Runners enjoy capital gains
DAVID COONEY
Twenty athletes from Cambuslang Harriers lined up with over 460 others to compete in the recent Scottish 5K Road Championship at Silverknowes Edinburgh.
Cambuslang’s main hope for a team medal lay with the U20 men, despite the late withdrawal due to injury of top runner Gavin Smith.
And the club’s aspirations were realised as an inspired trio of Drew Pollock, Jamie MacKinnon and Andrew Carey took the silver medals, only four points adrift of Edinburgh University.
First finisher from the club, Drew, continued his excellent form to finish fourth individual in his own age group and 15th overall in a star studded field.
His time of 15.06 took 88 seconds off his pb. J
Jamie, with a 10 seconds pb, was only five seconds behind in 6th, and third counter Andrew Carey came of age to record 16.10m and smash his pb by 1 minute and 57 seconds.
Struan Paton was unfortunate to twist his ankle after the first kilometre and could not continue.
The seniors were not expecting team medals as a number of key runners were not participating.
However, with the U20 men also able to count as senior team members the two leading U20 men, assisted by senior Colin Reilly, took an excellent team bronze behind Edinburgh University and Corstorphine.
Colin came through strongly in the closing stages to pip Ritchie Carr for the vital third club finisher.
On an individual level Kerry-Liam Wilson (15.44) was narrowly pipped for gold by one second and Kenny Campbell (15.48) was denied bronze by the same margin.
Michael Healy achieved eighth in the M40 position with a 26 seconds pb of 16.13.
Cambuslang would have comfortably lifted the masters team if there had been such an award.
Michael Barker’s time of 17.12 was only one second short of his pb. Charlie Thomson, the current Cross Country M50 champion, added another national medal to his collection when finishing third with a time of 17.21.
Next home for the club was M40 Iain Nicholl, who only a week after his London Marathon pb of two hours and 48 minutes continued his run of pbs and broke 18 minutes for the first time with a time of 17.44.
Club secretary Dave Thom (18.35) set his fastest 5K time for years, while M40 Kenny Finlayson’s 18.51 effort took 23 seconds off his pb.
M40 Scott Hunter was on the comeback trail after injury and dipped under 20 minutes.
U15 athlete Niamh Riggins had a good time of 19.53, which saw her finish third in her age category. Lesley McArdle’s training paid off as she reduced her pb by 41 seconds, down to 20.19, with F40 Jennifer Campbell (formerly Reid) only 15 seconds adrift.
M40 David Stirling (21.49) clocked his fastest time since his knee operation.
The final club athlete to finish was club president David Cooney in his first race for eight months and his first in the M70 category in a time of 24.38.
In spite of an ongoing ankle problem he managed round and took the M70 title – albeit he was the sole competitor!
The club would like to thank organiser Adrian Stott of Run and Become and the Scottish Athletics team and volunteers for delivering such a well organised event.