RUNNERS START NEW YEAR IN STYLE
Published 5 Jan 2012 08:30
HELENSBURGH Athletic Club members lost no time in getting their racing vests back on after Christmas and New Year, travelling to Ayrshire for Beith Harriers' New Year Road Races on Monday.
Windy, wintry conditions may have resulted in smaller fields than usual but the Burgh contingent relished the competitive opportunity.
The opening races, over a three-quarters of a mile loop were for under-11s with the boys first.
Liam Kavanagh and Jake Gumbrell had their own private tussle, Liam eventually finding the faster sprint in the finish.
He took fourth place with a time of 4.42 with Jake fifth, just two seconds behind.
In the girls race, Chloe Murphy and Charlotte Caskie were an excellent second and third respectively with their times of 5.09 and 5.16.
The Burgh boys had no fewer than four athletes in the under-13 boys race, over the large loop of 1.2 miles.
Gregor Chambers was quickest of the quartet, claiming second place overall with a time of 7.36.
Calum Caskie matched his wee sister's third place with his time of 7.53, chased home all the way by Bruce Cromar, fourth in eight minutes dead and Ewan Mair, seventh in 9.18.
Megan Robertson used the event as a tuning up race for the Inter-District Cross Country in Edinburgh this weekend. Clocking 7.17 for the 1.2-mile loop in the under-15 girls race she placed a close-up third behind a couple of other girls selected to represent the West District on Saturday.
In the senior race, competitors faced four laps of the 1.2-mile loop.
Michelle Hetherington was fourth woman overall but claimed the first veteran prize with a time of 31.11.
She also claimed the scalp of Campbell Cromar.
Out injured for the latter part of 2011 Campbell nonetheless made a good start to 2012 with his time of 32.20.
Michelle had closed her 2011 racing account in similar prize-winning style.
In Ayr's Boxing Day Turkey Trot 10K, with a field of almost 250, she was again fourth woman overall and first veteran with her time of 41.27.
This article appeared in Helensburgh Advertiser 05 Jan 12
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Sport archives.
