Max helps US uni team to title glory
LRC member helps uni race mates to title in the USA
Lothian Running Club’s Max McNeil continued his fine form across the pond as he helped lead his Oklahoma City University squad to cross country glory.
McNeil impressed two weeks ago when OCU won the NAIA Mid States Classic Cross Country Championship in Kansas and they were at it again this weekend in the Sooner Athletic Conference Championship.
OCU retained that title, giving them their fifth conference championship in six years.
That triumph also secures their place in the NAIA Championships in Iowa next week.
McNeil was part of a one-twothree from OCU runners as they dominated the race.
Oscar Kipkoros collected the individual title with a time of 25.03, with McNeil coming home in second place (25.26).
He was followed home by team- mate Moses Dirane, who crossed the line in 25.48 to complete a fine race for the Stars.
On home soil, it was a busy week for the club as Jo Williams had a good run in the Leeds Abbey Dash 10km with an 11th place finish in the women’s race.
The Lothian runner also placed sixth Scot with her time of 35.25 being just 10 seconds outside her personal best, which was set earlier this year at the Round the Houses 10km in Grangemouth.
It was a good day for the Scots who filled the first three places in the women’s race through Fionnoula Ross, Shettleston ( 33.30); Mhairi MacLennan, Edinburgh Uni ( 33.36) and Stephie Pennycook, Edinburgh Uni (33.49).
There was a good turn out for the Glen Ogle 33 miles Ultra, with LRC members completing the course, which starts and finishes in Killin and takes in the famous Glen Ogle viaduct.
LRC results were as follows: 31st Paul Young (4:43.36), 64th Stephen Todd (5:16.29), 251st Kirsty Gray (6:27.38), 274th Alan Weir (6:39.12), 321st Calum Ross (7:07.22).
The 2018-19 season Borders Cross Country Series got underway at Lauder on Sunday. In the senior 4 miles event, David Eades finished 35th overall and third in the M50 category while Mairi Eades was 122nd overall and leading under-20 female.
In the Run with the Wind 10km in Strathaven, Brian Lees was 42nd in 38.54 with Harry Mulholland coming home in 98th place in 42.21.
Malcolm Lang led home a sizeable LRC field in the Edinburgh Men’s 10k event as he finished in fifth place in 33.54.
A field of 271 contested the Livingston Parkrun 5km on Saturday morning, with LRC’s Yvonne Crilly being the leading female runner in 20.22.
That saw her place sixth overall in the race, won by Stirling University’s Calum Phillip (18.47).
Katie Craig, of Livingston AC, was the third female in 21.18, while Charlotte Moran (24.02) of Linlithgow AAC was fifth in the female category.
Euan Rennie’s time of 21.29 saw him be the leading LRC male runner, while West Lothian Triathlon’s Brian Todd claimed a new personal best as he crossed the line in 25th place in a time of 22.25.
LRC had a total of 44 members competing in parkruns across the globe over the weekend with Crilly being one of three female category victories for the club.
Lana Turnbull led the field in Aviemore while Siobhan Coleman took the win in Sydney, Australia.