WEST DISTRICT XC CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013

On Saturday 7th December the excellent Ayrshire Athletics Arena in Kilmarnock was host to runners from all over the West of Scotland – no comfy track but in the challenging wide open spaces of the Ayrshire countryside.  A combination of a bright crisp winter day and the venue proved precisely the right conditions required for cross-country running cool and lots of mud!  The host club Kilmarnock Harriers put on a real hard core cross country course for all age groups from under 13 to Seniors and only a select few junior Calderglen Harriers took up the challenge to see who is best in the West!

 

First race of the day was the under 13 girls who had a take on a strength sapping 1 lap 3.2km course.  The Calderglen Harriers had training partner Emma Lawton and 2^nd claim runner in this race running for her 1^st claim club Giffnock North.  Emma had a strong run from start to finish running close to Ayr Seaforth’s Emma Frew for the majority of the race and took a decisive surge with 200 metres to take the fantastic victory with a time of 11.15 minutes.  This win contributed to the team prize for Giffnock North.

Emma Lawton & Marc McQuade

Next up was the under 13 boys running the same course as the girls.  Marc McQuade and Calum MacDonald running in the Calderglen Harriers bumblebee coloured vests. Marc McQuade was our first boy home in 12.23 minutes improving on his performance from the Lanarkshire Cross Country the week before and handling the deep mud very well.   Calum MacDonald completed the team and finished with a time of 12.56 minutes.

For the under 15 athletes we had Megan Anderson, Louise Brown and Lewis MacDonald. The under 15 course distance was 4km and for the girls this was their only second race in this age group.  Megan Anderson was in first with a time of 18.30 minutes followed by Louise Brown in 19.04 minutes. 

The final race the Harriers had young athletes competing was the u15 boys where Lewis MacDonald ran the race for the first time in this age category and stepped up to the bigger 4k route in a field of 61 runners and achieved a time of 20.05 minutes. Well done to Megan Anderson, Louise Brown and Lewis MacDonald for continuing to do well.

On behalf of the Calderglen Harriers, I would like to thank all the young athletes and parents for making this another successful event. Hopefully valuable experience was gained by all which will lead us to future successes.

Well done to all on a fantastic effort on a very tough course.

Richard