July Update

Lots to read this month with reports from Bob running a long distance for him ie 400m at the British Masters T&F championships to Donald Sandeman running 95miles on the west highland way – so Harmeny covers everything I think!

See attached file for Donald’s tales of the WHW – it’s definitely worth reading!

Annual club handicap race from BHS down WOL to Harrison park.

For new members or those that haven’t done this before everyone starts in order of their club handicap (for 10k) so slowest first and fastest starts last, and hopefully everyone finishes about the same time at Harrison park if the handicapper’s timings are correct!

This year’s race, about 10k, is due to take place on 21st of August. 9.45am at BHS to register for slower runners, the faster runners meet as normal about 10am.  10.7k to Harrison park on the canal.  Anyone wanting to run just 5K let Norma know and you can register then arrange a lift to Juniper green and the 5K starting point is under the City bypass. Friends are welcome to join in as well, let Norma or Ian May know their 10K time and they will be given a handicap, and the fee for non-members is £3.

Helpers are needed, please contact Norma if  you can assist.

Other club handicap news will be in next newsletter

Best performances have been updated on the club website see www.pentlandrunners.org.uk

Stories from any races welcome for the newsletters it doesn’t have to be marathons or ultras (although these are always an amazing read!) it’s always good to hear about someone’s first 5k or first hill run for example, and as not everyone is on facebook this lets all pentland runners read about others’ runs/races etc. So just send your reports to Anne & Bob

Reports from races  - well done to Tom Matko on his 5 Scottish marathons and all in really excellent times and then a long read from Donald Sandeman about running the west highland way – but if you run 95 miles you are entitled to a long report!

COMPLETING ALL THE SCOTTISH MARATHONS AT THE CAPE WRATH MARATHON by TOM MATKO

On May 21^st 2011, I achieved one of my targets, to complete all the marathons in Scotland.

The 5 marathons in Scotland, are Lochaber in April, Cape Wrath in May, Edinburgh in May, Moray in September and Loch Ness in October.

There are other marathons which have come and gone such as Glasgow in 2000, Dumfries in 2006 and 2008, and the Isle of Harris and Isle of Lewis marathons in 2008. Of these, I have completed Glasgow in 2000, and the Isle of Harris marathon in 2008.

My record is as follows :

Lochaber (3 times).             Best time of 3.05 in 2002.

Moray (3 times).       Best time of 3.11 in 2002.

Loch Ness (twice).   Best time of 3.05 in 2005.

Edinburgh (once)      3.33 in 2010 (slow time due to 28 C finishing temperature).

Cape Wrath (once) 3.35 in 2011.

The total number of marathons I have completed so far is 19.

I am hoping to complete my 20^th marathon later in 2011.

Last year in my article in the October newsletter, I wrote how I completed the Scottish Marathon Grand Slam in 2010 (Lochaber, Edinburgh, Moray and Loch Ness). As Edinburgh and Cape Wrath marathons are on successive days, it is not possible to run all 5 marathons in a single year. If the dates change I might consider doing all 5 in 1 year !

I also completed 10 half marathons in 2010, which is 3 more than I ever did before.

CAPE WRATH MARATHON 2011

Much as Munro baggers often go to the Isle of Mull to walk their last Munro (the only Munro on an island, except Skye), the Cape Wrath marathon is the ideal one for marathon runners to finish on.

In 2011 only 80 runners completed the Cape Wrath marathon in North West Sutherland, and many were repeat performances, with a trio of runners having run it at least 8 times. In 2011 the race was held for the 10^th time, and special 10^th anniversary tee-shirts were available at registration.  The normal route, starts by taking the runners in groups of 20, in a 5 minute small boat crossing. Then setting off in the same groups, the runners run the first 11.5 miles to the Cape Wrath lighthouse on a single track road, and then return back to the boat. They are then transported over the water, and then run the last 3 miles on the road back to the village of Durness.

This year due to bad weather (only the second time so far), the marathon to the Cape was cancelled, and a ‘bad weather option’ was implemented. The 80 or so runners, then set off from the village hall in Durness, at 8 am on Saturday morning, in windy and rainy weather. Most runners were wearing waterproof tops, as the weather was so unpredictable. I set off at a fairly gentle pace in the first couple of miles, as I often do in a marathon, and then overtook a few runners, before settling in a small group with 2 others. There was a large group of about 15, about a minute ahead, and just in front of them the leading group of 4. The wind direction was against us for the entire first half of the race. We got to within 45 seconds of the large group, but sensibly decided to let them go.  It was an out and back course (on the main road between Durness and Kinlochbervie).

When I got to about 12 to 12.5 miles, the leader Mark Ford was coming towards us, just ahead of 3 Portobello runners (Peter Buchanan, Melanie Henderson and Graham Henry). After that the large group had already broken up. At the turn I was in 24^th place. The course was mainly uphill in the first half, especially very hilly between 8 and 11.5 miles. I had recced the course by driving it the day before, so knew exactly what to expect. Preparation is always the key to success !

As we turned around, the course was mainly downhill, with the wind behind us. I had reached half way in my slowest ever time of 1.52 for the first half of a marathon, but realised that the course and weather conditions were to blame and not my running. Everyone speeded up after half way, and I overtook 4 runners in the second half, and was overtaken by only 1 runner in the entire second half. One runner near me had cramp with only 1 mile to go. The last mile is uphill to the village hall, so there is no chance for a fast finish.

My finishing time was 3.35, which is my 3^rd slowest ever marathon, but considering the difficulty of the course, the poor weather conditions, and that it was my 1^st Cape Wrath marathon, it was generally a very solid performance. In future years, I will aim to break 3.30, and possibly get down to sub 3.20. However, as a warning to other runners, this is the hardest road marathon in Scotland (add about 15 minutes at least to your normal marathon time). In terms of difficulty, it compares  to the Snowdonia marathon in Wales and the Great Langdale marathon in the Lake District (2 races that are on my TO DO list).

Hopefully, in another year the weather will improve, and I will run to the Cape Wrath lighthouse.

This years results, were that Mark Ford won the marathon (4^th year in a row) in a time of 2.59, second was Peter Buchanan in 3.07, fourth was Graham Henry in 3.09, fifth was Melanie Henderson in 3.12, and 7^th was Lucy Colquhoun in 3.15 (the present Scottish Ultra-Marathon Series Women’s Champion). I came 21^st out of 80 finishers, and was second finisher among the veterans category : 40-44. Prizes are quite limited, with only 1 veterans prize given for each age category : 40-49, 50-59 and over 60.

This was the first year that Portobello had a large group of entrants. It is very possible for a Harmeny male to win the race, and Jonathan Carpenter, Robert Turner or Paul Houston, would likely be in contention with Mark Ford for the 1^st prize, or maybe even win the race by at least 5 minutes.

The Cape Wrath marathon is right up the street for Ultra-marathon runners, fell runners, or marathon runners who are strong in uphill road running. If you are doing any of the Scottish Ultra Marathon Series races, then I would suggest doing this marathon as it would suit you. Please note it is run entirely on roads, and is not an off-road marathon.

The scenery is spectacular in North West Sutherland, with the race being in Scotland’s only GeoPark. Some of Scotland’s most iconic mountains are near Durness, such as Suilven, Stac Pollaidh and Ben Hope. There is also Sandwood Bay, which is a 4.5 mile walk each way, which I did the day after the marathon. Smoo Cave near Durness has the largest cave opening in the UK, and Faraid Head near Durness is also an interesting walk which I did. There is Handa Island near Scourie, which is designated an Island Bird Colony, and accessible by ferry. If you are interested in mountain walking, sandy beaches or wildlife, then North West Sutherland is spectacular.

So far only Ian Morrice and myself, from the club have run the Cape Wrath marathon. I would love to see others doing it from Harmeny.  I will definetely be doing it again. 

Just you Go and Explore ! Never know what you might find !

Bob’s Outdoor Season:

Scottish Masters Track & Field Championships, Meadowbank, Sat 28 May

I don’t like Meadowbank. It’s a bleak stadium lacking the intimacy of Grangemouth or the rural feel of Pitreavie or Dumfries. And there’s usually a Baltic East wind against us in the straight, but not today. A strong westerly wind and squally showers were behind us on the home straight. We compete in 5 year age groups, and often combine 2 or more age groups on the track to provide decent races. Medals are only awarded to the first three if the medal standard is achieved.

100m: Behind Eric Smart who came up from Tyneside (NE Vets) and is at a different level. Also beaten again(!) by John McGarry who's now an M60, (He won Silver in the European indoors M60 200m a couple of months ago.)  Silver, 13.71s

Shot Putt: Finished a few cm ahead of a big lad from Lasswade. Most of the action was taking-off / putting-on waterproofs between throws. Squally! Gold, 8m 40cm

400m: In lane 7 so it was a long haul into the wind down the back straight. Turning into the home straight was like getting a slap in the back. Caught the other M55 (Ramsay Sloss) down the straight - first time I've beaten him. Gold, 63.01s (3 secs faster than Kelvin Hall)

200m: Rather interesting lime-up, as the four of us were from four of the “red vest” clubs in Scotland.  I had the outside lane (again) and inside me were John McGarry (Irvine), Alastair Dunlop (Stornoway) and Ramsay Sloss (Larkhall). A few years ago at Aberdeen the three of them were well ahead of me, so it should have been a forgone conclusion…. Not this year. The 400 had taught me to keep enough in reserve to take advantage of the wind. As we came off the bend I sensed one or two(?) red vests just ahead. Time to up the leg-speed, pump the arms and focus on the line. Bloody close, but I’d beaten Ramsay & Alastair. The result came through that I’d beaten John. by 1/100s, for the first time in 15 years / 20+ races. Gold, 27.30s.

British Masters Track & Field Championships, Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, 25/26 June

If the standard and level of competition in Scotland is poor, then at a UK level it’s the complete opposite – we’re strong in European and World terms. This was a big step-up in standard.

Day 1: Cloudy

100m: The rain disappeared and we had a nice bit of sweaty, muggy weather. The 9 runners were seeded by time with the fastest in the centre lanes, so I got the outside lane for the third race in a row. Still, 100m has no bends. The lad beside me in lane 8 was wearing a GB vest (a common sight at these Championships), but I reckoned that as he was next to me he wouldn’t be too quick. I couldn’t quite keep up with the GB vest, or the centre lanes, but sensed I wasn’t too far behind. Result: 7^th out of 9, 13.66s, slightly quicker than Meadowbank.

400m: The dreaded lane 1 - tight bends and the expectation that I’d spend the race watching the field easing further ahead. Not too bad though. 7^th out of 7 in 62.22s, nearly 0.8 faster than in the Scottish, and another pb for the distance.

Day 2: Scorchio, with a breeze against us on the home straight.

200m: One of the keys to success is to survive to day 2. A couple of the lads who’d run on Saturday were carrying injuries and pulled out on Sunday. For the 200m we were initially scheduled to have heats, then it was going to be an A and B final, but with only 8 guys standing we agreed to run a straight final and drew cards for the lane draw. Lane 2 – hurray! The lane 1 runner was soon past me but into the home straight I felt I was still in the race. Finished 6^th out of 8 in 27.65, less than a second from a Bronze – good race, crap times.

Shot Putt: At this level I look like the undernourished refugee from a third world country, but I console myself with the thought that I could outrun any of the guys if we were chased by a lion (& I’d provide less of a meal for it). One of the lads had an umbrella for the sun, a rarity north of the border. Two big lads from Jarrow in my age group had heir own battle for G & S, and I had a separate battle with a fellow refugee for the Bronze. He won by 8cm. 4^th out of 4 in 8m 49 cm.

I achieved my target of making the performance standard in the three sprints and running less than 104s (103.53s) over the three races.

There were a handful of other Scots down. Successes are few and far between, and we really are a bit of a competitive backwater compared to the other UK regions. A bit more ambition wouldn’t go amiss.

A Track race night (competitive training) for Veteran joggers?

The club organised a very successful evening Track & Field match for our juniors against Corstorphine juniors at Saughton a couple of weeks ago – 6 events, 65 athletes and a similar number of parents & helpers to sort out. We even included a couple of adult races, but only had 2 runners. So a thought – would there be enough support from the adult / veteran / jogging fraternity for a similar competitive training match-up against the equivalent sections of one or two other clubs?  Probably 2 or 3 middle distance races for each age group, (eg 30+, 40+, 50+) M & F eg 400m, 800mm, 1500m, maybe one throw, some fun relays.  And we could include a race or two for anyone who wishes to bring children. I’d need a strong indication of support from about 20 or so folk before approaching any club.  Please email Bob if you are interested.

Results from races

If we’ve missed any results just let us know and Tom will add them to his list and we’ll give you a mention in the next newsletter – thanks.

Meadows 2 Mile 4 May                                     63 Ran

50        Alan Greirson                          14.19       

Edinburgh to North Berwick 20m 7  May      127 Ran

41         Kenny Tindall                          2.33.58  

71         Bill McKendrick                      2.49.09  

93        Gary Connelly                          2.59.21   

104      Alistair Scott                         3.10.49   

111       Cathrine Ramsay                    3.19.18   

121       Karin McKendrick                   3.27.42  

Parkrun 5k 7 May                                               234 Ran

8          Ryan Riddell                            17.24      

79        Keiran Morgan                        22.19      

102      Chris Morgan                          23.37      

113       Kenny Gunn Russell                24.20      

174      Beth Wedgwood                     27.59      

Cateran 23 Mile 7 May                                      37 Ran

15         Donald Sandeman                  4.16.47   

19         Iain Morrice                           4.21.20   

20        Gavin Orr                                4.21.22   

26        Sandra McDougall                  4.33.39  

Silverknowes 5k 11 May                                     167 Ran

149      Alistair Scott                         22.13      

Parkrun 5k 14May                                              217 Ran

22        Ryan Riddell                            19.44      

58        Keiran Morgan                        22.41      

65        Ian Smith                                23.07      

69        Alex Bates                              23.30      

77        Kenny Gunn Russell                23.55      

113       Sarah Bates                            26.25      

LochLeven Half 14 May                                     386 Ran

35        Tom Matko                              1.29.21   

Penicuik 10k 14 May                                           188 Ran

9          Ryan Riddell                            37.31      

Meadows 2 Mile 18 May                                     43 Ran

29        Alan Greirson                          14.04      

Helensburgh 10k 19 May                                   975 Ran

322      Andrew Corrigan                    45.18      

Parkrun 5k 21 May                                              159 Ran

48        Alex Bates                              21.42       pb

49        Zoe Bates                                21.43       pb

51         Ryan Riddell                            21.45      

87        Lucas Johnston                      25.05      

Cateran Trail 55 Mile 21 May                           53 Ran

15         Donald Sandeman                  10.47.32 

22        Fionna Ross                             11.05.31  

43        Karin McKendrick                   13.28.08 

44        Bill McKendrick                      13.28.08 

Marathon Half 22 May                                      Mass Event

931      Keziah Higgins                        1.45.28   

4232    Ann Laidlaw                             2.32.58  

Edinburgh Marathon 22 May                           Mass Event

501      Darren Cavaroli                      3.14.33   

609      Bill Murphy                              3.17.00   

1345    Gary Connelly                          3.30.56  

1791     Margie Leitch                         3.37.53  

2560    Ian Smith                                3.47.45  

2571    Lorna Broadhurst                   3.47.51   

3668    Gordon Miller                          3.58.14   

3925    Kirsty Stoddart                     4.00.45  

4084    Lucy Marshall                         4.02.46  

5036    Alan Price                                4.14.51   

5114     Alisair Scott                           4.15.22   

5328    Kate Ramsay                           4.18.00   

5445    Keiran Morgan                        4.19.45   

6173    Nicola Freedman                    4.28.55  

6393    Elaine Scott                            4.31.52   

8517    Katrina Fleming                      5.14.20   

Meadows 1 Mile 25 May                                     51 Ran

39        Alan Greirson                          6.21        

Clydebank 10k 26 May                                       850 Ran

411       Andrew Corrigan                    47.57      

Parkrun 5k 28 May                                             211 Ran

7          Ryan Riddell                            17.38      

60        Alison Broadhurst                  22.25      

70        Alistair Scott                         22.58      

82        Alex Bates                              23.30      

83        Zoe Bates                                23.32      

86        Kenny Gunn Russell                23.37      

118       Andrew Bates                         26.01      

134      Sarah Bates                            26.56      

Stornoway Half 28 May                                    136 Ran

13         Gavin Orr                                1.27.54   

Dunblane 7.5 Mile 29 May                                 258 Ran

34        Ian Beattie                             52.36      

129      Sandra McDougall                  1.02.04   

Auld Toun 10k 1 June                                         400 Ran

204      Cathrine Ramsay                    50.30      

Dumbarton 10k 2 June                                      890 Ran

342      Andrew Corrigan                    46.40      

Parkrun 5k 4 June                                              247 Ran

14         Ryan Riddell                            18.24      

56        Alison Broadhurst                  21.28       pb

107      Lucas Johnston                      23.59       pb

108      Alex Bates                              23.59      

109      Andrew Bates                         23.59      

Haddington 10k 4 June                                      123 Ran

21         Peter Kadobinskyj                  37.08      

Yetholm Hill Race 5 June                                  188 Ran

103      Fionna Ross                             1.31.32   

133      Paul Thompson                        1.37.18   

156      Keiran Morgan                        1.43.30   

170      Kirsty Stoddart                     1.51.56   

179      Keziah Higgins                        1.59.37   

180      Andrew Corrigan                    1.58.39    ??

(Remainder of June results will be in next newsletter so don’t worry we haven’t missed them)

Race Dates 

Sun 26 June Dunfermline half

28 June Jogscotland 5k challenges Inverleith park 6pm and 7.30pm

Fri 1 July  Black rock 5 Kinghorn

Sun 10 Jul Crieff 10K

Sun 17 Jul Kelso Crawlers 10K www.kelsocrawlers.org.uk/

Sun 23 Jul Musselburgh 10K

Sun 31 July Donkey Brae 7 miles Aberdour

Sun 7 Aug Scottish gas 10K and

Sun 14 Aug Forth road bridge Pitreavie 10K

Mon 16 Aug Ceres 8 mile road race

Sat 20 Aug haddington half

Sun 21 Aug Forfar 10K

Sat 27 Aug Killin 10K

Sun 4 Sep Great Scottish run half marathon & 10K  Glasgow

Sun 2 Oct Loch Ness marathon/10K/5K

The full Scottish Athletics fixture list for the season is at http://www.scottishathletics.org.uk

Scottish Athletics Hill Races                                             

 http://www.shr.uk.com/Calendar.aspx or speak to Fionna Ross or Iain Morrice.

Our contacts are (replace AT with @))

Bob & Anne – bob.douglasATharmenyac.org.uk

Norma - normaboneATblueyonder.co.uk

Frank - tooley.frankATgmail.com

Ian May (handicaps) - ianmayATtalktalk.net

Iain Morrice – iain.morriceAThotmail.co.uk

Fionna Ross  - FionnaRossAThotmail.com