Stornoway Running and Athletics Club

Home Page

Club Sessions

Club Events

Club News

Gazette

Membership

Tough Competition for SRAC at  Cross-Country Relays!

10 October 2009

SRAC went into the North District cross-country relay championship with a good degree of confidence as holders of the young males title, won in Strathpeffer last year! However, on a glorious day in Dornoch it was the home team East Sutherland that set the standard for the days running in the first race of the day the young female athletes relay.

The team format is now that team are made up of an under 13, an under 15 and an under 17 runner and running in that order over 2,500 meters. The forest venue just outside Dornoch was a very quick course run on solid forestry paths and some narrow trails through heather covered ground, all fast with no climbs of any degree of difficulty. So this was swift running form the gun to tape and East Sutherlands familiarity with the course and a hunger to win on home ground saw their “A” and “B” team’s in first and third after the first leg of the girls race. SRAC’s Peigi McKellar however stuck right with the local girls and put in a fantastic run to hand over second place to Rebecca Munro. Unfortunately Rebecca just managed to complete the course and way off her usual pace due to the virus currently sweeping the island. Falling back to fourth place Holly MacIver had a lot to do in the last leg and although closing in on the third placed runner eventually finished outside the medals in fourth place. One thing the girls race did show was the talent of it’s youngest runner Peigi, who clocked the fastest time in the team, 11minutes 20 secs for the 2, 500 meter lap!

As was the case in the girls race it was East Sutherland that set the pace in the boys relay as their three teams came in first, second and third after the first leg. The SRAC under 13 pair Connor MacLean and Kenny MacSween both ran to their current maximum form but found the pace of the host leaders too much, placing sixth and eight. North Champion Campbell MacDonald and Duncan McKellar closed the gap on the front runners, but East Sutherlands Ross Golan gained revenge on Campbell from last year and really gave a huge lead to their last runner. Robert Jones another of SRAC age group champions from last year went off to try to get amongst the medals but even on crossing the line (sweat visible on the brow too .... a first) was piped to the post by Moray. Josh Sinclair ran the final leg for SRAC’s second team (in the preferred type and length of shorts …. And they were even TARTAN ONE’S) , but even a good time on 10 minutes flat was not enough and so SRAC surrendered their title! So, much to do before the North District Cross Country Championships in Inverness on the 17 November if SRAC are to retain the various individual and team prizes won last year!

There should be numbers enough to field male and female teams in under 13, 15 and hopefully even under 17, while taking some of the new under 11’s will help keep continuity for the year’s ahead! Any of you young one’s reading this do your bit to make sure SRAC have the strongest possible squad travelling by regularly attending club sessions and by bringing new pals along, eh? It’s unlikely that the scheduled Run Paula Relay will happen this Saturday (24^th October) for one reason or another, so its back to the Castle Grounds’ Saturday morning’s at 10.30 am till further notice.

Full Results are shown below

Training restarts this Saturday 17th October at 10.30am and junior members attending are asked to meet at the Porters Lodge, not the golf club car park, thus avoiding unnecessary congestion. The following week the club  junior’s will attempt to beat Paula Radcliffe’s World Record Marathon time of 2 hours 15 minutes 25 in a relay run for much needed club funds, venue to be confirmed.

Details of registration and entry for the first race in this season’s Alex Murray Construction Lewis & Harris Cross Country Series on Saturday 7th November can be found on the SRAC web site and schools will be sent details. SRAC are most grateful to AMC Construction and their continued support of the highly popular and well attended event!

SRAC would like to thank The Lewis and Harris Sports Council for their support in this trip to the North X-Country Relays Championships

A Tupper