Congratulations to Cat MacDonald who ran for Scotland at the World Mountain Running Association, World Cup events at the Vertical Nasego & Trofeo Nasego in Casto, Brescia, in the Italian Alps, on Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th May. Cat finished in a solid 18th place for both races, the Vertical (a straight 4.2k climb) in 47:31 and the 21.4k Trofeo in 2:04:34! Overall, Team Scotland finished in second place in the six nation event, a fantastic result! Hitting heights: Scotland land fine second in Mountain Run Six Nations event in Italy
Monthly archives: May 2025
11 posts
It was another big one in Edinburgh for the Marathon Festival on Sunday 25th May. There was a punishing wind and a four seasons day to contend with for our Bellas for bother the half and full marathon. Mark Young was our sole Bella in the HM and ran a great 1:24:51, made more impressive as he continues his recovery from recent injury. In the marathon, there were brilliant efforts in by Neil McSeveney (2:44:03 PB), Bryan Mulgrew (2:44:32) Angus Gray (2:47:03), Sean Coyle (2:47:08), Alan Moss (3:20:54), Ronnie Hart (3:38:38), Hayley Drysdsle (4:29:09), Anton Soderqvist (4:30:17) and Ewen Cameron (4:39:28). Special mention to Alan, who completed the marathon in his globe costume, representing and fundraising for Worldwide Cancer Research. https://www.justgiving.com/page/alan-moss-globe-marathon-run
Wednesday 21st May, was the Kilpatrick Kaper Hill Race, 6.8k with 350m ascent. It was a glorious evening for this one, with lovely views down the Clyde. Well done to our very own Team KPR of Kenny McDonald (48:30), Poppy Bowie (41:44) and Rich Evans (39:12), who can now tick off another off-road club championship race! And it was congratulations again to Poppy, who despite running up that hill on Wednesday, finished 3rd lady at the Kirkcudbright HM on Saturday in a brilliant 1:36:32!
Thursday 22nd May was the Dumbarton 10k, and the second babcock series race this season. It was another warm one with 18 Bellas in the field of almost 450. Brilliant running again from our contingent and podium finishes too! Ross Horgan ran a PB of 31:53 to finish second while Oscar Coetzee, 32:20, finished fourth overall, first MV40. Together with Grant Murphy, 33:42, they took second mens team! Our ladies produced great runs too with Kelly Taylor 38:11, Cara Thom 42:11, and Katie Mathieson 44:02 to finish third ladies team. Kelly and Cara also PB’d! Congratulations too, to Emma Queenan on her first 10k! Our full results were: Ross Horgan – 31:53, PB, 2nd Place Oscar Coetzee – 32:20, 1st MV40 Grant Murphy – 33:42 Stuart Macdougall – 34:43 Iain Murphy – 35:35 Bruce Carse – 35:44 Kelly Taylor – 38:11, PB Bryan Kerr – 40:03 Robert Smith – 41:26, PB Cara Thom – 42:11, PB Katie Mathieson – 44:02 Tom Thorne – 44:20 Frans Roelofse – 45:47 Lyndsay Kennedy – 47:47 Emma Queenan – 48:53, PB Kevin Queenan – 48:53 Sue Campbell Senior – 54:46 Graeme Pert – 57:36
On the evening of Friday 16th May, it was Silverknowes on the east coast, on another very warm night for the Sri Chinmoy 5k, doubling as the Scottish Athletics 5k Road Race Championship. This is a very popular event that sells out within hours and runs on a flat course, parallel to the Firth of Forth just north of Edinburgh. We had brilliant running and excellent pacing from the 6 Bellas who secured a spot, with Paul McNairn (16:29 PB), Jordan Davidson (16:47), Bruce Carse (17:04), Cathy Wood (19:39), Flora Henry (21:14 PB), Kirsty MacFarlane (21:16 PB). Not far off PB times for Jordan and Cathy and getting close again to sub-17 for Bruce. A great event, well done everyone!
The first babcock 10k of this year’s series took place on Sunday 11th May at the Shettleston 10k at Glasgow Green. It doubled as the Scottish Athletics West District 10k Road Race Championship. It was a beautiful morning and another great event, as always, being very well organised. Incredibly, the course records for men and women both fell in a very strong field of athletes from all over the UK. It was another great club turnout, with some brilliant PBs for Bryan Mulgrew (33:39), Callum Dickson (36:37), Emma Peters (42:48) and another great MV40 win by our ever consistent Oscar Coetzee (33:34), taking the top category spot by one second. Well done everyone! Best of luck at race number two in the babcock series, the Dumbarton 10k on Thursday 22nd May!
The Bella mountain goats were back out this week at two of the most popular hill races in the calendar. On the evening of Wednesday 7th May 2025, it was the University of Stirling 50th Dumyat Hill Race in the beautiful Ochils. 8k with nearly 400m of climbing at what used to be the pictish hill fort of Dun Myat. Great going by Jethro Browell (43:14), Rich Evans (45:23), Kenny McDonald (55:31) & Allan McDermid (59:09). Saturday 10th May was a warm one at the Westerlands Cross Country Club annual Ben Lomond Hill Race. Around 7.8 miles and 3,150ft of ascent, from Rowardenan to the summit of Scotland’s most southerly Munro (and back down!). A fantastic performance by Cat MacDonald in 1:27:55 to finish 1st lady. Brilliant too for Simon Wells in 1:39:03. And congratulations and good luck to Cat, who has again been selected for Scotland at the Trofeo Nasego Mountain Running International event in Italy on 24/25 May.
It was one of our favourite annual races on Wednesday 7th May, at the 38th Troon 10k. It was a glorious night in Ayrshire for the 17 Bellas who ran in what is one of the most popular 10ks in the calendar. Great running from Kenny Crawford (41:35), Al Maclachlan (42:57 1st MV60), Claire Wharton (43:05 1st FV50), Kevin Queenan (44:38), Ruth McKelvie (45:42), Lyndsay Kennedy (47:45), Anne Campbell (47:50), Shirley Wieland (49:12, 3rd FV60 PB), Alice Howe (49:24), Lynn Rennie (51:00), Babs Wilson (51:04), Catherine Laurence (53:49), Robert Boag (1:00:09), Louise Nimmo (1:01:50), Terry Nimmo (1:03:40), Nicola Barrington (1:05:02), Carla Telfer (1:09:32). Another great event by Troon Tortoises who even laid on the weather! We are looking forward to number 39 next year!
Entries are now open for this years Jimmy Irvine Bella 10K race, at Bellahouston Park at 1200hrs on Sunday 9th November 2025. We have 800 places this year and it’s a changed route now that works within the park are complete. And the good news is that it’s flatter! We also have a new venue at the Glasgow Club, Bellahouston Sport Centre for registration and hospitality afterwards. Again, the good news is that this is directly beside the start / finish of the race! You will be able to enter at Entry Central https://www.entrycentral.com/jimmy2025
On Monday 28th April, we had our annual 3k Track races. There was a fantastic turnout of 80 Bellas at Hutchesons’ track on a lovely sunny evening. There were some cracking performances from the 58 runners who took part. All ably supported by the Bella volunteers and supporters who gave up their time to make it such a great event, we couldn’t have done it without you! On signing up, our members had the option to donate to local parkruns, and a whopping £300 was raised! On top of that, we brought along our old trainers and kit which will be sent to running clubs in Malawi by https://rerunit.co.uk Well done everyone!
It was another big city marathon on Sunday 4th May, following the epic races in London and Manchester the week before, with our latest marathon marvels tackling the 43rd Belfast City Marathon! It was another warm and sunny day in the historic city where the Titanic was built, and the locals came out in numbers to cheer on the participants, whether full marathon or relay teams. We had a fantastic four representing BRR and they did not disappoint! First home for us was the incredible Jordan Davidson in a big PB of 2:46:22, followed by Lauren Rice who also PBd (by 23 mins) finishing in 3:18:01! Both finished in the top 50 males / females. Lucy MacKay, running only a week after London, finished in a brilliant 4:26:02, placing 4th FV60 and completing her 7th Belfast Marathon and 77th marathon in total! Andy Tomlinson was close behind in 4:28:04, an incredible effort, overcoming a number of injury issues on the lead up to the event. Congratulations to you all, and enjoy your recovery!