Athletics: Lothian members make running at several events

Sep 3 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

LOTHIAN Running Club athletes have had a busy spell over the past week, competing at the Falkirk Cup meeting as well as the Highland Games at Oban and Birnam, and the Junior Home International Hill trials at Menstrie.

All four club runners who were in action at the Oban Highland Games on Thursday, August 27 returned home with a prize.

Most successful was Sarah Inglis who retained the Argyllshire Middle Distance Championship title with victories in all three counting events.

First she won the 800 metres in 2 minutes 32 seconds.

The next event, the 1600 metres, took place amid the worse conditions of the day in driving torrential rain. It didn’t deter Sarah who won in a time of 5 mins 32.22 secs.

The final event, the 3200 metres, saw her race to victory and the overall title in 11 mins 59.23 secs.

In all three events her sister Mhairi finished in third place which also placed her third in the championship.

Robert Inglis also contested three events. In the scratch 1600 metres he finished in eighth place. He then ran the scratch 3200 metres, finishing in sixth place, before going on to take fourth place in the Open 1600 metres handicap.

Robert contested these races alongside all the current top-ranked middle distance runners in Scotland.

Darren Thomson also picked up two fourth places in the 400 metres and then in the final of the Open 90 metres handicap.

The evening before the Oban event Sarah Inglis contested the Bank of Scotland 10,000 metres Championship at the Falkirk Cup meeting at Grangemouth.

In less than ideal conditions Sarah completed the 25 laps in 36 minutes 00.35 seconds which placed her runner-up behind Scottish Cross Country champion Freya Murray, of Chester-le-Street.

Lauren Arbuckle turned in a fine performance to win the Youth’s 1600 metres Handicap at Birnam Highland Games on Saturday, August 29. The win moved the Addiewell athlete into pole position in the Scottish Highland Games Association’s points league for youths in events over 400 metres

Lauren, who has competed nearly every week on the Games circuit, currently leads the league by three points.

With only two games to go until the end of the season she has three races left – an 800m and a 1600m at Blairgowrie on Sunday, September 6 and an 800m at Pitlochry on Saturday, September 12.

At Birnam she started the day with a one-point lead. However she finished unplaced in the 800 metres and with her closest pursuer Craig Stephens DWF finishing second it saw her go into the 1600m two points behind.

Running from a start of 325 metres Lauren produced arguably her best performance of the season to break the tape in 4 minutes 53.40 seconds which gave her five points which moved her back to the top of the table.

Ian and Alice Horsburgh both contested these two races with Ian finishing in fourth place on both occasions and Alice just outside the prize-money places.

Jill Horsburgh ran both the Open 800 metres and 1600 metres handicaps finishing in seventh and eighth places respectively.

On Sunday, August 30 a contingent of club runners contested the Junior Home International Hill trials at Menstrie.

These are the main selection races for the British Home International and British Championships to be held at Sedburgh in October.

In the girls under-16 race Lana Turnbull completed the 4.1k course, with a climb of 240 metres, in 23 minutes 59 seconds to place fifth.

In the boys’ under-19 event, which was over 6.3k with a 410 metre climb, Alistair Robertson came home in third place in 32 minutes 41 seconds.

In the open race over the same distance victory went to the Lothian club’s Edel Mooney in a time of 33 minutes 48 seconds.