Stornoway Running and Athletics Club
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Stornoway Running and Athletics Club |
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The eleventh annual Western Isles Cross Country Championships finally went ahead last Saturday at Hosta machair, North Uist after two previous cancellations through the winter months. One hundred and twenty runners ran the machair course which also took in a 300meter stretch along the beautiful Hosta beach. From the “off” the runners were straight into a challenging climb for the first 250metres before the course opened out onto the flat, only to be met by a stiff Atlantic breeze! Turning onto the Hosta beach the wind was behind and when the runner’s legs had recovered from the descent from the machair down a twenty foot dune there was an opportunity to stride out with the wind behind. Working uphill of the sand and back onto machair onto the dunes was also a tough ask before the final run in to the finish line! (Or before repeating it all again, dependant on how many 1500metre laps the age group race required!) The under 9 girls got the proceedings under way and from the gun the competition for the title was plain to see. A group of four quickly set a pace with the champion’s cup in mind and a very entertaining race ensued. Kirsty Thomson had been the Lewis and Harris winter series race winner and in the pack looking for more success, local girl Mairi MacIntosh however was also of the same mind. But would either Backs Catriona Bain or the Lochs girl Saskia Wilson who performed so well at the last race I Stornoway take the title? As the girls came into the final 200metres or so did the race was really on and with just a little more speed in her legs Kirsty Thomson (Stornoway Pr) out sprinted Saskia to the line in a great race! The boys was almost as tight a finish as the girls race, but local boy Fergus “Billy Whiz” MacVicar who had lead the race from the start won with a nine second advantage, from Stornoway pair High MacKenzie and Daniel Duffy. In the under 11’ girls race old rivalries were again renewed between Peigi McKellar, Harris and Back’s Isabelle Bain, who would win? Well neither if Nyree Toughton, Uist had anything to do with it! Local girl Nyree burst onto the running scene two years earlier and had yet to loose, so the race was going to be keenly contested fro all the main contenders! Nyree with her knowledge of the course set the pace from the start and was pushing hard to break the challenge of her “Northern” rivals! Peigi and Isabelle worked together in an effort to close the gap on the front runner, but when Peigi broke away from Isabell coming off the beach and into the final stretch to the finish line she did enough to catch and then pass a tiring Nyree. A superb race, certainly an unpredictable one, but all three put in terrific effort with Peigi just timing her run to perfection to win! There was a “high octane” anticipation at the start of the boys under 11 race and this super combustible fuel was quickly burned off from the time the starters whistle blew! A lead pack of five Stornoway Primary and Laxdale’s Conner MacLean blasted off at such pace they managed to “fly” past the course markers with an 80 metre lead. But after some re-directional shouts from the marshals they were back on course and managed to regain front position! Conner MacLean, Laxdale put in the first push for the front, but he was calmly followed by the Stornoway Primary pair Jamie Sullivan and Ross Allison. All three are very promising runners, but ultimately Ross Allison ran the better judged race to take the under 11 title! In the under 13 races they were two very good victories from SRAC youngsters, Rebecca Munro, N/I and Campbell MacDonald, Back. Rebecca’s run was probably the most convincing winning margin of the day, putting in a determined effort from gun to finish tape. Campbell’s two lap race saw him cover the early moves of his Uist rival Graham Black, before the unfortunate Black retired after not feeling too well. Campbell then to the “northern” team’s travelling support’s surprise took to the front as Campbell himself also had experienced an “off” stomach throughout the morning prior the race. However Harris lad Duncan McKellar continued to pursue Campbell but on the day Campbell surprised the team coaches with a very good form run to win. In the girls event SRAC had a 1, 2, 3 clean sweep through Holly MacIver, Ailis Murray and Ceit Stewart. This was a great race as Holly and Ailis who seem to be winning over one another in turn at each race put on another show of determined racing! On the day Holly took the initiative 800m from the line and made her advantage count to take the win this time over training partner Ailis. Calum Smith continued to build on his success at the Harris 10k to easily win the under 17’s race, while fellow Harris runner Coinneach Morrison won the senior title over past winner Gavin Earons. SRAC thank Enable, CalMax and Roddy Graham for assistance with the trip and all the North Uist personnel involved in organisation. Special thanks from all involved to North Uist Community Council for their support of the event and their chair Mr Peter Rentoul who presented the prizes. A Tupper
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