This is your chance to put forward thoughts on running groups, routes, events etc. Draft Minutes from the last gathering in Jan are on the website (www.pentlandrunners.org.uk)

Some Running Group Updates:

Norma has taken the plunge and after attending the recent jogleaders course at Riccarton, is considering starting up a week-day day-time beginners’ programme.

Anne is also aiming to start a new beginners group on Wed evenings sometime May.

We would be interested in the likely level of support from beginners, so pass the word out.

Over the coming months Bob’s Sunday morning Improvers will be doing some more one-way runs ie with cars organised at the destination.

Membership update: The last reminder generated a small flurry of activity. The current let of members is given at the end of this note, so if your name isn’t on the list (as at 20 March) we haven’t got a current subscription.

With the summer now here (!!) remember that club membership entitles you to a 10% discount on running gear at Run & Become.

Filling in Race Entry forms

This continues to cause confusion…..!!

1) “XXX number”: Where a Race Entry form asks for “Registration Number”, “Scottish Athletics Number”, “SAL Number”, or any variant on “xxxx number”, it is referring to a registration number issued by Scottish Athletics to those who register with them. This is a registration scheme run entirely by Scottishathletics and is nothing to do with the club. Details are on the Scottish Athletics web-site .It is MANDATORY for folk who wish to compete in Scottish Championship events (there are a few of us who do!), and it also entitles folk to the £2 discount (or non-levy depending on your viewpoint) rate for race entries. WE DO NOT ISSUE CLUB NUMBERS.

(Some Track & Field leagues require all competitors to be registered which is a real admin pain for team managers!)

2) Club:  Easiest to put in “Harmeny” as it

(a) makes it easier to find results on result websites, and

(b) when race organisers calculate club trophies based on first nn finishers from a club, it means they can readily identify everyone from a club.

Known Performance details

4 Feb Forfar (Multi-Terrain) Half-Marathon

Notes from Kenny: “ Great race, highly recommended.   About half on roads, maybe half on trails (think paths round resevoirs, that sort of thing).  Had to stop 7 times to get number punched, a few times to open gates and once running up a huge hill between 9 and 10 miles.  Probably 3 minutes longer than a true road half or thereabouts anyway. Iain did it too and was first male SV.”

7  Andrew Neilson                83.16

20 Iain Morice                        92.32

37 Richard Gray                     98.06      

39 Kenny Tindall                   98.27      

60 Verity Missen                   106.05

90 Ian May                             118.56

110 Finishers

25 Feb   Kirkintilloch 12.5 k

84             Paul  Thompson                    00:61:00

103           Ian  May                                 00:64:50

170 finishers

4 Mar Lasswade 10 miles

5               Bob Turner                             57:31

6               Andy Neilson                        58:11

59             Alan Kerr                                66:42

128           Kenny Tindall                        72:41

191           Paul Thompson                     78:21

235           Ian May                                  82:15

272           Will Cummings                      85:59

353           Elaine Scott                            95:42

391 Finishers

It’s not often we have two runners in the first 10!

11 March Inverness half

233 Andreas Wilhelm                          01:35:29

477 Paul Thompson                             01:46:09

18 March Alloa Half

24             Andrew  Neilson                   01:20:04

281          Iain  Crombie                          01:38:33

531          Paul Thompson                     01:50:58

609          Douglas  Smith                      01:55:25

741           Beverly  Dodgson                 02:04:40

801          Janis Graham                          02:09:23

A Distant Tale

A couple of guys from my office recently did a charity run between our Data Centres: from Central Edinburgh to East Lothian and back. We were asked to guess their time for a distance of 28 miles.

I saw one of the guys the evening of the run and was greeted with   “ xxxxx 35 miles!! It’s a xxxxx lot longer than 28! Imagine finishing a marathon and being told there’s another xxxxx 7 miles to go…. Five hours 40 minutes…  We’re going to get xxx a proper GPS measurer …”.

So the next time you find a minor discrepancy in the estimated route distance, be thankful it’s not 7 miles.

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

Spare entry forms and race posters are available on the Games corridor notice Board in Balerno High School, at the Gymnasium end.

Some Race Previews:

Rigg Race: We appreciate it when other clubs put on a well organized event, and as this is OUR race, a good turnout of helpers to ensure the smooth running of this is essential. Offers of help NOW to Alex Gordon 335 0379.  … and get your friends involved as a runner or helper.

* Paris half: Looks like about 26 folk going over to run / spectate / carry bags and eat afterwards etc.

** Andy Neilson on the Rob Roy Challenge:  “I'm also part of team of people from work entered for the Rob Roy challenge - we did it last year and it was fantastic! Good weather makes all the difference obviously but after the race there was a party in a huge tent, followed by fire works then banter around camp fires before retiring to tents for well deserved sleep! I'd recommend this event for anyone wanting to do something a bit different and also see some stunning Scottish scenery!”

*** Iain on the Ritchie Wannacott run: “This is a fabulous race which I did last year, its one of the best I did last year. Hamish and I have entered this year. The scenery is outstanding, the 9 mile is a hard hilly run but well worth it, its also a great day out. Small field, last year there were only 54 male runners did the 9 mile one. Any other info on it, just give me a shout.”

**** Club 10k Monthly Handicap medals events (proposed):

Sat 7 Apr                Dunbar 10k

Sun 6 May              Edinburgh 10k

Sun 17 June            Beltane 10k, Peebles

Sun 5 Aug              Scottish Gas / Granton 10k

Sun 19 Aug            (Provisional) Club 10k-&-a-bit pursuit handicap race

Sun 29 Sep             Linlithgow 10k

Sat 14 Oct               Aviemore Half  (OK, it’s more than 10k)

Supporting the Juniors

Some “Runners” may not be aware that the club has a large active junior section and “Runners” would be welcome to assist at junior training (Mon & Weds @ 6:00) to see how the T&F side of the club operates.

We are organising three junior mini-championship nights and help will be required for the junior evenings:

1: Mon 14 May     800m races and Shot Putt

2: Mon 4 June       100m races and Long Jump

3: Wed 13 June    Water of Leith Mini-marathon