No shortage of medals at Short Course XC

There was a huge turnout of 30 PH athletes at the Scottish National Short Course XC Championships which returned to Dunnikier Park yesterday for the first time since 2019. This 4k race also doubled as the final race of the 2022 PH Racing Club Championship with a few positions still up for grabs.

As usual the first race with PH involvement was the women’s senior race and, once again, Julie Menzies lead the way for the club, finishing in a superb time of 15:02 as 7th V40 in the National Championship. While it’s not the done thing to give away a lady’s age she hopefully won’t mind us saying that if she had been born a day earlier she would have been going home with a silver medal! Julie had already secured first place in the championship but 50 points here gave her a perfect score of 300 for her six counting races.

Next home for PH was Anne Hartmann who warmed up for next week’s British and Irish Masters event with a run of 15:29 in what was her one and only race in this year’s Club Championship. PH Championship runner up Louise Lessels backed that up by finished as third PH female at Kirkcaldy ahead of Clare Graham who took third place in the Championship, and Susan Allan, who picked up first V40.

The men’s Club Championship was still to be decided with Mark Ryan able to win if he finished far enough ahead of leader Paul Kieran. Andy Davis, however, was the leading male performer for the club with an excellent time of 13:10, just 3 seconds ahead of Ben Hukins. Roger Clark was next in, securing a national V50 bronze medal with a run of 13:29, the same as club mate Mark Ryan. Though Mark did beat Paul it was not by enough positions to leapfrog him in the Club Championship standings so Paul Kieran is our 2022 Club Champion, timing at 13:48 in Kirkcaldy.

Also picking up national medals were V70 duo Ed Norton and Malcolm Hammond, who won silver and bronze respectively, behind Fife AC’s Tony Martin. Norton timed at 16:46 and also wins the V70 Club Championship while Hammond’s time was 17:33. Andy Davis, Roger Clark and Ed Norton will be joining Anne Hartmann in racing for Scotland in Dublin next week so good luck to all four.

As usual, Phil Waring got stronger throughout the race and finished in a time of 14:08. Aaron Bennet was not far behind in 14:13 and collects third place overall in the Club Championship. Robert Sellar finished in 14:22 and finishes as second V40 in our Championship. Colin Somerville managed to beat Craig Paterson, in his first cross country race, overtaking him at the end of the race, while Mark McLean secured our V50 title, running 15:18 here. John Crookston had already guaranteed himself the PH V60 title but also had a good run of 15:32 at Dunnikier to finish among the top 10 V60s in the National Championship.

Iain Wallace ran his first cross country race since school to finish in 15:42. Well done also to Kevin Hughes and Ross Bennet who both ran their sixth and final counting race in the Club Championship, with Hughes picking up third place in the V50 category. It was also fantastic to see Graham McInnes back running for the club.

On Sunday it was the turn of Iain’s wife Gillian Wallace to race as the sole PH representative at the Templeton 10 Mile Race in Dundee. Gillian timed at 1:13:39 to finish seventh female and 33rd overall.

Last weekend Kinross Road Runners put on a favourite race for PH, the Path of Condie Half Marathon. It’s seldom mentioned but one of our members has had some considerable success in this race and last year’s winner and course record holder John Hammond is also now a club member. Neither of them were on the start line however, so it was left to Wright Beveridge to lead home the PH contingent in 1:27:58 for fifth place, and second V50 in what was a strong category. Scott Love was next in for PH, third V40 in 1:31:16. Martin McNellis ran 1:34:32 which surprisingly, given the tough course, was a personal best, it being just his second half, and first for a decade! Marc Preece ran 1:37:54, ahead of Malcolm Hammond who was second V70 in 1:45:08. Last but not least among the PH entrants was Robert Milton who was pleased to get round the undulating route.

Julie Menzies was also in action last weekend where she finished first female and fourth overall at Fife AC’s Last Duel Trail Race at Cardenden. Julie ran a great race to time at 42:27, ahead of PH club mate Clare Graham, for what was also a tough course of just over 9k.

Well done to all our members who have raced recently and thanks to the various race organisers – Scottish Athletics, Dundee RR, Kinross RR and Fife AC. Thanks also to Bobby Gavin/That One Moment, Mark Webster, Paula McLean, Clare Graham, Gordon Donnachie and Pete Bracegirdle for the photographs.