Athletics: Runners compete in Cumbrian event

Oct 30 2009 by Our Correspondent, Dumfries Standard Friday

THE MAIN target at the weekend for members of Dumfries Running Club was the Cumbrian Run in Carlisle on Sunday morning.

With an unusual start at the castle, gates were opened to allow the 1,700 runners to cross into the pedestrian city centre, through the suburbs and out to surrounding villages with a difficult run in crossing the River Eden going through Bitts park to the finish on the track at Sheepmount Stadium.

Conditions were not favourable with a strong headwind which impeded runners in the latter stages added to cool temperatures and intermittent showers.

Best club performance came from Steven Smith who was 15th overall in 78.47 ahead of Kevin Conchar who overcame the conditions in 35th in 83.42 and he pipped Doug Brown by two places and less than 30 seconds. These three were awarded the prize as second male team behind Border Harriers and Doug was second supervet man.

In a keenly-run contest Sandy Shankland was third supervet in 46th place in 85.53 nosing a couple of places and 21 seconds in front of Alan Baxter in the final mile.

Jo Zakrzewski had another storming run as second woman in 87.18, 13 seconds shy of her best at the distance.

As an indication of her recent exalted standards, this was the first race in 2009 that she has failed to set a personal best. Ian Brown, running in the colours of Tynedale Harriers, was fourth supervet in 87.35.

Thomas Aitken ran brightly in 94.47 in 152nd place and Sian Finlay had an excellent run in 96.01.

Unfortunately without a third counting finisher there was no chance to convert these two quality runs into a women’s team prize.

David Breen and Jim Grierson raced each other almost the whole way with David winning by seven seconds in 101.55 and surprise returnee, former club member Chris Adams enjoyed his run in 110mins.

Tom McCaulay, in only his second-ever outing at the distance after last month’s Dumfries race, performed really well in the tough conditions to dip under the psychological two-hour barrier.

Dublin Marathon

Monday’s Dublin marathon saw over 10,000 taking part over the classic 26.2 mile distance and with Val Vince having to withdraw in the past month due to injury, four runners with Dumfries connections took part.

Best performance by a long way was by Dr Sandra Brett, a former DRC member now resident in Dublin who had a brilliant run in 3 hours 5 mins ahead of Norman Neilson who eased himself back into form after his run over the West Highland way in June finishing in three hours 24.

Ally Wilson of Dalbeattie had a superb debut run in three hours 32 and Bob Mitchell of Dumfries Harriers ran very well in an even paced four hours seven mins, well into the top half of the field.