Athletics: Inglis makes it a double

Jun 11 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

LOTHIAN Running Club enjoyed a successful day at the Markinch Highland Games in Fife on Sunday.

Sarah Inglis was in sparkling form as she landed a double while sprinter Darren Thomson was just pipped at the post in the race for the day’s top prize in the 90m handicap.

Running from a handicap of 190 metres in the Open 1600m Handicap, Sarah strode out majestically to break the tape in four minutes 18.75 seconds to come home ahead of backmarker Kevin Cane, of Inverclyde, with her brother Robert in third place. A total of 18 runners contested the race.

The 3200m Handicap had the big Fife crowd on their feet as Sarah had to show all her grit and determination to once again hold off Kevin Cane, who is one of Scotland’s top middle distance runners, when he started from scratch, giving away 500 metres.

Following her earlier win Sarah was penalised 30 metres and started from the 360m mark.

Once again the Lothian athlete put her rivals to the sword with the exception of backmarker Cane who lap after lap gradually ate into Sarah’s lead and at the bell there were still 40 metres between the duo.

However, the Inverclyde man put in a late surge down the back straight and with the crowd on their feet he just failed to peg back the gallant Sarah who held on to win by five metres in 9min 44.97secs.

Robert Inglis again came through late to take third place in what was a tremendous race.

Darren Thomson just failed to land the biggest prize of the day in the Open 90m Handicap.

The Bathgate sprinter won both his heat and semi-final but in a photo finish in the final he was just pipped in the shadow of the post by Cameron Smith, Tullibody.

Thomson also won through to the final of the 200m Open, where he finished in fifth place.

The Lothian youth runners were also in action at the games where Hannah Stewart, in her first race on the games circuit, along with Alice Horsburgh, both reached the final of the Youth’s 90m Handicap, finishing fifth and sixth respectively.

Lauren Arbuckle came home in fourth place in the Youth’s 800m Handicap and third in the Youth’s 1600m Handicap.

In the latter, club pair Bethany Nelson was fifth with Alice Horsburgh in sixth.

Lothian club runners were also in action in the hills at the weekend.

Edel Mooney followed up her recent Black Rock win by claiming victory in the Women’s race at the 14th Glas Tulaichean (Uphill) Race at Spittal of Glenshee while Tosh Brannan finished in 19th place in the Gargunnock Hill Race in Stirlingshire.

Lothian runners will be out in force this weekend, particularly on Sunday when the club stages its annual trail race at Dechmont Law, Livingston, while the Junior and Youth athletes will be in action in the third match in the National Junior League as well as competing at Strathmore Highland Games at Glamis Castle.