Last weekend was an action packed one for racing, starting on Friday night at Silverknowes with the Sri Chinmoy Scottish 5k Championships. Unusually, there were perfect racing conditions, which helped produce some special times.

It was a double club record night with Luke McNeil and Kristin Lownie both taking down the previous club records in style. Luke timed at 15:32 to beat his own record from the Fast ‘n’ Flat 5k, before Kristin achieved a long held ambition of breaking 18 minutes with a run of 17:59. There were great runs throughout the club, and these have started to shake up the championship standings.

As the weekend went on, our coach, Ben Hukins, tackled Fife’s Pilgrim’s Way, a long-distance trail which follows one of the routes taken by countless pilgrims to Scotland’s holy hotspot of St Andrew’s. Well done to Ben who battled through the heat to finish in 22nd place, taking just over 10 hours!

Sunday’s Tay Ten was next on the cards and there was another Luke and Kristin double in terms of the club championship points and club records, with Luke managing to avoid the golf balls this year! Luke took the overall win in 53:54, which was the first male win for PH at this event since Jonny Peebles won it way back at the dawn of the super shoe era! Kristin was 3rd female overall in 1:02:01 and took the V40 prize and V40 course record home.

Congratulations too to Julie Menzies who was second women home for the club, winning the V50 category. She equalled her own V50 club record, and set a new V50 course record, in 1:06:35, on her way to dropping all the men from our neighbours Carnegie Harriers. Sorry guys, but this photo is just too good!

There was also another course record of 57:37 for Andrew Wright in the over 50 class. All the performances could really be given a shout out here, but final mention from Tay Ten goes to the forever young Malcolm Hammond whose time of 1:12:37 makes him the fastest MV75 in the UK so far for 2026 by 8 minutes, wow!

Andrew Wright was racing again 1st V50 on Wednesday at the Dumyat Hill Race in 38:48 with July Turner 2nd V50 in 52:32. Malcolm Hammond was also back in action on Wednesday at the Scottish Veteran Harriers 5 Mile Snowball Race May where he finished 1st V75 in a time of 36:17.

Well done to all who have been racing recently and thanks to the various race organisers. Thanks also to Ross Bennet and Mark McLean for the race photos.