC Championships in Edinburgh. He finished third in the European Cup steeplechase once again, and shortly afterwards came third in the AAA Olympic Trials. At the last moment he qualified for the GB team by running an outstanding new best of 8.22.95 on the 18th of July in the Paris Golden League. However he did not qualify from his heat in Beijing, despite running a decent time of 8.36.06. In retrospect, he believed he peaked too early. Then he came back to Scotland and, for the fourth year in succession, won the Scottish 5000m title, this time defeating the two Shettleston Eritreans.

Having retired from steeplechasing, Andrew Lemoncello pursued his marathon aspirations by concentrating mainly on the road, although in April 2009 he did run a very good PB for 10,000m (27.57.23) in California. Having run a Texan downhill half-marathon in 61.52, Andrew represented GB yet again, this time in the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, where he finished a respectable 26th (First Briton) in 63.03. Then in December he was 29th in the European CC Championships in Dublin.

After a hard winter grinding out the miles, Andrew Lemoncello was ready to make his debut in the 2010 London Marathon, and although he had hoped to go a little faster, was quite happy about his eighth place (first Briton) and time of 2.13.40. When he continued to show fitness by being first man in for the UK at the Great North Run Half Marathon in September 2010, and had a number of good runs in 2011, all seemed well for London 2012. Sadly, Andrew Lemoncello tore a hamstring before he had a very bad time in the Fukuoka Marathon in December 2011 and did not have time to prepare for the Olympic Selection race at London (in April 2012). He did finish fifteenth (and second Brit in 2.15.24) but the time was too slow for the team.

Unfortunately, by the time the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games came round, Andrew Lemoncello had not shaken off his injury problems. Nevertheless he acquitted himself well in the 10,000m, finishing twelfth and first Briton.

Andrew Lemoncello in Glasgow

(The following section, from 2011 to 2015, is based almost entirely on reports by that former World-Class marathon runner and current eminent sports journalist, Fraser Clyne.)

2011

Great Britain international Tomas Abyu (Salford Harriers) defeated a field of more than 3,000 runners to win the 10th anniversary Baxter’s Loch Ness marathon yesterday while runner-up Ross Houston (Central AC) turned in a fine performance to collect the Scottish national title.

Ross Houston in 2012

Abyu, who also won in 2003 and 2010, recorded 2hr 20min 50secs to finish 15secs ahead of Houston who was rewarded with a personal best time.

Although there was little between the top two at the end of the 26.2 mile race, Abyu felt he was always in control.He said:“I had a very good run in the second half of the race. Ross Houston was pushing the pace, but I felt very comfortable.”

Houston, who won the Scottish 10Km title a fortnight ago, was also happy with the outcome. He said:”We were running together until the 16 mile mark when Tomas made a break. I couldn’t stay with him, but after a while the gap he had opened never increased. I finished quite strongly, which was pleasing and I’m delighted to win the Scottish title. I had hoped to get under 2:20 but that will have to wait for another day.”

Chris Wilson (Ronhill Cambuslang) clocked 2:25:15 to take third position for the second time in three years. His club-mate Kerry-Liam Wilson won bronze in 2.31.06.

Veteran Lisa Finlay (Dumfries Running Club) set a personal best time of 2:59:14 to win the Scottish Women’s Marathon title, as well as the Scottish Masters gold medal. [She went on to win the Scottish 10 miles title in 2014; as well as Scottish Masters titles in 2014 (10 miles); 2013 (Marathon) and 2015 (Half Marathon).]

Shettleston’s Carole Setchell (3.02.56) slashed her best time by 15 mins to take the silver medal while ultra distance specialist Gail Murdoch (Carnegie Harriers) took bronze in 3:09:37.

Finlay said:”There were a lot of good runners taking part, making for stiff competition. I ran my own race, sticking to my plan and was delighted to win, and even knocked a few seconds of my previous best. It’s a lovely course and the spectators along the route were really warm and supportive.”

Bellahouston’s Erica Christie maintained her remarkable record of consistency when finishing eighth. The Glasgow athlete has been an ever-present since the race was first held in 2002 and has never finished outside the top ten.

Scottish Athletics reported:

Scottish Marathon Masters results:

Lisa Finlay (Dumfries RC – 2.59.14), Gail Murdoch (Carnegie H – 3.09.37), Erica Christie (Bellahouston H – 3.18.29).

Kerry-Liam Wilson (Ronhill Cambuslang H – 2.31.06), Grant Wilkie (Corstorphine AC – 2.42.55), Roger van Gompel (Dundee HH – 2.46.12).

2012

Ross Houston destroyed a field of 3,960 competitors to win yesterday’s Baxters Loch Ness marathon at Inverness and in doing so the 32 year-old Central AC athlete picked up the Scottish men’s title for the second year in a row.

The race got off to a flying start with German athlete Oleg Ranzow setting a hot pace which only Houston tried to match. After five miles, however, Ranzow began to fall back leaving Houston with the unenviable task of running the rest of the route on his own from the front. He battled on bravely to complete the course in 2hours 20 mintes 24 seconds which was just 11 seconds outside the course record set by Kenya’s Simon Tonui in 2009.

Houston said:”We were doing five minute miling for the first few miles which was probably too fast. I was on my own after about four or five miles, and that was quite hard, but despite that I still thought I could get under 2hr 20mins. From about the 20 mile mark, however, I found it hard and I just wanted it to be over. But it’s another step forward for me and it’s great to win this race and the national title.”

Ranzow paid for his early exuberance and finished 13th in 2:50:27.

Aberdeen’s Ben Hukins came through to take second position in 2:29:17 after a hard battle with Ronhill Cambuslang’s Kerry-Liam Wilson who picked up the bronze medal in 2:30:36.

Hukins said:”It was tough. I realised after about 10 miles that I wasn’t going to get the time I was hoping for, so I just concentrated on finishing as well as I could. Kerry-Liam caught me at 22 miles so I had to work hard to get away from him again to get second position.” Ben Hukins had previously had success on the track, having won four Scottish Championship bronze medals: one for 1500m and three for 10,000m.

Terence Forrest from Grantown on Spey won the Gerald Cooper Memorial Trophy for the first Highland runner to complete the marathon. Forrest recorded 2:48:34 for 10th position.

Avril Mason (Shettleston Harriers) ran a well-judged race to win the Scottish Women’s Marathon title in 2:54:54 which is a lifetime best by 23secs. She also won the Scottish Masters gold medal.
She said:”I’m pleased to win, but to be honest I was hoping for a quicker time. The pace was too fast early on. I ran with Lisa Finlay and Jill Knowles for the first nine miles. I got away from Jill around the halfway mark and I was clear of Lisa after about 17 miles. It’s nice to win the Scottish title as it’s my first championship medal, and to be quite close to a personal best time is also pleasing.” Avril also won Scottish Masters titles in 2014 (Half Marathon) and 2015 (10 miles).

Finlay (Dumfries Running Club), last year’s winner, had to settle for the silver medal on this occasion, but took some consolation from running her fastest ever marathon time of 2:57:55. She said:”I’m inside my personal best but I don’t think I ran too well as I started too fast and I was hanging on towards the end. “Avril ran beautifully and judged it very well.”

Jill Knowles (Scottish Prison Service AC) took the bronze medal when recording 3:03:07 on her marathon debut.

Erica Christie (Bellahouston Harriers), who has now competed in all 11 Baxters Loch Ness marathons, maintained her fine record in the race by finishing first in the over-50 age group, 11th overall, in the women’s division of the race with a time of 3:12:46.

Ross Houston in the 2014 Commonwealth Games Marathon

Ross Houston has had an excellent running career. As a member of Central AC (and Aberdeen University) he played a big part in Central’s team wins in the National Cross-Country Championships – in 2011, 2012 (when he won individual bronze), 2013 and 2015. Ross won the Scottish 10k title in 2011; and the Scottish Half Marathon in 2012. Concentrating on the marathon, in 2013 he ran 2.18.28 in Frankfurt. In 2014 Ross ran for Scotland in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Marathon, finishing 16th in a good time of 2.18.42. His Scottish team-mate, Kilbarchan’s Derek Hawkins, was ninth (2.14.15) and first Briton. Then in 2015, Ross Houston tried ultra-distance and was an immediate success: racing to a clear win (6.43.35) in the Anglo-Celtic Plate 100km, which won him not only the Scottish title but also the Home Countries International match.

Scottish Athletics reported:

Scottish Marathon Masters results:

Avril Mason (Shettleston H – 2.54.54), Lisa Finlay (Dumfries RC – 2.57.55), Jill Knowles (Scottish Prison Service – 3.03.07)

Kerry-Liam Wilson (Ronhill Cambuslang H – 2.30.36), Marcus Scotney (Hoka – 2.32.28), Scott Bradley (Carnegie H – 2.34.36).

2013

Kenyan Tarus Elly was in commanding form as he cruised to an impressive victory ahead in yesterday’s Baxters Loch Ness marathon. The Manchester-based athlete, who comes originally from the western Kenyan village of Eldoret which has produced so many world class distance runners over the years, was making his marathon debut.

The 28 year-old never looked to be in any danger of losing and although his winning time of 2hr 27min 21sec was more than seven minutes outside the course record set by his compatriot Simon Tonui in 2009, Elly looked as though he is capable of running faster in the future.

He said: “I was very cautious at the start because it was my first marathon. But after six miles I was feeling good and I thought that the other guys wouldn’t be able to stay with me. I began to pull away and ran the rest of the race on my own. Before the start I was looking for a time of between 2:28 and 2:30, so I am very happy to get 2:27. The course is really good and I couldn’t believe how perfect the conditions were. It was amazing. Now that I’ve done my first marathon I know what it’s all about and I’d really like to come back next year and hopefully run much quicker.”

Edinburgh University’s Patryk Gierjatowicz, picked up the Scottish marathon title when finishing runner-up in 2:30:39. The postgraduate maths student becomes the first Polish athlete to win the national title. Although delighted to win the award Gierjatowicz was disappointed with his time.

He said: “I’m pleased to be Scottish champion but my time wasn’t so good as its about four minutes outside my best. I slowed down quite a lot over the final two miles. It’s frustrating because I have been injured recently and wasn’t able to do all the training I wanted to do.”

Ross Clark (Hunters Bog Trotters – 2.36.05) smashed his previous best time to finish in third position overall and second in the national championship. He said:”I can’t believe it. I’ve taken seven minutes off my previous best time which I set at Rotterdam last year. I’ve trained really hard for this race and I was aiming for a place in the top ten but to finish third and win a national medal is just amazing. I had an added incentive as I was also running to raise funds for Yorkhill children’s hospital as my nephew was looked after there and I wanted to support their work.” Roger Van Gompel (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers – 2.36.35) won Scottish bronze.

Megan Crawford (Fife AC) enjoyed a marathon debut to savour by setting a new course record of 2hr 46min 37secs to win the Baxters Loch Ness marathon women’s title and the Scottish championship gold medal. The Edinburgh-based runner shaved two secs off the previous leading mark for the course set by Ethiopia’s Dinknnesh Mekash Tefara in 2010. Crawford pulled away from Romanian favourite Alina Nituleasa after the halfway mark and went on to win by more than three minutes.

She was ecstatic about winning the race and collecting her first national title. She said:”I had absolutely no expectations as it was my first marathon but it’s a nice feeling to win. I knew I was running well in the lead up to the race as I finished third in the Moray half marathon recently. After that I felt I could run a decent marathon time but I had no idea how it might go. I ran with the Romanian runner until around the halfway point when I began to get away and from there on I just kept going.”

Nituleasa was well below her best when finishing second in 2:50:21. The Romanian blamed her exhausting travel arrangements for contributing to the result. She said:”I had a three hour train journey from my home to the airport, then a three hour flight to London. Then I was on a bus for 13 hours to get here. In all, it took me 26 hours so I was very tired.”

Lisa Finlay (Dumfries), who won in 2011 and was runner-up last year, finished in third position in 2:52:25, but she was delighted with the outcome. She said:”I’ve got to be pleased because it’s a personal best time by more than two minutes.”Lisa was also first in the over-40 age division of the Scottish championship and second overall.

Carole Setchell (Shettleston Harriers), who was second in 2011, set a personal best time of 2:57:10 to take the Scottish bronze medal when finishing fourth overall.

Patryk Gierjatowicz (907) racing hard in an Edinburgh University vest.

2013 RESULTS BAXTERS LOCH NESS MARATHON

Men: 1 T. Elly (Salford) 2hr 27min 21sec; 2 P. Gierjatowicz (Edinburgh University) 2:30:49; 3 R. Clark (Hunters Bog Trotters) 2:36:05; 4 R. Van Gompel (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, over-40) 2:36;35; 5 R. Smith 2:37:39; 6 A. Simpson 2:41:42; 7 W. Dashper 2:42:22; 8 R. Spooner 2:43:21; 9 C. Hill (Cosmic Hillbashers) 2:43:43; 10 A. Rouse (Edinburgh AC) 2:44:02. Over-40: 2 R. Harrison 2:51:35; 3 A. Howlett 2:52:12.
Over-50: 1 P. Davies 2:48:42; 2 A. Kot 2:58:21; 3 T. Coyle 3:02:46. Over-60: 1 R. Blake 3:19:15; 2 T. Summerscales 3:41:46; 3 G. Arthur 3:43:13.

Women: 1 M. Crawford (Fife AC) 2:46:37; 2 A. Nituleasa (Romania) 2:50:21; 3 L. Finlay (Dumfries, over-40) 2:52:25; 4 C. Setchell (Shettleston) 2:57:10; 5 J. Malko (Corstorphine) 2:58:30; 6 J. Emsley (Central AC) 2:58:40; 7 J. Gordon (Kinross) 3:02:23; 8 C. Black (Shetland) 3:04:31; 9 V. Hunter 3:07:25; 10: K. Morgan 3:08:22. Over-40: 2 G. Beaton 3:10:25; 3 B. Gibson 3:11:13. Over-50: 1 I. Burnett (Carnegie Harriers) 3:17:13; 2 E. Christie (Bellahouston) 3;18:48; 3 C. Catterson (VP Glasgow) 3:20:13. Over-60: 1 J. MacLeod (Metro Aberdeen) 4:04:28; 2 L. Gray (Inverness) 4:20:59; 3 E. Hendry 4:24:19.

Scottish Athletics reported:

Scottish Marathon Masters results:

Lisa Finlay (Dumfries RC – 2.52.25), Jillian Gordon (Kinross RR – 3.02.23), Charlotte Black (Shetland AAC – 3.04.31).

Roger van Gompel (Dundee HH – 2.36.35), Adam Rouse (EAC – 2.44.02), Barry Paterson (Falkirk VH – 2.49.26).

2014

Manchester-based Tomas Abyu returned from a lengthy spell of training in Ethiopia to claim his fourth Loch Ness Marathon title in fine style today (Sunday 28th September)

The African athlete looked composed throughout the 26.2 mile race which started on the high ground between Fort Augustus and Foyers and followed a route along the south shores of Loch Ness before finishing at the Bught Park in Inverness.

Abyu, who is a former Great Britain international, sprinted strongly through the finishing tape in 2hr 22min 41sec to add to his previous victories in 2003, 2010 and 2011.

He said: “I’ve been training in Ethiopia for a long time and I only returned last week when I decided to do the race. I felt quite easy for the first 16 miles, then it got tougher, but I had been able to pull away from the others before halfway so I just kept it going.

“I like running here. The countryside is very nice and it’s a good course. I certainly want to come back again next year to defend my title. In the meantime I hope to recover quickly so I can do the Yorkshire marathon in a couple of weeks from now.”

Edinburgh-based Polish athlete Patryk Gierjatowicz (Hunters Bog Trotters) collected the Scottish title for the second year in a row when finishing in the runner-up position in a personal best 2:24:17, while last year’s Loch Ness champion Tarus Elly (Salford) was third in 2:25:37.

With neither Abyu nor Elly being eligible for Scottish medals, the national silver went to Kerry Liam-Wilson (Ron Hill Cambuslang Harriers), who was fourth overall in 2:28:56 and the bronze was collected by John Sharp (Inverclyde AC) who was fifth in 2:31:58. Wilson also won the over-40 age group title.

Kerry-Liam Wilson has been the outstanding M35/M40 Scottish Veteran Harrier for several years. Kerry has won: five BMAF titles (two cross-country, ten miles, 10k and 5k); 24 Scottish Masters championships (including three marathon titles); and nine SVHC. In 2015, he contested the World Masters Marathon in Lyon, France, finishing fourth overall (3rd M40) after a truly valiant effort. He was first Briton and helped GB to team silver. He runs huge mileages in training and deserves every success.

As a Senior, Kerry-Liam won bronze medals in the Scottish Marathon championship in 2011 and 2012; before improving to silver with a personal best 2.28.58 in 2014. He also won bronze in the 2013 Scottish Half Marathon Championship.

Kerry-Liam Wilson in the 2015 World Masters Marathon

There was a dramatic finish to the women’s race in which Jenn Emsley (Central AC) held off a late challenge from title-holder Megan Crawford (Fife C) to take the top prize in a new course record time of 2:46:10, knocking 27secs off the previous standard. Crawford was also inside the old record, which she set twelve months earlier, when finishing just 15 secs behind, while Shona McIntosh took the bronze in 2:53:15.

Emsley was delighted with her day’s work which in addition to the record yielded a Scottish title, a personal best time and a winner’s cheque for £1,500.
She said: “I am very happy but surprised to have run a quicker time than I did at the London marathon, as I think Loch Ness is a harder course. But my training had been going well and I feel I’ve finally justified the hard work I’ve been doing.”

“There were four of us for the first 10 miles then the Romanian runner, Alina Nituleasa, dropped back. Megan then seemed to drop back and I eventually pulled away from Shona. Then, near the end, I could see that Megan was beginning to close up on me again so it was just a case of keeping going and not getting caught.”

Crawford had mixed feelings about her performance which was admirable given that she suffered from stomach problems throughout the race. She said: “I’m a bit annoyed but at the same time I’m really happy for Jenn. I had to stop so many times during the race because of my dodgy tummy and every time I got going I was trying to make up ground. I eventually got past Shona and then began to close on Jenn. I am convinced that if there was another mile I might have caught her.”

Jenn Emsley and Patryk Gierajatowicz: 2014 Scottish Marathon Champions

Terry Forrest (Cairngorm Runners) won the HSPC Gerald Cooper Memorial Cup, presented to the first Highland runner, for the third year in a row when he completed the course in 2:39:13. This was an impressive performance given that he started at the very back of the field.

Erica Christie (Bellahouston Harriers), who has competed in all 13 Baxters Loch Ness marathons, maintained her fine record of consistency by winning the over-50 women’s title in 3:14:20.

Scottish Athletics reported:

Scottish Marathon Masters results:

Beverley Gibson (Fife AC – 3.07.57), Gail Murdoch (Carnegie H – 3.08.52), Erica Christie (Bellahouston H – 3.14.17).

Kerry-Liam Wilson (Ronhill Cambuslang H – 2.28.56), Scott Bradley (Carnegie H – 2.35.44), Russell Whittington (Bellahouston RR – 2.43.19).

2015

Record-breaker Megan Crawford was in exuberant mood after winning the women’s title in today’s Baxters Loch Ness marathon. The Fife AC runner completed the scenic Highland course in a time of 2hrs 44min 50secs to obliterate the previous women’s record of 2:46:10 set by Central AC’s Jenn Wetton last year when Crawford finished 15secs behind in second position.

Megan Crawford celebrates her 2015 victory

Belgrave’s Gatenesh Tamirat, the 2014 Jersey marathon champion, finished second in 2:57:44 with Shona McManus (Kelvin Runners – Scottish silver medal) pipping Gillian Sangster (Dundee Road Runners – Scottish bronze medal) by 41secs to take third spot in 3:02:06.

Crawford, who improved her fastest marathon time to 2.40.26 in London this April, pocketed the Scottish title for the second time in three years and was ecstatic with this result. She said: “I love this marathon. It’s definitely one of my favourites and I was actually having fun out there. One of my main motivations for doing it was to try to win the Scottish title again and I’ve done that so I’m very happy.

“I ran with Gatenesh for the first 17 miles. I was reluctant to go in front before then so I just stayed with her. I’d thought about making my move on the hills after about 19 miles, but then decided to push on a bit earlier than that. When I made my move she didn’t stay with me for too long so I kept pushing and decided that if I fell apart it would just be my own fault. But I was fine and I knew I was on track for a good time so I kept it going. I’m hoping to do the half marathon in Glasgow next week so I hope I recover quickly.”

Tarus Elly, who returned from visiting family and friends in Kenya four days earlier, won the men’s race for the second time in three years. The tall African, who has been living in Hyde for a number of years, was only a few seconds outside his best time when sprinting home in 2:25:19.

Four-time previous champion and title-holder Tomas Abyu, from Salford, had to settle for second position in 2:27:37 while Edinburgh-based Patryk Gierjatowicz (Hunters Bog Trotters) collected the Scottish national title for the third year in a row when finishing a further 10secs behind. Kenyan athlete Benjamin Bartonjo, who was expected to be a strong contender for the top prize, never appeared.

Patryk and Megan on the podium

Elly said: “I spent a month at my old home at Eldoret in Kenya and only got back on Thursday so I’ve not at much time to get acclimatised to being back here. When I was in Kenya I didn’t train as much as I planned because I spent a lot of time visiting people. But I’m pleased with my run today. This is one of my favourite races so I always like to do it. When I first came her two years ago I won and last year I was third.

“It started at a steady pace and I was with Tomas and Patryk for the first 10 miles. Tomas then opened a gap but I just kept an eye on it and didn’t let it get any bigger. At 22 miles I closed up on him, pushed on a bit and I could tell he wasn’t able to come with me. By 23 miles I was ahead and just kept it going.

“I never realised I was so close to my personal best time. I was just pleased to be winning the race but if I had known the time, I might have pushed on a bit more.”

Fourth-placed John Newsom (Inverness Harriers – 2.32.54) won the Gerald Cooper Memorial Cup which is presented to the first Highland runner to finish the marathon. The sponsors of the award, HSPC, will now make a £1000 donation to a charity of his choice. Newsom also took second position in the national championships while his clubmate Donnie Macdonald collected bronze when finishing fifth overall in 2:33:28.

John Newsom won Scottish Championship medals, not only in the Marathon but also in the 10k road, Half Marathon and Senior National Cross Country.

Scottish Athletics reported:

Scottish Marathon Masters results:

Gillian Sangster (Dundee RR – 3.02.47), Gail Murdoch (Carnegie H – 3.07.40), Dorothy Mathie (Portobello RC – 3.12.39).

Russell Whittington (Bellahouston RR – 2.44.39), Crispin Walsh (BellaHouston H – 2.45.20), Alasdair Campbell (Moray RR – 2.50.34).

24/04/2016 London Callum Hawkins Kilbarchan AAC 2:10:52 Tsegai Tewelde Shettleston H 2:12:23 Derek Hawkins Kilbarchan AAC 2:12:57

24/04/2016 London Freya Ross Edinburgh AC 2:37:52 Lesley Pirie VP City of Glasgow 2:41:13 Gemma Rankin Kilbarchan AAC 2:46:34

At the 2016 London Marathon (and Scottish Championship), his second event over the distance, Callum Hawkins finished eighth overall, and was the first British-qualified athlete to finish, in a time of two hours 10 minutes and 52 seconds (a Scottish Marathon Championship Record). This time was inside the qualifying time of two hours 14 minutes needed to earn him a place in the Great Britain team for the 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was joined in the men’s marathon by fellow Scottish athletes, Tsegai Tewelde and his brother Derek Hawkins.

Callum Hawkins finished ninth in the marathon at the 2106 Olympics in a time of 2:11:52.

Freya Ross, who represented GB at the 2012 London Olympic Marathon, won her first Scottish Marathon title.

Scottish Athletics reported:

The Scottish Marathon Championships were held within the Virgin Money London Marathon at the weekend and we’ve already mentioned the three Senior medallists for Men and Women with Callum Hawkins and Freya Ross taking the titles.

It was gold success on the team front for Edinburgh AC in the Men and Fife AC in the Women’s race with the cumulative times (rather than positions) the scoring system for the Scottish Marathon. Champs. Edinburgh AC also took the bronzes in the Women’s race.

Here are the Results:

Men’s team: 1 Edinburgh 7:53.50 Neil Renault 2:23.31, Joshua Arthur 2:37.35, Keith Dunlop 2:52.44;

2 Hunters Bog Trotters 7:56:34 Patryk Gierjatowicz 2:24:00, Dave Ward 2:36:57, Michael Taylor 2:55.37;

3 Bellahouston Road Runners 8:16.54 Russell Whittington 2:43.54, Greig Glendinning 2:45.05, Robbie Hayman 2:47.55.

Women’s team: 1 Fife AC 9:23.30 Katie Jones 2:58:02; Hilary Ritchie 3:12.34; Alison McGill 3:12.54;

2 Carnegie Harriers 9:26.26, Joanna Murphy 3:04.45, Gail Murdoch 3:09.23; Kirstin Lownie 3:12.34;

3 Edinburgh AC 9:43.32 Tanya shields 3:04.23, Elaine Davies 3:17.39, Nicki Gibon 3:21.30

Scottish Marathon Masters results:

Men: 1 Jeremy Rossiter (Skye & Lochalsh) 2:29.41; 2 Stephen Allan (Kirkintilloch) 2:38.11; 3 David Cole (Cambuslang) 2:39.08

Women: 1 Marie Baxter (Garioch) 2:57.22; 2 Gail Murdoch (Carnegie) 3:09.23; 3 Yana Thandrayen (Portobello RC) 3:12.21

23/04/2017 London Robbie Simpson Deeside R 2:15:04 Craig Ruddy Inverclyde AC 2:22:22 Andrew Lemoncello Fife AC 2:24:11

23/04/2017 London Susan Partridge VP City of Glasgow 2:37:51 Fanni Gyurko Central AC 2:41:29 Katie White Garscube H 2:42:39

Susan Partridge, who had run for GB in European and World Championship marathons (and for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games marathon) won her second Scottish Marathon title. Katie White, a top-class Scottish and GB W35 cross-country champion, had every right to be pleased by her marathon debut.

Fraser Clyne reported in the Aberdeen Press and Journal:

“Robbie Simpson will spend a couple of weeks relaxing with his family in the peaceful setting of Finzean on Deeside after achieving a Commonwealth Games and World Championship qualifying time of 2hr 15min 04secs when finishing 15th overall and second Briton in Sunday’s Virgin London marathon.
The 25 year-old Deeside Runners club member, whose performance was a personal best time, knocking 34sces off the mark he recorded on his debut at London last year, also picked up his first Scottish senior men’s marathon title in the race.
Now he can now look forward to a return trip to the UK capital in August for the world championships where he’ll be joined by fellow Scot Callum Hawkins (Kilbarchan AAC) who was pre-selected.
Welshman Josh Griffith, who finished 15secs and one place ahead of Simpson, is the third man on the Great Britain team.
Simpson will, however, have to wait until later in the year to find out if he has done enough to earn a place on the Scotland team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Australia’s Gold Coast.
Although he had been hoping to run even faster, Simpson admitted to being pleased with the outcome.
He said: “I’m happy to qualify for world championships as I thought I only had an outside chnace given who else was running in the race.
“I would rather have had a faster time but the early pace was too fast and we paid for that later on. I was in a group of about eight and we had a pacemaker aiming to go through halfway in around 67mins which would have been perfect.
“But we were about 30secs too fast at 10km which was too much. I had to stay with the group but most of them slowed down in the second half.
“I was able to run with Josh Griffith from about 10 miles onwards and sometimes he would be ahead, other times I would be in front. At the end I couldn’t quite stay with him. I felt tired from about 15 miles and it was hard, but I was able to just keep pressing on.
“I knew we were the first two Brits and if I could hold on I would be guaranteed a place in the Worlds.”
Simpson hopes to recover quickly before returning to Mittennwald in Germany where he has been based for the past couple of years.
He said:”There’s not really a lot of time between now and the world championships so I’ll need to think through my preparations.
“I’ll probably talk with Callum (Hawkins) as he had a similar period of time between getting Olympic selection at London last year then performing really well at Rio later in the summer.
“I’d be interested to hear what he did. I don’t think I have to change my training very much and I’m not sure if I need to do many other races.
“When I go to London in August I’m going to try to pace it better. There will be less pressure to go chasing a time so I’ll concentrate on trying to keep to an even pace and hopefully I’ll feel stronger until later in the race.”
Having achieved world championship selection, Simpson is also keeping his sights on the possibility of a 2018 Commonwealth Games place, having satisfied the Scotland qualification requirement of running faster than 2:15:30.
He said:”The other Scots guys who I thought might be contenders didn’t do so well in London. Andrew Lemoncello fell right back and ran a slow time while Tewolde Tsegai dropped out.
“Hopefully my time will be good enough but the qualification period doesn’t end until October.”

Robbie Simpson, a world-class GB mountain runner, was selected for the 2017 World Championships but was injured and couldn’t take part. However, his London 2017 performance ultimately earned him selection for the 2018 Commonwealth Games Scottish team. He won a fine bronze medal in the marathon.

Scottish Athletics reported:

Scottish Marathon Masters results:

Lisa Finlay (Dumfries RC – 2.58.13) from Mairi Stanley (Garscube H – 3.07.13) and Lynne Stephen (Fife AC – 3.15.12).

David Lindsay (Garscube H – 2.37.24) from Keith McIntosh (Wimbledon W – 2.38.20) and Louis O’Hare (Kirkintilloch O – 2.38.44).

29/04/2018 Stirling Michael Wright Central AC 2:29:19 Patryk Gierjatowicz Hunters Bog T 2:33:10 Tom Roche Insch Trail RC 2:33:38

29/04/2018 Stirling Alison McGill Fife AC 3:02:35 Michelle Mackay Dundee RR 3:05:01 Rhona Anderson Dunbar RR 3:09:56

Fraser Clyne reported for the Aberdeen Press and Journal:

“Oldmeldrum athlete Tom Roche was overjoyed to pick up two national medals when making his marathon debut in the Scottish championships at Stirling.
The Insch Trail Running Club member posted a time of 2hr 33min 38secs when striking bronze behind Central AC’s Michael Wright, who won in 2:29:19, and Edinburgh-based Polish athlete Patryk Gierjatowicz who was runner-up in 2:33:10.
Roche, winner of the 2017 Dyce half marathon, also scooped over-40 age group gold to complete a very successful first attempt at the distance.
He said: “It surpassed all my expectations. I was hoping for a time of under 2:40 and if all went well I would have been happy with 2:37. I never believed I could go under 2:35.
“Then to get bronze in the national championships and first in my age group was a real bonus. It’s all a bit of a dream.”
Roche paced the race to perfection, working his way through the field and running the second half of the course faster than the first half.
In the closing stages he briefly overhauled two-time previous Scottish champion Gierjatowicz to move into the silver medal position but the Pole responded and regained the advantage.
Roche said: “I was running with a couple of guys to begin with but after about eight miles I was feeling good so decided to push on. I managed to get myself into third position just after the halfway point.
“But after 15 miles Donnie Macdonald from Inverness Harriers caught up with me and we were engaged in a cat-and-mouse battle until about 21 miles when I pulled away.
“Then I could see Patryk ahead and I caught him at about 24 miles. He looked shocked but was able to respond and pulled away from me again. I tried to stay with him but my legs were very tired and I slowed a bit over the final two miles although I was safely clear in third position.”
Donnie Macdonald, who had competed in the Manchester marathon earlier in the month, finished fourth in 2:37:09.
Alison McGill (Fife AC) won the women’s title in 3:02:35.”

Scottish Marathon Masters medallists:

In the men’s race Tom Roche took the gold as well as the overall bronze. Silver went to Chris Devine (Newry City Runners AC) in 2.38.58 and bronze to David Lindsay (Garscube H) in 2.45.11.

Similarly, on the Masters women’s podium, top place went to overall bronze medallist Rhona Anderson, with silver headed for Julie Gordon (Inverclyde AC) in 3.13.41 and bronze to Shona Donnelly (Bellahouston RR) in 3.15.08.

Garscube Harriers took the men’s gold medals thanks to the efforts of David Lindsay, Ian Thomson and Craig Shields. Silver went to Linlithgow and the bronze to Dundee Road Runners.

28/04/2019 Stirling Michael Wright Central AC 2:29:32 Kevin Wood Fife AC 2:30:52 Donnie Macdonald Inverness H 2:34:19

28/04/2019 Stirling Jennifer Wetton Central AC 2:56:06 Lesley Hansen Inverness H 3:04:50 Rhona van Rensberg Fife AC 3:09:55

Both Michael Wright and Jenn Wetton won their second Scottish Marathon titles.

Scottish Athletics reported:

Scottish Marathon Masters Team medals:

Men’s 1 Inverness Harriers; 2 Fife AC; 3 Moray Road Runners

Women’s 1 Central AC; 2 Linlithgow AAC; 3 Perth Road Runners

Rhona van Rensburg is our Masters gold medallist as well as bronze medallist in the Senior race, under the rules of our Road Running and Cross Country Commission for national championship road events. The other Masters medallists were Allie Chong of Giffnock North AC (3.23.40) and Elspeth Jenkins of Moray Road Runners (3.23.42).

Following home the Inverness athlete Donnie Macdonald, the other Men’s Masters medallists were Paul Monaghan of Greenock Glenpark Harriers (2.40.13) and Alasdair Campbell of Moray Road Runners (2.49.07).

Rhona Anderson (Dunbar RR – 3.12.08) won the V50 Women’s gold, with the other medals there for Shona Young of Lothian RC (3.31.33) and Sandra Band of Bellahouston Road Runners (3.54.48). Andy Alexander of Moray Road Runners (3.02.18) took the Men’s V50 gold with the other medals there for Gordon Dryden of Bellahouston Road Runners (3.09.54) and Bruce Taylor of Garioch Road Runners (3.10.21).

In the Men’s V60 category, there was gold for John Robertson of Peterhead AC (2.34.19), silver for Garry Henderson of Moray Road Runners (2.40.18) and bronze for William Sutherland of (Whitemoss AAC – 2.49.07). Timothy Kirk (Kidderminster and Stourport) is our V70 champion (3.38.34).

The Daily Record reported:

“Organisers of the Stirling Marathon were this week in the firing line over cash prizes for race winners and a medals bungle.

Jennifer Wetton, who won last month’s women’s marathon, has hit out after receiving just £200 as the prize. That’s 80 per cent less than the £1000 won by the male and female marathon winners in last year’s race.

The row erupted just a day after it emerged some runners in the Stirling Marathon and half marathon crossed the finishing line and were presented with the wrong medals.

Some of the medals handed out to runners congratulated them for finishing events in Manchester and Bristol rather than Stirling.

Mrs Wetton, a sales co-ordinator with Norbord, was less than impressed with her winnings from the organisers, the Great Run Company.

The 32-year-old, from Wallace Park, said: “Before the race, the prize structure wasn’t available from the information tent the day before the race. The only information that could be given was that there would be a meeting that night to decide the prize money and athletes could come to the information tent on the morning of the race to find out the decision.

“I’m not sure if this was actually possible as on race day morning as anyone with chance of winning a prize was busy preparing to run rather than going to the information tent.

“In 2018, the winners were awarded £1000 so we could only assume that it would be similar this year. However, after winning the race, posing for photos covered in the main sponsor’s branding and speaking to the press positively about the event, we found out, via email, that the 2019 winners were only getting £200. Obviously, I was disappointed with this and couldn’t understand why the prize money had been cut so dramatically. Great Run justified it by saying they were bringing it in line with their other non-televised events. Stirling is the only full marathon that Great Run organise. While £200 is a reasonable sum for a win in a 10k event, it is lower than a lot of half marathons pay and significantly lower than other marathons.”

To add insult to injury, it was also discovered that winners of the men’s and women’s half marathon races received the same prize money as the full marathon winners.

Mrs Wetton added: “Great Run say that they view both distances and the participants in each to have equal standing. Yet the entry fee for the half is only £36 compared to £58 for the marathon. Without meaning any disrespect to the half marathon runners, a full marathon is significantly harder than a half marathon and requires a lot more training. It’s double the distance – I can’t understand how both races can have equal standing. Had I run the half marathon, I could have been racing again this weekend but as I ran the marathon I’ll spend the next four to eight weeks recovering.

“I would like to have known the prize structure in advance so that I could have made a more informed decision when planning my 2019 racing calendar.

“When the race is on the same weekend as London and in the same month as many other high profile marathons, Stirling will need to offer more incentive if they want to attract quality athletes. Great Run are a business though so are probably more concerned with profit than having fast times winning their non-televised races.”

A spokesperson for the Great Run Company said; “Prize money for the Great Stirling Run was brought in line with our other non-televised events in 2019. We apologise that this information was not publicly available sooner and it was an oversight on our part that it was not posted on the website before the event.

“The prize structure for 2018 was removed after last year’s event and we reserve the right to change our prize structure from year to year. The following statement was in place on our website, which we believe made it clear that we were changing the structure for this year. Prize money is available for British athletes at this event but is yet to be confirmed for 2019.”

A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “Prize money for the winners of the Great Stirling Marathon is decided exclusively by the event organisers and is not a matter for Stirling Council’s consideration.

“We have the utmost respect and appreciation for all participants in the Stirling Marathon events – whether they’re running to support a charity or to beat a personal best record – and we are proud to welcome them to our wonderful city.”

Runners lining up for the Edinburgh Marathon, later this month, will be competing for a £1000 cash prize.

Second and third placed runners will pocket £700 and £350 – more than Mrs Wetton and Michael Wright collected for winning their races. Entry for the Edinburgh Marathon costs £60.

In previous years, athletes running in the Balfron 10k received prizes with a monetary value of up to £250.

Winners of the London Marathon, which was staged on the same day as Stirling’s event, won £39,000 for first place, £22,000 for second, £16,000 for third and £10,500 for fourth.

In relation to the medal bungle, the Great Run Company said: “We are aware of a very small number of runners who received the wrong medal at the event. Anyone who has not already been in touch to let us know can contact info@greatrun.org and we will send them a replacement directly.”

2020 Stirling (and Scottish Championship?) Marathon was cancelled due to the Covid Pandemic, as were the 2021 and 2022 Scottish Championships.

“The decision to switch the 2020 Stirling Marathon from spring to autumn will give local and national runners more flexibility to prepare for the course in a packed events calendar, and should allow more people the opportunity to take part in what is a popular event located in Scotland’s historic heartlands.

The 2020 event will take place on the same course as 2019, with slight refinements along the route with a half marathon also taking place on Sunday 11th October.

Last year’s winners Michael Wright and Jenn Wetton, both of Central AC, also attended the launch. Michael Wright said: “The marathon has had tremendous involvement from local communities, volunteers, charities and runners from all over Central Scotland and beyond. I’m delighted that it’s returning next year. All being well I’ll be trying to complete a hat-trick of wins!”

Jenn Wetton commented “It’s a wonderful marathon course with fantastic supporters along the route. The back drop of Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument make this one of the most awe inspiring runs I’ve ever taken part in. I’m especially pleased that the prize money for elite athletes has been significantly increased to reflect the status and importance of the new look event.”

2023

London

Luke Caldwell claimed the men’s gold in the Scottish Marathon Champs at the TCS London Marathon

And Masters athlete, Sara Green, crowned her remarkable recent achievements by taking the women’s gold with a strong run in London.

Hundreds of Scots made the journey south to savour the renowned atmosphere and the enthusiasm of runners and spectators wasn’t dampened by cool and wet April conditions.

Luke represented Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games on the track and raced for GB and NI last summer in the European Champs in Munich but unfortunately was a DNF on that occasion,

This time he finished sixth in the British Champs event with a run of 2:13.29 in London to head the Scottish podium.

Taking the silver medal will be Weynay Ghebresilasie as the Shettleston Harriers athlete came home in 2:15.41.

Our bronze medallist in the Men’s race is Fraser Stewart of Cambuslang Harriers with the Scottish Half Marathon champion coming up with un of 2:18.34 to improve his PB by six seconds.

Sara Green had an excellent run as she maintained the kind of performance level that has been the norm this past winter in cross country and road running.

The Gala Harriers athlete clocked 2:44.41 and that will land her another share in our Road Race GP.

Germany-based Scot, Natalie Wangler, is the silver medallist after a run of 2:51.09 and the bronze is headed for VP-Glasgow athlete Rhian Dawes. Rhian was home in 2:52.15.

Law and District AAC athlete, Jessica Robson, had a superb run to break three hours with 2:59.27. We make that sixth all-time on a list of UK U20 performances.

It was almost an improvement on close to 10 minutes from marathon debut in Germany last October. Well done to Jess and her coach, Eddie McQuillan!

Commonwealth Games wheelchair marathon silver medallist, Sean Frame, raced the distance for the second time in less than a week.

After competing in Boston last Monday, Sean was back out in the T53/54 event in London and clocked 1:38.43 for 15^th place in the race.

Joanna Robertson made her debut and the Aberdeen AAC athlete finished 17th in the Women’s T53/54 in 2:28.16.

In the Scottish Marathon Masters division, Sara Green won W40 gold from Alison McNeilly (Dundee RR – 2.58.53) and Gillian Blee (Garscube H – 3.08.38)

W50 champion was Mairi Stanley (Garscube H – 3.21.26) from Paula Ross (Highland HR – 3.27.51) and Claire McCormick (Bellahouston H3.32.51).

Jacqueline Heilbronn (Dundee RR – 3.48.49) won W60 gold, from Helen Mackie (Forfar RR – 3.55.12) and Shirley Wieland (Bellahouston RR – 4.18.47).

M40 Champion was Jack Letson (Inverness H – 2.31.05) from Graeme Doig (PH Racing Club – 2.33.21) and Colin Thomas (Bellahouston H – 2.33.53).

Tommy Gavin (EAC – 2.39.26) was first M50, from Stuart Robertson (Perth RR – 2.40.33) and Bruce Taylor (Garioch RR – 3.10.21).

First M60 was Alexander Potter (VP City of Glasgow – 3.08.00) from Jeremy Tomlinson (Fife AC – 3.19.51) and John Robertson (Peterhead AC) 3.27.17).

Malcolm Hammond (PH Racing Club – 4.04.47) won the M70 division, from Phill Thompson (Moray RR – 4.41.03.