ARCHIVE NEWS FEB 2006 - SEP 2006

17-Sep-2006

Bartlett Back In Winning Form

    Graeme Bartlett got back into winning ways, when claiming pole position at this year's Cairn William Hill Race, 17 years after he first won the event.

Applecross Duathlon

    Norrie Lyall was competing in the Applecross Duathlon on Saturday, which involved a 9 mile cross country/hill run followed by 15 mile road cycle.  In fairly oppressive conditions Norrie eventually finished in 5th place with a time of 2:04:43.

Golspie 10K

    Gerald Box made it a double header last weekend, competing in both the Golspie 10K and the Spey Valley 10 Mile Trail Race. 

Halliburton League

    Our Under 11 Girls team qualified for the final of this years Under 11 Girls Halliburton League event.  The Girls put up a spirited performance and deserve a big well done.

    Under 17 Male Athletes Matthew Hester and Grant Cameron were also competing, with Matthew winning Silver in the 100 Metres in 12:1 Seconds.  Grant Cameron also collected the Silver, in the 1500 Metres in a new PB time of 4:19:24

10-Sep-2006

Spey Valley 10

    Club members were competing at a number of events locally and a few were competing in the Spey Valley 10 Miler.  First home in a time of 51:33 was Simon Pride who last Sunday won the Moray Marathon.  First Lady home was Jane Barker in 63:16.  Carrie Ann Ward was our first female counter in 38th overall with a time of 76:33.

    If the results appear strangely in your browser try using the refresh button a couple of times.

Ben Aigan

    Graeme Bartlett ventured out in his red vest again for the second time in the space of a month, when finishing in second place behind Highland Hill Runner Dave Cummins in this years Ben Aigan Hill Race.  Mike Milmoe was the club's other representative.

Nairn Triathlon

    A few club members decided on a change of scenery this weekend by competing in the Nairn Triathlon. 

Grant Gains Scottish Vest

    Grant Cameron has been selected to represent Scotland at the British Junior Hill Race Championships which are due to be staged in Belfast at the beginning of October.  Grant's training partner Robbie Cammack of Moray Road Runners has also been selected, Over the past few years the North has provided a number of athletes for the team and we wish them both the very best.

Club Running Kit

We are currently holding a number of items of Club Kit in stock.  I have listed them below and how much they cost.  If you would like to purchase any of the items listed please let me know.

04-Sep-2006

Forres Jog Scotland 5K And 1 Mile Challenge

    Many of the Forres Jog Scotland members participated in their first race this evening.  55 members of the group assembled at Benromach for a 1 Mile or 5K run, this was the culmination of a number of months hard training by the group and everyone who completed the event was a winner.

03-Sep-2006

Moray Marathons

    Forres Harriers won the team award in this year's Marathon. Leading runner Simon Pride was first across the line in a time of 2:39:53 and the next two Harriers home were Sam Morrison and Mark Priestley in 18th and 19th places respectively(3:13:35).

    John Goodall once again proved to be the man in form, the Keith & District AAC member won the Half Marathon.  This was John's second win in as many weeks and is now the North District Half Marathon Champion for 2006.  First Harrier home was James Ward in 1:27:39.  Mark Howls won the veteran Men's Bronze medal in this years North District Half Marathon Championship and James Ward also won a Bronze in the Senior Men's event.

    The finish of the 10K couldn't have been any closer with Veteran Mike Stewart (Keith & District AAC) just out sprinting Moray Road Runner Kyle Cowie to take first place.

    Elaine Whyte (Fraserburgh) finished ahead of Jane Barker (Moray) to win the Ladies race.  Siobhan Evans was the first Harrier home in 19th place.

myRace Issue No 5

    Issue No5 of Scotland's Running Magazine is now available from your local Newsagent. Speyside Leisure in Fochabers are also stockists of myRace.  You can order back issues of the Magazine from the myRace website

Ben Nevis Hill Race

    This Saturday Mike Milmoe will be competing in his 9th Ben Nevis Hill Race.  Thus far his best time to the summit and back is 2:09:35, which he set way back in 1993.  Last time out he recorded 2:25:23, will he get close to this time??

30-Aug-2006

Scottish Under 15/17 Championships

    Eleanor Duncan was the Harriers star performer at these Championships winning the Bronze Medal in the Under 15 Girls 800 Metres.  Well done Eleanor!

    Unfortunately Grant Cameron was Spiked in his Heat of the 800 Metres and ultimately this affected his race, where he finished  4th in a time of 2:11:63.

    After a Season interrupted by injury Matthew Hester finally managed to get out there and compete, Matthew finished 5th in the heats of the Under 17 Boy's 100 Metres with a time of 12.21 Seconds and 7th in the 200 Metres 24.32.

Nairn Half Marathon

    On a dreich day John Goodall of Keith & District AAC finally won the first race of his running career, crossing the finishing line in a time of 1:15:23.  The 48 year old veteran athlete, virtually lead the race from start to finish, with Moray Road Runner Steve Reeve finishing well clear of Metro Aberdeen runner Stephen Forbes for 2nd place.

   The first Lady home was Elspeth Laird of Moray Road Runners, she was also the deciding factor in the team competition; when along with Steve Reeve, Gordon Cowie and Gerald Evans they narrowly beat the Forres Harriers team of Robert Paterson, Mark Priestley, Sam Morrison and Alison Rodgers by a single point.

    The weather conditions at the Highland Games had a devastating affect on the whole of the day's proceedings, however this did not stop 111 runners from completing the race. All who competed deserve a big pat on the back for making the Half Marathon a successful event, despite the best efforts of the weather.

17-Aug-2006

Mark Fails To Make Final

    Unfortunately Mark failed in his bid to progress to the final of the World Junior Championships 800 Metres.  I am sure that this has been a great learning experience for him and hopefully just a stepping stone towards an appearance in a British Vest at Senior level.

The Viewpoint Challenge

    Many thanks to all  who turned up to compete in this year's Viewpoint Challenge.  Also thank you to all who assisted with the Time Keeping and Marshalling duties (Nigel Thwaites, Mark Howls, Andy Ross, Graeme Jervis, Howard Mitchell, Alex Ross, Stu Burn and finally but no means least Jo Rogan and her Dad John).

    Congratulations to Moray Road Runner Kyle Cowie on his victory and it was pleasing to see another junior Robbie Cammack, up there mixing it with the Seniors.  This race produced a very rare set of results with just one Veteran runner in the top 10.

16-Aug-2006

Mitchell Qualifies For The Next Round

   The two British Athletes; our very own Mark Mitchell and James Brewer have both qualified for the next round of the 800 Metres at the World Junior Athletics Championships.  Mark runs in Heat 3 of the Semi-finals today Wednesday 16th August, we wish him all the best. 

12-Aug-2006

Nethybridge 10 Mile Road Race

World Mountain Trophy Trials

    Kyle Greig and June Duncan were competing at the World Hill Running Championship Selection races at Aviemore on Saturday.  Unfortunately Kyle had to drop out of the race due to exhaustion on the latter stages. 

    Congratulations to Inverness Harrier George Mitchell on qualifying to represent Scotland at the World Veterans Championships, which are due to be held in Switzerland next month.

6-Aug-2006

Under 11 Girls Reach The Final

    Congratulations to our Under 11 Girls team who have qualified for the Halliburton League Final which is due to be held at Inverness next month.

    The juniors were competing at the final league meeting and there were a number of fine individual performances; with Hannah Rogan, Eleanor Duncan, Matthew Hester and Grant Cameron all winning on the track

Bonar Bridge 10K

    Nairn Road Runner Geoff Main was the winner of the Bonar Bridge 10K finishing just 11 seconds ahead of Billy Skinner from Inverness Harriers.  Gerald Box was the club's sole representative finishing in 16th place with a time of 56:37.

Kyle Wins Wins At Dyce

    Kyle Greig making his debut at the Half Marathon distance won this year's Dyce Half Marathon in a time of 1:19:55, 13 seconds ahead of second placed runner Peter Hay.

Creag Dhubh Hill Race

    The Creag Dhubh Hill Race is held as part of the Newtonmore Highland Games and this year the race was not only a Scottish Championship Race, but also a British Championship event.  This meant that the entry for this year's race was an incredible 207 athletes.

    There were a few club members competing (Tim Pott, Mike Milmoe, June Duncan and Alexander MacDonald) in this quality field.  The warm weather conditions saw a number of the competitors taking a cool down swim in the River Spey prior to the race.

    The Men's race was won by Simon Bailey (Mercia) in a fast time of 27:11 and the Ladies event was won by Angela Mudge (Carnethy) 32:21.

    I have posted some photos of today's race on the site and full results to follow shortly.

Killin Highland Games Hill Race

    Tim Pott finished 4th in the Killin Hill race with a time of 33 minutes 4 Seconds.

Forres 10K Record

    I was having a bit of a clear out and came across the results from the Forres 10K, which was held in 1996.  This was the year that Sandy Moss set the course record and some of the times posted make very interesting reading.

31-Jul-2006

World Championship Contender

    Mark Mitchell will once again pull on a British Vest at a Major Championship.  Mark has been selected to represent Great Britain in the 800 Metres at the World Junior Championships, which are being held in Beijing China.  He leaves for the Games this coming Saturday and all at the Club wish him the very best. 

Ben Rinnes 5 Tops Hill Race

    Sam Morrison was the only Harrier brave enough to take on the challenge of this year's 5 Tops Hill Race. Nairn Road Runner Gordon Main once again made his now annual pilgrimage to Dufftown Highland Games, to subject his body to another painful sojourn up Ben Rinnes.

    There was an excellent entry of 65 runners at this year's event with a lot of new faces competing for the first time.  .

Durness Hill Race

    Mark Brain made the long journey North to compete in this year's Durness Hill Race and came away with the winners prize, in a time of 28 minutes 22 seconds for the 41/2 mile course.

Alnwick Harriers Coastal Run

    Whilst most of the Club were competing at Forres Highland Games or at Portsoy the other week, Carrie decided to travel further a field to sample the delights of the Coastal Run organised by Alnwick Harriers. 

16-Jul-2006

Moffat Chase

    Mike Milmoe and June Duncan were competing in the latest round of the Scottish Hill Runners Championship at Moffat yesterday.  On the hottest day of the year thus far, Mike and June's determination and stamina were tested to the full on this 15 mile course on the hills around Moffat. 

    To finish the race in those conditions was no mean feat, Mike finished in 52nd with a time of 4:49:59 and June finished 3/4 of an hour later in 5:34:50. 

Monaughty Woodland Run   

The 4th and final race in this year's Woodland Run Series was held on the undulating course of Monaughty Wood, close to Pluscarden Abbey.  Forres Harrier Simon Pride was the clear winner of the race ahead of Kyle Cowie of Moray Road Runners and Harrier Paul Rogan in third.

    5th placed finisher Ben Livesey was a late entrant to the race, starting 2 minutes later than the official start time, Ben soon caught and passed most of the field as he chased down the race leaders.

    Siobhan Evans maintained her fine recent form claiming victory in the Ladies race ahead of Moray's Sarah MacGregor and team mate Jackie Nicol.

    Congratulations to Kyle Cowie on finishing first in this years Series and to Paul Rogan, who still maintains his 100% record of having competed in every Woodland Run.

Follow The Herring 10K

    Simon Pride was the clear winner of this year's Portsoy Follow The Herring 10K Road Race winning the race in a time of 32:29, finishing over a minute ahead of runner up Jerry Whittet of Keith & District AAC.

    The next Harrier home was Mark Howls, competing in his second 10K of the weekend, finishing in 19th place. James Hume finished 38th and Sarah finishing further down the field in a time of 57:19

Halliburton League

    A small contingent of Harrier youngsters travelled through to Inverness on Sunday to compete in the 3rd round of the Halliburton League.  The star performer on the day was Under 11,  Hannah Rogan who won the 200 Metres and Long Jump. 

    Well done to the rest of our athletes for competing.

8-Jul-2006

    A few of the club's members were competing in this year's Forres Highland Games, there were a number of winners on the day. Sisters Eleanor and Hannah Duncan won a few minor prizes on the track. 

    Ben Livesey won the North Of Scotland 3000 Metres Championship and with 20 minutes of recovery, lined up to compete in the 10K Road Race, finishing second behind Kyle Greig.  Siobhan Evans won the Ladies race and Kyle along with Ben and Mark Priestley won the team award.

5-Jul-2006

Barra Half Marathon

    It would appear that it was a quiet weekend for our club members on the racing front, however Graeme Jervis made the journey out on to the Hebrideds for this years Barrathon.  Graeme finished in 34th place with a time of 1:43:35

Halliburton League Meeting 3 - 9th July    

  3-Jul-2006

Forres Highland Games

    This coming Saturday Forres Highland Games will be hosted in Grant Park.  Events get underway at 12:30 PM, and one of the races being held is the North Of Scotland 3000 Metres Championship. 

    Originally this event was a 2 Mile Championship and was first held in 1930, with the inaugural winner being R.J. Patience in a time of 10 Minutes 20 Seconds, 75 years later it was won by Inverness Harrier Stan MacKenzie in a time of 11 Minutes 30 Seconds.  The fastest recorded time was set in 1969 by Mr S. Taylor with a mark of 8 Minutes 38 Seconds.

    This race has a fantastic history, but unfortunately over the past few years interest in the event has been on the wane.  In an attempt to increase the profile of the race, the prize money this year will be £40, £30 and £20 for first, second and third respectively.  We have also brought the race forward in the timetable, so that it will be held directly before the 10K Road Race in the hope that some athletes may consider doubling up.  You will be able to enter this race on the day at the princely sum of 75 pence.

    If you are thinking of competing at this year's Games, please consider entering the 3000 Metres and help to once again make it one of the North's prestigious Championships!

   Listed below are a number of athletes who have won this event on a number of occasions:

The Dava Way Experience

    This years Dava Way Experience is being held on Sunday 17th September.  The race this year will be slightly shorter than last year and will be starting at the Dava Settlement. 

    We have one hundred places available for competitors, due to the logistics of this event no entries will be accepted on the day, therefore if you wish to enter, please do it sooner rather than later, for once all the seats on the buses are taken, no other entries will be accepted.

Dollar Hill Race

    The latest race in this years Scottish Hill Running Championships was held at Dollar on Saturday.  The extremely hot conditions appeared to suit the race leaders, with Simon Bailey of the Mercia club, setting a new course record.

myRace Issue No4

    The 4th edition of myRace is now available in your local newsagents or at Speyside Leisure, all the usual features are included along with a report and photographs from the Forres 10K.

    Previous editions of the magazine can be ordered from the myRace website.

Lairig Ghru

    Mike Milmoe was the club's sole representative at this year's Lairig Ghru race.  This race is a 28 mile race through the mountainous pass which links Aviemore and Braemar.  Conditions for the race were ideal, with Hunters Bog Trotter Dan Naylor setting a new record for the event, which had previously been set by club mate Rab Brown in the early Nineties.

Quarrywood Woodland Run

    The third race in this year's Woodland Run Series took place on the undulating forest trails of Quarrywood. 

      Once again the two main protagonists were Forres Harrier Ben Livesey and Ross Arbuckle of Keith & District AAC, who finished in first and second places respectively, well clear of the chasing pack.

    Christine Milne of Lothian Running Club won the Ladies race, finishing 400 Metres ahead of Forres Harrier Siobhan Evans.

Grantown-On-Spey 10K

    Tim Pott was the first Harrier home when finishing 8th in this year's Grantown-On-Spey 10K.  Mark Johnston of Carnethy won the race by 6 seconds ahead of Moray Road Runner Kyle Cowie.

    Finishing just behind Tim, in 9th place was Andy Wonacott, Jackie Thwaites picked up the second Lady Super Veterans prize finishing in 21st place overall.

    Other Harrier finishers were Alexander MacDonald and Douglas Murray(possibly getting in some sneaky training for the Forres Highland Games 10K in July.)

British Milers Club Meet Solihull

    Mark Mitchell ran another fine 800 Metres at the weekend.  Mark competed in the A race at the BMC meet in Solihull, finishing in 5th place with a time of 1:49:09.

Ythan Challenge

    Kyle Greig was finally back in action  and had a great performance at this Year's Ythan Challenge, which is basically a Cross Country 10K  with a number of obstacles to be negotiated.  Kyle finished in 2nd place 22 seconds adrift of the in-form defending champion Mike Stewart of Keith & District AAC.

Forres Harriers Tombola Night

    Many thanks to all who assisted in last night's fund raiser and to everyone who donated a raffle prize.  Although the numbers were slightly down on previous years we have still had a fairly successful evening.

    I never knew a game of Bingo could be so competitive, I would far rather run in a race any day (It's Ok Anne, your chocolates are in the post!!!).

18-Jun-2006

Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon

    Congratulations to Hayley Lowes and her running partner Nancy Brooks on winning the Ladies D Course event up at Assynt.  The girls had to run and navigate their way around a 40KM course with 2000 Metres of Ascent, a tough challenge in anyone's book.

    There was further success for the North, with Kenny Riddle and Alec Keith pairing up to win the Elite Men's E16 event.

Forres Harriers Celeidh

    The Forres Harrier's Mid Summer Celeidh will be taking place this coming Saturday at Rafford Village Hall.  For all those attending, can you please arrive at the Hall for 7-7:30 PM as the food will be served first thing.  Also you are just reminded that this is a Bring You Own Booze event.  Nearly forgot, leave your trainers at home and bring your dancing shoes!!!

Scottish Under 20 Championships

    Mark Mitchell successfully retained his Title at this year's Scottish Under 20 Championships winning the 800M race in a time of 1:50:67.

Mosstowie 5

    Finally after many years of finishing second in this race, our Club Secretary Hamish Cameron has won the Mosstowie 5 Mile Road Race.  Congratulations Hamish.

Comrades Marathon

    Toby Laver was once again on his travels, this time he was competing in the Comrades Marathon in South Africa his time splits and finishing position are as follows:

    As you can see he obviously finished strongly to finish in 582nd place, and claim a well deserved Silver Medal for a sub 7:30 finish.   I think he will need a few weeks to recover from this little run.

14-Jun-2006

Roseisle Woodland Run

    The second race in the Woodland Run Series at Roseisle was held on a glorious summer's evening, which saw many of the local populace sweating buckets around this fast and challenging course.

    At the front of the race Forres Harrier Ben Livesey was setting a scorching pace, with Keith & District pair Jerry Whittet and Ross Arbuckle in close attendance.  Onto the technical part of the course in the closing stages, saw Arbuckle take a tumble which effectively ended his challenge for pole position.

    Into the final mile saw Ben make his final effort towards the finish line, breaking the tape in a time of 21:47, fifteen seconds ahead of Jerry, with Ross a further 75 metres behind in 3rd.

    Susan Johnston of Keith & District won the ladies race finishing 200 metres ahead of Moray's Sarah MacGregor.

Glen Rosa Horseshoe Hill Race

    Mike Milmoe was competing in the Glen Rosa Hill race on the Island of Arran at the weekend.  This was another race in this years Scottish Hill Runners Championships.  Mike finished 56th, (6th M50) with a time of 3:43:42.

Skye Half Marathon

    Ross Jamieson and Gerald Box were the club's representatives at this year's Skye Half Marathon.  To find out how they got on follow the link.

Mitchell On Top Form

    Mark Mitchell was representing the Club at a British Milers Club Meeting in Watford.  Mark recorded a new PB time of 1:48:79 in the 800 Metres, which currently ranks him second for his age in the UK Rankings.

    The time recorded, also means he now has a Qualifying time for World Junior Championships, which are being held in China during August.

Eleanor Wins Silver

    Eleanor Duncan won the 800 Metres Silver Medal at the Scottish Schools Athletics Championships at the weekend.  She recorded a new PB time of 2:19:32 and once again broke her own Club Record. 

    Grant Cameron set a new PB time of 2:05:92 in the heats of the 800 Metres and finished in 8th place in the final.

7-Jun-2006

Forres High Street Mile Races

    The Forres High Street Mile Races were blessed with glorious summer weather, which enhanced  the evenings proceedings.  It was fantastic to see so many people out there enjoying their running, especially the youngsters and the Forres Jog Scotland community.

    There were a number of fine performances throughout the evening, with some really exciting sprint finishes for the line.  Thanks to everyone who turned up and helped to generate such a great atmosphere, it certainly encouraged many of the participants to run that wee bit harder.

    Also a big thank you to all the volunteers who helped out on the night, without your assistance, these events just would not be hosted.

4-Jun-2006

Scolty Hill Race

    Mike Milmoe and June Duncan were the Club's representatives at The Scolty Hill Race which is also a Championship race this year.  Mike finished in 81st position (46:14)with June a further 5 minutes behind in 105th (14th female finisher (51:17)).

Halliburton League

    There were some great performances from our younger members today at the Haliburton League Meeting in Inverness today, none more so than Hannah Rogan who led the field home in the Under 11 Girls 100 Metres.  Hannah was just outside the Club Record and I am sure that it is within her grasp if she keeps performing like this.

    Eleanor Duncan broke her own Club Record in the Under 15 Girls 800 Metres race when finishing second to the in-form Gemma Cormack with a time of 2.23.74. 

    Grant Cameron won the Under 17 Men's 800 Metres recording a new PB time for the distance of 2.06.36.

    The Under 11 Girls team of Hannah Rogan, Lisa McCrossan, Moraig Lyall and Rhona Pindar finished in 3rd place.

Benbecula Half Marathon

    Forres Harrier Toby Lever ran a fine controlled race to win this year's Benbecula Half Marathon.  On a bright sunny day, however the strong gusting winds proved a barrier to fast times. 

    Terry Coyle was the early pace maker and was leading the race with 3 miles to go, however Toby still had plenty in reserve and began to wind up the pace in the final 3 miles to win in a time of 1:17:30, with Terry finishing in 2nd a further 30 seconds adrift.  Stornoway runner Chris Shields finished 3rd with a time of 1:23:00.

    The Ladies race was won by Isobel Knox in a time of 1:32:32, followed by Shona Morrison (1:37:44) and in 3rd was Kathleen MacLeod (1:41:36).

    Adrian Hodges once again recorded another PB for the distance, finishing 7th in a time of 1:30:22, Graeme Jervis  making his comeback after injury finished 16th (1:39:24).  The Forres Harriers team narrowly missed out in the team competition to Stornoway Running Club.

    Carol Jervis was also representing the Harriers and took part in the 4.2 mile race held in conjunction with the Half Marathon.

    There is a bit of a coincidence in the above photo can you spot it???

    While the lads were over there, they met Graeme Burgess who was a former Harrier and wore the red vest with distinction in the late Eighties and very early Nineties.  Unfortunately since then, Injury has taken it's toll and Graeme no longer runs competitively (sounds very familiar!!!).

e-mail delivery problems

    This message is for Alan Smith who has recently been trying to contact me through the Web Site e-mail.  Alan I have tried to reply to your e-mails but they are being rejected.  If you could e-mail me your phone number I will speak to you about your request.

31-May-2006

Young Local Athletes Impress At Culbin

    There was a very healthy turn out of Harriers tonight at the first woodland run held at the Culbin, with club members making up a quarter of the field.    Many thanks to event organiser Mike Rodgers for rapidly providing all the results and the following report.

    A record entry of 150 runners saw Fochabers athlete Simon Pride, running for Forres Harriers, repeat his 2001 victory in the 5.2 mile Culbin Forest Run on Wednesday evening.  Conditions were excellent for running, and although 19 seconds short of the course record he set 5 years ago, this was enough to finish well clear of fellow Keith runner Ross Arbuckle in 2^nd place, and Forres athlete Paul Rogan in 3^rd.  Messrs Arbuckle and Rogan gained some consolation in achieving personal bests in this race, with Paul having competed in every event since it began in 1999.  Last year’s winner, under 21 runner Kyle Cowie, couldn’t quite match his fine effort of 2005, but still finished as best placed under 21 in overall 7^th, with 2 other under 21 runners also coming in the top 10. 

    Two of Moray’s most talented young runners stood out in the women’s race.  Teenager Gemma Cormack of Elgin AAC came home in a time just outside the female course record to win the event (31:54), while 14-year old Eleanor Duncan of Forres Harriers managed third place 35:30.  This was a remarkable performance from Eleanor, who was competing in the 1-mile children’s race only last year.  The 2 youngsters were split by veteran Highland Hill Runner Gill Irvine (34:54) who was competing in the event for the first time. 

    This event, which started off as a fundraising event for Dyke and District Hall in 1999, has now become an established and respected event on the local athletics calendar.  Although attracting some extremely talented runners, the event still has a community feel to it, and continues to be organised by the Hall committee.  For the past 5 years, there has also been a 1-mile children’s race, and this year another record entry of 83 children, mainly of primary school age, saw 12-year-old Elgin High school pupil Moray Goodfellow annihilate the previous course record with his winning time of 5:58, with Forres Academy’s Jamie Couper 30 seconds back in 2^nd place.  13 seconds behind Jamie was 13-year old Kirsty Rogan, also of Forres Academy who matched her dad’s 3^rd place in the main race in becoming the first girl home.  These 3 youngsters are definitely names to watch out for in the future, as is 5-year old Emma Rogan, whose time of 9:42 shows that she too looks set to continue the athletic trend in the Rogan household.

     Organiser Mike Rodgers said he was delighted with the turnout, and thanked the local business who contributed to the success of the event.  The Co-Op, Tesco and Claymore Dairies provided refreshments, while Speyside Leisure, The National Trust for Scotland and the Knockomie Hotel were responsible for the prizes on the night. Local runners looking to escape the World Cup can now look forward to a similar event at Roseisle in 2 weeks time on Wednesday 14^th June, when Roseisle Village Hall team up with Forres Harriers and Moravian Orienteering Club to put on the next Forest Run in this 4-event series.  As at Culbin, the entry fee is just £3, with a free race for the kids.  More information on this and future events is available from Mark Ellis on 01309 674466.  

28-May-2006

Nairnshire Challenge

    There were a number of Harriers participating in this years Nairnshire Challenge, which is a 13 Mile Cross Country Run over the highest point in Nairnshire, followed by an 18 Mile Cycle.

    The competitors had to contend with a strong North Westerly wind, which proved to be extremely challenging as there was just no respite from it all the way back to Nairn.

    First to complete the run stage was our very own Ben Livesey, who had managed to gain a minute and 43 Second advantage over Kenny Riddle from Inverness.  However once they were onto the bike stage Kenny utilised his bike skills to the maximum, catching Ben after approximately 6 miles. 

    Kenny's winning time was 2:09:04 with Ben finishing 2nd in a time of 2:11:29.

   Everyone was in agreement that this year's Challenge was one of the hardest due to the stiff breeze, however they all got there in the end and a special mention to the Ladies who finished further down the pack.  It looks as though Anne, Frances, Jan and Nicola were grouping well together, and it was another fantastic performance from Anne.  

Aberdeen 10K

    Simon Pride, four times previous winner of the Aberdeen 10K had to settle for 3rd (32:34) place on this occasion, behind Aberdeen AAC's Darren Shinnie (31:58) and Juan Mareque, City Of Edinburgh (32:18).

    The other Forres Harrier finisher was Laura Cowie in 569th with a time of 47:34.

Laggan 10K

    The Harriers made a successful raid on the Trophies at this year's Laggan 10K.  Paul Rogan crossed the finishing line in third place.  Doug Cowie was first Super Vet, Mark Howls also picked up a prize and Jackie Thwaites maintained her recent good form to pick up 2nd in the Ladies Super Veteran Category.  Full results to follow shortly.

Stornoway Half Marathon

    Graeme Jervis once again made the journey across the Minch to compete in the Stornoway Half Marathon.  The following is his report of the weekend's event:   

Cape Wrath Challenges

    It was a quiet weekend for most of the Harriers, apart from those who decided to look out their bicycles on Saturday and Sunday.  However two of our club members made the journey North to compete in the Cape Wrath Challenges.

    Hayley Lowes competed in a number of events throughout the week and Mark Brain participated in the Marathon Challenge. 

Jog Scotland   

13-May-2006

North District Athletics Championships - Inverness

    The younger members of the club were competing in the Scottish Athletics North District Championships at Inverness on Saturday.  There were some excellent performances put in by our athletes.

    Eleanor Duncan won the Gold Medal in the Under 15 Girls 800 Metres in a time of 2:31..

    Under 17 Grant Cameron won Gold in the 3000M in a new PB time of 9:43 and also picked up Silver in the 800M.

    Under 20 Mark Mitchell made the journey back up North to compete in the 400M and 800M where he won both events in 49:8 and 1:58 respectively.

    Michael Royan, Hannah Duncan, Aimee and Lauren Westley were also competing. 

Forres 10K

    The Forres 10K was another resounding success in which we had over 250 entries.  The weather conditions were ideal and there were a number of extremely fast times posted along with loads of PB times gained.

    The Forres Ladies were once again out in force and the following girls can all take a well deserved pat on the back for achieving PB times (Maureen McCrossan, Carol Murphy, Bev Clark, Jackie Thwaites, Carol Jervis and the young whipper snapper Carrie-Ann Ward).

    I would like to thank everyone who assisted on the day, I realise it got a bit fraught at times, however we got there in the end.  Thank you to all the competitors for turning out in such numbers and supporting our event, we hope to see you all back again next year.

    The full Northern Scot Series Results will follow in a few days time, when I can find a spare hour or two. In the meantime the results from the 10K can be found below  There was a little confusion on the finishing line and some competitors numbers were unfortunately missed from the results.  If you can fill in the blank spaces please let me know and I will update them as soon as possible.

Northern Scot 10K Series

    This year's Northern Scot 10K Series was on a par with last years, with 73 runners competing in all 3 races compared with71 last year.  The total number of athletes in all 3 races was just slightly lower than last year, however a total of 438 competitors proves that running in Moray is as popular as ever.

    I would just like to thank the Northern Scot for their continued support of the event and hope that they will continue with the Series in the future.

    The final standings in this year's Northern Scot 10K Series can be found

British Duathlon Championships

    North Athletes were to the fore at the British Duathlon Championships, which were held in Edinburgh.  The event consisted of a 10K Run followed by 40Km on the Bike and then another 5Km run and if that was not enough, the organisers raced the event in and around Arthur's Seat!

    Two former Harriers Fraser and Blair Cartmell were representing Scotland in the Home International Competition.  Fraser had a great race and was in third place going into the final run phase, however he just lost out on a podium finish crossing the line in 4th.

    In the Open competition former Commonwealth Games Cyclist Kenny Riddle of Inverness Harriers had one of those exceptional days when everything just clicked into place to finish 2nd overall and first Veteran.  Kenny was followed over the line by our very own Ben Livesey in fourth place overall and finished second in his age group.

    Super Vet Doug Cowie finished 4th in his category, and was the second Scotsman in his age category. 

    Well done guys you did the North Proud!!!

ts

Forres Harriers Celeidh Night

    We will be holding a Celidh at Rafford Village Hall on Saturday 24th June at 7:30.  The cost of tickets will be £6 each and a buffet is included in the cost of the ticket.  As there are no bar facilities available, it is a bring your own booze event. 

Weekend News

    This coming weekend will see many of our athletes in action on the Road, Track and Bike.  Our youngsters will be competing in the North District Track & Field Championships in Inverness on Saturday.

    Meanwhile the adults will be involved with the final 10K in the Northern Scot Series here in Forres.  With 110 pre-entries it is shaping up for yet another record entry, providing the weather remains favourable. 

    Jane Barker looks odds on favourite to retain the Northern Scot Series Title for the sixth time.  However it is a more keenly contested affair in the Men's Series with just 19 second separating Brian Foreman and Andy Ross going into the final race.

    Doug Cowie and Ben Livesey are making the journey down to Auld Reekie to compete in the British Duathlon Championships, which are being held in and around Holyrood Park.  There will also be two Ex Harriers in the field, with Fraser and Blair Cartmell representing Scotland in the elite competition.

    Good Luck to you all this coming Saturday.

6-May-2006

Ben Lomond Hill Race - Scottish Junior Championships

    Two young North athletes finished first and third in the Under 16 Scottish Junior Hill Race Championships at Ben Lomond.  Grant Cameron and training partner Robbie Cammack both made the journey South to compete in this event.

    After the initial rush at the start, Grant was in the leading pack of 3, with Robbie slightly detached in 4th. However on the final climb of the day, Robbie caught and passed the leading group.  On the last descent Grant took a tumble whilst in second place, however he was soon back on his feet and finally crossed the line in third place, meanwhile Robbie was having a great race to finish in first place.

    A great result from these two youngsters, hopefully this is just the beginning of a long and successful season for them both.

     You are bound to recognise a few runners from the North amongst them!

myRace Issue No 3

    Issue No3 of myRace will be in the shops by the end of the week.  Races in the North that are profiled this time; are the Inverness Half, Nairn 10K and the Scottish Masters Cross Country Championships. These are just a few of the races covered in Issue 3.  Can Andy Ross make it 3 out of 3?

Road To The Isles Half Marathon

    Davie Armour and Norrie Lyall made the journey West to compete in the Road to The Isles Half Marathon at Mallaig.  Davie finished in 2nd place with Norrie a little further back,  this was Norrie's first Half Marathon, and obviously his cycling stamina has transferred over to running.

Scottish Women's Athletic League

    Eleanor Duncan was in record breaking form at Grangemouth in the Scottish Women's Athletic League, where she set a new club record in the 800 Metres.

Balmoral 10K

    There were 3 Forres Harriers who made the trip to Royal Deeside for the Balmoral 10K.  James Hume and Sarah along with Gerald Box were flying the flag for the club.  This is a fairly tough 10K, with a large hill to negotiate on route, their results are as follows:

Knockdhu International

    Grant Cameron is maintaining the Club's fine reputation on the Hills, by winning this years Under 17 race at the Knockdhu International in Northern Ireland.  He finished just ahead of training partner Robbie Cammack of Moray Road Runners.  Well done to both the lads on a fine performance.

Forres Highland Games

    The Forres Highland Games will take place on Saturday 8th July and this year the organisers are keen to promote the North of Scotland 3000 Metres Championship.  This race has a great tradition, but recently interest in the event has waned. 

    In an attempt to promote the race and to try and restore it to its former glory, the organisers have raised the prize money to £40, £30, £20 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively.  This prize money will only be awarded providing there are a minimum of six athletes competing.  The race will also now be brought forward in the programme, to be held before the 10K Road Race.

    There will also be an 800 Metre Handicap Race and a 1500 Metre Scratch Race with Prize Money of £22, £20, £18 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

    The entry fee for each event is 75 Pence.  So why not come along and compete on the track and put on a show for the many spectators at Forres Highland Games.

15-Apr-2006

Halliburton League

    Many thanks to Howard Mitchell for all his efforts on Sunday with the juniors and for providing the following report of the Day's proceedings.

At the first league meeting of the season, Forres Harriers youngsters were out in force in the glorious sunshine to compete, in a variety of track and field events at queen’s Park, Inverness.  With some of the regular competitors now in a higher ages group, there was great interest to see how they would fare against stiff opposition from other clubs.  There was an excellent turnout of supporters who did a great job helping out with teas, team organisation, and relay change-overs as Forres Harriers were the host club with Moray Roadrunners for the afternoon. 

The only senior competitor of the day was Shirley Feaks who enjoyed running in the 100m and 1500m.  Hopefully, some more seniors will take up the challenge of the track and compete in future meetings in Inverness. 

With this in mind, Matthew Hester, with new kit and spikes, was in a determined frame of mind as he competed in the 100m and 400m under-17 men for the first time, winning the 100m in a time of 12.38 but he was just pipped at the post in the 400m by Donald Ferguson of Inverness Harriers.  Grant Cameron, who also moved up to the Under 17s, comfortable won the 1500m as well as competing in the 400m and long jump gaining valuable points for his team. 

Making his debut on the track in the under-15 boys was Michael Royan who came 2^nd in the 1500m.   Endurance events are more his speciality but he competed in the 100m and 400m again to ensure his team gained as many points as possible. Another solid performance was given by Eleanor Duncan coming second in the under –15 girls 1500m behind her long time rival Gemma Cormack from Elgin Athletic Club.   

In the under-13 events, Lewis Lyall, also competing for the first time, competed in the 100m, 1500m and the long jump with his sister, Moraig, running in the 100m and trying the long jump.  The other under-13 girls were Rosie Pindar who was 4^th in the 100m, 3^rd in the 1500m and 2^nd in the 200 Metres, Hannah Duncan was 2^nd in the 100m B, 3^rd in the 1200m and 2^nd in the 200m B race.  Lauren and Amy Westley also competed in a number of events, including the shot put which they have been practising for at training over the last few weeks.  

The under-11 girls put in great performances to gain enough points to come out second in the team category for the meeting.  Hannah Rogan won the 100m, Lisa McCrossan came second in the 1200m in a very exciting race which she led at several points and Rhona Pindar who came 4^th in the 100mand also tried the 800m and the long jump.  Hannah and Lisa also tried the javelin for the first time after training on Thursday nights with June Duncan.  They also made up a relay team and came second in this event. 

Lochaber Marathon

    Simon Pride maintained his recent fine form, winning the Lochaber Marathon for the 3rd time.  Simon recorded a time 2:27:57.  Next Harrier home was Mark Priestley (3:07:02), followed by Robert Paterson (3:11:25).   Sam Morrison was next man home (3:24:02), Adrian Hodges took a massive 1 hour 20 minutes off his Marathon PB to finish in a time of 3 hours 37 minutes 32 seconds and Colin Costello also set a new Pb for the distance(3:47:36). 

    The performances of Simon, Mark and Robert meant that the Harriers won the Lochaber Marathon Team award.

London Marathon

    I have not heard personally from the crew who travelled to London at the weekend, but I am led to believe that there were a few PB's recorded.  I hope to have a race report on their experiences posted on here soon.  In the meantime here are there times and finishing places.

Halliburton League

    The younger members of the club were in action at Inverness in the first round of the Halliburton League.  There were some great performances from the youngsters with Hannah Rogan winning the Under 11 girls 100 Metres in the B race, the time she recorded in this heat would have been fast enough to claim victory in the A race.

    Eleanor Duncan broke her own Club Record in the Under 15 Girls 1500 Metres, when she finished second to the impressive Gemma Cormack (Elgin AAC) who set a new record time of 4:46:43.

    Matthew Hester and Grant Cameron had wins in the 100 Metres and 1500 Metres respectively and Matthew set a new PB time in the 400 Metres when finishing in second.

Grangemouth 10K

    The Harriers only had a 50% success rate in completing this race when the Paul's x 2 retired from the race at the 2K and 5K points.  Ben had a strong run to finish in 8th place in a time of 31:49.  Doug finished in 50th with a time of 36:16 and also won the 3rd Super Vet's prize.

15-Apr-2006

Kyle Takes The Scenic Route

    Kyle Greig made his first appearance on the hills this year in the Cioch Hill Race at Dingwall.  Kyle was running well,  lying in second place behind Alec Keith (HBT), until he missed a marker out on the course.  He finally finished in 4th place.

    Although slightly disappointed with his placing, he was happy with his fitness and hopes to put in a couple of strong performances later in the year.

Silver Lining For Mark

    Mark Mitchell dropped down a distance at the Scottish University Athletics Championships to claim the Silver Medal in the 400 Metres in a time of 50:39.

Racing Near And Far

    This coming weekend is extremely busy for a number of Harriers.  The Juniors will be competing on the Track at Inverness in the first round of the Haliburton League.

    Meanwhile Jenny, Jackie, June, Mike Milmoe, James Hume, Andy Holder, Jim McFarlane and Kenny Douglas are all venturing down to the big smoke to compete in the London Marathon.

    Closer to hand but over the same distance Mark Priestley, Simon Pride, Robert Paterson,Colin Costello, Adrian Hodges and Sam Morrison are all registered to compete at Lochaber.

    Finally, those frightened of the longer distance races, have opted to compete in the Round The Houses 10K at Grangemouth.  This is the second race in the Scottish Grand Prix Series and is also incorporating the East District 10K Championships.  Ben, Paul, Doug and Paul can all expect a really hard race.

09-Apr-2006

Clachnaben Hill Race

    Mike Milmoe was the club's sole representative in this year's Clachnaben Hill Race. He finished in 38th palce in a time of 2:01:23 and was 5th in his age group.

08-Apr-2006

British Schools Cross Country International

    Eleanor Duncan finished in 27th place at the British Schools Cross Country International held at Stowe School Buckinghamshire today.  Her great rival in the North, Gemma Cormack of Banff Academy, had her most successful race to date, finishing in a fantastic 3rd, leading the Scots home to second place in the team competition.

    The North's other representative Laura Sharp finished 21st in her race, with the Scots finishing 3rd, behind England and Ireland.

Lighthouse 10K

    A few club members made it a double header at the weekend, by competing in the Lighthouse 10K at Portmahomack on Sunday.  Mike Milmoe was the first Harrier home in 8th place.  Bernie Foran and Stu Burn were obviously still feeling frisky after Saturday's exploits at Craig Dunain and expended what little energy they had left in this race.

    The guys were not alone, as both Shona Spencer and Carol Jervis were the female contingent from the club competing and they finished in 46th and 56th places respectively.

Cross Training?

    We have hired Forres Swimming Pool for two hours on Saturday 29th April from 2 till 4.  This is open to all Club Members and their families.  It will be a fun session with the floats and inflatable slide, so that the Adults can act like kids as well.

    Afterwards we will be presenting the Juniors with their awards, that they have been working towards over the Winter Months.

jogscotland  COMES TO FORRES 

Do you want to start jogging or running?  jogscotland is a programme supported by Scottish Athletics and NHS Health Scotland with the aim of increasing the opportunities for members of the community to become active, and thereby improve the health of the nation. 

This is achieved through moderate exercise delivered locally by trained leaders.

There is a structured  and progressive programme to suit all people over the age of 17. No previous experience of organised exercise is necessary and everyone will be made welcome.  

jogscotland operates in other parts of the country, either through workplace or community groups, but the Forres group is the first in Moray. Four volunteers, Alex Ross, Bev Clark, Maureen McCrossan and Jo Rogan have been  on an extensive training course, partly funded by Sport Moray, to learn about coaching and are set to start on Monday 17^th April at 6.30pm meeting at Grant Park (East End car park)

 Alex Ross said, ‘Many people want to exercise, but are put off joining a running club because they fear they will not be good enough. This is your opportunity to start at the beginning by walking, then jogging and, who knows, eventually join a club. jogscotland is non-competitive and open to all. If you have always wanted to exercise, but are not sure how to go about it, come along and find out. Advice and support on training methods, clothing, footwear and nutrition will be given. Nothing special is required to start apart from a willingness to participate.’ 

Further information is available from posters around the town, or by telephoning 01309 676595 or 673859.

Alternatively e-mail Jo

Running Falklands Style

    Dave Adam who is currently doing a stint down in the Falklands, has been keeping himself occupied with a few races down South.

    He finished in 2nd place in the Stanley Half Marathon and a couple of weeks later he once again finished 2nd in the Stanley Marathon. 

    With all this extra training he is doing, he will be flying once he gets back and will no doubt be eager to get racing once again on the roads.

01-Apr-2006

Craig Dunain Hill Race

    There was a healthy turn out for this year's race and once again there were a few Harriers on the start line.  Mike Milmoe, Bernie Foran and Stu Burn made their now annual pilgrimage, along with Mark Priestley, Mark Howls, June Duncan and recent recruit Norrie Lyall.

    Up on to the hill and it was the experienced Scottish International Hill Runner Colin Donnelly of Cambuslang Harriers who was setting the early pace, ahead of Dave Cummins of Shettleston Harriers.  Mark Priestley was having a battle royal with Stevie Gill (Keith & District) and the host club's Billy Skinner.

    The descent back down the hill was to prove a little tricky, as the shower of rain during the race made the underfoot conditions really slippery  in parts.  However the leading runners took it all in their stride with Colin leading the way back to the finish line and Westerlands Manny Gorman overtaking Dave Cunmmins for second place on the descent.

    Mark found the conditions difficult and was struggling to stay on his feet in parts and eventually crossed the finish line in 10th. Mark Howls finishing strongly placed 12th.

    The old war horse Mike Milmoe, flew past where I was standing as though he had 6 inch nails on the soles of his feet.

     Cyclist Norrie Lyall, was making his competitive debut for the club today and he told me with a straight face at the finish he enjoyed the experience, I believe him honest!!!

     National Six Stage Road Race Relays

    Mark Mitchell was competing in the National Six Stage for his second claim club City Of Edinburgh.  Running on the first leg, Mark got his team off to a flying start, handing over to his team mate in third place, just a few seconds behind the first two teams. 

    This was just the start that they required, as they eventually went onto win this prestigious event ahead of Irvine AC and Cambuslang Harriers.

Another Blast From The Past

    At last weekend's Masters Cross Country Championships, there were a few past MASTERS assisting on the sidelines. 

    The photo above was taken at the 1967 Alves-Forres Road Race (6 Miles), and at the front of the race was our very own Club President Iain MacKenzie (1), running alongside Aberdeen AAC member Alistair Wood.  Just tucked in behind the leading duo is Don Ritchie and at the back of the pack is Duncan Davidson.

    In this particular race there was a strong Westerly wind blowing and Iain was tucked in behind Scottish International Marathon Runner Alistair Wood all the way to Forres.  Once into the final 400 metres of the race, Iain made his move to win the race in a time of 31:25.

    The following year Alistair returned to the race and made sure of victory by setting a new course record in a time of 29:35.

    The inaugural race took place in 1958 with the host club's Bill Lawrence first across the line.  This race became a classic event in the North Road Race Calendar, however due to the increase of traffic along the A96, the race had to find a new venue in 1989. 

    After hosting the event on a number of courses over the years since, we now host our Dyke 10K as the direct replacement for this Classic Race.

26-Mar-2006

Moray Road Runners 10K

    The second race in this year's Northern Scot 10K series was hosted by Moray Road Runners at Elgin.  Once again the popularity of running in the North was in evidence, with a record entry for this year's race.

    There were loads of red vests on the Sort Line and surprisingly Simon Pride was also there, even after his brilliant performance the previous day at the Scottish Masters Cross Country Championships.

    Right from the start, Simon showed no evidence of being weary from his exertions around Cluny Hill, as he hit the front of the race and gradually pulled away from the rest of the field.  In the chasing group, there was an interesting tussle going on between last weeks Nairn 10K winner Andy Ross and Moray's Brian Foreman.

    Into the final stretch down the hill back into Elgin, Brian finally broke away from Andy, to finish 20 seconds ahead, in 2nd place.

    The men's team of Simon, Andy and Robert Paterson narrowly won the team award by 2 points, from the lads at Moray Road Runners.

    Jackie Nicol, Jackie Thwaites and Fay Campbell all ran new PB times today.  Well done Girls.

25-Mar-2006

Masters Put On  A Show

    Forres Harriers once again had the privilege of hosting the Scottish Masters Cross Country Championships.  We last hosted these Championships in 2003 and it was great to see a National Championship back up here in the North once again.

    The course was in excellent condition and the weather was just perfect for Cross Country Running.  The only disappointment was the number of competing athletes, which were well down on previous years.

    The first race to get underway was the Ladies event and Sonia Armitage of Aberdeen AAC was the early pace maker, by the end of the first lap she  had a good lead on the field. As she started to wind up the pace, disaster struck when an old injury flared up causing her to withdraw from the race.  This opened the door for Falkirk Victoria Harrier's Fiona Matheson who went onto win the race just ahead of team mate Janette Stevenson.

    Harrier Simon Pride was making his debut at the Masters, with V35 athletes being eligible for the first time.  This was Simon's first race over the Country for a number of years and started tentatively whilst Shettleston's Andy Little charged away from the field.

    Gradually as the race progressed, Simon got back on level terms with Andy, as they came back down from Cluny Hill into Grant Park.  Up onto the woodland paths of Cluny Hill for the second time, Simon made his bid for glory,  Andy was unable to respond to the challenge and Simon maintained his rhythm to finish 38 seconds clear.  Paul Rogan had a great run to claim the Bronze medal in the V35 category.

    There were a number of successes for North athletes; the Forres Harriers Ladies team (June Duncan, Frances Russell and Shona Spencer) won an unexpected Bronze medal in the Ladies competition.  

    There are a number of people I would like to thank for their valuable assistance on the day; all the Time Keepers and Recorders, Marshalls and registration (Caroline and Julie).  But a special thanks to the guys who prepared all the refreshments (Pete Reid, Bernie Foran and Stu Burn) what a spread. I think all the competitors went home a Stone heavier after the event!!!

First Three Ladies

First Three Men

North Medal Winners   

Scottish Masters Cross Country Championships

    THE SCOTTISH MASTERS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL NOW TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY 25TH MARCH 2006.  REGISTRATION WILL BE AT FORRES ACADEMY.   

Danny Retires

    After a number of years of some serious Marathon training and racing, the man of wit, who pounces on the unsuspecting on the Bulletin Board, has decided that the time has come to hang up his trainers once and for all.  The thought of being trounced by Mike Howell just proved to be too much and Danny Bird and has now opted for the easy life of sitting in front of the telly or sitting in the stand at Caley Thistle.

    I hope you don't miss the running too much and that you will still keep us amused on the Bulletin Board.  At least Danny can retire with the satisfaction of having represented Scotland Veterans at Cross Country and has a National Vest tucked away in the wardrobe.

    Oh by the way I still have your trophy from the Lossie 10, I was thinking of giving it to Mike at this year's Dava Run, but that is another story!!!!

19-Mar-2006

Nairn 10K

Dumfries Marathon

    Toby Laver was once again on his travels, this time he was competing in the Dumfries Marathon.  In what looked a close race, Toby finished in 4th place with a time of 2:53:56.

16-Mar-2006

Eleanor Gains National Vest

    Eleanor Duncan is the latest Forres Harrier to lay claim to a National Vest.  Eleanor has been selected to represent Scottish Schools at the British Schools Cross Country Championships to be held in Buckinghamshire.

    This is a great reward to a talented young sportswoman who trains exceptionally hard and all of us at the Harriers are really proud of the achievements of our younger members.

    Accompanying Eleanor on the trip South, are fellow North athletes Gemma Cormack and Laura Sharp who have also been selected.  We wish them all the very best.

12-Mar-2006

Inverness Half Marathon

    The 22nd Inverness Half Marathon took place despite the best efforts of the weather to disrupt the event.  Inverness was unique, in that not a drop of snow was to be found on the Half Marathon route, whilst many parts of the country were under several inches, including the A9, which was blocked at various points between Perth and Inverness.

    The snow undoubtedly had an effect on the final number of runners successfully completing the event, with only 838 finishers of the 1500 who were entered prior to the race.  As it was, pre-race favourite Simon Pride of Forres Harriers was one of the leading runners failing to make the start line.

    As the race got underway it was soon clear that it was going to be a two horse race between Forres Harrier Ben Livesey and Inverness athlete Andrew Wright, who competes for Cambuslang Harriers.  After the fast initial first mile with the wind at their backs, Livesey and Wright broke away from the rest of the field.  Turning into the wind the high tempo of the race continued with Livesey acting as the pace maker with Wright tucked in behind. 

    Approaching the 4 mile point, Livesey and Wright were still running at a remarkably quick pace considering the strong headwind.  Approaching the first serious climb of the race Livesey began to break away from Wright and gradually built up a slender lead of 15 seconds by the 8 mile point.

    On the run back towards the city centre, Andrew dug in deep and had closed the gap on Ben to within 15 yards by the time they reached the bridge over the river Ness where they once again turned into the headwind for the final mile of the race.

    With one final effort Ben finally broke the challenge of Andrew and eventually cruised around the track at the Stadium with a 26 second lead.  Ben eventually crossed the finishing line in a new PB time for the distance of 1:09:57 a fantastic effort in the conditions.

    In third place was John Lenehan of Metro Aberdeen in a time of 1:11:39 and Brian Foreman of Moray Road Runners had another great run to claim the first Veteran's prize finishing in 4th.

    There was also further success for the Harriers in the team competition, claiming pole position with Ben (1st), Toby Laver (7th) and Club Captain Paul Rogan (12th).  This gave them a 10 point victory over Inverness Harriers.

    The Ladies Race proved to be a close run thing.  Moray Road Runner Jane Barker immediately hit the front and was closely tracked all the way by Lothian's Christine Milne.  Into the final mile Jane had to dig deep into all her reserves, to hold off the challenge of Christine, eventually crossing the finishing line in a time of 1:25:41, a further 8 seconds behind Christine finished in second.  Dhavala Stott Sri Chimnoy finished 3rd in a time of 1:26:49.

    The first ladies team were Garscube Harriers ( Alison Winship, Mairi Stanley and Moira Young) with Metro Aberdeen the runners up.

    Congratulations to Danny Bird as the second Male Vet 50 and to our wonder woman Anne Docherty as the first Female Vet 55 (as Paul said last weekend an inspiration to us all!)

    Full Harriers Results

Scottish Schools Cross Country Championships

    Three of our younger members were in action on Saturday in the Scottish Schools Cross Country Championships at Irvine.  Kirstie Rogan finished 19th in the Under 14 Girls, Eleanor Duncan just finished outside the medals in 4th, in the 14-15 Girls race and Grant Cameron was 11th in the 15-17 Boys event.

Inverness Half Marathon

    After the chaos caused by the weather at the weekend, the Inverness Half Marathon will now see many of the North's top athletes kicking off their road race season at the Inverness Half Marathon.

    This year, The Inverness Half is the first race in the Scottish Athletics Grand Prix Series, which offers a prize of £1000 to the overall winner both Male and Female.  The results of the series will be announced after the Glasgow Half Marathon in September, which offers double points as the last race in the series.

    There are a number of Forres Harriers entered and this year will see the strongest Harrier's team on the start line for a long number of years.  Simon Pride, Ben Livesey, Toby Laver and Paul Rogan are all expected to be up at the front challenging.

Forres Harriers End Of Season Bash

    Although the weather put a bit of a dampener on the whole weekend, we still had our shin dig at the Victoria Hotel on Saturday Evening.  I would just like to thank the organisers; Jackie Nicol and Jenny Stewart for all their efforts promoting the evening.  Also thanks to the many people who braved the elements and road conditions to attend.  To Ali Beck and the Bucc Band for the excellent musical entertainment, thanks.

    Finally and by no means least to the guys who provided the catering; Pete Reid, Stu Burn and Bernie Foran, who will be assisting us once again on the 25th at the Masters Cross Country.

Raffle

    Jackie and Jenny would like to thank all who supported their fund raising efforts last night.  They raised a fantastic £220.

My Race - Running Magazine   

    It has come to the attention of many an avid reader of this publication, that Andy Ross now has appeared in the first two publications of this magazine.  Will he succeed in making it three in a row?  watch this space.