Virtual ‘stroll along the prom’ as Wizards make most of crisis

It was merely a “stroll along the prom” for many of the Fife AC Kirkcaldy Wizards who contested a virtual one-mile over the marked course at Kirkcaldy Esplanade.

Among the 70 Wizards taking up the solo challenge was Courier reporter Cheryl Peebles, working from home in Kinghorn.

She said: “I seem to be mainly writing coronavirus stories at the moment, so it’s nice to get a non-corona story.”

Cheryl finished 55th/15th female of the Wizards contesting the one-mile distance, clocking eight minutes 04 seconds. This followed her 57.04 in last week’s 10km challenge.

Cheryl took up running in 2016 and the following May contested the Edinburgh Half Marathon.

Cheryl said: “Shortly after the Edinburgh Half I joined the Kirkcaldy Wizards.

“I attend the Wednesday night group. In the beginning there would be only 20 or 30 of us but now we have 60 or so that turn out, while the Monday night group can have over 100 attending.

“I’ve now run a few half marathons including Perth and Dundee and I enjoy the 5km Parkruns at Beveridge Park. I’ve improved from 31 minutes to 26 minutes.”

“Kirkcaldy Wizards is an amazing running club, which has grown massively in the couple of years since I started going. It really is for all abilities, with everyone able to run at their own pace and made to feel like part of the Wizard family.

“It has helped keep me running after starting from scratch just over three years ago, when I was chuffed just to make it to the end of the street, to having run several half marathons.

“It also shows the true Wizard spirit that training is continuing despite lockdown when we can’t run together, with weekly virtual races which people run in their own time and online sessions.”

Cheryl, 42, added: “My future aim is to keep on running, keep healthy and improve my personal bests.”

Ryan Lafferty clocked the fastest time of four minutes 35 seconds, while over-40 veteran Michaela Mclean was the fastest female at 5.35.

Wizard runners have utilised their runs as part of fundraising on behalf of the NHS and frontline services, with many Wizards working for the NHS or in other essential jobs.

● Leading results: 1 R Lafferty 4:35, 2 B Kinninmonth 4:52, 3 S Mcclung 1st junior. 5:19, 4 S Dickson 1st veteran. 5:25, 5 S Mcdonald 5:28, 6 N Smart 5:29, 7 Michaela Mclean 1st veteran. 5:35, 8 D Thomson 5:38, 9 J Mcintyre Jr 5:42, 10 J Wilson 5:42, 11 A Drysdale 5:44, 12 S Turpie 5:49, 13 J Mcintyre 1st over 50. 5:51…..22 Alison Sutherland 6:04, 24 Kellyanne Muir 6:16, 26 Zoey Johnston 6:30, 27 Emma Lessels 1st female junior. 6:31, 28 Hilary Lalande 6:31, 30 M Gowans 1st over

60. 6:37, 32 Susan Harley 1st over

50. 6:46, 33 Michelle Blankenstein 6:47, 37 F Gray 1st Under 17. 6:55, 39 Michelle Johnston 6:59, 46 Gail Mcnab 7:16, 49 Lori Hutton 7:38, 50 Lindsay Mitchell 7:44…62 Lyndsay Eason 1st over 60 female. 8:48.

Kirkcaldy Wizard Cheryl Peebles.