Stornoway Half Marathon 2009 Report

2009 Half Results - 2009 Half Comments - Adrienne's Photos - Gavin's Photos

  
Andrew Joyce and Lucy Colquhoun - Ist male and 1st female

Win for Local Boy in Half-Marathon

Saturday’s Scottish Co operative Stornoway Half Marathon was the twenty-fourth year Stornoway Running and Athletics Club (SRAC) have organised the event and finally the wait for local winner is over!  Andrew Joyce took the title in a new local course record time of 1 hour sixteen minutes and 17 seconds, over three minutes clear of his nearest rival and the fastest time since 2004! SRAC had further reason for celebration as Andrew along with mates Howard MacIver and Andy McMahon ran to victory in the team title ahead of a strong Portobello challenge!

The field of close to one hundred and fifty runners gathered at the starting line at the Lews Castle College and after some words of welcome from club chair Tony Robson the race got under way. From the start four runners broke away including Craig Glendinning (Bellahouston H), defending winner Ben Kemp and Peter Buchanan (both Portobello).  However what looked to be a close contest for the Stornoway “crown” was pretty much over as a contest by half way as Joyce ran to a commanding lead. Andrew had proved his ability earlier in the year with a top class run in Inverness and was now piling the pressure on the others to run much harder if they were to reign the Stornoway runner back in! The story was a similar one in the ladies race as Lucy Colquhoun (Carnethy) put good distance between herself and the Clydesdale pairing of Anne Murray and Fiona McCue.

Further back in the race there were some really fine runs being put in by runners from some of the other categories in the race. Terry Coyle the Scottish Veteran Harrier and a regular visitor to the Hebridean 3 Series races stayed within touching distance of the following pack and ran to a top ten place and first veteran 50+.  SRAC’s Howie MacIver also had a great run; following his fine run in Harris 10K Howie settled easily into the race biding his time. But from the four mile mark at Ivorhill he started to “up” the pace!  By Goathill he had overtaken a couple of runners and on “home-ground” at Percival Road the Manor boy was into the race pace that also saw him take a top 10 place behind Coyle in seventh!

The runners were lucky to be running in cool, calm but wet conditions from a continuous drizzle falling. But generally times were faster this year throughout the race and this was of course the case for the winner clocking the fastest time since 2004. There was a great local cheer as Andy crossed the line at Porters Lodge in a personal best time of 1hour 16 minutes and 17 seconds. As athletics continues to grow in the island hopefully the next local success will not be in another twenty four years! Congratulations to Andy for a top performance.

The Stornoway Half Marathon was sponsored for the first time by the Scottish Co operative and also for the first time the event included a 10K run. Entry for the race was very good and it is expected to double in size next year and it also provided very good
local performances. Jonny Pritchard used the race as part of his preparation for next weeks Edinburgh Marathon and on a fairly tough course with changing underfoot conditions won in a good time of 37minutes 41. SRAC’s Chirsty MacLeod also used the race as preparation for her big event of the year as she looks ahead to the NatWest World Island Games in Aland. Chirsty put in a solid performance to finish in fourth place overall in a time of 40 minutes 57. In second place young Martin Stewart showed his running potential when he won the under 20 category.

The third event of the day was the Fun Run made up from parents and toddlers, walkers and the fastest youngsters from throughout the island. SRAC’s Campbell MacDonald and Rebecca Munro were the boys and girls top placed runners while young Connor MacLean, Ross Alison, Michael MacMillan, Kenneth MacSween, Stuart MacDonald, Robert Angus Scott and Hugh MacKenzie all placed in the top ten!

In total over three hundred and thirty ran in the three races, which was ably supported and directed by an “army” of volunteers! Therefore thanks must be extended to all involved including the Stornoway and District round Table, all the marshals, the Boy Scouts and all at the water stations, Nana and the kitchen crew, Andy White on lead bike and all the SRAC members and friends who helped.

SRAC are delighted to have secured the sponsorship of the Scottish Co operative and to continue to have the assistance of the Stornoway Trust, Police, Ali MacKinnon’s, CalMax, The Volunteer Doctors, Lews Castle College and Stornoway Golf Club.

Alf T.