Cromdale record-breakers

Athletics: Forrest and Cormack clock outstanding times in road race

Terry Forrest completed a Highland double when setting a course record time in the Haughs of Cromdale 10km road race.

The Yorkshire-based athlete, who competes for Cairngorm Runners, touched the finishing tape in 33min 15sec to knock 38sec off the previous record he set two years ago.

His success came 24 hours after he won the Newtonmore 10-mile road race in 54:27. Technically, this is also a record as organisers discovered that the route used for the previous few years had been slightly short of the full distance.

Michael McConnell (Perth Road Runners) was runner-up atNewtonmore, clocking 55:56, whileFraser Logan (Belgrave Harriers) took third position in 57:04 and fourth-placed David Barclay ( Garioch Road Runners) was first over-40 in 57:54. Timothy Cooke (Inverness Harriers) won the over- 50’ s prize in 62:27.

Megan Wright (Hunters Bog Trotters) won the women’s prize for the second time in four years, in 1:03:33 to finish well ahead of Aisling McGhee, who was runner- up in 1:07:03, and third-placed Carrie Craig (Hunters Bog Trotters), 1:07:14.

At Cromdale, veteran Alan Reid ( Peterhead AAC), the 2016 winner, finished second overall behind Forrest in 37:13, while Steve Reeve (Moray Road Runners) was third in 39:21.

Gemma Cormack (Inverness Harriers) slashed 4min from the women’s course record when winning in 39:46. Mairi Crawford, the 2015 champion and former record holder, was second in 45:29, while the 2016 winner Emma Sinclair (Cairngorm Runners) finished third in 50:33.

Graham Gristwood ( Ochil Hi l l Runners) pipped Finlay Wild (Lochaber AC) to win the opening race in this season’s Scottish hill running championships series at New Abbey, near Dumfries. Gristwood completed the 11km Criffel course, which included 550 metres of climbing, in 50min 51sec, with Wild 8sec behind. Murray Strain (Hunters Bog Trotters) was third in 53:20

Georgia Tindley (Hunters Bog Trotters) won the women’s race in 65:58, with series title- holder Steph Provan ( Deeside Runners) second in 66:32, 6sec ahead of Charlotte Morgan (Carnethy).

Fiona McDonald (Cosmic Hillbashers) was first over-40 in 70:08, while her clubmate Veronique Oldham was first over-50 in 72:35.

OVER THE LINE: Yorkshire-based Terry Forrest and Inverness Harrier Gemma Cormack took the Haughs of Cromdale 10km road race titles