Melanie Spencer
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
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SAVE THE DATE - Linlithgow Athletics Club 10K ...
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LAC ANNUAL AWARDS NIGHT
LAC ANNUAL AWARDS NIGHT
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Inclusion Spotlight
Inclusion Spotlight
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Santa Dash Success
Santa Dash Success

Weekly Update

Weekly update: Falkland Hill race, Donkey Brae race and parkrun

On Wednesday evening Carolyn Walker was in Fife for the Falkland hill race. The route takes runners along the trails and paths in the beautiful surroundings of Falkland Estate and not to mention the Falkland Hill. Carolyn finished in 55mins 45secs.

On Sunday Mandy Cazes and Jill Horsburgh ran Donkey Brae run, part of the Aberdour Festival. The 7 mile route heads out to Dalgety Bay before circling back and finishing at Silver Sands. Official results to be confirmed, by their own timing Jill finished in 1hr 2secs and Mandy in 1hr 55secs. 

At parkrun, the Club had 12 runners across 7 different runs.

Andrew McGill was the fastest Linlithgow finisher this week, taking 1st place at St Andrews in 16:21. The biggest club turnout was at Falkirk, where John Smith was first home in 19:33, followed by Scott Hyslop finished in 21:40, then Ian Boxall in 21:52, Malcolm Hughes in 22:21 and Lorna Simpson in 25:04. Elsewhere, Scott Cumming ran Edinburgh in 25:35, Mandy Cazes also ran finishing in 32:49. Richard Wood ran Leicester Victoria in 19:54.

Our parkrun tourists this week. Ian Fyfe ran Greenock in 24:31, Lynsey Hay ran Perth in 29:39, Jill Horsburgh ran Drumpellier in 24:53 (1st in age category).

Weekly update: Self Transcendence series, Glamaig Hill race and big turnout at parkrun

On Wednesday evening Frances Wood was back again at the Meadows for the Self Transcendence series. Frances finished the 2mile race in 14mins 11 secs, and again 1st FV60.

Angus Gallie was at the Glamaig Hill Race on Skye earlier this month. Described as "one of the toughest races in Scottish hill-running", it didn’t disappoint. Angus finished 01:41:21. Angus put his effort into perspective against the hill-running 'specialists'. The winning time by Finlay Wild (Lochaber Athletic Club) was 00:46:46 - meaning that he was up and down the hill before Angus reached the summit! Impressive.

Another busy week at parkrun, where the Club had 19 runners across 9 different runs.

James Hammond was the quickest Linlithgow finisher this week, finishing Bath Skyline in 19:42. Rebecca Hammond also ran, finishing in 27:47.  

The biggest Club turnout was at Falkirk with 10 Linlithgow runners there to help celebrate it’s 8th birthday. Scott Hyslop was first home in 21:07, Neil Anderson in 21:33, Chris Duffy in 21:44, Angus Gallie in 21:52, Ian Boxall in 22:28, Malcolm Hughes in 22:38, Jennifer Newton in 24:10, Roddy Simpson in 24:48, Lorna Simpson in 25:04 and Sean Smith in 29:33. Elsewhere, Scott Cumming ran Edinburgh in 25:35, Mandy Cazes ran St Andrews in 24:20, Richard Wood ran Leicester Victoria in 20:18.

Our tourists this week. Ian Fyfe ran Ayr in 25:27, Michael Watts ran Northwich in 20:16, Jill Horsburgh ran Fort William in 25:59 (smashing the VW60-64 course record by more than 2 minutes!) and David Main-Reade ran Nautical, Winnipeg in 22:35 (3rd overall).

Weekly update: Bronze medal at the Scottish Athletics Masters Championship!

On Wednesday evening Frances Wood was back for more glory at the Self Transcendence 5k series at the Meadows. Frances finished 1st FV60 in 22mins 50secs

Roddy Simpson (pictured) was at Grangemouth Stadium on Saturday for the Scottish Athletics Masters Championship race, finishing in 3mins 10secs, taking the M70 bronze medal.

A busy week at parkrun, where the Club had 14 runners across 10 different runs.

Neil Anderson was the quickest Linlithgow finisher this week, and achieving 1st overall at Girvan in 20:14. Neil’s daughter also volunteered and handed over the coveted 0001 token (pictured).  

At Edinburgh, Frances Wood finished in 23:18 (1st FV60), and Scott Cumming in 24:17. Mandy Cazes was at Plean finishing in 26:29. The biggest club turnout was at Falkirk, where Brian Couper finished in 24:35, Louisa Cockburn finished in 25:37, Lorna Simpson finished in 26:17 and Yvonne McHugh in 35:09. Graeme Wilkinson was at Polkemmet Country Park finishing in 27:18.

Our tourists this week. Lynsey Hay + bump were at Carlisle (pictured), finishing in 28:29. Rebecca Evans was at Cannon Hill, Birmingham, for 1st ever parkrun, finishing in 24:26. Malcolm Hughes was at Fulham Palace, finishing in 21:26. Ian Fyfe continued his efforts to run all Scottish parkruns, finishing Orkney in 22:35. Lastly, David Reade was in Canada at Churchill Parkway, Winnipeg finishing in 22:50.

Weekly update: A week of rest and recuperation...

Ian Logan at Crieff 10k

Ian Logan at Crieff 10k

For most of us it was a quiet week of running this week as summer and school holidays kick-in. However, on Wednesday evening Malcolm Hughes joined 12,500 runners at the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge. A 5.6 km (3.5 miles) race, for teams from various UK companies, in Battersea Park, London. Malcolm finished in 25:29.

On Sunday, Ian Logan and Hannah Danson ran the Crieff 10k organised by Strathearn Harriers. Ian finished the multi-terrain route in 39:24 (6th overall and 2nd V40) and Hannah finished in 01:04.

At parkrun, the Club had 10 runners at 8 different runs.

Mike Watts was the quickest Linlithgow finisher this week, finishing Hazelhead in 20:13. At Edinburgh, Mandy Cazes finished in 23:48 closely followed by Jill Horsburgh finished in 23:58. Roddy Simpson finished Greenock in 24:45. At Falkirk, Colin Hutcheon finished in 21:19, and Malcolm Hughes in 22:10. At Ganavan Sands, Neil Anderson finished in 21:20. Graeme Wilkinson was at Osterley finishing in 47:41. Scott Cumming ran Fell Foot in 26:25 and Scott Hyslop ran Polkemmet in 21:15.

Weekly update: A busy week of hills, trails, runs in the park and... parkun!

With Club Championship points at stake, Linlithgow had a strong turnout at the Dechmont 10k on Sunday with 9 runners taking to the muddy trails. Mairi Watts was first home for the Linlithgow women (2nd overall) in 44:44, followed by Jennifer Newton in 53:35 and Mandy Cazes in 57:13. First home for the men was Martin Maginnis in 43:28 followed by Paul Emery in 46:38, Colin Hutcheon in 47:14, Neil Barnes in 48:04, Roddy Simpson in 56:20 and Mark Collier in 01:06:21.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Frances and Alex Wood ran the hilly Arran Half Marathon. Frances finished 1st FV60 in 01:49:38 (taking home not only a trophy but some tasty Arran cheese too) and Alex finishing in 02:13:46.  David Dalmau, Trevor Galloway and Kenny Gray all completed the Lairig Ghru hill race, a gruelling race from Braemar to Aviemore (official results to follow).

Earlier in the week, Ian Fyfe completed the Balbirnie Duathlon (consisting of 5k run, 20k bike, 2.5k run) in 01:31:00.  As a warm-up for their efforts in Arran, running the Sri Chinmoy Self Transcendence mile at the Meadows, Frances finishing 1st FV60 in 06:50 and Alex in 07:53. Malcolm Hughes was in London for the Last Friday of the Month 5k race in Hyde Park, organised by Serpentine Running Club. Improving on last month's effort, finishing in 22:39 - 158th out of 251 runners. 

Roddy Simpson, Neil Anderson and Club President, Angus Gallie, were at Falkirk parkrun on Saturday with their latest Let’s Go Linlithgow couch-to-5K group. All of the group who made it along completed the course, a great achievement for all involved and a briliant example of the Club supporting the local community through a shared passion for running. 

At parkrun, the Club had 8 runners at 6 different runs.

Malcolm Hughes was the fastest Linlithgow finisher this week finishing Coldham’s Common in 22:36. The biggest Club turnout was at Falkirk, where Jennifer Newton finished in 23:53, Roddy Simpson in 32:47, Neil Anderson in 33:36. Elsewhere, Ian Fyfe finished Perth in 23:53, Graeme Wilkinson was in South Wales, finishing Barry Island in 26:56, David Main-Reade was in Germany, finishing Nidda, Frankfurt, in 23:43 and Lorna Simpson ran Felixstowe, Suffolk in 23:04.

Weekly update: a vintage week for Linlithgow AC

Frances and Alex Wood represented the Club at the Self Transcendence race series on Wednesday evening. The 2 mile race takes runners round the Peace Mile at The Meadows, Edinburgh. Frances continued her great run of form for the Club, finishing 1st FV60 in 14:23 adding to her medal collection in the process. Alex finished in 16:21. 

Jill Horsburgh completed the GRC Fauldhouse sprint triathlon on Sunday - the event included a 750m swim in the pool, 14.5k bike ride and finished with a 5.5k forest run. Jill finished in 01:25:01, placing her 1st FV60.

At parkrun, the Club had 14 runners at 6 different runs.

Scott Hyslop was the fastest Linlithgow finisher this week, finishing Edinburgh in 20:22, followed by  Jude Moir in 20:32, Colin McCluskie in 22:00 and Scott Cumming in 25:36. The biggest Club turnout was at Falkirk where Paul Dudchenko finished in 21:02, then Lorna Simpson in 24:10, Jennier Newton in 24:16, Mandy Cazes in 24:45 and Roddy Simpson in 24:47. Elsewhere, at Strathclyde, Frances Wood finished in 22:57 (6th female, 1st FV60), Alex Wood in 26:13. Ian Fyfe was at Troon finishing in 21:52. Graeme Wilkinson was at Yeovil Montacute, finishing in 26:14 and Neil Anderson was at Polkemmet finishing in 21:31.

In the run up to the Children’s Gala Day celebrations Lynne McGill and Frank Clement hosted two fun racing events for various age groups at the Peel firstly on Wednesday evening and then again on Saturday afternoon. With cash prizes and copious amounts of “medals” on offer it was no wonder the kids kept wanting to race on more than one occasion!

Weekly update: Life's a beach for LAC, that's foreshore!

Linlithgow had 8 runners at the 4 on the foreshore race on Wednesday evening. A popular 4 mile fun run along the shore in Bo’ness. First home for Linlithgow and overall female winner was Lynne McGill in 26:57. Lynne was followed by Karen Duncan in 29:07, Kathryn Holm in 29:17, Claire Rice in 30:39. For the Linlithgow men, Gerry McArdle was first home in 25:29 and 6th overall, then Scott Hyslop (9th) in 26:21, Neil Anderson in 27:44 and Bryan Grome in 46:58.

12 Linlithgow runners secured their place for the hugely popular Black Rock 5 race on Friday evening. The unique race, from Kinghorn over the sands and back, ends with a steep uphill dash to the finish. First home for the Linlithgow men was David Marshall in 28:43, followed by Paul Dudchenko in 30:40, Paul Emery 31:28, Jude Moir 31:30, Colin Hutcheon in 32:51, Neil Anderson 33:07 and Malcolm Hughes in 36:00. Charlotte Moran was first home for Linlithgow women, in 36:48, followed by Jill Horsburgh in 37:44 (1st F60, prize in the post after dashing to prepare for her next race), Jennifer Newton in 38:19 and Carolyn Walker in 42:43

At the 7 Hills of Edinburgh race, in it’s 40th year, Linlithgow had 4 runners. Not many races offer a route that includes short cuts through shopping arcades, cobbled city streets, barbed wire fences, burn crossings, mudslides, a castle and extinct volcanoes. Despite the +2,000ft of elevation, the race is well supported at each checkpoint atop each hill, not to mention the best views Edinburgh has to offer. In the race, Martin Maginnis finished in 02:19:49 and Angus Gallie in 2:35:43. In the challenge, Jill Horsburgh finished in 02:44:18 and Ian Fyfe in 2:50:17.

5 members of the Junior club took part in the Round Table Assault Course on Saturday. They worked hard learning from each round to come equal 4th place. The team was Emma Mitchell, Gillian Emery, Sean Smith, Mirren Morrison and Katie Bothwell.

At parkrun, the Club had 11 runners at 5 different runs.

Neil Anderson was again fastest Linlithgow finisher this week, this time running Stonehaven in 21:49. Also at Stonehaven, Ian Fyfe finished in 22:34, David Main-Reade in 22:52 and Jill Horsburgh in 26:21. Neil, Ian and Jill all finished first in their respective age categories and celebrated with a swim in the outdoor pool. At Edinburgh, Scott Cumming finished in 25:26, Alex Wood in 26:58, and Carolyn Walker in 31:04. At Falkirk, Ian Boxall completed parkrun #50 in 22:17, Roddy Simpson in 25:22. Elsewhere, Graeme Wilkson ran Conyngham Hall in 29:31 and Malcolm Hughes finished Polkemmet in 23:29.

Linlithgow 10k…

Now in it's 27th year, entries are flooding in for the annual Linlithgow 10k and fun run, which will be held on Sunday October 6th at 2:30 pm. This is another long-established, and popular community event in Linlithgow, so don’t delay, enter today!

Weekly update: races here, there and everywhere for Linlithgow AC

Linlithgow had 4 runners at the Corstorphine 5 road race on Wednesday evening. The fast course takes in quiet country roads circling Turnhouse Golf Course and Cammo. First home was Colin Hutcheon in 34:24, then Alison Malone in 37:31, Frances Wood in 38:23 (3rd VW60) and Alex Wood 45:07.

David Mason, Paul Dudchenko and Trevor Galloway were back in the hills again this week. First up, at Red Moss Extinction Rebellion Race on Wednesday evening. A very fast hill race held near Balerno, a 10.5 km route and 350m of climbing. First home was, Paul, in 53:59 (36th), followed by David Mason in 58:13 (59th) and Trevor was 59:17 (64th). On Saturday, Paul and David were in Dumfries and Galloway to compete in the Durisdeer Hill Race. A race that provided everything, long climbs, incredibly steep descents, river crossings, technical running and map skills. The course was 16km with a hefty 1200m of climbing. David finished 24th in 02:19:16 and Paul was 25th in 02:26:18. A well-earned spread was laid on for the finishers (pictured!).

Scott Hyslop was completing the 3rd race in the Chacefield Wood Trail Series, near Denny, on Thursday evening. The last race in the series, was made up of 4 3km laps of Chacefield Wood, taking in a mix of forest tracks and boggy trails. Scott finished 3rd overall in the series and a place on the podium.

On Saturday, John Redding was in Leeds for the ITU World Triathlon Series event. The event provides non-professional triathletes a unique opportunity to compete on much of the same course as the world’s best. John finished 15th in his age group, in 02:16:00.

Also on Saturday, 8 members of the Club took part in an informal, fun event to run the 1822 Parliamentary Boundary of Linlithgow. Starting and finishing at the canal basin, the inaugural ‘Linlithgow Alternative Marches March’ 4.8 mile route took in the 8 boundary stones dotted around the town. A new route for the Tuesday social for certain.

On Sunday, Charlotte Moran had her marathon legs back on, taking part in the Strathearn Marathon, near Comrie. A hilly route but with stunning views of picturesque Perthshire. Charlotte finished in 04:00:26.

At parkrun, the Club had 11 runners at 8 different runs.

Neil Anderson was the fastest Linlithgow finisher this week, running Plean in 21:54; At Greenock, Roddy Simpson finished in 23:31; At Falkirk, Malcolm Hughes finished in 22:45 and Lorna Simpson in 23:34; At Gibside, Graeme Wilkinson ran in 26:19; At Springburn, Frances Wood finished in 22:55, Mandy Cazes in 24:36 and Alex Wood in 26:29. At Meadowmill, Scott Cumming finished in 26:49; At Polkemmet, Ian Fyfe finished in 22:59. At Rheinaue, Germany, David Main-Reade finished in 21:58.

Weekly update: Hyde Park 5k, Carluke 10k, Stirling Tri, Helensburgh Highland Games hill race and parkrun

Malcolm Hughes got the weekend running underway at the Last Friday of the Month 5k race in Hyde Park, London, organised by Serpentine Running Club. Malcolm finished in 00:23:22, 8th MV55 (201st overall in what was a highly competitive field.

Alex and Frances Wood ran the Carluke on the Run 10k Challenge on Saturday, run by Carluke Development Trust. A strong wind, rain and a technical, hilly course did not make for fast times. Frances finished 8th female and 2nd super-vet in 50:33, scooping £30 cash prize, and Alex finished in 57:31.

Also on Saturday, Scott Hyslop was in Argyll and Bute for the Helensburgh & Lomond Highland Games hill race. Scott finished teh 8km route 00:37:40.

On Sunday, Kathryn Holm, hot on the heels of last week’s Edinburgh Marathon, took part in the Stirling Triathlon, set in the grounds of the University of Stirling. A late entry, a borrowed bike and early rise earned Kathryn a 7th female overall / 3rd senior female finish, in an overall time of 00:48:33.

At parkrun, the Club had 12 runners at 8 different runs.

At Falkirk, Paul Dudchenko was the fastest Linlithgow finisher this week, in 21:01, followed by Roddy Simpson in 24:26. Elsewhere, Louisa Cockburn finished Edinburgh in 24:01; Malcolm Hughes ran Livingston in 23:00; Ian Fyfe finished Crichton in 21:22; Graeme Wilkinson ran Springburn in 23:52; Lorna Simpson ran Lochore Meadows in 22:49; Mandy Cazes ran Loch Leven in 26:46. The Club’s biggest turnout was at Polkemmet, where Neil Anderson finished in 22:08, David Reade in 23:26, Jill Horsburgh 24:35 (setting the course record for her age group), Scott Cumming in 26:29.

Date for Your Diary!

Join us on the 14th December at the Linlithgow Burgh Halls (where it all started!) for a combined celebration of the club's 40th anniversary and our annual champions and awards evening 2019. More details to follow.

Weekly update: A Marathon centurion and two new coaches for the Junior Section

Congratulations this week to our two new Athletics Coaches! Karen Duncan and Rachel Hay who attended their assessment day on Saturday and passed – well done to both. Both coach the Junior Section and are a welcome boost for the Club’s younger athletes. The Club now has 5 active coaches qualified at this level – the highest number in many years meaning they can run sessions unsupervised and covered by UK Athletics Insurance (joining Frances W, Lorna S and Ian D). Good luck to our new coaches. Get in touch with Frances or Angus if you are interested in starting your own coaching journey.

Last Monday evening, Alison Malone was at the Balerno Rigg 6-mile road race. The undulating route takes runners south from the village of Balerno along country roads before looping back and finishing at the local rugby club. Ali finished in 45:12.

In the hills, Paul Dudchenko and Trevor Galloway ran the Ben Sheann hill race on Wednesday.  Part of the Bog and Burn hill race series, this short race featured a steep climb through the woods to the summit of Ben Sheann, and an equally steep descent. Out of 60 runners, Paul was 32nd in 36:49 and Trevor was 35th in 37:25. Paul also ran the Glas Tulaichean Uphill race on Saturday, finishing in 24th place (out of 60 runners) in 50:51.

On Friday night, Lorna Simpson and Mike Watts ran the Monument Mile Classic in Stirling hosted by Central AC and Stirling University. The previous year saw 83 of the 91 competitors run a PB so it was no surprise that both Lorna and Mike both managed PBs this year, 06:33 and 05:28, respectively.

Jill Horsburgh ran the West Lothian Highland Games Veterans Cairnpapple 6-mile road race. The race starts with one lap of the field at the Burgh Muir before exiting the field and winding up toward the radio mast at Cairnpapple Hill then returning to Burgh Muir for the finish. Jill finished 4th woman and 1st W60.

Neil Anderson ran his 100th marathon taking part in the Lanzarote triathlon on Saturday. The Ironman event comprises of a two-lap swim at the Playa Grande, Puerto del Carmen, followed by a bike route famous for strong winds and spectacular views, taking competitors around the island with over 2551 meters of ascent. Finally, for the run, the route follows the flat seafront of Puerto del Carmen, leading up to Arrecife and back (1st-lap) and then to Matagorda and back (2nd-lap). Final result TBC.

Paul, David and William at the EMF

Paul, David and William at the EMF

At a very wet and windy Edinburgh Marathon Festival, Linlithgow had 16 runners across each of the race distances. In the 5k race, Lucas Welsh ran a PB of 19.16 on a tough course. In the 10K, Gary Welsh finished in 53:05, Carolyn Walker in 57:21, Rachel Waugh in 01:06:37.

In the Half Marathon, David Dalmau was first home for the Linlithgow men in 01:26:13, followed by William Millar in 01:33:51, Paul Ward in 01:41:15 and Steven Laurie in 01:43:17. For the women, Rosemary Gallagher finished in 01:42:46 followed by Karen Outram in 01:44:14. Finally, in the full Marathon for Linlithgow, David Main-Reade finished in 03:49:35, followed by Scott Cumming in 04:21:51 and Bryan Grome in 04:58:59. Claire Rice was first woman home in 03:51:52, followed by Kathryn Holm in 03:54:03, Marta Sroka in 03:58:22.

At parkrun, the Club had 10 runners at 7 different runs.

At Strathclyde, William Millar finished in 18:37 and was fastest Club finisher this week. Elsewhere, Roddy Simpson was at Livingston, finishing in 24:12; at Ganavan Sands, Ian Lockhart finished in 24:20, Isobel Lockhart in 29:41; at Loch Leven, Ian Boxall finished in 21:10; At newly set-up Polkemmet, Mandy Cazes finished in 23:55 and Lorna Simpson in 29:15. Parkrun tourists this week were Alison Marshall who ran Nidda in Frankfurt, Germany in 24:39, and in Kirkwall, Orkney, Frances Wood finished 22:45 (8th overall, 2nd woman) and Alex Wood 26:15.

Weekly update: Top result at LochWINnoch for Linlithgow!

Another week and another podium, this time for David Marshall (pictured) who won the Lochwinnoch road race on Saturday, a third win at the event. The 5-mile hilly course cuts along the fringes of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park before looping back towards Lochwinnoch for a flat out finish.

Also on Saturday, Ian and Isobel Lockhart (pictured) ran the Cape Wrath Marathon - the most North Westerly marathon on mainland UK. The extremely challenging, exposed route includes a climb of over 2,415 feet. Ian and Isobel were a 2 person team and completed it in 4hrs 18min 15sec.

On Sunday, Emma Mitchell, Gillian Emery (pictured) and Faith Griffen represented the Club’s Junior section at the Run, Jump, Throw Grand Prix in Livingston. A great event to earn some valuable experience and test their skills against their peers.

At parkrun, the Club had 16 runners at 11 different runs.

Fastest Linlithgow finisher was Ian Logan at St Andrews in 17:58, Hannah Danson also ran, finishing in 27:38. At Edinburgh, William Millar finished in 18:53, Frances Wood in 23:00 (1st VW60) and Scott Cumming in 24:48. At Falkirk, Ian Boxall finished in 21:24, Roddy Simpson in 24:11 and Graeme Wilkinson in 24:30. Elsewhere, Neil Anderson ran Plean in 22:32; David Main-Reade finished Aviemore in 22:18; Ian Fyfe finished Camperdown, Dundee in 22:05; Lorna Simpson finished Livingston in 23:03; Jill Horsburgh ran Crichton in 23:53 (2nd woman overall); and at Dunfermline, Mandy Cazes finished in 24:30. In N.Ireland, Alex Wood ran Armagh in 27:26 (3rd VM65) and Laura Finlay was at Ecos, Ballymena, finishing in 25:58.  

John Redding took a break from running this weekend, getting on his bike for the Etape Caledonia event on Sunday. The 85 mile route started and finished in Pitlochry, and included two pretty big climbs, the second of which over the shoulder of Schiehallion. John finished in 04:10:00.

And finally…

Colin Sumpter and Thomas Gahagan took part in a competitive Low Port Primary Dads 80m sprint. A missed opportunity to wear the vest of LAC, gents?!

Weekly update: A week of ups, downs and a podium finish for Linlithgow AC

On Wednesday evening, the Club had 9 runners at a cold and windy Dumyat Hill Race, near Stirling. A popular fixture on the hill running calendar – provides a fun, challenging event set around the University of Stirling campus.

First home for the men was hill specialist, Paul Dudchenko in 46:03, then Trevor Galloway in 48:10, followed closely by David Mason in 48:19, Scott Hyslop in 48:40, Colin Sumpter in 49:05, Mike Watts in 49:06 and Angus Gallie in 51:28. For the women, Jill Horsburgh was first off the hill in 57:31 followed by Charlotte Moran in 59:06.

On Saturday, Michael O’Hara ran the picturesque Ben Lomond Hill Race. An eventful race for the wrong reasons saw Michael spectacularly wipe out on the descent resulting a trip to A&E to patch him up but still managed to finish in 01:32 placing 39th. Like every good hill race, the post race soup more than made up for the rough and tumble.

In Arisaig, Martin Maginnis earned a podium finish at the Road to the Isles Marathon. A spectacular and hilly out and back route (twice) along the old road to the isles from Arisaig via Traigh beach to Morar bay. Martin finished in 03:29:06, a new PB for the distance and 3rd placed male.

At parkrun, the Club had 14 runners at 6 different runs.

The biggest turnout was at Livingston where Lorna Simpson was first home for Linlithgow finishing in 22:26, followed by David Reade in 22:28 (PB), Ian Fyfe in 22:32, Malcolm Hughes in 24:25 and Graham Chambers in 31:35. Fastest Linlithgow finisher was at Strathclyde where William Millar finished in 18:37, followed by Isobel Lockhart in 28:46. Elsewhere, Mandy Cazes finished Edinburgh in 22:24. At Falkirk, Kenny Gray finished in 20:58, Roddy Simpson in 24:08 and Hannah Danson in 29:46. At Perth, Frances Wood finished in 23:07 and Alex Wood in 26:22.

Special mention to the Club volunteers who ran and marshalled at the trial parkrun event at Polkemmet Country Park – Iain Fyfe and Lorna Simpson ran the course in 23:18 and 23:21 respectively (8th & 10th) and David Main-Reade and Graham Chambers marshalled. The inaugural event is set for the 25th May usual parkrun time.

Weekly update: Fast finish for Linlithgow AC at Scottish 5km Road Race Championships

Linlithgow AC had 10 runners at the Scottish 5km Road Race Championships at Silverknowes on Friday evening. The race, one of the most competitive short road races in the Scottish calendar, is an out and back flat 5k course along the banks of the River Forth.

Fastest finisher for the Club was Siobhan Coleman finishing in 18 mins (20th female overall, and a new PB). Next home for the women was Charlotte Moran in 22:01, Lorna Simpson in 22:06, Frances Wood in 22:40 (2nd FV60 taking the silver medal and a pineapple! See photo...), Mandy Cazes in 22:46 and Alison Marshall in 23:06. For the men, Paul Emery set a new PB for 5k finishing in 19:42, followed by Darren Dick in 21:20, Gary Welsh in 21:27 (Also a new PB and taking 9 secs off his previous best) and Alex Wood in 25:35.

Jill Horsburgh was in the Inner Hebrides on Saturday for the Tiree Half Marathon. A stunning course which starts and ends on the beach, and treats runners to some amazing views out to sea and surrounding islands. Jill clearly didn’t stop to take photos, finishing in 1:54:20.

At parkrun on Saturday, the Club had 12 runners at 5 different runs.

The biggest turnout was at Falkirk where Kenny Gray was first home for Linlithgow finishing in 19:33 (1st male, 2nd overall), then Ian Boxall in 20:53, Paul Dudchenko 21:2, Roddy Simpson in 24:29, Malcolm Hughes in 24:57 and Mandy Cazes in 26:39. At Edinburgh, William Millar was the fastest Linlithgow runner this week finishing in 19:03 followed by Jude Moir who finished in 20:27. Elsewhere, Charlotte Moran ran Livingston in 23:16, and Lorna Simpson in 23:17. At Ruchill, Graeme Wilkinson finished in 24:35. Lucas Welsh finished 3rd at the junior parkrun at the Helix.

Finally, Neil Anderson was a pacer at a parkrun for the first time - Alness parkrun. A scenic out and back from the park down to the end of a pier. Neil’s target time was 25 minutes and he finished in 25th place!

In case you missed it, here’s our silver medal winners from the Stirling Marathon last week. Well done again to Alison Mitchell, Rosemary Gallagher and Karen Outram.

Weekly update: a weekend of marathon mileage for Linlithgow AC

Frances and Alex Wood got the weekend running started at 3k on the Green on Friday. A first at the distance for both - Frances finishing in 13:17 and Alex in 14:59.

On Saturday, the Club had 3 runners at the Highland Fling ultra trail marathon. The race follows the first 53 miles of the West Highland Way footpath from Milngavie to Tyndrum going from smooth hard-packed man-made paths, to undulating runnable sections, to technical rock and tree roots - not for the faint hearted! All 3 successfully finished (plenty didn’t), Paul Dudchenko in 11:35:46, Kenny Gray in 11:58:46, and Bryan Grome in 14:18:55

There were 13 Linlithgow runners at the Stirling Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday.

In the marathon, the Club’s women’s team made up of Rosemary Gallagher, Alison Malone and Karen Outram placed 2nd in the team medals. Rosemary was the first LAC woman home in 03:35:29 followed by Alison in 03:44:36 (a new PB) and Karen in 03:49:40 (also a PB). For the men, David Dalmau was first home in 02:58:11 (a new PB) finishing 24th overall, followed by Scott Cumming in 04:22:46 and Darren Robertson in 05:34:45. 

In the half marathon, Lynne McGill was first home for the women in 01:35:43 (a new PB), followed by Kathryn Holm in 01:41:17, Claire Rice in 01:45:47 (a new PB) and Alison Marshall in 01:52:02. For the men, Ian Boxall finished in 01:34:57, Jude Moir in 01:38:19 and David Main-Reade in 01:42:40.

Also on Sunday, the Club had 3 runners amongst the 42,500 runners at the 39th London Marathon  - including someone dressed as Big Ben! The Club ballot place winner, Charlotte Moran finished in 03:55:18, John Smith in 03:07:05 and hot on the heels of Calum Hawkins, John Redding in 02:51:04.

At Livingston AC's Grand Prix event on Sunday, Club Junior members, Finnegan Guest, Alistair Mitchell and Emma Mitchell, took part in sprint, shot put, long jump and relay race.

Finally, at parkrun, the Club had 12 runners at 7 different runs.

The biggest turnout was at Falkirk where Lorna Simpson was first home for Linlithgow finishing in 23:12, then Ian Boxall in 23:32, Jill Horsburgh in 24:32 and Roddy Simpson in 24:33. At Livingston, William Millar finished in 19:33 and was the fastest Linlithgow runner this week. Elsewhere, Scott Hyslop finished Edinburgh in 20:23, followed by Frances Wood in 22:51 and Alex Wood in 25:46. At Lochend Woods, Graeme Wilkinson finished in 25:12. On the parkrun tourism trail, Neil Anderson ran Crathes Castle in 22:08, Mandy Cazes ran Bushy in 23:36 and David Main-Reade ran Aachener Weiher, Germany in 22:52.

Weekly update: The Good Run, Spring Triathlon Festival and parkrun results

On Friday, Michael O’Hara got the Easter weekend running underway at the The Good Run. The run takes place in picturesque grounds of St. Anne’s Park, Raheny in Dublin. The event also lives up to it’s name with proceeds raised from the event going towards supporting research the fight against Motor Neurone Disease, a worthy cause.

At parkrun on Saturday, the Club had 15 runners across 5 different runs. Sam Marshall was the fastest Linlithgow runner this week finishing Edinburgh in 19:25. Also at Edinburgh, Scott Hyslop finished in 20:52, Frances Wood in 23:09 (1st FV60), Scott Cumming in 25:06, Alex Wood in 26:31 and Louisa Cockburn in 27:34. At Falkirk, Ian Boxall finished in 20:43, Mandy Cazes in 24:52 and Roddy Simpson in 25:40. At Livingston, William Millar finished in 19:32, Lorna Simpson in 22:34, Jill Horsburgh in 23:47 and Malcolm Hughes in 24:46. Elsewhere, Mairi Watts was 2nd female overall at Loch Leven finishing in 19:53 and Neil Anderson ran Lochend Woods in 22:42.

On Sunday, John Redding took part in Triathlon Scotland’s spring triathlon festival in the historic coastal setting of St Andrews, Fife. The sprint format included a 750m pool swim at East Sands Leisure Centre, a 20-23km scenic cycle finishing with a 5km run. John finished a fantastic 3rd overall in 01:16:20.

Weekly update: Round the Houses 10k, Livingston Half Marathon and parkrun results

At parkrun, the Club had 8 runners at 3 different runs. At Edinburgh, Darren Dick finished in 21:56, Bryan Grome in 27:46 and Graham Chambers in 31:23. At Livingston, David Main-Reade finished in 22:36, William Millar in 22:39, and Malcolm Hughes in 24:27. The fastest Linlithgow runner this week was Gary Welsh at Elgin who ran with his son Lucas, finishing in 21:43 and 23:00, respectively.

On Sunday, 22 Linlithgow AC runners ran the Round the Houses 10k in Grangemouth - a second opportunity in April to earn Club Championship points. A notoriously fast, flat race, there were top 10 finishes for: Roddy Simpson 1st V70; Frances Wood 2nd V60; John Redding 4th V40; Susie Porteous 6th V45 and Alex Wood 8th V65.

First home for the Club was John Redding in 34:50, followed by Colin Sumpter in 39:26, Michael Watts in 40:14, Scott Hyslop in 41:45, Paul Dudchenko in 42:04, Paul Emery in 42:10, Jude Moir in 43:11, Kathryn Holm in 45:11 (a new PB), Charlotte Moran in 46:56, Kirsty Oliver in 47:19, Ian Lockhart in 47:25, Frances Wood in 48:07, Claire Rice in 48:09 (a new PB), Susie Porteous in 48:24, Mandy Cazes in 49:15, Louisa Cockburn in 49:51, Katryna McLeod in 50:33, Roddy Simpson in 50:37, Scott Cumming in 51:51, Alex Wood in 54:27, Isobel Lockhart in 58:11, Graham Chambers in 65:43 and Maggy Noble in 68:36.

Photo credit: Paul Dudchenko and G-Bax photography.

Also at Grangemouth were members of Let’s Go Linlithgow Jogscotland, who ran with Jogleaders Alex Wood and Roddy Simpson from the Club. The group started the couch-to-5K last October and moved on to a 5-to-10K in January this year. A great achievement in completing the Round the House 10K and a great example of what can be achieved as part of a running group.

Elsewhere on Sunday, David Main-Reade couldn’t get enough of running the hard trails and tarmac paths of Livingston, by running the Livingston Half Marathon, finishing in 01:43:35.

Members of Let's Go Linlithgow with Roddy and Alex.

Members of Let's Go Linlithgow with Roddy and Alex.

Weekly update: Across trail, road and hills - a wonderful weekend of running for LAC!

Forget Super Saturday, Linlithgow AC had a Wonderful Weekend of running with 28 runners from the Club at events across the Central Belt and Perthshire, and not to forget, parkrun. A total of 342.2 miles over two days.

Bryan Grome got the bumper weekend of running underway on Saturday at the John Muir Way Ultra race in East Lothian. The 50km route takes in iconic coastline from Port Seaton promenade to Foxlake Adventures, near Dunbar. Bryan finished in 05:56:53. Especially impressive after his marathon efforts last weekend!

In Perthshire, Jill Horsburgh ran the Birnam hill race. A tough start involving an ascent of approx. 1300 ft in just over 4 miles, but once the hard work was done the remaining miles were a delight. Jill finished in 51:44 (a new PB too).

At parkrun, the Club had 7 runners at 4 different runs. The biggest turnout was at Falkirk where Ian Fyfe was first home in 21:23, then Ian Boxall in 21:56, Kenny Gray in 24:28 and David Reade in 26:19. Neil Anderson was the fastest Linlithgow runner this week, finishing Queen’s Park, Belfast in 20:29 (5th overall). Elsewhere, Jill Horsburgh finished Perth in 24:04 (2nd PB of the weekend) and Scott Hyslop finished Portobello in 21:09.

On Sunday, 17 Linlithgow runners completed the Alloa Half Marathon, Clackmannanshire. An ever popular race and a chance to earn valuable Club Championship points, runners enjoyed near perfect conditions with blue skies and cool temperatures.

First home was Colin Sumpter in 01:30:05 closely followed by Steven Laurie in 01:30:29. Paul Dudchenko finished in 01:32:46, Angus Gallie in 01:34:50, Paul Emery in 01:35:10, Trevor Golloway in 01:36:27, Gerry McArdle 01:36:04, Ian Boxall in 01:37:30, Jennifer Newton in 01:44:17, Charlotte Moran in 01:44:05, Mandy Cazes 01:46:25, David Main-Reade in 01:48:01, Claire Rice in 01:48:30 (a new PB), Ian Lockhart in 01:49:56, Scott Cumming 01:57:12, Roddy Simpson in 02:00:00 and Katryna McLeod in 02:01:53.

At the 57th Tom Scott Memorial road race in Strathclyde Country Park the Club had 4 runners. The race was also host to the Scottish and West District 10 mile Scottish Championships. First home for the Club was Colin Hutcheon in 01:09:44. Frances Wood finished in 01:19:35, winning the F60 Gold Medal in the Scottish Championships. Alison Marshall finished in 01:23:55 and Alex Wood in 01:31:59.

In Melrose, Michael O’Hara and Martin Maginnis ran the Trimontium XI hill race. The route took runners along the picturesque river tweed, forest trails and across the 3 Eildon hills before finishing next to Melrose Abbey. Michael finished 15th overall in 01:36:41 followed by Martin in 16th finishing in 01:38:28 despite both getting lost on a few occassions and almost losing a shoe!

Time for a well-earned rest.

Weekly update: Linlithgow women take bronze medal at Scottish Road Relay Championships

On Sunday, the Club had 3 women’s teams running at the Scottish Road Relay Championships in Livingston - a record turnout for the Club. The race involved four legs for the women over laps of 3.1 and 5.8 miles. The race route was varied including cinder paths, muddy riverside trails, a short section of road and a helter-skelter bridge (!) along with high winds and rain for good measure.

The Club’s Masters team (over 40s) of Frances Wood, Jennifer Newton, Rebecca Evans and Lorna Simpson finished in a time of 2:15:33 placing them 3rd in the F40 category (25th of 32 complete teams overall). The Club’s second complete team of Louisa Cockburn, Alison Marshall, Kirsty Oliver and Mandy Cazes placed 28th in 2:21:49. Finally, Siobhan Coleman, Mairi Watts and Lynne McGill made up an incomplete team, covering three legs in 1:18:04.

Also on Sunday, Bryan Grome and Neil Anderson ran a wet and wild Loch Katrine Marathon. Neil finished in 4:01:50 and Bryan finished in 4:53:40 (a new PB for the route by 5mins).

At the Gartmorn 6 race (also Sunday) the Club was represented by Trevor Galloway and Ian Fyfe. The pre-race build-up was focused on the much anticipated post-race baking, 10/10 by all accounts. The race itself was mostly a trail, round the Gartmorn Dam, next to Alloa and Sauchie. Trevor finished in 42:40 closely followed by Ian in 43:15.

At parkrun Linlithgow had 13 runners across 7 runs.

The biggest Linlithgow contingent was at Falkirk where Scott Hyslop finished in 21:36, Jennifer Newton in 22:49, Roddy Simpson in 24:28 and Hannah Danson in 30:59. The fastest Linlithgow runner this week was William Millar, finishing Livingston in 20:12. Elsewhere, Ian Fyfe ran Linwood in 23:33, Graeme Wilkinson ran Meadowmill finishing in 24:52. At Lochend Woods, David Reade finished in 24:03, Mandy Cazes in 24:39. Neil Anderson ran Plean finishing in 22:55. At Edinburgh, Charlotte Moran finished in 23:23, Alex Wood in 26:54 and Graham Chambers in 30:06.

Photo credit: Bobby Gavin, Scottish Athletics official photographer and Neil Renton.

Weekly update: parkrun milestone, D33 Ultra, Mighty Deerstalker and the Lisbon Half Marathon

Another busy week for Linlithgow AC was kicked-off at parkrun on Saturday where Kenny Gray achieved an impressive milestone by  completing his 250th parkrun, finishing Falkirk in 23:53. Kenny first got into running through Falkirk parkrun and was at the first ever event back in 2011. His first finishing time was 27:58 but has since brought this down by some way to 18:45. But it’s not all been about running, Kenny has also volunteered at Falkirk 70 times including a spell on the organising team. A great achievement, well done.

Also at Falkirk parkrun this week was Ian Boxall who finished in 21:24 (6th overall and fastest Linlithgow runner this week), and Roddy Simpson who finished in 26:42. Elsewhere, David Reade ran Edinburgh in 25:04. At Livingston, William Millar finished in 21:57. Mandy Cazes ran Fort William in 26:52 (4th female overall) and Neil Anderson ran Meadow Mill in 22:54.

In Aberdeen, Marta Sroka ran the D33 Ultra race, some pretty tough conditions including sleet, snow and high winds made for a gruelling run - and not a single hill steep enough to justify walking! Marta finished in 05:09:38.

On Saturday evening, Gary Welsh was in Innerleithen for the notorious Mighty Deerstalker night race or as it was known on Saturday, the mudstalker. The route takes runners across rivers, through forests and over a mountain. Gary survived, finishing in 02:02:57.  

Malcolm Hughes was in Portugal on Sunday to run the Lisbon Half Marathon. The race started on the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge giving runners some spectacular views of the city. Conditions were, not surprisingly, dry and warm with a light breeze. Malcolm finished in 01:39:00.

Weekly update: Balloch to Clydebank and Inverness Half Marathons, Barcelona Marathon and parkun results

A busy weekend for Linlithgow runners was kicked off on Saturday, where Linlithgow had 6 runners across 5 parkruns.

The fastest Linlithgow runner this week was again William Millar, finishing Livingston in 20:38. Elsewhere, Mandy Cazes ran Edinburgh in 25:03. At Loch Leven, Scott Hyslop finished in 23:10. Jill Horsburgh was our parkrun tourist this week, running West Park, Germany in 24:53. Lastly, Ian Fyfe and David Reade ran Meadowmill in 21:11 and 28:15, respectively.

On Sunday, two Linlithgow runners managed PBs for half marathon distance made more satisfying by the challenging conditions. Karen Outram ran a wet and slushy Balloch to Clydebank Half Marathon, finishing in 01:43:04. David Reade, fresh from parkrun on Saturday, enjoyed 3 seasons in one during the Inverness Half Marathon finishing in 01:46:00.

Finally, in slightly warmer conditions, Neil Anderson ran the Barcelona Marathon, finishing in 03:44:00.

Your club needs you!
Club EGM, 26 March @ 7.30pm - Community Class Room, Linlithgow Academy

Reminder of the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Club this month to authorise the Club Committee to pursue Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) status. We need at least 20 club members at the meeting for it to be quorate.

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Scotland's Mental Health Charter for Physical Activity and Sport