Stornoway Running and Athletics Club
2007 North District XC Championships
SRAC travelled to the North District Cross Country Championships in Elgin this weekend with a team of twenty-three and a mix of club coaches and parents to assist and supervise. The team’s goal was to post good individual performances in relation to individual capability, but in the main to cross the line feeling happy with the run put in! There were differing reactions in crossing the line throughout the team, Calum Robertson running in the under 15 race ran to almost “dropping” point as did Ceit Stewart. Robert Jones top Isle's performer on the day felt the glory of crossing the line in second and silver position while Campbell MacDonald and Kenneth MacSween although finishing well up the field crossed the line in that almost unwanted fourth position and therefore one place off the medals! But each of the group were satisfied that they’d run an event that offered new opposition and had completed their respective age group distances comfortably! On arriving at registration the weather was favourably dry and not too windy, but just as the first race of the day (under 11’s) started so did the rain! However once on the run the wet and cold was forgotten about as effort and concentration was put into the day’s races. The course itself was fairly fast, soft underfoot in parts form heavy rain and flooding from flooding the broken river banks. In the first race of the day the under 11’s ran a two lap course that included one sharp short hill. Kenneth MacSween was SRAC’s only runner and he ran very well, pacing himself evenly throughout the race to place fourth. Both North Uist AAC and Daliburgh School had big representation in this mixed race and top performer was Nyree Troughton of NUAAC, who took third place. Nyree who has been an impressive performer in previous Western Isles Championships looks set to continue her past good form and will be looking forward to this year’s championships in Uist. SRAC had a team of Alison MacInnes, Mairi Graham, Kristina MacKenzie, Gillian Johnson and Rebecca Munro in the under 13’s, but were up against very good competition and in particular from Caithness AAC. From the quick start Rebecca went with the lead group, but this “new” tactic didn’t pay off so well and after falling off the pace she took some time to recover and get back to a steady pace. Rebecca crossed the line in eleventh to take the SRAC team home to finish fourth. Gillian and Alison running their mainland debut races put in solid runs to both place in the top twenty. In the boy’s race island rivals Campbell MacDonald (SRAC) and Graham Black (NUAAC) were well to the front of the race although unable to close the gap to the front two. Therefore the cat and mouse race between the two was on! It was Black that made the decisive move with the finish in view and his strength was good enough to see off the SRAC lad’s challenge to take a very good bronze. The two will renew rivalries on January26th at the Western Isle Cross Country Championships and an interesting race ensues! Meanwhile in the team event both teams were pushing for places, SRAC’s second runner home after a superb first “outing” to the North Championship’s “proper” was Duncan McKellar in seventh place. He was closely followed by NUAAC’s Ewe Campbell in eight and his fellow Hearrach and SRAC team pal Mikey Paton in Tenth! These performances meant that in the top ten North runners, half were from the Western Isles! SRAC took team silver behind Inverness Harriers while North Uist took bronze. In both the under 15 races the majority of the SRAC runners had just moved up to the first year of this category and were hoping to put in a small challenge. However both boys and girls team exceeded expectations by winning both team events! Holly MacIver led the girls home finishing fifth overall with Allis Murray and Ceit Stewart finishing in seventh and eight respectively. In the boys race Bobby Bristow of Shetland came into sight at the finish in the lead and was been chased by what seemed to be a Stornoway vest ... but the runner momentarily unrecognizable? At closer scrutiny it was the new look Robert Jones sporting his new look haircut, but could a number 1 cut have resulted in an even faster time? Joking aside Robert had a great race as both the Shetlander and he blew away the North league leaders with strong front running displays! Robert also led the SRAC lad’s to gold, as Josh Sinclair and Calum Lawson finished seventh and ninth. The team points for SARC were 18 while second placed Moray Road Runners were nine points behind, with Caithness third and N. Uist AAC fourth. Rory McClure was the top placing Uist athlete in a very good fifth position. SRAC’s Jones now look set to be one of the team of three to be selected for the Highlands and Islands to run in the new event in Edinburgh that will take place the day before Edinburgh host’s the World Cross Championships! SARC would like to thank Lewis and Harris Sports council and Awards for All for assisting the trip, the parents that came along to help and the team deserve plaudits for sticking with the sport, training hard and performing well on the day! RESULTS - http://www.morayroadrunners.com/mrrpics/NDCCC%20Results(1).xls Sorry camers broken - no photos (says Ross) But luckily I did (says Gavin)!
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