Weekend Round-up: Hill running; Ultra win; SVHC trial

Monday 19th September 2016

Scotland’s U20 Men’s gold medallists – Alasdair Coupar, Logan Rees, Euan Gillham and Tristan Rees (photo with thanks to Woodentops)

Scotland’s young hill runners struck gold in the Junior Home International with Euan Gillham (U20 Men) and Grace Whelan (U17 Girls) storming home to victory in their races and leading their respective teams to team gold.

In fact, such was the strength of the overall Scotland performance – with four individual medals and two more athletes in fourth place – that England only took the overall combined score trophy by a single point.

The races were all uphill-only events held on the steep sides of Skiddaw, near Keswick, with all four races finishing on Little Man summit. There were some very steep sections in the course making the courses very tough but the hard work was worth it with amazing views at the finish.

The U20 boys performed brilliantly on the 5km with 713m climb. Euan Gillham (Kilbarchan AAC) had a superb run and led all the way from the gun. He finished well clear of the second-placed Welsh finisher.

Tristan Rees and Logan Rees (both Fife AC) were together for most of the race and finished in third and fourth places respectively. Alasdair Coupar (East Sutherland) completed the team to claim team gold.

The start of the U17 girls race was unforgiving – straight into the steepest section of the course. It was a much closer race, with three athletes literally crossing the finish line together after completing the gruelling 2.1km with 400m climb.

Grace Whelan (Moray) pipped Lynn McKenna (Giffnock North) on the line to take gold and silver respectively in a Scottish 1-2, with Charlotte McKenna (Giffnock North) not far behind in fourth. Mairi Wallace (Moorfoot Runners) also had a strong run and again Scotland clinched team won gold.

The U17 Boys and U20 Girls raced over the same course, with 3.2km and 509m climb.

Tam Munro-White (Inverness) had a strong run in his first international to finish in sixth place and first Scottish finisher. George Rees (Fife AC), Robert Sparks (Fife AC) and Cameron Corrigan (Kilbarchan AAC) packed well to take silver in the team event.

In the Women’s U20 race, the Scots packed well with Laura Stark (Kilbarchan AAC) leading them home in sixth place, from Anisha Badial (Aberdeen) in ninth, Emily Nicolson (Pitreavie AAC) 10th and Ailsa Cruickshanks (Fife AC) 15th. The U20 Women brought home team bronze.

In the Women’s U20 race, the Scottish ladies packed well with Anisha Badial (Aberdeen) leading them home from Emily Nicolson (Pitreavie AAC), Laura Stark (Kilbarchan AC) and Ailsa Cruickhanks (Fife AC). The U17 Women brought home team bronze.

All at scottishathletics would like to congratulate athletes, coaches, families and clubs on fine performances at the Junior Home International – with thanks, also, to the team management.

With thanks to Angela Mudge

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Scotland international James Stewart won the Self Transcendence 24-hour event at Tooting with a remarkable display of ultra running.

The VP-Glasgow athlete recorded 258.110k in the 24-hour time allotted – that’s 160.38 miles – to earn the victory. That’s the second best all-time performance by a Scot over 24-hours – as James slots in behind record-holder, Don Ritchie.

Stewart’s distance is well in excess of the GB individual qualifying standard of 250km for the National 24 hour Team. In doing so he ran 645 laps of the 400m track!

Neil MacNicol (Beacon Runners) finished in second place with a distance of 151miles 1623.52 yds (244.496km) His distance betters the team standard (240k) for the GB national 24 hour squad.

James is now just ahead of Marco Consani who recorded 256.531km in Barcelona last year, but still behind the mark of legendary ultra runner Don Ritchie’s 268.251km set in 1991. It also puts him at seventh on the all-time GB rankings. MacNicol is now fifth on the Scottish rankings (26th GB)

Ann Bath (26.2 RC /Scottish veteran Harriers) like others before them at this race, showed age is no barrier by setting two world age group records

The 68-year-old,now living in Surrey, is a regular competitor in both ultra distance running and cycling events. Her intermediate time of 20 hours 01 minute and 50 seconds, bettered the current listed best performance of Helen Klein (USA 21.03.01) by over an hour.