Scottish Masters (nae Mistresses!)

A brilliant day at Bellahouston Park, a fast, easy course (meant to be 6 miles, but I suspect it may have been on the short side...otherwise I was flying!). The course followed the convoluted large-intestine-shaped course favoured by the National 2 weeks ago. Thus we kept doubling back through many a "W", allowing me to time how far behind Gibby I was - 3 minutes I thought, but either my watch played tricks on me or Gibby made a late spurt to the finish. There were gentle rises rather than hills to negotiate, and hardly any mud to restrain us, so times were fast. Added incentives for the older, slower runner are first, to avoid being lapped by the leaders; second, not to be beaten by too many 60 year olds and certainly no 70 somethings!! It takes a special kind of runner to enter the Masters: you have to declare your age-group on the back of your vest (hence no Westy mistresses entered?!) and you have to compare how well your fitness compares with that of your contemporaries. Thus for instance, Chris Robison (who challenged for the Senior title some 5 years ago) could only manage 118th place in 39.49. Marc McColl was spectating, no doubt on the lookout for a gig he might win with a white wig and fake wrinkles (anti-Botox?) - and who were the cheeky Westies hidden in a garden shed at the start of lap 2? Come outa the shed, Blair!

Westy places and times: 105, Gibson Fleming 38.23

141, Grimorr 42.34

166, Ian Struthers 47.41

Also ran: 15, Steve McLoone 33.05

130, Sandy McNeil (Clydesdale) 41.07

Posted by Graeme Orr on Mon 7 Mar 2005 | 4 comments

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