Athletics: Excellent Lothian Running Club representation at Scottish Athletics East District Cross Country Championship

Dec 10 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

OVER 550 athletes converged on Livingston on Saturday for the Scottish Athletics East District Cross Country Championship held over a very muddy course at Dechmont Law Park.

And with Lothian Running Club hosting the event it was good to see around 30 athletes from the club taking part in the various categories.

Finishing in 11th place, Edel Mooney was the highest placed Lothian runner in the Senior-Junior Women’s race.

Edel covered the 6.4km course in 24 minutes 43 seconds.

The Senior-Junior Men’s race was over 9.6km and the first club runner home in 25th place was Ross Milne, who crossed the finish line in 34 minutes 49 seconds.

The top placed U20 were Kajsa Rigby, who finished 34th overall and sixth female junior, while leading junior male was Alistair Robertson 82nd overall and ninth junior.

In the team events, which was based on each club’s highest finishers, the Lothian Women’s team finished sixth, the Men 14th and the Masters’ Men ninth.

In the Under-13 Girls race over 3.2km the trio of Amy McCulloch, Bethany Nelson and Alice Horsburgh finished in 19th, 33rd and 41st respectively to place seventh in the team competition.

Duncan Kuwall was the sole club representative in the Boys Under-13 race finishing 36th of the 43 finishers.

It was a similar story in the Under-17 category with only one starter in both the male and female events with Max McNeil and Lana Turnbull both coming home in 14th place in their respective races.

Elsewhere, despite being in competition with the East District XC Championship at nearby Livingston the weekly Edinburgh park run still attracted 90 runners.

Victory went to Lothian Running Club’s Brian Turner who completed the 5k course in a time of 16 minutes 34 seconds which was a fair bit outside his PB for the event.

David and Carol Mabon were the only other Lothian runners in the field, David finished 17th in 20:11 with Carol 71st (26:03).

Suzanne Matonti warmed up for the East XC Championships by finishing a fine third in the Aberdeen Promenade race last Friday evening.

The Lothian runner covered the 3k course along the waterfront in 12 minutes 22 seconds.

A total of 91 runners finished.

Anyone wishing to run the Festive Frolics Handicap Trail Race at Beecraigs Country Park on Boxing Day are advised to get their entries in as soon as possible.

Entry is free and athletes can choose to run either 7k or 14k.

The course is mainly forest tracks with some short road sections.

For the kids and adults if they wish there is the shorter Cockleroy Chaser Fun Run, entry for the fun run is only 10p on the day.

Entrants for the 7k or 14k races should go to peterwest@blueyonder.co.uk by December 23.