Noticeboard: Hill runners; Edinburgh 10-Miler; Officials

Friday 17th April 2015

Hill runners – contact your district rep for Inter-Counties chance on May 16

Scottish hill runners (by birth, parentage or minimum nine-months residency) have the opportunity of representing their district at this year’s Inter Counties Championships which are being held at Betws-y-Coed in North Wales on Saturday 16 May.

The course comprises mainly tracks plus a few narrower paths within the forest above the village. The running is generally good underfoot, not unlike what you’d find on the ‘urban’ hills in Scotland such as Corstorphine Hill.

Our scottishathletics hill running district reps are urgently seeking athletes capable of finishing within 15 percent for men and 40 percent for women of the male winner at a championship standard hill race, for example the recent Birnam race (held over a very similar route) – or the Carnethy 5.

They will also consider those with a strong cross country background (top 40 at the National Cross Country) who may be interested in making the transition to mountain running.

Each district team comprises four senior men and four senior women, though teams may have five runners if an under 23 (age on race day) athlete is included. The first three athletes count for a team. All athletes in these teams must have been born in 1996 or earlier.

In addition, there are non-championship races for U19s (born 1997/8) and U17s (born 1999/2000). Please contact the district reps for more information if you’re interested in taking part in these junior races.

If you are interested in taking part in this event, then please contact your district rep by Wednesday 22 April – the teams require to be pre-entered.

Contacts are as follows:

Central : Alayne Finlay (alaynefinlay@yahoo.co.uk); East : Helen Bonsor (hbonsor@hotmail.com); North : Kyle Greig (kyletherunner@hotmail.com); West : Kenny Richmond (kenny.richmond@ntlworld.com)

The hill running districts incorporate the following regions: Central: Central, Fife and Tayside; East: Borders and Lothian; North: Grampian and Highland; West: Dumfries and Galloway and Strathclyde.

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Andrew Lemoncello

Top Scottish athletes will feature in the Morrison’s Great Edinburgh Run on Sunday – both in the main 10-Mile race and the special Relay event.

Fife AC’s Andrew Lemoncello is over in Scotland for the race having travelled from his Arizona base and will be among the favourites with Shettleston’s Tewolde Mengisteab among those looking to challenge the Olympian.

Rhona Auckland heads the field for the women’s race following her recent fine run at the World Cross in China. It is a ‘home’ race for Rhona, who is studying at Edinburgh University, but the likes of Jess Coulson and Ireland’s Maria McCambridge will present a formidable challenge.

The Relay looks a fun event with Derek and Callum Hawkins forming one of the men’s teams and Helen Clitheroe and Susan Partridge likely to be prominent among the women.

‘It is an exciting time,’ said Lemoncello, fifth at a 10k in Brighton last weekend. ‘Things have been going well in training and I am looking forward to Edinburgh. I love running there and it is an amazing city. I think the 10-Miler will give me a good feel for where I am fitness-wise.’

Rhona told the Press and Journal: ‘I only had three weeks of running prior to the World Cross but I had done a lot of work in the gym and in the pool.

‘I will probably contiunue with that cross training even when I am not injured in future as it has proved effective. Sunday will be the longest race I have tackled but I see it as the next stage of progression in my running career. I hope to do a half marathon, possibly next year, so 10 miles is a good stepping stone.’

There’s more detail and a race day timetable for Great Edinburgh Run on the event website.

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Officials: help required

Officials are being asked if they can help out at a couple of forthcoming events.

The Livingston Open Graded is next Wednesday night – April 22 – between 6pm and 9pm. And there is a need there for a couple more field officials to help out on the night.

If you are available and can assist, please contact ian@livingstonac.com. Thanks.

Also, the Scottish Women’s League match on Sunday 26 April at Meadowbank is one which needs more officials. If you can help, please email Moira Nisbet monisbet@blueyounder.co.uk

Tags: Andrew Lemoncello, Great Edinburgh Run, hill running, Inter Counties Hill Running Champs, Livingston, Rhona Auckland