SRAC Juniors in the Blue!

A big number of the SRAC juniors made up the bulk of the very successful Nicolson school team in the days before the National clubs Championships in Falkirk. Top performer was Robert Jones winning the under 15 race and he was supported by Josh Sinclair, Sean MacLeod and Calum Lawson as they won the under 15 team title!

Ailis Murray was the girl’s top runner winning bronze in the girls under 15race. Ailis lead the Nicolson girls into second team along with Holly MacIver (4th), Rebecca Munro (7th), and Gillian Johnston (20th) on the Gordonston course. The senior girls team of Jane MacIver, Ceit Stewart, Kirsty Munro and Eilidh MacIver took gold for their efforts!

The successes in recent secondary and primary schools cross country from the island auger well for the further development of athletics for SRAC. Hopefully these successes will lead to more regular after schools sessions for those interested and acting as a feeder to the club.

SRAC Travel in BIG Numbers

Severe weather conditions threatened this year’s trip to the National Cross Country Championships as gale force wind swept the west coast, months of training in vain? Not quite, even thought the Ullapool ferry was fully booked! Plan “b”” quickly hatched, yes…. an even earlier start to the day as a last minute booking was accepted for the SRAC “caravan” on the Tarbert/Uig ferry. Credit to of all the club’s young athletes acceptance of a long journey through Lewis, Harris and Skye in the roughest of conditions to get to the largest Scottish Championships in recent years! (Did you see Adrienne’s white knuckles holding onto the steering wheel going through Airidhbruaich?!! Yes that was some “hoolie” blowing!))

Callandar Park, Falkirk was the race venue for the second consecutive year (and it will be till 2011) had a historically significant feature within the route, where the runners ran along the Roman’s Antonine wall. SRAC on this occasion as visiting Celts from the far north opted not to run in woad covered bodies and proudly stuck with the conventional red Vest hoped in gold! (Though Kristina did manage to get some pretty wild face paints on the previous evening frightening unsuspecting hostellers in Pitlochry!)

The under 13’s were the first races of the day and for the boy’s (one runner short to count as a team), the experience will be invaluable for their return next season. Campbell MacDonald was first SRAC boy (or as the ‘ol Sy folk say bouy) home followed by Hearrach Duncan McKellar and then Nisseach Micheil Smith. All three will be available to stay in this category for next year and other than looking for higher placing’s SRAC will be on the look out for some new legs to complete a full team! Rebecca Munro led the girl’s team home some distance from the close finishing pair of Gillian Johnstone and Kristina MacKenzie not too far behind was fourth counter Alison MacInnes. Debutants Hannah Macleod, Mairi Graham and Katrine Sullivan will also want to visit the Callandar Park course to work on their first experience of “big-time-racing”!

Both boys and girls teams placed 7th in the team events. Jane MacIver market a return to form to lead the girl’s team home in 35th place in a race to the line with her north district rival Eilidh Black (Inverness), the two shared the same time as 3rd and 4th placed north athletes! Ailis Murray is also on a fine vein of form and was next counter with the gutsy and dependable Holly MacIver 3rd in for SRAC. The high cadence engine that is Ceit Stewart was the final counter, but the race effort by Eilidh MacIver and Ceitlin Smith was also very encouraging. Robert Jones was again top SRAC performer and at the end of the month he will be off to Hollyrood park to run in the new Inter-counties race which will be a prelude for the World Cross Country Championships the following day, best of luck “Fletch”! But the improving Josh Sinclair may well be pushing Jones next year as he is clearly looking like a fine athlete. Third counter Calum Lawson will son be off to pastures new and will be missed (as will long term injury twin Uilleam – hopefully their skill in athletics will continue to keep them away from being All Blacks! Mmmmm..? Kilted Kiwi’s would be ok tho’!) However the team remains strong with Sean MacLeod and Calum Robertson and like the girls can only improve on 7th place.

SRAC “golden girl” (or at least one of them) Eilidh MacKenzie was running in her new Heriot Watt University vest, but we’re well sure the heart beneath was 100% SRAC! Maybe something to do with joining the team at our new luxurious changing tent and of course big hugs and smiles. Oh, yes …. a super run and with a huge private support team. Eilidh’s fifth place is testament to all the club’s young runners that starting running in the Castle grounds does no end amount of good!

Unfortunately the senior men didn’t manage to get a team of six for the first time in many years and with Ross dropping out and Jim Bruce concentrating on his after diner speech to the Bog Trotters at the back of the pack ..? But the two Andy’s, Joyce and McMahon, as ever did ok. They will be looking for more counting runners next year to make their efforts more worthwhile in the club’s 25th anniversary year!

Thanks to Lewis and Harris Sports council for assisting with the trip.

More Success

Many of the even younger SRAC runners travelled with Stornoway Primary to Dornoch for the North Primaries Cross Counrty Championships. Sorry not all the details are available, but its confirmed that Conner MacLean place 4th and Ross Alison 6th. Superb guys and well done to you all for travelling and running on one of the roughest day’s of the year! Well done to supervisors Karina, Murdo and China!!