Cover photo – Chris, Alan, Mark, Andy and Bryan of the Scottish Long Coastal Relay team 

Tuesday Night Training

Jog leader Allen led the group through a fartlek drill at the Energy Park at Methil Docks.

Scottish Long Coastal Relays

One of the most testing events on the local running calendar, the Scottish Long Coastal Relays, took place last week around the Fife Coastal Path where teams of six runners set out to complete the full 116 miles from Culross to Newburgh. Leven Las Vegas Running Club had achieved an excellent third place at the 2017 event and the team of Chris Russell, Alan Davie, Robin Pate, Mark McLean, Andy Cargill and Bryan McLaren were looking to do well again this year.

Starting at midnight and running by torchlight, Chris Russell gave the team an excellent start by equalling his own record time from 2017 for the first stage and handing over at North Queensferry to Alan Davie in first place. Alan continued his run through the darkness to Dysart where Robin Pate took over for the next stage to St Monans. As dawn broke Robin passed the baton to Mark McLean for the longest stage of the race around Fife Ness to St Andrews where Andy Cargill set off for Wormit Bay with the LLV team still holding on to second place overall.

On arrival at Wormit Bay, Bryan McLaren took over with a small lead of around 5 minutes over the third placed team. Unfortunately the long distance racing experience of the final stage runners in third and fourth place allowed them to overhaul Bryan on the way to Newburgh, leaving LLV in fourth place overall by a slim margin of less than three minutes when Bryan crossed the finish line at Newburgh in mid-afternoon.

Team results:

1. PH Racing Club 14.36.34 (Record)
2. Carnethy 15.42.59
3. Fifi & the Pixies 15.53.03
4. Leven Las Vegas 15.55.40
5. Carnegie Harriers 16.31.35
6. Corstorphine A 17.13.42
7. PAACE Hillies 17.23.12
8. Scald Law 17.36.45
9. Corstorphine B 17.40.07
10. Team Loads 18.04.27
11. Beacon Runners 18.21.20

LLV individual stages:

• Chris (Kincardine to North Queensferry) 1:50:34 (equalling his own record time)
• Alan (North Queensferry to Dysart) 2:37:26
• Robin (Dysart to St Monans) 2:47:40
• Mark (St Monans to St Andrews) 3:14:39
• Andy (St Andrews to Wormit Bay) 2:54:09
• Bryan (Wormit Bay to Newburgh) 2:31:12

Parkruns

Teresa Guild, Susan Kirkcaldy and Luke Whittaker achieved new personal best times at Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy.

Giffordtown 5k

Allen Marr continued his return from injury by setting a season’s best time at the Giffordtown 5k road race.

Race results:

• Allen Marr – 57th and 3rd V60 20:04

Upcoming Events

• East District Cross Country Relays – Saturday 13 October
• Lochore 10k – Sunday 14 October

Further ahead

• East District Cross Country League Meeting 1 – Saturday 20 October
• Nutcracker Trail Race #2 – Sunday 21 October
• National Cross Country Relays – Saturday 27 October
• Path of Condie Half Marathon – Saturday 27 October
• Tentsmuir Torchlit Run – Friday 2 November
• Templeton 10 – Sunday 4 November
• Men’s 10k – Sunday 4 November
• Lasswade Open Cross Country – Sunday 4 November
• National Short Course Cross Country Championships – Saturday 10 November
• Glen Clova Half Marathon – Saturday 10 November
• Silvery Tay Trail Race – Sunday 11 November
• Livingston AC Open Cross Country – Saturday 17 November
• Hartley Cup – Sunday 18 November
• East District Cross Country League Meeting 2 – Saturday 24 November
• Largo Law Hill Race – Tuesday 27 November
• Bob Stark Memorial 5k – Sunday 2 December
• East District Cross Country Championships – Saturday 8 December
• Loch Leven Santa Run – Sunday 9 December
• Indoor 3000m Championships – Friday 4 January 2019
• National Indoor Open Meeting – Saturday 12 January 2019
• East District Cross Country League Meeting 3 – Saturday 19 January 2019
• Masters Cross Country Championships – Saturday 2 February 2019
• Indoor Masters Championships – Sunday 17 February 2019
• Smokies 10 Mile (Ladies Only) – Sunday 3 March 2019