World Veteran Distance Running Championships, Glasgow

IGAL broock 10K

The brooches awarded to all finishers in the IGAL Championships in 1980.

Designed by Carrick, Jewellers, Glasgow the one on the left was for the marathon, the other for the 10K

When  Walter Ross and his fellow enthusiasts started up the Veteran Harrier movement in Scotland in the early 1970’s, no one thought that a race such a this would be one of the results.    Held at Bellahouston, starting on Mosspark Boulevard and finishing inside the park, it attracted runners – Olympians, international stars and club runners of all standards – from all over the world.  There were 704 finishers in the 10K road race and 464 finishers in the marathon.  The Scottish Organising Committee did a wonderful job and it consisted of Bob Dalgleish (Chairman) , J Bissell (JP), Owen Flaherty, Tom Fletcher, Dale Greig, Ewan Murray, Norman Ross (Treasurer) and Walter Ross (Secretary).   There were events for both men and women and the results for both will go up.

The weekend’s activities started with a Friendship Jog from the Sports Centre, started by Dr Michael Kelly at 10:00 am and many of us who would be runners in the 10K, which was at 12:30, went round the course with our families, collecting our certificates at the finish.  The atmosphere was fantastic – there was more friendliness and sheer happiness than at any race I have been at before or since.   It was also a good flat course, impeccably marshalled and with the various water, sponge and time points all operating like clockwork. The 10K assembled at 12;30 and the race went off at 1:00 pm with a single lap.  By the end of the race the first thirty finishers were:

Place Name Country Category Time Place Name Country Category Time Place Name Country Category Time
1 R Robinson New Zealand M1 31:09 11 Jim Ash Scotland M1 32:56 21 Rodney King England M1 33:55
2 Tecwyn Davies Wales M1 31:52 12 Raymond Hatton USA M2 33:00 22 Hugh Foord England M3 33:58
3 Bill Venus England M1 32:09 13 John Oliver England M2 33:10 23

Derek Lawson

England M2 34:02
4 Fred Pendlebury England M1 32:12 14 Richard Cooper England M2 33:15 24 Albert Barden England M2 34:04
5 Pierre Voets Belgium M1 32:15 15 Jim Alder Scotland M1 33:26 25 EM Johnston England M1 34:04
6 David Anderson England M1 32:54 16 Carl Carey USA M1 33:41 26 John Collins Wales M1 34:09
7 David Hambly USA M1 32:26 17 Phillip Walkden USA M1 33:43 27 Melvyn Rawson England M1 34:12
8 Dan Conway USA M1 32:33 18 Dennis Townsend England M1 33:48 28 Stuart Malcolm England M1 34:14
9 Ron Hill England M1 32:49 19 Earl Ellis USA M1 33:50 29 William P Marshall Scotland M3 34:16
10 Wade Cooper England M1 32:49 20 Roger Monseur Belgium M2 33:52 30 David Pitkeathly USA M1 34:16

Some spot times:   50th – 35:35,   100th – 37:24,   150th – 39:11,   200th – 40:39,   300th – 43:33,   400th – 46:16,   500th – 49:59,     600th – 54:38,    last Scot – Joe Cascarina (M5) in 60:56, last finisher was Honji Takedze of Japan in category M9 in 1:24:02.

Among the familiar Scottish names crossing the finishing line were John Barrowman (Garscube – 35:0), Jim Sloss (Beith – 35:15), George Brown (ESH – 35:14), Henry Summerhill (Shettleston – 35:22), Ian Whyte (L & L – 35:22), Ian Leggett (Livingston – 35:39) and Bill Ramage (Springburn – 35:41) who were all on page one of the 13 pages of results.

The team (ie country results were not so good for the host nation with England winning six races and Switzerland and West Germany one each.  In the women’s races there were only teams in three categories,with England winning one and West Germany the other two.

Category Country Runners Times
M1 England Venus (3), Pendlebury (4), Anderson (6) 32:09, 32:12, 32:24)
M2 England Oliver (2), Cooper (3), Lawson(5) 33:10, 33:15, 34:02
M3 England Foord (1), Rhodes (3), Hughes (4) 33:50, 34:35, 35:13
M4 England Booth (4), Nicholls (5), Joynson (6) 37:31, 38:04, 38:32
M5 Switzerland Hasler (2), Graf (5),  Laniker (10) 36:02, 39:30, 41:44
M6 England Patrick (2), Lee (4), Locke (10) 43:13, 46:00, 50:41
M7 England Burns (3), Smith (5), Tyler (6) 45:24, 47:03,47:08
M8 West Germany Raschke (2), Althaus (3), Wossowski (4) 51:34, 52:47, 54:28

The first Fifteen Women

Place Name Country Time Category
1. Denise Alfvoert Belgium 37:24 F2
2. Yvonne Miles England 39:16 F1
3. Hilde Lang West Germany 39:50 F2
4. Marianne Buttnor West Germany 40:37 F2
5 Judith Broomsbridge USA 40:41 F2
6. Pearl Meldrum Scotland 44:17 F1
7. Gisela Schaffers West Germany 44:33 F2
8. Bepthilla de Prater Belgium 44:43 F4
9. Ann Patricia Parr England 45:02 F2
10. June Aitcheson England 45:18 F2
11. Colette Ignace France 45:29 F2
12. Claudine Geudens Belgium 45:32 F2
13. Edith Holdener Switzerland 45:38 F3
14. M Culshaw Scotland 45:40 F2
15. Veronica Robson England 46:01 F3
Category Country Runners Times
F1 England Yvonne Miles (1), A Tomkinson (5) D Anderson (6) 39:16, 48:58, 59.0
F2 West Germany H Lang (2), M Buttnor (3), G Schaffers (5) 39:50, 40:37, 44:33
F3 West Germany T Loppke ((3), I Schwarz (4), R Groth (5) 47:18, 49:36, 49:49

 Pearl Meldrum was the highest placed Scot in either men’s or women’s races and was second in her age group

The running over, there was a delegates conference at 2:00 in the Palace of Art, Bellahouston and in the evening, a civic reception and presentation of awards for the 10K at 7:00 pm.

The Trails

IGAL_2a_TrailIGAL_2b_Trail

On Sunday, 24th April it was the turn of the marathon runners who were required to run three laps of the 14K route with Timing stations at 10, 20, 30 and 40 kilometres, refreshment stations at 11, 16.21, 26, 30, 35, 40 kilometres and sponge stations at 14, 18, 23, 28, 33 and 38 kilometres.   Appropriately enough, in the last and hardest test of a wonderful weekend, the marathon was won by the wonderful Donald Macgregor of Scotland by a full 15 seconds from Robinson of New Zealand in 2:19:23.    The big names were out in this one – an autograph hunter’s paradise for anyone into athletics history.   Donald of course, Ron Hill, Gordon Pirie, Mick Molloy, Jim Alder, Eddie Kirkup and many, many more.   Scottish marathon champions on display included Alastair Wood, Gordon Eadie and Charlie McAlinden.   The top thirty here were as follows.

Place Name Country Category Time Place Name Country Category Time Place Name Country Category Time
1 Don Macgregor Scotland M1 2:19:23 11 Staf Spaepen Belgium M1 2:25:37 21 Jim Kennedy Northern Ireland M1 2:32:47
2 R Robinson New Zealand M1 2:19:38 12 Bill Stoddart Scotland M2 2:27:20 22 Robert Daniell Canada M1 2:33:24
3 Derek Fernee Canada M1 2:19:41 13 Raymond Swan Bermuda M1 2:27:24 23 Gunter Brabb West Germany M3 2:33:26
264 Ernst Ruegg Switzerland M1 2:20:34 14 Peter Lawrence England M1 2:28:01 24 Alexander Dunn England M2 2:33:36
5 James Avis England M1 2:21:05 15 Alastair Wood Scotland M2 2:28:35 25 Alfred Lennon England M1 2:33:55
6 Eric Austin England M2 2:23:30 16 Michael Richardson England M1 2:30:09 26 Eddie Kirkup England M3 2:34:06
7 W Roelofs Netherlands M1 2:23:40 17 John Geoghegan England M2 2:30:29 27 Harry Gamble-Thomson England M2 2:34:16
8 Thomas Flory England M1 2:24:19 18 Mick Molloy Ireland M1 2:30:54 28 Ancre Monnot France M3 2:34:31
9 Henri Salavarda Belgium M1 2:24:20 19 Ken Heathcote England M2 2:31:55 29 Louis Struyken Belgium M3 2:34:40
10 Kaspar Schiber Switzerland M1 2:25:35 20 Charlie McAlinden Scotland M2 2:32:25 30 Phillip Whittaker England M1 2:34:47

Some spot times:   50th – 2:41:17,   100th – 2:50:39,     150th – 2:57:04,     200th – 3:07:33,     300th – 3:27:03,    400th – 3:54:07,   the last Scot was James Stuart (M4) in 4:03:59, the last finisher was Jimmy Hempenstall (England – M2) in 5:17:53.    There were four finishers outside 5 hours and 50 between four and five hours.

Other Scots crossing the finishing line on the first page of the results were Gordon Eadie (M2 – 2:35:10), Jim Alder (M1 – 2:35:59),   John Brierly (M3 – 2:39:46), John Black (M2 – 2:42:11) and James Morrison (M1 – 2:43:16).

The team races by category were as in the table.

Category Country Name Times
M1 England J Avis (5), T Flory (7), P Lawrence (12) 2:21:05, 24:19, 28:01
M2 England E Austin (1), J Geoghagan (4), K Heathcote (5) 2:23:30, 30:29, 31:55
M3 England E Kirkup (1), J Llewellyn (5), F Price (6) 2:34:06, 36:46, 37:19
M4 England T Smith (3), E Joynson (6), W Brown (7) 2:50:47, 3:04:28, 3:05:58)
M5 West Germany L Hermann (5), W Girrester (7), P Eppel (9) 2:56:53, 3:04:25, 3:14:29
M6 Scotland G Porteous (1), J Youngson (3), B Smith (7) 2:57.0, 3:45:21, 4:18:25

But the overall Championship results were as follows …

Position Country Runners Total
1. England J Avis (5), E Austin (6), T Flory (8) 19
2. Scotland D Macgregor (1), W Stoddart (12), A Wood (15) 28
3. Belgium H Salavarda (9), S Spaepen (11), L Struyken (29) 49

…. and the first fifteen women were

Position Name Country Time Category
1. Carolyn Billinton England 2:55:34 F1
2. Toshiko Delia USA 2:57:25 F4
3. Patricia Day England 3:03:26 F2
4. Yvonne Miles England 3:08:26 F1
5. Ada Spiess Switzerland 3:11:48 F2
6. Judith Broomsbridge USA 3:13:37 F2
7. Lieselotte Schultz West Germany 3:21:25 F6
8. Hazue Yokota Japan 3:22:52 F1
9. Edith Holdener Switzerland 3:26:17 F3
10. Anneliese Schuler West Germany 3:26:47 F4
11. Bepthilla de Prater Belgium 3:20:27 F4
12. Ingrid Brab West Germany 3:32:21 F1
13. Greta Lindhorst West Germany 3:32:54 F2
14. Edith Coune France 3:33:58 F1
15. Renate Mende West Germany 3:34:09

I could see no Scots women in the list of finishers and there were no women’s team results given in the official results booklet.

On the Sunday evening, There was the Farewell Dinner at Tiffany’s Ballroom, Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow City Centre which had the presentation of awards for the marathon, Dinner, Dance and Cabaret.    Well before the actual weekend of the championships, these functions were all sold out – and could have been sold out several times over!

The brooches were a master stroke: T shirts were commonplace, medals were usually fairly cheap and mementoes rather than ‘objects of desire’.   But the brooches, crafted by Carrick the Jeweller in close consultation with the organising committee were desirable in their own right.   Modelled, I think, on the clan badges sold all over Scotland, they had that symbol of eternal friendship in the middle (like a figure 8 on its side) with no end and no beginning.   For the marathon it was in red, for the 10K it was blue.   As a gift from Scotland to every vet finisher from all over the world, from USA to Japan and Australia, men and women, it was appreciated by all who took part.