Having missed this race last year after doing the Home Countries Cross Country the week before, this was my first go for a couple of years. I don't know what it is but there's something about Livingston. Things never go well for me. The one time I watched Queen's Park there, they were defeated 2-1. On another occasion I drove all the way through only to discover on arrival the game was off then got lost on the way home! In 2003 when I ran the short relay leg (3.15 miles) for Calderglen, I was diagnosed with asthma on the Monday. On the flip side, I made my Cambuslang debut there in 2009, running 31:30 for the B team on the long leg (5.8 miles). In 2010, I ran the short leg following an experiment of a steak for breakfast that morning. I've yet to try that again.
We had an excellent response from our under 20, senior and vet men but sadly no women. 3 full teams of 6 and an incomplete team of 4 lined up. First leg is short, second leg is long and so on. Being on last leg for the A team, I arrived a little later just as the first leg was concluding. Jack Hamilton brought us through 2nd behind Central's first runner, former Scottish Cross Country champion Robert Russell. David Thom meanwhile completed the leg for the B/Vets team in 19th with Gordon Robertson 11th for the C team. As the race unfolded, I walk/jogged the first and later sections of the course cheering on various current and former club mates and acquaintances from other clubs as I did so. One of Robert Russell's successors as Scottish champion, Derek Hawkins, clocked the fastest long leg of the day, 27:57, to take Kilbarchan into the lead on 2nd leg before they slipped to 10th. Central were clear in the lead but there was lots of movement between ourselves, Shettleston and Corstorphine. Robert Gilroy and Martin McLaughlin kept us in touching distance of a podium finish then a dogged effort from Kerry Wilson on 4th leg took us into 3rd. Stewart Orr kept us there, giving me a 50m deficit on Shettleston's Thomas Fay to close.
Little did I know how this would unfold. The course starts slightly downhill then turns sharply uphill into a cycle path/walkway. By the top of the hill, I had closed the gap on Fay who, almost like a light switch had flicked, gave a glance and changed pace. I attempted to pull away but he stuck with me. With no other runners near us, I had no choice but to brace myself for a one on one for the next 5 miles. I only beat him narrowly in the National Cross Country and by one second and one place at the Inter Counties Cross Country so we were evenly matched.
At one point, the course briefly goes onto a main road. I caught a glimpse of Ross Houston on the last leg for Central but he was on his way to a time of 28:48, faster than both of us. In saying that, little did I know Fay and I were dragging each other to the 5th and 6th fastest long legs of the day. The pattern of me slightly ahead with Fay quite literally on my heels at times continued into the final mile. The route went under a bridge where a number of spectators congregated due to its proximity to the start/finish area. I deliberately let him edge ahead, the first I had actually looked at him for at least 4 miles. After the bridge I overtook again. With half a mile to go, I was betwixt and between- push now and try to hold on or leave it to an uphill sprint finish. I felt totally spent and unable to lift the pace for so long. Trusting my hill training, I decided on the latter.
Heading up the same path as the start, I made a move. Sadly my sprint finish is still somewhere in Falkirk after the 2010 National Cross Country as Fay opened up a 4 second gap to take silver for Shettleston. In a strange quirk that can happen in relays, I bettered his time, 29:02 to 29:05, but crossed the line after him.
After initial frustration at losing silver, I was happy to secure my first medal in this race at the 7th attempt and Cambuslang's second consecutive bronze medal. Elsewhere, our vets took gold and 8th place overall and Scott Hunter and Robert Rossborough on the final two legs for the C team helping secure a top 20 finish, illustrating an encouraging strength in depth at senior level.
Little did I know how this would unfold. The course starts slightly downhill then turns sharply uphill into a cycle path/walkway. By the top of the hill, I had closed the gap on Fay who, almost like a light switch had flicked, gave a glance and changed pace. I attempted to pull away but he stuck with me. With no other runners near us, I had no choice but to brace myself for a one on one for the next 5 miles. I only beat him narrowly in the National Cross Country and by one second and one place at the Inter Counties Cross Country so we were evenly matched.
At one point, the course briefly goes onto a main road. I caught a glimpse of Ross Houston on the last leg for Central but he was on his way to a time of 28:48, faster than both of us. In saying that, little did I know Fay and I were dragging each other to the 5th and 6th fastest long legs of the day. The pattern of me slightly ahead with Fay quite literally on my heels at times continued into the final mile. The route went under a bridge where a number of spectators congregated due to its proximity to the start/finish area. I deliberately let him edge ahead, the first I had actually looked at him for at least 4 miles. After the bridge I overtook again. With half a mile to go, I was betwixt and between- push now and try to hold on or leave it to an uphill sprint finish. I felt totally spent and unable to lift the pace for so long. Trusting my hill training, I decided on the latter.
Heading up the same path as the start, I made a move. Sadly my sprint finish is still somewhere in Falkirk after the 2010 National Cross Country as Fay opened up a 4 second gap to take silver for Shettleston. In a strange quirk that can happen in relays, I bettered his time, 29:02 to 29:05, but crossed the line after him.
After initial frustration at losing silver, I was happy to secure my first medal in this race at the 7th attempt and Cambuslang's second consecutive bronze medal. Elsewhere, our vets took gold and 8th place overall and Scott Hunter and Robert Rossborough on the final two legs for the C team helping secure a top 20 finish, illustrating an encouraging strength in depth at senior level.
Above: bronze medal winning team, left to right- Robert Gilroy, Kerry Wilson, myself, Stewart Orr, Martin McLaughlin. Missing from the photo- Jack Hamilton.
I felt the medal merited a celebration so joined a few old Calderglen friends at the Montgomerie Arms, known locally in East Kilbride as "The Monty" for a few refreshments. A 14 mile Windfarm run on Sunday comprised, I think, 2 miles for every pint of beer I consumed.
A team- 3rd place
Jack Hamilton, 15:22
Robert Gilroy, 29:59
Martin McLaughlin, 16:14
Kerry Wilson, 30:04
Stewart Orr, 15:57
Stuart Gibson, 29:02
B/Vets team- 8th place and 1st vets team
David Thom, 17:34
Kenny MacPherson, 32:37
Greg Hastie, 16:58
Stephen Wylie, 30:36
Michael O'Hagan, 17:44
Alan Ramage, 32:44
C team- 15th place
Gordon Robertson, 16:26
David Munro, 31:02
Shazad Hakeem, 18:10
Jamie Reid, 31:27
Scott Hunter, 19:07
Robert Rossborough, 36:59
D team
Thomas McPake, 21:38
Colin Feechan, 35:32
Walter Edgar, 21:30
Frank Hurley, 37:12
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