PARKRUNNERS CELEBRATE MILESTONE MOMENTS
ON a calm morning on Greenock’s Esplanade, 100 people ran, jogged and walked the course.
Four of the competitors - Johannes Arens, Mike O’Donnell, Jane O’Donnell and Karin Bryce - were first timers.
Personal bests were recorded by Alan Callan, David Soper, Max Byrne, Hollie Kirkpatrick, Paula Vosper, Archie Reid, Tom O’Connor, Gerry Langan, Kimberley Kendall, Simon Fowler, Angela Devlin and Debbie Pavia.
Representatives from seven different clubs took part.
Milestones were reached this week by Scott Lever, who completed his 25th parkrun and Angela
Hill, who celebrated her 50th parkrun.
Elizabeth Gemmell reached the 100 milestone and Charlotte McKay volunteered in her 50th parkrun.
First to cross the finish line this week was visiting first timer Johannes Arens in 16.31.
A closely-fought battle for second, third and fourth place saw Andrew Osbourne finish in 17.12, followed by Neil McLaughlin in 17.13 and Alan Callan, with a new PB, in 17.14.
On her 100th parkrun, Elizabeth Gemmell was first lady to cross the line in 20.42.
Rhonda White followed in 23.14, with Hollie Kilpatrick in 23.52 giving her a new PB.
The event was made possible 13 volunteers: Sonya Cassidy, David MacDiarmid, Stewart Anderson, Matthew Young, Graham Smith, Charlotte McKay, Stuart Crawford, Jonathan Cathers, Moira McCluckie, Willie Logan, Irene McIntosh, Tracey Howe and Arashk Mohseni.
Saturday’s full results and a complete event history can be found on the Greenock parkrun results page.
Organisers are still looking for volunteers for the next few weeks.
Anyone who can help should email greenock@parkrun.com or send a message to the Facebook page.
Grimshaw told the Tele: “Getting a settled team on the pitch has been a big factor this season.
“You might have one or two changes, but if you can get a similar sort of team out, most weeks, you start forming partnerships with each other and learning how each other plays.
“The defence have done a good job.
“But I am a big believer of the defence comes from the front, it is not just four defenders and a ‘keeper — it is everyone.
“The three lads in midfield have been brilliant, scrapping away, the forwards as well, and working hard.
“It is a team effort, defending and attacking, but especially defensively, if you have everyone working hard you stand half a chance.”
Grimshaw was delighted to repay the Morton faithful for their backing with another victory on Saturday.
With Ton continuing to fly high in the Championship, the 27-yearold says the feelgood factor is spreading throughout the whole club.
He said: “It was another great result. When you go on a run like this, it doesn’t just breed confidence throughout the team, but throughout the club, including all the staff.
“It is just a happy place to come to work and obviously you see with the fans.
“There were more here at Cappielow at the weekend than we have had in previous weeks.
“It is good to give them something to cheer about and hopefully they can keep backing us like they have done.
“Even in previous weeks, like at Ayr United away, we took a good following down there.
“Everyone is pushing in the right direction.
“When you have that it breeds confidence throughout the club.”
Grimshaw has stressed to his team-mates they can’t afford to look too far ahead and insists their main focus is beating Cove Rangers this Saturday.
He added: “After that 5-1 loss at Partick, we were all obviously gutted, but it is important to realise in football that it is only one game.
“You have just got to take each game as it comes.
“We have moved on from that and we have been unbeaten ever since, it is about focusing on what is in front of us in the next game.
“If we take care of things during games and work hard for each other then there is no reason why we can’t keep picking up results.
“But it is one game at a time, we can’t get too far in front of ourselves.
“If we get beat we can’t be too down about and if we win we can’t be too delighted because we have got another game in a week’s time.”
PARKRUN