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Saturday 13th November saw the first ever running of the Jimmy Irvine Achilles Heel Bella 10K.  The race celebrates 10 years of both Bellahouston Road Runners and Achilles Heel.  Almost 400 runners took to the start in truly autumnal conditions in Bellahouston Park.  Rain, sunshine and windy conditions all played a part in the day’s performances.

The men’s race was won by Ronhill Cambuslang Harrier Robert Gilroy in a time of 31:37.  In second place was David Millar of Irvine AC with a time of 32:04, followed by Jozsef Farkas in third place with a time of 32:47.  The male vet 40 category was won by Kerry-Liam Wilson, also from Ronhill Cambuslang Harriers, in a time of 35:26.  Brian Craig from Irvine AC scooped the prize in the  male vet 50 category (38:49) with Kenny McVey from VP City of Glasgow taking the male vet 60 prize (43:00).  Host club Bellahouston Road Runners took the men’s team prize (Matt Williamson, Ciaran Dougherty and Russell Whittington).

The ladies race was won by Lindsay Morrison from Central AC with an impressive time of 37:36.  Lindsay was followed home by Michelle Sandison from Springburn Harriers finishing in a time of 38:22.  Third place was Bellahouston Road Runner Deborah Gray (38:56), who took the 1st female vet 35 prize, allowing Jill Smylie from Giffnock North to take the last of the open prizes with a time of 39:32.  Jacqui Thomson from VP City of Glasgow won the female vet 45 age group with a time of 39:41.  Denise Lindsay won the female vet 55 category (49:52).  The ladies team prize also went to the host club, Bellahouston Road Runners (Deborah Gray, Jane Simpson and Claire Wharton).

The race also formed part of a series with the Bella 5K held in August.  David Millar from Irvine AC and Claire Wharton from Bellahouston Road Runners took the series prizes with the lowest accumulated times from both races.

Thank you to all the runners for taking part.

Provisional Results are here.

Please find provisional race results here.

Enquires about the results should be sent to Email: captains@bellahoustonroadrunners.co.uk

We’ve received a lot of entries, so we expect that parking will be tight in the Palace of Arts. If you’re not arriving via foot, bike or public transport, we’d encourage participants to consider parking along Mosspark Boulevard (plenty of free parking spaces available), and then walking or jogging the short distance across Bellahouston park, past the sports centre, to the Palace of Arts (by the hockey pitches) for registration. Directions available here (link).

Details on getting to the park on the event page. Public transport details are also on our main club page (note though registration is in the Palace of Arts).

We are busy at Race HQ working on all the final arrangements for this Saturday’s race.  We’re really looking forward to it, we hope you are to.   On the day entry is available so if you haven’t managed to post an entry yet just come along on the day.

See you all on Saturday!

An updated list of all entries received to the Jimmy Irvine Achilles Heel Bella 10k so far (7th November) is available here. If you’ve entered, please check your details are on the list, and get in touch by e-mailing info@bellahoustonroadrunners.co.uk if you’re not on the list as you’d expect.

The event is filling up fast. See the event pages for entry details, and get your form in the post quickly

Update: Entries to 7th November have been posted here.

A list of all entries received to the Jimmy Irvine Achilles Heel Bella 10k, so far (31st October, 2010) is available here. If you’ve entered, please check your details are on the list, and get in touch by e-mailing info@bellahoustonroadrunners.co.uk if you’re not on the list as you’d expect.

If you’ve not entered yet, there’s still time, but the event is filling up fast. See the event pages for entry details, and get your form in the post.

The course maps have been updated on the Events page also.  If you have been studying the maps, you’ll now notice a slight change in some of the markers to reflect the fact that the course has now been accurately measured by an approved measurer.  This resulted in a change of position for some markers, and a new finish point.

After last year’s gale force winds, the weather gods were slightly kinder to the 95 runners at the Bella Ben Venue Hill Race today, with a torrential downpour on the start line and only 30mph winds on the ridge to contend with.

But the weather did not stop some fast racing, with the lead changing hands many times between the top group before Matt Sullivan (Shettleston) & Peter Devenport (Bellahouston) used local knowledge for a good line on the final downhill on the open hillside from the ridge into Gleann Riabhach, and managed to pull away from the others. Matt held off Peter to win in a time of 1 hour 10 mins for the 8 mile course, but if Peter had not been forced to stop and tie a shoe lace in the run-in, the finish could have been even tighter. Finishing close behind this pair were the Shettleston duo, Tom Owens and Jethro Lennox.

In the ladies competition, Jacqui Higginbottom (Carnethy) used her speed (& long legs) on the steep trail section to overcome Shona Robertson of Westies, while Ellie Homewood, also of Westies finished in third.

In a tightly fought male vet race, the eventual winner was Bruce Smith (Carnethy) from Will Manners (Strathearn) and Alan Gilkison (Westerlands). In the ladies vet competition Fabienne Thompson of Carnegie held off the Carnethy pair, Joanne Anderson & Joan Wilson.

The teams prizes were split to the east & west of the country, with Shettleston winning the men’s (Matt Sullivan, Tom Owens, Jethro Lennox) and Carnethy winning the ladies (Jacqui Higginbottom, Fiona McKinnon & Joanne Anderson).

Being a new race, not everyone took the optimum route today, and I’m sure everyone knows of places where they can shave off a few seconds in the big race next year, but spare a thought for the runner who took a very non-optimum route, and ended up at Kinlochard, resulting in a 12 mile taxi ride back to the finish!

Ben Venue is one of the SHR championship races in 2011, so with this being the first race over the full course, we are keen to learn from your experience, so please send any comments or suggestions for improvement to benvenue@bellahoustonroadrunners.co.uk

The race doubles as a fundraiser for the Lomond Mountain Rescue Team, so many thanks to all the runners, marshalls & helpers who helped raise £500 for team funds.

Hope to see you all next year!

Results available as either a PDF (link) or Excel (link)

Further details of the Jimmy Irvine Achilles Heel Bella 10K, taking place on Saturday 13th November, have been added to the Events page here.   The race celebrates 10 years of both Bellahouston Road Runners and Achilles Heel.

Please come along and help us celebrate.  We’re looking forward to welcoming you on the day.

Sunday 8th August was a fine day for the Achilles Heel Bella 5k race, with the sun making a pleasant appearance for the first time in a while.

152 runners took part in the event, 35 from the host club Bella Road Runners. Achilies Heel Bella 5k Results 2010

Winning the mens race in fine style was Paul Sorrie from Shettleston Harriers in an excellent time of 14:59, a new course record.

Eilis McKechanie from HBT won the womens’ race in an equally impressive time of 18 mins.

Paul was followed by David Millar, Irvine AC who took the M40 prize and third was Bella’s own Kenny Richmond. In the ladies race Garscube Harriers runners Lesley Chisholm and Kirsty Husband took second and third place respectively and Lesley first FV35.

First Male Team prize went to Bella Road Runners: Kenny Richmond, Ciaran Dougherty and Craig Ross. First Female Team was Garscube: Lesley Chisholm, Kirsty Husband and Jill O’Neil.

A fine selection of food was on offer after the race in the Palace of Art for runners and helpers to savour and enjoy the excellent sunshine. Many thanks to all of the volunteers who helped provide such excellent support to the event.

Photos will follow soon. Thanks to Gerry Scullion for the race report!

Brendan sent in another great race report from yesterday’s Lairig Ghru hill race:

Brendan in full flight, taken by Peter Diender, www.action-heroes.co.uk

The 2010 Lairig Ghru race took place yesterday (Sunday 28/6/10). The race runs from Braemar to Aviemore across the Cairngorms and the Lairig Ghru pass. The route starts with a gentle rise out of Braemar along quiet road towards the stunning Mar Lodge, from there its on to landrover tracks for a few miles until you get to Derry lodge which is about 9 miles in. At this point you get on to a good mountain path which rises up and over the Lairig Ghru pass, its about another 7 miles before you get to the top of the pass and the boulder fields.
The boulder field feels like it is massive, it stretches for about 2 miles, it has rocks that are considerably bigger than Jane Simpson, which was quite amusing, especially when she started to do a great impression of Muttley, couldn’t see her, could just hear her “shuggin, fuggin, stupid rocks, boulder field ar$e”. The rocks are also quite violent and frequently “jump” anyone that stops paying attention for any length of time… Cue a comedy fall where I end up headfirst down a banking on my back looking like a turtle trying to get myself the right way up.

After the boulder field it’s a technical rocky downhill path for about. 2 miles to the top of the forest at Rothiemurchus, no sooner had we entered the forest than I got jumped by possibly the smallest bit of tree root in the Cairngorms, Jane did well to stifle her laughs as i face planted on the forest paths… thanks. Through the forest and on to Coylumbridge where you rejoin the main road and head for Aviemore police station and the finish. We had a nice strong finish averaging just over 7 mins a mile for the last 6 of the 28.

We both finished in 4:35:38 (ish)

More details of the route can be found at http://www.deesiderunners.com/dp/node/10, and the map at http://www.scottishhillracing.co.uk/Graphics/Maps/RA-0067-main.jpg

A cracking race, stunning views of the cairngorms and really good mixed running ( although road shoes are fine for it).

Well done to Jane on completing her first marathon somewhere in amongst the 28 miles that we covered yesterday

Special thanks to Peter Diender for the picture, and permission to use. Check out his other pictures from the event here.