Kilmarnock Harriers Cross Country (Senior Report)

LARGE TURNOUT AT THE KILLIE CROSS COUNTRY

Despite a very unfortunate clash with the National 4K Cross Country Champs which were being held at Bellahouston Park on the same day, a record number of athletes took the opportunity to head to the Ayrshire Athletics Arena to take part in the Kilmarnock Harriers Open Cross Country Races. The tough course was the scene of the recent Ayrshire Cross Country Relay Championships but on that day only one circuit was completed while in this race multiple laps were completed, up to 3 by the Senior Men.

Highlight of route organiser Ian Gebbie’s course comes halfway round the lap, where a 30 metre long swamp awaited the athletes and sapped the strength off of most people. After the Junior Races were completed for the day (report to follow next week), the Senior Ladies took on 2 laps and right away eventual winner Leanne Hamilton took to the front. Closely followed by Michelle Hetherington, it was tremendous to see Kilmarnock’s Lindsay McMahon sitting 3^rd in a welcome return to form.

At the line, the order of the trio remained the same and in an excellent day for the Club, relatively new Member Kirstin Dale completed another Cross Country and coming hot on the heels of a training session and an assault course the previous day had a tremendous run.

Times and positions for Killie over approximately 6,400 metres of tough Cross Country were –

3^rd Lindsay McMahon 29.27, 19th Kirstin Dale 34.48.

Soon afterwards the Senior Men took on 3 laps of the same course and after a somewhat tentative beginning a pack of 5 broke away in the early stages. At the swamp, eventual winner Kilbarchan AC’s Callum Matthews and home hope Cameron Wilson set the pace, with Scott Martin a bit behind in 3^rd as he looked to set himself up for next week’s Masters Cross Country in Cardiff.

Again, positions remained the same at the end of the race, and with Colin Glencorse combining with Cameron and Scott to scoop the Team Prize for Kilmarnock it was a successful day for athletes and organisers alike in the Club.

Personal battles were going on throughout the race due to it being a Winter Championship counting event, and special mentions go to sprinter Scott Young for coming about 6 miles outside his comfort zone and doing tremendously well.

Killie Times and positions over roughly 10,000 metres –

2^nd Cameron Wilson 35.58, 3^rd Scott Martin 37.10, 9^th Colin Glencorse 38.40, 10^th Stewart Ferguson 39.37, 12^th Robert Lindsay 40.09, 15^th David McCleod 41.18, 16^th Connell Drummond 41.27, 17^th John Cairns 41.53, 21^st John Tougher 43.21, 27^th Scott Young 45.30, 33^rd Kenny Wales 47.53.

The cream of the West of Scotland will return to the same course in 4 weeks time (Dec 7^th) where the West District Championships take place and another successful event is anticipated.