29th August 2019.  Scottish National Senior Championships.

Several Scottish Masters athletes competed at the recent National Seniors champs at Grangemouth with pride of place going to Mhairi Porterfield  (W35) representing VP-Glasgow who won the shot with a throw of 13.54m (fifth in the hammer with 52.00m) and Zara Asante (W35) representing Blackheath and Bromley who won the triple jump with a leap of 12.89m. 

Other medals were claimed by Gillian Cooke (W35 Edinburgh) with silver in the pole vault clearing 3.05m (7th in the long jump with 5.25m), Philippa Millage (W35 VP-Glasgow) with silver in the 800m in a time of 2m 09.15s (4th in the 1500m with 4m 32.05s) and Chris Smith (M40 Arbroath) with bronze in the javelin throwing 52.29m.

Ian Horsburgh (M40 Edinburgh) came 5th in the 200m in a time of 22.67s after a 22.60s heat, Colin Welsh (M35 Gala) ran 1m 59.97s in the heats of the 800m, Michelle Sandison (W35 Springburn) came 7th in the 5000m in 17m 36.60s and Catriona Pennet (W35 Edinburgh) finished 5th in the 100m hurdles with a time of 15.01s. 

All the above athletes performed really well and must certainly have helped to enhance the profile of Scottish Masters.   My apologies to anyone I have missed.

11th September 2019.  Scottish Masters 10,000m Championships.

One Scottish Masters best performance and six Championship bests were recorded at the recent 10k championships held in Carluke with the most notable performance coming from Alastair Walker (Teviotdale) who ran 34m 54.08s in winning the M60 category setting a new Championship best and erasing Bill Stoddart’s Scottish Masters best of 35m 19.2s from 1992. 

Further Championship bests were set by Julia Johnstone (Gala) with 41m 44.96s in the W45 category, Marianne McLevy (Dundee) with 48m 37.92s in the W50s, Andy McLinden (Hamilton) with 39m 39.54s in the M65s, Norman Baillie (Garscube) with 45m 25.32s in the M70 group and Bobby Young (Clydesdale) with 45m 02.12s in the M75 category.

It is good note that over thirty athletes competed in this fairly recently introduced Championship event and, hopefully, it will continue to prosper in years to come as Scottish Masters have historically been at the forefront of Masters distance running.  Well done to all competitors.

October 2019.  European Masters Stadia Championships.

The event was held in very warm conditions at three venues, Jesolo, Caorle and Eraclea on the outskirts of Venice from September 9^th to 15^th and saw a large British team place third in the overall medals table with 247 gongs, 103 being gold.  The home nation finished top with 337 medals (127 gold) followed by Germany with 317 medals (119 gold)

As far as I can ascertain twenty Scots competed and returned with a total of four individual and five team medals with two Scottish Masters best performances achieved and another equalled.  Jacqui Etherington (Cambuslang) won silver in the W40 2000m steeplechase in a time of 7m 34.35s and set a new Masters best finishing 6^th in the 400m hurdles in 74.37s, Dougie Graham (Edinburgh/Arbroath) took bronze with a 4.20m clearance in the M40 pole vault equalling his own Masters best whilst Jim Smith (Motherwell) set new figures of 7.80m in the M75 triple jump.

Ian Horsburgh (Edinburgh), a former British Junior international who recently returned to the track, won silver in the M40 200m in a time of 22.62s after a 22.51s semi and Dave Valentine (West Suffolk) won bronze in the M60 hammer with 48.23m. 

Alan Robertson (Motherwell) was part of the British M40 4 x 100m relay gold winning team, Sue Ridley (Edinburgh) won gold in the W50 cross country team event, Ronnie Hunter (Corstorphine) won silver in the M55 4 x 100m relay as did John Thomson (Fife) with the M60 cross country team and Jim Smith won bronze in the M75 4 x 100m relay.

Full results for all Scots competitors are listed below.  Well done to all with apologies to any I have missed.

Our Computer expert Karen Connal wrote: “The Canicross is going really well. My young dog is amazing and has fairly given me my running mojo back. We did a freedom run round my new local parkrun in 22:09. I have been training there on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Loving it!”

Photo by Karen. How happy all four look!

(Fifty years ago, the editor and Bob Anderson were clubmates in Aberdeen University Hare & Hounds. For several weeks in 1970. Bob visited Portsea in Australia, where the legendary coach Percy Wells Cerutty trained 1960 Olympic 1500m champion Herb Elliott and other great athletes. This is a photograph of one of Percy’s inspirational essays.)

                                                                                            HISTORY SECTION

                                                               THE D. McNab Robertson Memorial Trophy

                                                                       (for Scottish Road Runner of the Year)

                                                                                    PART ONE: 1952-1957)

In 1951 an appeal was launched to commemorate the outstanding Scottish marathoner Donald McNab Robertson who had died so suddenly in 1949. This appeal came to fruition in 1952 when the Scottish Marathon Club handed over a trophy to the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association, to be awarded annually to the Scottish athlete with the most meritorious performances in long-distance road racing, as adjudged by a joint sub-committee of the SAAA and the SMC.

Donald Robertson (Maryhill Harriers) had been the AAA Marathon champion six times (1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937 and 1939, adding a silver medal in 1946. He had finished second in the 1934 London Empire Games; and, aged over 40, won the first two Scottish Marathon titles in 1946 and 1947. In Leni Riefenstahl’s notorious yet epic film of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Donald can be seen finishing seventh. Tragically, he died in 1949, aged only 43.

(N.B. From 1987, gaps appear in the list of Robertson Trophy winners; and there are no certain recipients after 1995. However, I have done my best to nominate yearly candidates right up to 2018. When one candidate seems to have the best claim, I have indicated this in bold italics. When it was difficult to make a decision, I have not emphasised any name in this way. At some point, the Donald McNab Robertson Memorial Trophy ceased to be presented; and now it seems to be lost. However, I wish to suggest that there should be annual recognition of Scotland’s best distance road (or trail) runner.)

1952 Charles D Robertson: The minutes book of the SMC makes clear that Charlie Robertson was chosen unanimously as the first trophy winner “by virtue of his fourth place in the AAA Championship Marathon, when he returned a time of 2 hours 30 minutes and 48 seconds, the fastest time ever recorded by a Scotsman.” The presentation was made by Miss Betty Robertson, sister of the late Donald McNab Robertson. Charlie (Dundee Thistle Harriers), the 1948 Scottish Marathon champion, was no relation of Donald. Before nearly making the 3-man GB Olympic team in the AAA event, Charlie had broken the Perth to Dundee 22 miles record; finished first in the Edinburgh Marathon; and then, after the AAA, tackled the Scottish Marathon (a lengthened Perth to Dundee), winning by 25 seconds from John Duffy.

1953 Joe McGhee: While Joe (St Modans) was the up-and-coming runner, and definitely a member of the SMC, he was beaten into third place in the Lauriston (Falkirk) to New Meadowbank Scottish Marathon championship, the winner being John ‘Jock’ Duffy (Broxburn and Hadleigh Olympiads), who had taken the train up from Southend to London and then Edinburgh. This was a twelve-hour journey. He slept for a few hours in his father’s Broxburn house; then more travelling to the start, rather tired already! Duffy was not a member of the SMC, so was not considered for the Robertson Trophy, which was awarded to Joe “for consistently high standard running in 14 races and particularly for his fine performance in the Perth to Dundee race on 29th August 1953, when he beat the existing record set by C.D.Robertson, who had been awarded the Trophy in 1952.”

1954 Joe McGhee: Joe had joined Shettleston Harriers and increased his training. At the end of May, the Scottish Marathon course was from the Cloch Lighthouse, Gourock, to Ibrox Park. Joe set a new championship record of 2.35.22. In early August at the Vancouver British Empire Games, Joe McGhee secured a famous victory in the marathon, after Jim Peters of England collapsed during the final lap of the track. Joe was made an Honorary Life Member of the Scottish Marathon Club. The SAAA presented him with the ‘Coronation Cup’ as “outstanding Scottish athlete of the year.” Naturally, he kept the Robertson Trophy.

1955 Joe McGhee: Joe was fitter than ever, ready to show that he was a worthy Empire Games champion, when at the end of June, over the Falkirk to Edinburgh course, he won the Scottish Marathon by nine minutes. John Emmet Farrell, a Scottish cross-country champion before and after World War Two, wrote in ‘The Scots Athlete’ “Joe McGhee’s championship record-breaking 2.25.50 was easily the feat of the SAAA Championships, puts him into world class and adds extra glitter to his British Empire gold medal.” The SAAA awarded Joe the ‘Crabbie Cup’ for the best performance at the Scottish Athletics Championships; and it was a formality for Joe to retain the SMC Robertson Trophy.

1956 Joe McGhee: Joe retained his Scottish Marathon title – a third successive triumph – in 1956. Injuries had prevented some training but this was a successful come-back. He won in 2.33.36 – a meritorious performance in warm sultry conditions. The pace was fast from the start, but Joe had to slow down after 20 miles. However, his rivals suffered even more and the margin of victory was thirteen minutes. Therefore, Joe McGhee was awarded the Donald Robertson Trophy for the fourth year in a row.

1957 Harry Fenion: This was to be Harry Fenion’s most successful season. The diminutive Bellahouston Harrier became not only the Scottish Cross-Country champion but also the Scottish Marathon winner. Even in 2019, this double achievement in a single year remains unique. Before the Marathon, Harry finished first in the Clydebank to Helensburgh 16.  For some time after the start in Falkirk, on a cold and sometimes damp day, Harry was content to lurk in the leading pack. At the first water station after ten miles, he put in a kick and quickly pulled away. When he eventually entered the track, someone told him that he had a chance of beating the 1955 championship record, so he gave one final sprint and did so – by six seconds, in 2.25.44, three minutes clear of Hugo Fox (Shettleston) who finished second. The SMC agreed that this race was ‘undoubtedly the performance of the season’; and Harry Fenion received the Robertson Trophy.

                                         (Next Time: 1985-2019, featuring 17 wins by female athletes.)

                                                             IN PRAISE OF THE TEN-MILER

Don’t you think 10 miles is the absolute greatest race distance?

Most races nowadays are 10k or Half Marathon but the 10-miler just fits so perfectly in between – a handy extra-endurance run for the 10k enthusiast, an ideal tune-up race for the Half Marathoner. There don’t seem to be very many of them but somehow we have ended up, barely into April, with 4 different 10 mile races already under our belts this year.

Netherhall 10-mile Road Race in Maryport, West Cumbria was the first (24th Feb), and was in our calendar only because it was in our Club’s Grand Prix. Starting and finishing at a (very easy to find) school, it’s a loop on mostly minor roads through gorgeous countryside which starts with a pell mell downhill 200m, then turns a corner out of town and grinds steadily uphill for a mile and a half. Whew! There are a couple of uncomfortably steep downhill stretches and some lesser climbs, but other than that it’s fairly low key ‘undulating’ and this year the weather was glorious enough to pass for May. The local support was enthusiastic, and the spread provided afterwards was incredible, with sandwiches, pies and quiche as well as the usual sweet treats.

Lasswade 10-mile Road Race a few miles South of Edinburgh was next (3rd March). This one was in the Scottish Veteran Harriers race list. Registration, changing, prizegiving and post-race feasting at the Whitehill Welfare football clubhouse. It was a sunny, bright day, with SERIOUSLY gusty wind, strong enough at times to lean right into and causing havoc with ponytails. This is not a joke, being whipped across the face with a 50mph ponytail hurts! The course description also prompted much in-race whining about the point at which use of the word ‘undulating’ should become illegal. A short climb out of town, an astonishingly long, quad-trashing downhill into a village that felt almost deep enough to be in the crater of a volcano, then a 400m climb so steep that if you were walking you’d be bracing your hands on your thighs…there were a few later hills which would have paled in contrast if you hadn’t already destroyed your legs in the first 3 miles! The best bit was a long but very gentle (and wind-assisted!) down slope between 6 and 7 miles which delightfully brought together a classic uplifting super-hero bound with that wonderful stage of a 10 miler where you start to overtake the 10k runners as they run out of steam. The finish on leafy cycle path was lovely and the sweet and savoury edibles offered were judged excellent.

Tom Scott 10-mile Road Race is a regular for us, run in Strathclyde Park (just off the M74, 20 mins south of Glasgow), on 31st March. This is usually the Scottish Championship 10 miler and so attracts hordes of super-fast runners. It’s mostly flat, and a good one if you’re looking for a time…if only you could battle your way up to near the front at the start ahead of the elite runners (it’s a big race with a gun start and chip mat only at the finish line), except you’d then have to avoid being trampled by them on the narrow cycle paths! The route goes out around the Loch then loops back on itself and round the other way. Between miles 5 and 6 anyone at a pace over 8-minute miles better watch out for ‘elites’ thundering past on their final mile.

The parking and accessibility is great, the changing facilities and showers excellent (though a few more toilets wouldn’t go amiss on race day!), and the wee printout slips showing your time are brilliant. They don’t, alas, do the ‘spread’ but there were Tunnock’s Caramel Logs as well as Mars Bars at the end. The weather at this race always seems to be perfect – cold, clear, bright sunshine.

3 Village 10 Mile Road Race (7th April, another Grand Prix race) starts in Weatherall, a few minutes off the M6 just below Carlisle in pretty rural Cumbria. A very picturesque run which goes twice round a hilly 5-mile loop and passes through 2 other villages (the clue is in the name!) on the way. Lucky with the weather again, it was cool but dry with a bit of breeze. Considering the size of the villages it was amazing how many cheering supporters were on the road outside their houses or clapping at corners. This race has it all. The community centre used is right on the main road, with an excellent sized, airy hall for the registration, prizegiving and after race re-fuelling as well as plenty of space for hanging around. Well laid out, amply marshalled, generously provisioned, and the added benefits of a chip mat at the start and, like the Tom Scott, a wee printout of your time and position straightaway at the finish!

Reasons to love 10 milers – apart from the secret joy of picking off the ‘roadkill’ of 10k runners in the last 3 miles – are mostly related to the fact that they always seem to be local ‘club’ races rather than bigtime money-making extravaganzas, which from a runner’s point of view means

– Cheaper entry.

– Starting from a local hall or community centre (Parking! Proper toilets! Changing rooms! Showers!).

– Easier to get there. Why is it that ‘big’ runs always seem to start in the middle of a city at some ungodly hour on a Sunday too early for public transport!?

– Less waiting about, shivering in your race kit at the start.

– Lots of friendly marshals and local supporters round the route to cheer and encourage.

– Post-race tea and coffee and tables laden with cake/biscuits/scones and other goodies, often supplied by volunteers and nearly always free for race participants.

– Age group prizes! And they generally wait till everyone has finished running before they start the prizegiving.

– ‘Teams’ from clubs often travel to the race together, so arrive together, cheer each other in and wait together to leave. This means that (especially at registration, buffet time and prizegiving) it’s like a big party with groups of runners in their club colours all mingling and laughing catching up with rivals and comrades from other clubs.

– Tricky, hilly, challenging and otherwise interesting routes where your time can’t really be compared to anything except another time on the exact same course.

And the icing on the cake is that it’s harder than a 10k, but less damaging to ageing joints and muscles than a Half-Marathon, meaning quicker recovery so that even for old-timers, 4 races in 2 sets of consecutive weekends inside 7 weeks is more than just survivable, it’s fun!

By Anne Macfarlane

OFFICE BEARERS SEASON 2018-2019

Honorary President: ALASTAIR MACFARLANE

President: CAMPBELL JOSS 25 Speirs Road Bearsden, G61 2LX Tel: 0141 9420731 cdjoss2@gmail.com

Immediate Past President: ALASTAIR MACFARLANE

Vice-President: ADA STEWART 30 Earlsburn Road, Lenzie, G66 5PF Tel: 0141 578 0526 stewart2@ntlworld.com

Honorary Secretary: ARLENE LEWIS 202 Archerhill Road Knightswood Glasgow, G13 3YX Tel: 07850 070337

Honorary Treasurer: ANDY LAW Euphian, Kilduskland Road Ardrishaig, Argyll PA30 8EH Tel. 01546 605336 Lawchgair@aol.com

Membership Secretary: ADA STEWART 30 Earlsburn Road, Lenzie, G66 5PF Tel: 0141 5780526 stewart2@ntlworld.com

Handicapper: PETER RUDZINSKI 106 Braes Avenue Clydebank. G81 1DP Tel.0141 5623416 p.rudzinski@ntlworld.com

Committee Members:

JOHN BELL Flat 3/1, 57 Clouston Street Glasgow G20 8QW Tel. 0141 9466949

WILLIE DRYSDALE 6 Kintyre Wynd Carluke, ML8 5RW Tel: 01555 771 448

DAVID FAIRWEATHER 12 Powburn Crescent Uddingston, G71 7SS Tel: 01698 810575

EDDIE McKENZIE Little Haremoss, Fortrie, Turriff Aberdeenshire, AB53 4HR Tel: 01464 871430

STEWART McCRAE 17 Woodburn Way, Balloch Cumbernauld G68 9BJ Tel: 01236 728783

PAUL THOMPSON Whitecroft, 5 Gareloch Brae, Shandon, Helensburgh G84 8PJ Tel. 01436 821707

ROBERT YOUNG 4 St Mary’s Road, Bishopbriggs Glasgow G64 2EH Tel. 0141 5633714

BMAF Delegates To be appointed Ada Stewart

SAL West District Delegate Willie Drysdale

SAL Delegate at AGM To be appointed

Website Ada Stewart

Auditor George Inglis

FIXTURES

December 2019

Sun 22nd Xmas Handicap Sea Scouts Hall, Miller Street, Clydebank, Race start 11:00am

January 2020

Fri 3rd Scottish National 3000m Championships Emirates Arena, Glasgow

Sun 26th TBC SVHC Open Masters Road Relays Strathclyde Park, 11:00am February 2020

Sat/Sun 1st/2nd Scottish Athletics Indoor Combined Events. Emirates Arena, Glasgow

Sun 2nd Scottish Athletics Indoor Masters Championships. Emirates Arena, Glasgow

Sat 8th Scottish Masters XC Championships McMaster Community Sports Centre, Johnstone

Sun 9th British Masters 10 Mile Road Championships Lytchett Minster Sports Centre, Post Green Rd, Lytchett Minster, Poole, Dorset BH16 6JD

Sat 22nd Scottish Athletics XC Champs, Callendar Park, Falkirk

Sun 23rd British Masters Indoor Pentathlon Championships Lee Valley Athletic Centre Meridian Way London N9 0AR

March 2020

Sun 1st TBC 10 Mile Road Race (Lasswade AC) Whitehill Welfare FC, Ferguson Park, Carnethie Street, Rosewell Start time, 12:00pm

Sun 1st Inter-Area Indoor Track & Field Challenge Lee Valley Athletic Centre Sat/Sun 7th/8th British Masters Indoor Track & Field and Winter Throws Championships Lee Valley Athletic Centre

Sat 7th British Masters Open Cross Country Championships Rhug Estate, Corwen, Denbighshire, North Wales UK, LL21 0EH

Sun 15th – Sat 21st European Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships Braga, Portugal

April 2020

Sun 5th TBC Tom Scott 10 mile Road Race Water Sports Centre, Strathclyde Park, Motherwell 10:00am

Sun 19th British Masters 10k Road Championships Grangemouth Stadium, Falkirk St, Falkirk FK2 9DX

May 2020

Wed 6th TBC Snowball Race 4.8 miles Coatbridge 7:30pm Changing at Lochview Golf Driving Centre

Sat 16th TBC British Masters Road Relay Championships Sutton Park Sutton Coldfield Birmingham B74 2YT

Sun 24th British Masters Mile Championships Westminster Mile, The Mall, London. Assemble in Green Park London SW1A 1AA

                                                                       The winning M35 team at Aintree

                                                                                            The winning W65 team

                                                                                      Photos by Pete Bracegirdle