Athletics: Deluge keeps Lothian runners home

Nov 5 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

NOT many Lothian Running Club members braved the incessant rain on Sunday to splash their way around Gore Glen Park, Gorebridge for the annual Lasswade AC Open Cross Country Races.

Those who did probably deserve a medal just for turning up.

Four completed the six miles of the senior men’s race with first home in 9th place Brian Turner in 39 minutes 39 seconds.

He was followed over the waterlogged finish line by Colin Meek in 14th place 41:30; Paul Craig 27th 45:58; and Alan McIntosh a couple of places behind in 29th 46:22.

This meant the Lothian RC men’s team finished in fourth place.

Jill Horsburgh was the only lady member who decided to give it a go and she got round the 3.8-mile mudbath in 32 minutes 46 seconds which placed her 16th of the 27 hardy souls who completed the course.

Jill’s offsprings Iain and Alice along with Lauren Arbuckle contested the junior races.

In the boys’ under-11 one mile race Iain finished 12th out of 29 finishers in six minutes 38 seconds.

Alice and Lauren contested the girls’ under-13 two miles event with the latter coming home in 10th in 16 minutes 17 seconds with Alice not far behind in 18th 17:16. 28 completed.

Lothian Running Club’s Mhairi Inglis helped her Glasgow Caledonian University team to a third place at the Scottish University’s Road Relay Championships at Baillieston on Saturday.

First-year student Mhairi ran the second leg for the team of three and completed the five-mile course in 32 minutes 06 seconds.

The university championship, which is incorporated into the annual Allan Scally Road Relay, saw the Lothian athlete’s team finish sixth overall but third in the Uni championship behind the teams from University of Glasgow Hare and Hounds and Edinburgh University Hare and Hounds.

Mhairi ran the 17th fastest leg of the more than 50 runners who took part in 17 teams.