Scottish Masters Road Relays - Strathclyde Park

We had a great turnout of Harriers today in Strathclyde Park for the Vets Road Relay. For many it was their first ice and snow free hard run of the year and that was indeed a shock to the system.

The postponement of the race by one week and some seasonal illnesses had cost us a couple of teams but even so we still fielded 4 teams of 4 men and a 2/3 complete ladies team, each runner completing one 3.7 mile lap of the loch.

First leg duties went to Colin Freeman (A team), Eddie Reid (B team), Brian McDougall (C team) and Ian McKenzie (D team). With the benefit of some major endurance training over the last year, Colin ran an excellent 21:47, a minute faster than last year and finished in 10th position. Confirming the hard year of work Eddie has put in, he ran 30secs faster than last year to record 22:13. Brian has been training away on his own over the Christmas period and he was clearly a team out of place finishing in the excellent time of 23:32. Ian McKenzie is also improving rapidly, finishing in 28:ish (tbc).

For the ladies, Genevieve Freeman did her first running only race since this event last year but is clearly much fitter and stronger with the benefit of an Ironman behind her, improving by 1:10 to finish strongly in 27:11. Frances Maxwell has been injury free for a while now and that is reflected in the fine run of 26:16, 1:47 faster than last year.

The remainder of the first team comprised Charlie McDougall, literally minutes faster than any other M60, finishing in an incredible 21:15. Alan Cullie must have been on a work to rule last year because this year he ran 3:22 faster, recording 21:40. Between them Charlie and Alan pulled the team back to 6th position. Martin Duthie was coming straight from a warm up at the Vets indoor Championships at the Kelvin Hall to run the 4th leg. The text I didn't want to see arrived during the 3rd leg when Martin advised that his suspect calf muscle had torn 600m from the end of the 3000m (still finished 1st M45 though!) and he was now at the physio. Time to pull the sub off the bench. Unfortunately that was a travel weary me with hamstrings like piano wires. Still, nothing like a surprise as a substitute for a warm-up. Fortunately Genevieve's vest was a good fit and nicely warmed up (or more accurately, sweaty). Despite poor pace judgement, struggling over the middle mile, I recorded 20:56, more than 30secs faster than last year and only a few seconds outside my best of two years ago. This brought the team home in 5th position, exactly the same as last year.

Andy Henderson has been transformed since last year. On the 2nd leg of the 2nd team, Andy recorded 23:41, 3:04 faster than last year, handing over to his shadow Jim Holmes who recorded 23:57. The close inter-Harrier competition is helping Jim a lot and Jim improved by an excellent 1:12. Stuart Waugh is a key part of that very close middle training pack and this was confirmed by his time of 23:52, a few seconds ahead of Jim and just under a minute faster than last year.

David Herbertson was on the 2nd leg for the third team and recorded 24:10, on the coat-tails of the 2nd team. Former medallist at this event, George Stewart is on the long road back to form. Unfortunately, George doesn't like long roads so he needs a lot of encouragement! George recorded a time of 25:32, half a minute down on last year but hopefully the start of a comeback to that middle pack. David Wardrope made his first appearance at this event, finishing in 25:58.

Richard Lawton has run a variety of longer races in Strathclyde Park but never one this short, so his time of around 28 minutes was a fine début performance. Russell Couper ran the parkrun 5k yesterday in a new course best and was on equally good form today, recording 30:45, some 3:44 faster than last year. Finally John McBride ran a lonely last leg for the 4th team and seemed to be moving well. John's time will be confirmed when the official results are published.

The event confirms Calderglen's strength in depth on the men's vet front and gives us some confidence for the forthcoming 6-stage. Hopefully the ladies will be fit and well to support Frances and Genevieve in the forthcoming team events.

Well done to all.

Alan