Lothian Running Club in action around the country

May 27 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

LOTHIAN Running Club’s Scott Balfour was the winner of the over-60 category at Sunday’s Edinburgh Marathon.

In sweltering conditions, Scott covered the 26 miles from the centre of Edinburgh to the finish at Musselburgh Racecourse in three hours one minute and 19 seconds.

Despite the searing heat, a trio of club runners set new PBs for the distance.

Scott Nelson was on three hours 12 minutes, Jennifer Banks on four hours four minutes, and Ross McMaster, who recently joined the club, on 3:19:27.

Four Lothian Running Club athletes and one from Livingston AC were in action at Meadowbank Stadium, also on Sunday, representing the composite Forth Valley team in Northern Premier division of the 2010 National Junior League.

The results of the events contested were: Female 800 metres (A) – 1st Amanda Campbell (2:12.81), Male 800 metres (B) – 4th Craig McDowell (2:04.81]), Female 200 metres (A) – 4th Amanda Campbell (26:49), Female 400 metres (A) – 7th Mhairi Inglis (62.90), Female 1500 metres (A) – 3rd Mhairi Inglis (4:51.6), Female 3000 metres (A) – 4th Lana Turnbull (11:39.7), Male 3000 metres (B) – 4th Max McNeil (9:39.4), Female 4 x 400 metres – team 3rd Mhairi Inglis, Amanda Campbell, Lana Turnbull and Hollie Lister.

Overall on the day the Forth Valley Team finished fifth of the eight teams.

The third match in the competition takes place at Gateshead on Sunday, June 27.

Club members travelled to Durness on Saturday, in the far north west of Scotland, to take part in the Cape Wrath Marathon.

First club runner home was Alan Robertson in three hours 44 minutes, followed by Jim Alexander in four hours 20 minutes.

And the club’s Jim Salvage gave his own marathon effort by marshalling on Capeside for nine hours.

With conditions to suit, PBs were in abundance at the 30th Edinburgh Parkrun along a sun kissed Cramond/Silverknowes waterfront.

68 runners from a total 178 finishers set new figures for the 5k course.

Unfortunately the club’s representatives Jill Horsburgh and Ted Finch weren’t among them.

Jill placed 68th overall and sixth female in a time of 22 minutes 11 seconds, with Ted 114th in 25 minutes 21 seconds.

Meanwhile, Lothian Running Club’s Sarah Inglis represented Scotland at Senior level at the weekend in prestigious Loughborough International meeting in the Midlands.

Scotland were up against England, Wales Great Britain and Ireland Juniors and Loughborough AC.

The line-up for the Women’s 3000 metres was littered with seasoned internationalists and top GB-ranked athletes, in fact it is probably the most competitive track race Sarah has been involved in.

However, it didn’t turn out to be one of the Lothian runner’s better efforts, as feeling a bit below par, Sarah turned in a somewhat insipid performance by her own standards which left her slightly disappointed.

Her time of 10 minutes 2.77 seconds which placed her 11th was well outside her personal best for the distance.