Athletics: Lothian Running Club will be represented in New Year events

Dec 24 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

IT may not be a big representation but the Lothian Running Club have entrants in nearly every event at this year’s New Year Athletics Gala at Musselburgh Racecourse on Monday, December 28 and Tuesday, December 29.

It includes three generations of the Stewart family, with grandfather John, son Alan and his twin daughters Ashley and Sarah all entered in the main event the 110 metres New Year [Powderhall] Sprint Handicap as well as the shorter 90 metres Handicap.

Another member of the family, 10-year-old Hannah, will run at the meeting for the first time. She and club-mate Lauren Arbuckle are down to run in both the Youth’s 90 Metres Handicap and Youth’s 800 Metres Handicap.

The club’s only entry of the 35 runners declared in the Open 1600 metres handicap is Robert Inglis.

Last weekend’s wintery weather saw the cancellation of both the Parkrun and Queens Drive races in Edinburgh.

However the local running fraternity should be out in force on Boxing Day when the Lothian Running Club stage their annual Festive Frolics Trail Races at Beecraigs Country Park, Linlithgow.

Entry is free and you can opt to run either 7km or 14 km. Both races will be handicapped with the first runner setting off at 11 am. Both runs use the same tough loop starting near Cockleroy car park, heading East through Beecraigs, round Beecraigs Loch, up the Sawmill Hill and returning via Balvormie, to climb Cockleroy just before the finish.

There is also a race for the junior runners and novices or for those who just want to run a shorter distance.

The Cockleroy Chaser race takes place at 11.15am. The total distance is about 1km with a climb of about 50 metres.

This race is part of the Junior Hill Fun Run Development series.

Runners can enter on the day for this race.