Lewis and Harris XC Series 2010-11

Saturday 22 January 2011

Sponsored by Alex Murray Construction

Great competition at race 2 of the Alex Murray X Country series!

Click here to view race results

It seems like a completely different season from race 1 in the series and the cancelled North Championships of November! The long lying snow and the holiday period however are now behind us and race 2 of the winter 10/11 season has produced good numbers competing in most age categories, some fantastically keen competition and also some very fine individual performances.

For the sake of ease the club shortened the course and increased the laps and that ensured much more viewing of races unfolding throughout the laps for the large crowd spectating! For some of the competitors the hillier courses suited, but in reality when it comes to cross country running you have to be prepared for anything! That of course is the beauty of the Castle Grounds Lady Lever Park, one of the towns greatest assets!

In the under 9 girls race the competition really was tight once again between Ellie Maclean, Laxdale and Aird’s Isla MacKay. Ellie took first slot again but only four seconds separated them, but in the team event Stornoway Primary are showing good form over rivals Laxdale! The team event is even closer in the girls under 11’s between the two schools. The keenly fought contests between Stornoway led home by Catriona Rigby and Laxdale led home by second placed Caitlin MacKenzie, will go to the wire! If you’re betting on an individual winner, well, it’s even closer than the team contest, come see a week Saturday!

The closest race of the day was the hard fought under 11 boys race. Eventual second placed runner Rory Mighton held on throughout the 1540 meters to Kyle Munro. But as the boys ran down the Castle Green slope to the finish there was a very strong sprint finish from Kyle that secured him his second win in the series! While so many of these talented youngsters from throughout Lewis and Harris compete against one another, SRAC are delighted that in club competition they can join forces and compete well in the North District races for the club!

Three of the young athletes that recently returned from the Inter District Championships in Edinburgh also put in fine displays for the spectators. Ross Alison put in a very dominant display of front running to score a second win over one of the most consistently good runners over the past few years, Back’s Campbell MacDonald. Campbell did run with a niggle and with some rest and along with Micheil R Smith and Kenny MacSween, SRAC’s under 15 team are looking very good!

There were also very good performances from Connor MacLean (6th eq in Edinburgh) and Peigi McKellar (5th in Edinburgh) as they ran away from the field to win the under 13 races. But with a glut of young runners behind in both races there will be a good number of future athletes coming through.

In the mixed ages race that included under 17, 20 and senior runners (and of course many veterans) Murdo McKenzie and Rebecca Munro were first over the line. Numbers taking part are growing even in the senior ranks and perhaps any readers doing any running should give the “country” a go! It offers a different challenge to the roads and till you’ve tried it you may not realise just how it can improve your strength for the more popular road races, go on be adventurous, next local XCountry race Saturday5th February (see www.srac.org.uk).

Anyone interested in travelling to take part in the Western Isles Cross Country Championships in Bernera, N Uist this Saturday 29th January also see SRAC web site.

A Tupper.

  #