Bella Belter 10k

I returned to the scene of the Brian Goodwin 10k on Friday evening to run the same race but under the guise of the Bella Belter, the fourth and final event in the Tour of Clydeside series of races.  I had set myself two goals:

• To run with a positive frame of mind, with no thoughts of pulling out; and
• To run faster than the 47:37 that I took to complete the Brian Goodwin.

Given my recent training these should have been easily achievable but my tiredness, the warm and humid conditions and my heavy legs all played their part in making the race another hard test. 

I set off at 7:30 for the first of the two lap 10k course through Pollok Park and was happy enough to complete the 1^st kilometre in 4:32.  I maintained my pace for the 2^nd k but found myself way down the very strong field of some 84 or so runners.  My pace slipped to 4:41 and then 4:51 and then 4:52.  My support team, no really, gave me my water and lucozade at the halfway point.  The cool water was poured over my head and I took a quick drink of the lucozade and continued my race, making sure that I didn’t loose too much time. 

Pic by Kenny Phillips

“There’s two targets for you” shouted Iain Burke indicating that Bobby Young and Gavin Fairhurst were both catchable.  Despite feeling more refreshed, I wasn’t able to close the gap on them as my 6th k took me 4:51.  However as I climbed the slight hill outside of Pollok House, I managed to catch Gavin and Bobby wasn’t too far ahead.  As I was about to make my move Bobby turned his head and said “Is that you Ian?”  Any advantage that I had hoped for from the element of surprise was gone and I affirmed that it was indeed ‘me’ as I increased my pace to try to establish a lead over him.  The 7^th k had taken 4:44 but there no one in close proximity for me to target, although I could see Garscube’s Emma Blair (nee Ralston) a good bit in front.  The 8^th k took me 4:41.  Emma must have been slowing as I managed to catch her, despite the 9^th k taking me 4:46. 

As the path widened at the Titwood Road entrance to Pollok Park, I took my chance and sped past her.  I couldn’t see anyone else to chase down but I knew that Emma would pick up her pace and I presumed that Bobby and Martin Myant would also be chasing after me too.  I worked hard both mentally and physically during that final kilometre and completed it in a time of 4:09!

Although I was bitterly disappointed that it had taken me 46:37 to complete a 10k, I had achieved my two goals for the race and had taken 60seconds off of my previous outing.  In fact I had run my best 10k time of 2012 and achieved a wava of 68:61% and had managed another negative split.

I turned around and congratulated my fellow runners as they crossed the line, first Emma in 46:50, then Martin in 47:00, Bobby in 47:03 and Gavin in 47:07.

In the actual Race fellow Bella Harrier, Tommy McDonald finished first in a time of 34:02 to complete his clean sweep of the series, whilst Dumbarton’s Charlene Kelly won the women’s race in 40:21.

Many thanks to the other runners (especially those that had completed the series of races), the organisers and the army of volunteers who made the event such a success.

Photos



Pos No First Name Surname Club                   Cat            Time
1 34 Thomas McDonald Bellahouston Harriers MU20 00:34:32
2 121 Steven Prentice    Bellahouston Harriers  MS     00:34:54
3 25 Paul Carroll           Clydesdale Harriers     MV40  00:35:05
4 24 Steven MacGregor    unattached               MS      00:35:07
5 119 Cris Walsh          Bellahouston Harriers   MV40  00:35:15
6    8 Chris  Moses       Helensburgh AAC        MS      00:35:34
7  10 Chris Upson        Westerlands CCC        MV40  00:36:07
8 108 Mark Paterson   Bellahouston Harriers    MS      00:36:43
9 111 Adrian Dow       Kirkintilloch Olympians MV40  00:36:47
10 126 Gerard Scullion  Bellahouston RR         MV40   00:36:53
11 125 Graham McCabe Kirki Olympiansn      MV40   00:36:57
12 110 Howard Elliott     Kirki Olympians        MV40   00:37:28
13 28 Scott McCulloch Springburn Harriers     MV40   00:37:36
14 30 Gary Mitchell   Kirkintilloch Olympians   MV40   00:38:18
15 62 David Pollard   Dumbarton AAC            MV50   00:38:27
16 115 Stephen Reilly Calderglen Harriers        MS      00:38:58
17 1 David Dickson  Garscube Harriers            MV50   00:38:59
18 135 James Breen  unattached                       MV40   00:38:59
19 33 Craig Nichol   unattached                        MS       00:39:10
20 20 Michael McGinley Kirki Olympians        MV50   00:39:17
21 155 Kevin Farmer Clydesdale Harriers       MS        00:39:58
22 143 Derek Leitch   East Kilbride AAC       MV50    00:40:02
23 139 Charlene Kelly  Dumbarton AAC         FS         00:40:23
24 122 Ruaridh MacDonald Bella Harriers       MS        00:40:29
25 12 William Bishop           unattached           MV40    00:40:36
26 137 Peter Currie             unattached           MS         00:40:40
27 150 Gary Kilpatrick    Rons Runners          MS         00:40:42
28 156 Iain Carroll             unattached             MS        00:40:43
29 140 Lynsey McNicol Dumbarton AAC       FS         00:40:49
30 3 Gordon Gallacher  Kilbarchan AAC         MV40   00:40:56
31 109 John Weir Maryhill Harriers                  MV50   00:41:03
32 142 Richard Williams Galloway Harriers     MV40    00:41:16
33 132 Richie Birt Dumbarton AAC                MS         00:41:20
34 117 Chris Furse Clyde Orienteers               MV40    00:41:28
35 136 Paul Kelly Dumbarton AAC                MS         00:42:05
36 128 Michael Cowe unattached                   MS         00:42:22
37 18 Robert Allison  Kilbarchan AAC           MV50    00:42:23
38 114 David Gilliland  Unattached                 MS         00:42:24
39 151 Graeme Jack Kelvin Runners              MV40     00:42:27
40 116 Julia Harris Bellahouston Harriers         FV40      00:42:40
41 106 Bernie O'Neil Bellahouston Harriers    FV40      00:42:46
42 17 Erica Christie Bellahouston Harriers      FV50      00:42:53
43 154 Graham Alderdice Springburn             MV40     00:42:56
44 32 Neah Evans Shettleston Harriers           FS          00:43:32
45 130 Peter Walsh Dumbarton AAC            MV50      00:43:44
46 11 Cameron Ferguson  unattached             MV50     00:43:48
47 131 Billy Ferguson Dumbarton AAC         MV60      00:43:49
48 123 Murdoch Maclean  unattached            MV50      00:44:08
49  58 Peter Burton  Bellahouston RR             MS          00:44:10
50 144 Anthony McGale Springburn              MV40      00:44:18
51 105 David McLeary Unattached               MS           00:44:29
52 60 Richard Gray       unattached                MV40      00:44:31
53 22 David Murphy Shettleston Harriers       MV40      00:44:32
54 157 Tony Rodden  unattached                   MS          00:44:57
55 138 Alan McCallum unattached                 MV40      00:45:08
56 4 Andrew Clugston Kilbarchan AAC         MS          00:45:11
57 26 Allan Moore    Jogging Buddies            MS          00:45:26
58 27 Steven Hill        unattached                   MS          00:45:30
59 146 Ian Davidson  unattached                   MV50      00:45:44
60 15 Jim MacGregor Moray RR                  MV60      00:45:54
61 29 Murdoch Rodgers Bellahouston RR     MV60      00:46:10
62 134 Ian Goudie Bellahouston Harriers       MV50      00:46:37
63 141 Emma Blair Garscube Harriers           FS            00:46:50
64 118 Martin Myant Giffnock North            MV60        00:47:00
65  6 Robert Young Clydesdale Harriers       MV60       00:47:03
66 19 Gavin Fairhurst  unattached                 MS            00:47:07
67  9 Ian Anscombe Bellahouston Harriers    MS            00:47:46
68 147 Gary McLinton     unattached            MV40        00:47:49
69 129 Katrina Kynaston Kilbarchan AAC   FV50         00:47:57
70 152 Emma Bryce     unattached                FS             00:48:57
71 112 John Softley Bellahouston Harriers     MV60       00:49:06
72 23 Mark Turnbull Garscube Harriers        MV50        00:49:13
73 149 Stephen Pope  unattached                 MS            00:49:17
74  5 Chris Steward Bellahouston Harriers    MV60        00:50:23
75 59 Peter Cunning   Jog Scotland               MV40        00:50:26
76 153 Olivia Gilliland  unattached                 FS             00:50:30
77 124 Sarah Shaw unattached                     FS             00:51:20
78 127 Mel Ronald Bellahouston Harriers     FV40        00:51:34
79 120 Robert Doherty  Unattached             MV50       00:52:25
80 148 Austin Newberry  unattached            MS           00:52:33
81 2 Peter Brady              unattached            MV50      00:54:17
82 31 Siobhan Inglis  Kilbarchan AAC          FS           00:54:33
83   7 Peter McGillion      unattached            MV40      00:59:09
84 113 Frances Stirrup Unattached               FS           01:07:05

Please note that Dumbarton AAC Women finished 1,2 and 3 with Lynsey Currie 133 FV40 being missing from the results.