Unexpected PB at Beith - Report and Full Results

After running three races on Ne’er Day the thought of running another one the next day was far from appealing.  However Kilmarnock Harriers include the Beith Harriers 4.8 mile run in their Winter Championship, which I want to complete.  I ran the race five years ago and hated it. It’s on par with the Clydesdale 5k races which compete with it to be the most un-aesthetic race in the country.  Furthermore the Beith Race is not three times around an uninspiring business park but FOUR times, such a shame when there is so much outstanding beauty in the surrounding Ayrshire countryside.  The saving grace for the Clydebank races is that they are held on a flat and fast course, the same cannot be said about Beith, where the course is both rolling and testing.

I met up with a lot of friends and running buddies and warmed up as a number of Junior Races took place.   The Seniors Race commenced at 12:12 and some 50 of us set off and headed around the bland course.  My plan was to take it easy but try to maximise my championship points by beating fellow Killie Harrier Brian Darroch.  I contained my usual mad dash at the outset and instead tucked myself in behind Paula Wilson, who tends to have a more controlled start.  My legs were feeling a bit stiff and tired and I soon dropped behind Paula and into a more comfortable pace.  The first kilometre took 4:18 and as I glanced at my Garmin, Troon’s Natalie Fleming appeared on my shoulder and said “Hello, it’s me again”.  She stayed right on my shoulder as I set the pace throughout the race.  The incline slowed us slightly and the second kilometre took 4:27, however we over took Beith’s Ian Anderson and I was happy with the pace.  I felt as if we were working hard but not over doing it.   

The third kilometre took us 4:19 and we were receiving a lot of support from the onlookers as we ran around shoulder to shoulder.  The next, hillier, kilometre took 4:31 and the fifth one 4:22.  I could see Paula ahead and Eric Baxter in between us.  I was confident that our pace would be good enough to catch Eric but I was a bit surprised to catch him before we completed the third lap.  However he was not for giving in easy and I had to work hard to build a gap between us.  I had thought that my increased pace would be enough to get away from Natalie but she is becoming a bit of a bonny fechter.  However I attacked the first hill and could no longer hear her behind me. There was still a good bit to go and I concentrated in trying to close the gap on Paula ahead, rather than worrying about Natalie behind me.  I ran the next kilometre in 4:02 and completed the race in a total time of 32:17.  I was 14 seconds behind of Paula but only one second ahead of Natalie.

We then congratulated each other and cheered the other runners home before a quick warm down took me back to Garnock Rugby Club for some hot soup, sandwiches and cake.  In between post race banter with, amongst others Clare Whitehead who had won the women’s race today and the Glasgow parkrun the day before, I noticed the previous race results posted on the wall.  These revealed that I had taken 32:56 on my only previous outing in 2006.  An improvement of some 36 seconds, I have to be happy with that!

Men’s Race

Inverclyde pair, Chris Mackay and Craig Ruddy overtook Cambuslang’s Stuart Gibson in the last kilometer to place first and second consecutively with times of 22:43:and 22:49.  Stuart collected bronze with 22.55. Luke Traynor (Giffnock Harriers) placed first junior (fifth overall) in 23.51.  Kilmarnock’s Iain Connell  was first MV35+ in 24.50 with Hugh Laverty of Clydesdale Harriers first MV45+ in 31.24.

Women’s Race

In the Women’s Race Deeside’s Clare Whitehead exchanged her usual scenic hill races for the rolling hills of a North Ayrshire business park to place first in a time of 28:10.  Kilmarnock’s Kara Tait earned the runner-up prize with a time of 28:25, with Nynke Mulholland of Kilbarchan AAC placing third in 30.27.  It was good to see Paula Wilson picking up first women’s vet (35+) prize and Moira Nichol first women’s super vet (45+) prizes, with respective times of 32:03 and 36:04.

Vote of Thanks

As ever, huge thanks to everyone concerned in given up there time to organise the races, ensure that they ran smoothly and for providing an excellent post race spread. It really is much appreciated.

Photos by Kenny Phillips

Results:

Place  No                Name                             Athletics Club                       Time          Category:

1         332             Chris Mackay                     Inverclyde AC                      22.43          Senior Man 
2         345             Craig Ruddy                      Inverclyde AC                      22.49          Senior Man
3         350             Stuart Gibson                     Cambuslang Harriers            22.55          Senior Man
4         330             Mark Pollard                      Inverclyde AC                      23.47          Senior Man
5         364             Luke Traynor                     Giffnock Harriers                  23.51          Junior Man
6         328             Andrew Dearie                   Shettleston                          24.35          Junior Man
7         320             Lee Wilson                        NAAC                                 24.44          Junior Man
8         341             Iain Connell                       Kilmarnock Harriers              24.5            Male Vet 35+
9         340             Alex Allardyce                    Irvine AC                             24.52          Male Vet 35+
10       322             Andy McGhee                    Strathclyde Police AC            25.47          Senior Man
11       333             Pat Cullinane                     Irvine AC                             25.51          Senior Man
12       339             Greig Glendinning              Bellahouston RR               26.21          Senior Man

13       342             Scott Martin                       Kilmarnock Harriers              26.33          Male Vet 35+ 
14       358             Graham Evans                   Kilbarchan                          27.04          Junior Man
15       354             William Richardson             Irvine AC                             27.11          Male Vet 35+
16       353             Connell Drummond            Kilmarnock Harriers              27.13          Male Vet 35+
17       359             Steven Campbell                Greenock Glenpark               27.24          Male Vet 35+
18       327             James Wales                     Kilmarnock Harriers              27.28          Junior Man
19       317             Paul Kilby                                                                   27.35          Senior Man
20       343             Clare Whitehead                Deeside Runners                 28.1            Senior Woman
21       321             Kara Tait                           Kilmarnock Harriers              28.25          Senior Woman
22       319             Scott McKendrick                NAAC                                 29.41          Male Vet 35+
23       325             Andrew Jeske                    Jammys                             30.12          Male Vet 35+
24       331             Nynke Mulholland               Kilbarchan AAC                 30.27          Senior Woman
25       335             Emma Baxter                     Greenock Glenpark             30.58     Senior Woman

26       352             Hugh Laverty                     Clydesdale Harriers              31.24          Male Vet 45+

27       357             Kenneth Pryde                   Glenpark                             31.27          Male Vet 35+

28       351             Murray McDonald               Kilmarnock Harriers              31.44          Junior Man

29       347             Tom Gillespie                                                             31.49          Male Vet 45+

30       348             Paula Wilson                   Kilmarnock Harriers              32.03          Female Vet 35+

31       356             Ian Goudie                        Kilmarnock                          32.17          Male Vet 45+

32       338             Natalie Fleming                Troon Tortoises                    32.18          Senior Woman

33       334             Eric Baxter                                                                  32.44          Male Vet 55+

34       323             John Smith                        Jammys                             33.5            Male Vet 45+

35       349             Elizabeth McDerment        Kilmarnock                        34.07          Female Vet 35+

36       355             Brian Darroch                    Kilmarnock Harriers              34.34          Male Vet 35+

37       344             Ian Devoy                          Strathaven                          35.03          Male Vet 45+

38       326             Ken Wales                         Kilmarnock Harriers            35.05          Male Vet 35+

39       346             Andrew Scott                     Motherwell                          35.15          Male Vet 35+

40       361             Iain Anderson                    Beith                                  35.5            Male Vet 35+

41       324             Moira Nicol                        Jammys                            36.04          Female Vet 45+

42       318             George Young                    Maryhill Harriers                 36.57          Senior Man

43       336             Hazel McFarlane                Troon Tortoises                  37.06          Female Vet 35+

44       337             Anne Noble                       Troon Tortoises                   37.06          Female Vet 45+

45       363             Susan Clark                       Glenpark Harriers               40.34          Female Vet 35+

46       316             Sam Cathcart                                                             40.47          Male Vet 55+

47       362             William Drysdale                Law & Dist AAC                 47.31          Male Vet 55+

48       329             David Kerr                         Irvine AC                             50.50            Male Vet 55+

000      365             Robert Harkness                                                          DNF            Male Vet 45+

000      360             Les Hill                             Dumfries Running Club         DNF            Male Vet 45+

Some Great Performances at Ayr Turkey Trot

My 64^th race of 2010 was the Ayr Turkey Trot: it’s a Kilmarnock Harrier Championship race; it’s in the town of my birth and it affords me the opportunity to pop into the Golf Inn in Prestwick to see my relatives, so there are plenty of reasons for running it.  That said, I had raced the day before and was hoping that it would be rerouted along the beach and be a bit of a lottery.  However I noticed a change in weather conditions south of Kilmarnock as I drove down the M77 and wasn’t too surprised to be informed that the race would be on the traditional route.  For the first time since the Bangkok Mini Marathon, I would be racing in my shorts and racing shoes along a road, although the temperature was slightly cooler.  There was a decent turnout from Killie, Troon, Ayr and the two Bellahouston Clubs as well as other weel kent faces from Girvan, Dumfries, Central, Edinburgh and other clubs.  I also spied the two Winchester runners who I recognised from the day before’s Glasgow parkrun.  

Determined Final Strait

After a brief warm up I lined up with 176 other runners on the Ayr promenade to listen to the pre race announcements between chats, of course!  At noon we were on our way, heading southwards with the Firth of Clyde on our right hand side.  I noticed that there was a lack of the usual suspects around me during the first kilometre and started to wonder if I had set off too fast for a 10k, given that all my recent races have been shorter.  A quick glance at my watch, as I approached the 1k mark, revealed that I was running at an average pace of 4min/k.  I was actually quite glad to see Paula Wilson and Suzanne McMahon overtake me.  However my attempt at sticking with them as we ran into the wind was fruitless and my second kilometre took around 4:20.  I tried to stick behind a couple of guys but they also outran me and, as usual, I ended up running at the front of a pack. The third kilometre took me a disappointing 4:27.  Not that 4:27 is, in itself, a bad pace for me, it’s just that it was almost half a minute slower than my first kilometre.  The route then turned left away from the sea and along the sheltered River Doon path for about 400 metres.  I could hear a female breathing heavily behind me and when we turned left onto Doonfoot Road and started running northwards I opened up a bit and managed to keep her at bay.  That said the fourth kilometre still took me 4:25.  I knew that this is the part of the course where I usually see the lead runners making their way back and thought how good it would be to reach the turn off point before seeing them.  It was not to be today though as I could see the lead cyclist making his way towards me in front of an unknown to me racer who was storming along.  Behind him it was Kerry Liam Wilson and then Jeff Farquhar, I congratulated Jeff and then spotted Colin McGill running on his tail and congratulated him too.  Next in line for congratulations was Scott Kennedy, whose wife Linda seemed to be popping up everywhere offering me encouragement.  

At 4.5k the route does a loop of a housing estate and as we turned left I noticed that it was Troon’s Natalie Fleming that was running right behind me.  I’ve raced against her a couple of times and although she had beaten me at last week’s Harriers v Cyclists race, I was confident that I could beat her.  The fifth kilometre had taken me/us 4:19 and we had reached the halfway point in 21:35.  Although I had lost sight of Paula and Suzanne as we ran round the houses, I could see the red haired Bella Harrier Ruairidh MacDonald in front of us.  We rejoined Doonfoot Road at 5.5km and as we approached Ruairidh, Natalie made her move and overtook me and him.  I was kind of relieved that she had finally past me and relaxed for a moment or two before refocusing and catching Ruairdh.  I caught Natalie but she wasn’t for giving up and we ran along shoulder to shoulder for a while.  The sixth kilometre had taken us 4:24.  I edged in front as we entered the River Doon path but she kept right on my tail and we took 4:21 for the seventh kilometre.  I could see Suzanne ahead of me and Paula well in front of her.  I was thinking that I might be able to finish one place behind Suzanne when I heard a man’s footsteps behind me.  I lifted the pace slightly but it wasn’t long before I was overtaken by John Hagemeiser and Bernie O’Neil running shoulder to shoulder.  I made a cheeky attempt at catching them but they were too fast for me and I had to settle in behind them.  The eighth kilometre had taken 4:13 and I had managed to shake off Natalie.  John was running great and he soon left Bernie behind and she did the same to me.  There were a couple of guys ahead (Chris and Alasdair James) who seemed to be slowing and although I thought I might be able to catch them I tried to ignore them and focus on the stronger runners instead. Not surprisingly my pace dropped and the ninth kilometre took 4:21.  One kilometre to go and no surprises ahead, I gave it my all and could hear cries of “Great run, Ian” and “Well done, Ian Goudie” as I managed to catch Chris James and crossed the line in 42:45, a final kilometre of 3:50, only my third time under 43mins and a negative split to boot!

Paula had run a great race to place second female vet, behind Avril Mason, with Suzanne third in the same category.  I had placed fifth in my category, which isn’t bad when you think that it contains Jeff Farquhar and Al MacLachlan.

First across the line was Central AC’s tri-athlete David McNamee in 31:58, with Kerry Liam Wilson in runner up spot in 32:39 and Colin McGill third in 33:34. Jeff Farquhar was fourth and first super vet in 33:38 and Scot Kennedy was fifth and took the first vet prize in 34:47.  Kilmarnock’s Matt Ferguson being the first classic (V60+) in 44:27.

Natalie Fleming

In the women’s race Edinburgh’s Sarah Hood was first (eighth overall) in 36:09, followed by Alison Docherty (10^th overall) in 36:17 and Toni McIntosh  third (19^th overall) in 37:43. Louise Hill Stirling broke the 40min hurdle for the first time to win first junior prize in 39:14, whilst Toni’s mum Trish won the classic race (V55+) in a time of 56:33.

Selected results:

42 760 Paula Wilson Kilmarnock Hars F35-44, 41:50

 47 778 John Hagemeister Male 18-39 42:24

48 733 Suzanne McMahon Bellahouston Harriers F35-44, 42:29

49 776 Bernadette O'Neil Bellahouston Harriers F35-44, 42:37

51 841 Ian Goudie Kilmarnock Harrs Male 50-59, 42:45

53 795 Natalie Fleming Troon Tortoises F18-34 42:57

55 769 Ruairidh MacDonald Bellahouston Harriers Male 18-39, 43:25

Full Results

Congratulations to everyone who participated, marshalled, supported, organised or provided the lovely post race spread.

Dundonald Highland Games

Off we go.....  (pic by K Phillips)

My third race in three days was the Dundonald Games Road Race, this event used to be unique in that it was a 10.5k long but it’s been run over the more conventional 10k distance in the last few years. A bit of a shame as it makes it just another hard and hilly 10k road race. However it’s a Kilmarnock Harriers Championship Race, which is a good enough reason for me to participate in it. I’ve also got a bit of a soft spot for the town, having happy memories of the place and family connections to it.


When I left Glasgow the sky was grey and the rain was pouring down, however as I made my way down the M77 to Burns’ Country, I was greeted with blue skies and bright sunshine. There was a decent turnout from the Harriers, in particular the men’s section, and the other Ayrshire clubs: Irvine AC; Troon Tortoises; Ayr Seaforth and Girvan were all well represented. Other club runners, a number of Killie Striders and the unattached made for a successful event.

Just before 7:30pm the 100 plus runners lined up in the main street, next to the town’s famous Castle, and without much ado we were sent on our way heading uphill as we headed out of town. I had checked my previous results and knew that I needed to finish in under 44:14 to achieve a Course and Season Best time. This equates to a 7:07 pace. I knew that the course was undulating on the back road up to Symington and then downhill and a long flattish section before climbing back into the town and up beside the Castle before finishing on the grass.

I started cautiously but was soon aware of my legs feeling heavy and tired as I made my way up the initial hills. My other target for the night was to beat fellow Harriers’ Brian Darroch and Tom Wyper but it wasn’t long until I found myself off the pace as they opened a sizeable gap on me. My first mile took me 7:20 and I was starting to think that tonight was going to be one race too many. I knew that the hills weren’t as hard as the ones I do in my hill work training sessions but they were still taking their toll. The second mile took me 7:18 and I was now well behind on my race plan. Not only that but a pack of about five or six runners passed me at this point. I recognised one of them as Troon’s Ian McNee, who ran a bit erratically at the recent Girvan Half. Furthermore I could see that Tom was still a good bit ahead and Brian much further in front of him. I knew that the next hill, taking us into Symington, was the most difficult one but it was also the last one of any note. I caught up with Ian as we entered the scenic village, he tried to strike up a conversation but, without wishing to appear rude, I wasn’t up for a chat. I turned left and was surprised to see Tom right in front of me. I caught up and passed him at 2.8 miles. I then caught the next member of the pack, who asked me if we had passed the 3 mile mark, “not yet” I advised her, “that’s a pity” she said disappointedly, as I passed her on the way out of the village. The third mile had taken me an unbelievably slow 7:57!

I overtook the rest of the pack, apart from one, as I focussed in closing the gap on Brian, who was still a good bit ahead. The last of the pack was Troon Tortoise Natalie Fleming, who wasn’t for letting me pass her. We ran together until the water station. It was a hot night and the sun was beating down on us so I decided to take some water on board. However I noticed that they were just filling up the cups as we approached and allowed Natalie to take the first cup as I waited momentarily for the second one. I had a quick drink and poured the rest over my head before catching up with her again. We approached the next runner, a woman in a pink top, who ran into the field on the right for presumably a quick Paula moment.

Smile for the camera as the Finish Line approaches (pic by K Phillips)

I was glad that I had chosen to wear my running shades as we ran straight into the bright sunshine and a strong headwind, as we continued along the long drag back into Dundonald. The fourth mile took us 6:52 and the fifth 6:57. All the time we were catching up with Brian and as we approached the 6 mile marker and the first houses on the outskirts of the town we caught up with him and I pressed ahead leaving both Natalie and Brian behind. Encouraged by the locals, I ran up the main street before turning left into the Castle grounds. Up hill a bit and then a right turn and a sharp left took me along the shingle path to the playing field where a final dash over the grass took me across the finish line in a time of 44:09.

Big Finish from Natalie (pic by K Phillips)

I collected water for both myself and Natalie and we thanked each other for our mutual support during the race. Natalie was rewarded with the second woman prize, the first time that she had ever won a running prize. I then congratulated Brian, who had struggled over the last part of the route but had still managed to achieve a Seasonal Best as did the Killie Captain, Connell Drumond. Killie’s Kate Todd won the first FV45 prize and I had achieved my targets of beating Brian and Tom and recording a Course and Seasonal Best, with another 70+% (71.3) wava thrown in for good measure.

I then joined in the cheering for the amazing Hazel McFarlane and her running guide Anne Noble as they ran the final strait. I then noticed an old friend Emma Lunan finishing the race too, which was a bit of a surprise as I hadn’t seen her for over three years. When we chatted I learned that in that time not only had she had two children but she had got a new job in Ayr and had moved from Glasgow into Dundonald.


It was soon time to head back to Glasgow for a cold bath and some protein in the form of fromage de chèvre and of course accompanying vin rouge.

Results