Stornoway Running and Athletics Club

In the morning it looked like conditions would not be safe enough to hold the event, but thankfully the weather abated apart from a squall at the start of the first race. Unfortunately the conditions probably put a lot of competitors off, with the turn-out down on the first round. But nothing puts the Hearachs off — and again Sir E Scott was well represented.

The first race of the day saw Alastair Dunlop make the course look easy although Iain Gilbert hung on to the back of him for the first lap. Meg Gordon ploughed her way round the mire followed by Chrissie Macrae from Scalpay who is probably under the opinion that there are more pleasant ways of spending a Saturday morning. In the U-17 race the Nicolsons' Iain Maciver came in ahead of Finlay Maclennan from Sir E Scott running for the first time in a year. Chirsty Macleod from Castle School showed her class in the U-15 race while Jason Maclean put in an excellent performance, although he would have been disappointed not to run against Murdo A Mackenzie who was trapped by the weather in Ullapool.

The under-9 boys race saw an exciting finish again with Dan Crossley and Mark Mackenzie sprinting to the line, last time out it was a dead heat, this time Dan held out to cross the line and take gold. Young David Shaw from Sgoil nan Loch showed courage and more than a little determination to get round the testing course and his sister Megan showed it runs in the family in the following race. The under nine girls were badly depleted in numbers but another exciting race to the line saw Holly Maciver, Sandwickhill, and Allis Murray, Stornoway Primary, share the honours. In the final round, both these races will be exciting as we see who comes out top to get the individual championship gold medals.

The under-11 boys didn't let a bit of bad weather get in the way of their competition and yet another close race saw two newcomers, Donald J Macdonald and Martin Maclean, both from Back, crossed the line a mere second apart. In the girls' race Rhoma Macleod, Breasclete, managed to hold off the spirited challenge of Jane Maciver, Sandwickhill in a very close fought encounter. Shona Campbell, Sir E Scott, swapped 15th place in the first round for a well-deserved 3rd place. In the under-13 boys race Jim Keenan looks unbeatable, finishing well ahead of the field, a welcome contingent of new faces particularly from Back and Sgoil nan Loch made up for those missing from the first round.

In the U-13 girls race Eilidh Mackenzie ran a perfectly timed race to push first round winner Jayne Murray, Back, into second place and set up another exciting final round head to head. Newcomer Donna Anderson, Sgoil nan Loch, put in a good effort to take third place.

SRAC would again like to say thank to the competitors and the parents and teachers, some of whom travelled far to brave the mud and biting cold wind. Thanks are also due to the Stornoway Trust and the staff of the Woo