The brilliant Cat MacDonald represented Team Scotland again in Italy on Saturday 5th September, at the ‘Vertical’ Trofeo Nasego International Mountain Race in Casto. From bottom to top, 1,000m of ascent up the 4.2k course in 56:04. Well done Cat! Well done too, to Simon Wells, who ran the Ben Nevis Race on Saturday. 14k with 1,345m of ascent to the summit, then back down. A brilliant effort in 1:31:40. Well done to the dynamic duo of Helen Winning & Caroline Munro, who ran the windy Tiree Ultra Relay on Sunday 6th September, completing 17 miles each! And then there were a couple of nice Half Marathon results too. Firstly, in Budapest there was great PB running by Gianluigi Re 1:38:13 & Laura Loddo 1:49:47. And there was a brilliant PB 1:26:15 and 2nd place finish for Michael Rice at the Run Nation Strathclyde Park HM.
News
Sunday 6th September saw too of our most popular 10k races take place in Stirling and Saltcoats. Both form part of our Club Championship as ‘medium distance’ events. In Stirling, it was the Podfather Stirling 10k, with great results from Oscar Coetzee 32:19 2nd MV40, David Jarrett 35:06, Bruce Carmichael 35:09 2nd MV50, Jay Cowan 37:55, Callum Dickson 39:12, Cara Thom 39:29 PB, Abby McGlone 40:41, Veronica Fusaro 44:12, Nick Smith 44:48, Murdoch Rodgers 55:34. Meanwhile, in Saltcoats, it the North Ayrshire Athletics Club (NAAC) 10k. Well done to Sam Ramsay 39:29 PB, Cathy Wood 40:31 2nd Lady, Robert Smith 42:19, Kalonde Kasengele 48:03, Mandy Morgan 51:14, Wallace Gray 52:36, Emma Queenan 54:30, Gayle McKay 55:49, Pauline Bradley 56:07, Chris Doak 57:21, Katherine Wainwright 59:40. More fantastic podium finishes for Oscar, Bruce and Cathy, and an outstanding run by Cara to finally smash the 40 minute barrier. Well done Bellas!
On Saturday 5th September, our very own Membership Secretary, Rhoda Yarmahoudi celebrated in style at Pollok Parkrun with her completing her 250th run AND her 250th volunteer credit! What an achievement, and even nicer was that this was timed to coincide with our annual parkrun volunteer takeover, meaning there were almost 30 Bellas marshalling, scanning, etc, notwithstanding those running and spectating! Rhoda is one of Pollok’s Run Directors, demonstrating such a commitment to parkrun and to Bellahouston Road Runners. Our President, Emer Campbell, was at the finish line to present Rhoda with some flowers and goodies. Take a bow ma’am!
Sunday 6th September was ‘Scilly Season’ as the amazing Jordan Davidson was in action in the most southerly part of the British Isles, for the Scilly 60k Ultra. Only 430 miles from Glasgow as the crow flies! This annual event is limited to 150 runners and takes place over 5 islands, with boat rides between each island. So, in order of the stages there is St Mary’s (17k), St Martin’s (10k), Tresco (11k), Bryher (8k), St Agnes (9k) and St Mary’s again (5k). Jordan just continues to impress each season with his performances and the variety of races he runs. In this instance, he finished in an incredible 6th place in 4:59:44! What an experience, and what a guy. Well done JDawg!
On Saturday 29th August 2026, it was the 18th edition of the Highland Fling 85k Ultra Trail Race. An epic run on the West Highland Way from Milngavie to Tyndrum. Over 2,300m of ascent on this route too, making it an even tougher challenge on what was a warm day. We had both Grant & Iain Murphy in action in this race with great performances as always. Grant finished in 10:02:00 while Iain wasn’t far behind in 10:48:01. Another ultra ticked off for our Mighty Murphys! Well done guys!
This week saw the unveiling of this years Jimmy Irvine 10k Finisher’s T-shirt!! Our super-talented member Graeme Pert has done it again! Another epic design celebrating one of Bellahouston Park’s iconic landmarks. This long-sleeved beauty features a unique wrap-around print, created with sublimated dye for a seamless, high-quality finish that will look as good as it feels! We love it and can’t wait to see the T-shirt in the flesh. Want one? Sign up below and you’ll get yours on 8th November! https://www.entrycentral.com/form/127858
Very well done to the dynamic duo of Christine Milligan 7:01:58 & Lynne Goldie 7:39:53 at the Breaking Strain 50k ‘Run the Borders Ultra’ from Melrose to Jedburgh on Saturday 22nd August. A fantastic effort on a lovely day. It was the brilliant 7 Mile Tom Robb Trail Race in the Carron Valley Forest on Saturday too. Well done to the brilliant contingent of Brian Mulgrew 46:21, Alice Howe 1:05:56, Fiona Birrell 1:06:50, Roz Wilson 1:07:23, Lynn Stuart 1:09:52. And on Sunday 23rd, it was the Scurry ‘Devilla Forest Trail Races’ on Sunday. In the Half Marathon, there was a brilliant run by the brilliant Jordan Davidson for 2nd place in c.1:24:39. In the 10k, the equally impressive Simon Wells finished 2nd in c.38:58.
Over on the east coast on Sunday 16th August, it was the Scottish Half Marathon. A fast, flat road race along the East Lothian Golf Coast, finishing with a unique final furlong inside Musselburgh Racecourse. Another one of our ‘long’ Club Championship race and brilliant efforts by the 5 Bellas who ran, namely Bruce Carmichael 1:18:49 2nd MV50, Mark Young 1:24:46, Chelsea Cruikshank 1:26:43, Rebecca Croney 1:45:10, Robert Boag 1:56:01.
On Sunday 16th August, it was the Paisley 10k, one of our ‘medium’ Club Championship races. We had the winner this year in the amazing Ross Horgan with a PB 31:36. An outstanding effort and only 24s away from a new club record. And there was another brilliant run by Deborah Gray in 40:47 for 1st FV50. Ross, together with Bryan Kerr 42:47 PB & Calum Borthwick 33:02 PB also took the Mens Team prize. A brilliant day, with at least 9 PB performances from our contingent of 30 Bellas. Well done everyone! Full results are available below: https://www.racetecresults.com/results.aspx?CId=20246&RId=12358
On Wednesday 5th August 2026,we substituted out normal training night for a 5k Time Trial on a measured Strava ‘segment’ within Bellahouston Park. This event counted as a ‘short’ race in our Club Championship for 2025/2026. We had a great turn out of over 40 members running and several more helping out on the sidelines. It was a cool, breezy evening but that didn’t deter our runners who put in great efforts a got a welcome tick-in-the-box towards their Championship standing.
It was the Greenock Glenpark Harriers ‘Bill Elder 10k’ on the evening of Friday 7th August in Greenock. The second ‘public’ running of this great event that takes a scenic, flat out/back route along the Greenock Esplanade. This race served as one of our ‘medium’ Club Championship events again this year with a healthy 14 Bellas making the trip to Inverclyde. As always, there was great running by Team BRR with Jamie Robinson 37:37, Jonathan Wieland 38:07, Calum Brown 39:13, Cathy Wood 39:41 PB 2nd Lady, Jamie Wieland 39:51, Deborah Gray 41:22 1st FV50, Martin McNulty 42:38, David Pattison 42:45, Gerry McDonnell 43:23, Alex Shaw 44:58, Frans Roelofse 45:46 3rd MV60, Tony Breslin 46:24, Murdoch Rodgers 56:42 2nd MV70, Chris Doak 57:31. Another great 10k PB for Cathy who continues in such a strong vein of form and who is now pushing for sub-39 minutes.
It was one of our Club Championship ‘short’ races on Saturday 25th July 2026, at Cuningar Loop parkrun. We had a brilliant turn out of 40 runners and 2 volunteers. Well done everyone who participated. We had 7 men in the top 10, with 7 ladies amongst the top 10 females, including the first 5 ladies. Our own first 3s were Paul McNairn 1st, Kenny Osborne 2nd, Michael Rice (4th) with Cara Thom 1st, Claire Wharton 2nd, Jen Conway-Evans 3rd. Thank you to Cuningar Loop parkrun for accommodating us and of course, to the volunteers, runners and supporters who all helped to make it a great day.
Congratulations to Cat MacDonald who represented Scotland again on Saturday 18th July 2026, at the 49th ‘Ras Yr Wydffa’ (Snowdon International Hill Race). Ten miles up and down Wales’ highest peak. Cat was 16th female (from 94) in a brilliant 1:32:06, helping Scotland’s women team win gold!
It was another South African start to Saturday (18/07/2026) when our incredible Oscar Coetzee ran the 50k Cape Town Running Festival Ultra. And what a run too, placing 3rd, 1st Vet in an amazing 3:18:21. It was also the Highlander Back Yard Ultra at the Murthly Castle Estate in Perthshire on the same day. 4.167 mile loops to be completed, starting on the hour from midday. Very well done to Stephen McQuade who completed a PB 21 ‘yards’ totalling 89 miles, with Alan Digweed also racking up a PB 16 ‘yards’ for 67.5 miles.
It was the Breaking Strain ‘Run the Blades’ weekend begining on a warm, sunny Fair Friday night with the 10k. Brilliant running, and an upgrade from last year’s second place for Jordan Davidson 37:39 1st place, Simon Wells 38:06 2nd place, Jay Cowan 40:21, Alan Chalmers 41:37, Keir Gowan 41:38, Laura Henderson 51:18, Lynne Hamilton 57:09. In the 50k Ultra on Saturday, Jordan Davidson (yes, the same one) battled the heat to run a brilliant 4:19:34 finishing in 9th place. And on a warm Sunday morning, there were scorching performances from Ross Horgan 1:14:23 1st place, Veronica Fusaro 1:39:18 1st place lady, David Jarrett 1:45:32.