Lothian Running Club’s Robert Inglis picks up top prize at Montrose Games

Aug 5 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

ROBERT INGLIS was the big winner this week as the Lothian Running Club athlete won a prized gold medal at the Montrose Games on East Links.

Inglis took the day’s top prize by racing to victory in the SHGA 3200metres Championship.

Robert went for it from the gun and soon built up a commanding lead with 2009 champion Craig Robertson of Pitreavie AC trailing in second place.

He maintained a strong pace throughout the 10 laps and none of his five rivals were able to put in a serious challenge as he crossed the line in 10 minutes 15.75 seconds – half a lap ahead of Robertson.

Robert was presented with the winners’ gold medal by Games chieftain Mme Tan Xiutian, the Chinese Consul General in Scotland.

Later in the afternoon Robert rounded of a good days work with victory in the Open 1600m Handicap.

Starting from the backmark off 55m, Inglis was giving away a big start to all his rivals, including his sister Mhairi, who was off the front mark of 250m.

Robert, however, timed his run to perfection and gradually reeled in all his rivals before hitting the front, coming off the final bend and crossing the line in four minutes 26 seconds, with Mhairi staying on strongly for second.

It was also a good day for Mhairi, who is gradually getting fitter and beginning to show a bit of form.

As she did in the 1600m, she led for much of the way in the 800m Handicap before being overhauled in the closing stages by eventual winner Tommy Ashby, of Innerleithen, and once again placed a good second.

Nicola Kellock was the only club athlete in action in the three Youth’s races and she got a prize in each.

She qualified through to the final of the 90 metres by finishing third in her heat before going on to take sixth place in the final.

In the 200m and 800m the Livingston runner came home in fourth and sixth places respectively.

The Lothian Running Club’s “Bullet the Dog” team of Craig McDowall, Robert Inglis, and Max McNeil were pipped into second place at the 3 x 1 Mile Relay at the Meadows in Edinburgh.

The females, however, went one better as Sarah and Mhairi Inglis, along with Amanda Campbell, made up the ironically named “Extremely Obese Fatties” team.

The girls led the female race from gun to tape with Sarah running the first leg in 5:03 before handing over to Amanda.

She completed her lap in 5:14 before passing on to Mhairi who ran a 5:18 leg to bring the Fatties home in 15:24 to finish seventh overall and first females.

In the individual fastest laps table, Lothian females had five runners in the top 10.

Lothian Running Club’s Sarah Inglis had to settle for second place behind Falkirk Victoria FV 45 veteran athlete Fiona Mathieson at Sunday’s 13th Scottish Gas 10k event in Edinburgh.

In finishing 19th overall out 420 Sarah crossed the line in 36:10, placing her runner-up in the ladies’ race some 14 seconds behind winner Mathieson.

Scott Nelson was the only Lothian male runner in the race and he came home in 39:12 for 41st place.

In the 5k the club’s only entrant was Max McNeil and he led home 65 runners in 16:54.

Elsewhere at the weekend Mike Lieberman contested the seven-mile Donkey Brae race at Aberdour in Fife and finished 46th out of 238 runners in 49:58.

Further north, Gordon Little was the club’s only participant in the Dyce Half Marathon, completing the 13.2 miles in 1:58.16 for 99th place out of 127 runners.

Half a dozen club runners also contested this week’s Edinburgh Parkrun.

First back in 11th place was Kenton Jones who covered the 5k course in 19 minutes 29 seconds.