The Club held its inaugural 3K track race on 18 April, the sunniest and warmest evening of the year so far. No fewer than 53 club runners competed in three heats, cheered on by fellow club members, and supported by an enthusiastic team of volunteers who worked hard to time each runner individually. It was a great chance for everyone to practise racing on the track in a friendly environment, and a nice excuse to enjoy some food and drink together after the running was over. We hope that this sort of racing evening will become a regular part of the club’s activities. Let us know if you have any ideas for next time! The club is extremely grateful to Doleen and Jim who gave invaluable help on the night, and to Pollok Parkrun and Giffnock North for lending equipment. Congratulations to all the runners who took part and a big thank you to everyone who volunteered. Here is a brilliant video of the event that Kevin Turner has put together.
News
This article was originally posted on 7th April. 2018, but is kept up to date to reflect the results each year. Saturday 17th February 2018 saw the second Bellahouston Mob match at Pollok parkrun between Bellahouston Road Runners, and Bellahouston Harriers, with a fantastic 134 club members completing the distance, many more supporting their club or helping with the event. The first took place on 4th March, 2017, with 98 runners. Whilst inter-club races, and “mob matches”, are not new, they do appear to have fallen by the wayside a little, certainly in the Glasgow area and elsewhere in Scotland. We’re hoping that the great reception to the event in both years so far, and the hugely positive comments from club members that we’ll be able to encourage other clubs to give the format a try, and hope that what follows here can help with that. The actual result felt secondary to the atmosphere and camaraderie on the day: We’re hoping it painted a positive and welcoming picture of what belonging to a running/athletics club and local community can bring, and that prospective new members might be encouraged to join our respective clubs. We’re mindful though that given the event we are taking part in is staged by parkrun volunteers, it’s important that we recognise the work they do to put the event on, and work with them to minimise the impact the mob match can have. Our club also has two of the current Pollok core team, as well as the previous Event Director, amongst it’s members, which helped with considerations/awareness of issues.
We’re pleased to announce that the club is now in a position to claim back Gift Aid on membership fees, and any donations you have made (or may make in future) to the club, at no additional cost to yourself. This is worth an extra £5 per member from the annual £20 membership fee. You can find the form available on the website at bellahoustonroadrunners.co.uk/gift-aid A few more details about what we’ll plan to do with the money on the member’s forum here.
Many thanks to the many members who came along to last week’s AGM, and helped support the club. We’re absolutely delighted by the attendance, and think it might even be a first to have standing room only! It certainly reflects well on the club to have so many engaged, passionate and interested members. Well done and many thanks to you all! Copies of the slides, and a breakdown of the key decisions reached (full minutes will be available in due course), have now been posted on the club forum for members to access. But a ‘summary of the summary’ amounts to: Procedural motions to review and accept previous minutes, presented finances were accepted. The club strategic plan was presented, and accepted. The proposed adjustment to membership fees, allowing the club to dispense with stripping fees, and introduce a fees structure supporting concessions, and more flexible payment methods and schedules, was accepted. There’s no immediate change, as we’ll be moving forward with this later in the year: We will post details as we proceed with the implementation. We said a big thank you to trustees standing down, and welcomed new members as trustees to help take the club forward. Lots of great questions, suggestions and comments were made by members, and we hope to ensure those are properly considered as we take the key proposals forward. Members do please speak to any of the Board of Trustees with any questions, or post a note on the forum. The new board are all looking forward to getting started with taking the club forward with it’s new strategic plan. If you’re interested in becoming a member (or rejoining if you’ve lapsed), please pop along to training one evening for a chat! Lots of details on our website!
What a fantastic morning at Pollok parkrun! 71 Road Runners competed against 63 Harriers with the Road Runners coming out on top again, to retain the title, although the Harriers had more presence in the top ten. Many PBs were had, and our turnout contributed to the 2nd highest ever attendance at Pollok. Full results are on the parkrun website. Thanks to the Pollok parkrun organising team for accommodating us, and putting on such a great event ? Thanks also to the Harriers for their great hospitality at the after party/presentation back at Cartha. All participants also received a commemorative buff to mark the occasion. C’mon the Bellas! ?? Photos from the day are being added to our facebook page, so give us a ‘like’ there to see them all!
Club members were recently sent formal notification of the club’s first AGM since becoming a SCIO charity. We’re hoping as many members can make it along on the 19th February to help support the club. if you didn’t receive the email, please check your membership to ensure you’re able to take part, or contact the membership secretary, or another trustee, if you’re uncertain. As well as a few housekeeping items (details here), we’ll be putting a couple of proposals to members to review and consider: A Strategy for the club – The Board has taken the results of our recent members’ consultation, and discussions with members over the last six months, to publish an outline strategy for the club over the next 3-5 years. It’s published today on the forum for members to read through and comment on in advance of the AGM. Members can access it here on the club forum. We’re also publishing a proposal to reorganise our club membership fee structure, to replace ‘stripping fees’, to help put us on a strong financial base, and offer greater flexibility to existing members with flexible payment options, concessionary rates, and hopefully extend our appeal to new members as a great value place to train. Members can access the proposal, and figures behind it, on the club forum. We’ll also be taking the time to thank a number of Trustees who are stepping down, as well as appointing a number of new members who are keen to get involved with the club. We look forward to seeing you on the 19th, Bellahouston Road Runners
BELLA MEN WIN SCOTTISH VETERAN HARRIERS ROAD RELAYS! LADIES FINISH THIRD! The men’s team of Bruce Carse, Bruce Carmichael, Graeme Paterson and Andy Campbell ran out of their skins to become Scottish Champions at the SVHC Road Relays, beating 51 other teams to the trophy. Our ladies team of Romy Beard, Emer Campbell and Claire Wharton won a fantastic bronze medal! Congratulations to you all, the club are very proud of you! Well done to everybody who took part and supported our members on the day. Well done!
The Road Runners vs The Harriers! Saturday 17th February. RSVP on Facebook, or just rock up on the day in your purple top! Following on from last year’s brilliant event, we’re bringing it back again for 2018. This time it’s part of our club championships so we’re hoping it’ll be even bigger and better this year! You pitch up at Pollok parkrun on 17th February (you are registered at parkrun, right?). Run 5K, fast. Finish as high up the field as you can. Scan your barcode. Then join everyone back at the Cartha for the after run fun. How does it work? • Turn up ready to run. Wear your club vest so that you can be easily identified. • Run the Pollok parkrun. Trying to finish as high up the field as possible. Your only job is to beat the Harrier in front of you. But watch out behind, there’s a Harrier chasing you! • After finishing parkrun, show your finish token to the Bellahouston Road Runner volunteer (who will be standing near the barcode scanners), they will take note of your name and placing. • All placings will be added up. • We will count the lowest club attendance, minus three. So, if we have 50 runners and the Harriers have 45, then the first 42 places will be counted in each team. (That’s the Harriers attendance (45), minus 3. Equals 42. You still with me!?) • The club with the least number of points will win the prestigious Mob Match Trophy……until the 2019 return of the mob match. After the race we will join the Harriers at the Cartha Rugby Club for food, drinks and prizegiving where we can all make our excuses for not running down that final hill as fast as we could have. If you can, please come along. Every runner counts. There’s no gender, age, or entry requirements. If you are a club member turn up and give it a go. You just have to beat the Harrier in front of you while not losing to the Harrier behind you. This event is designed to be all inclusive. It’s a race. A good ol’ mob match. And hopefully something to give everyone in both clubs some motivation to really attack that parkrun course.If you can’t run, please consider volunteering at the parkrun. Family & friends are more than welcome, both to run with us, and to join us back at the Cartha. Every club member who runs, volunteers or turns up to support will receive a commemorative gift! Event: Mob Match Bellahouston Road Runners vs Bellahouston Harriers Where: Pollok parkrun which starts and ends at the Burrell When: Saturday 17th February 2018 at 9.30am After party: The Cartha Rugby Club, 92 Dumbreck Road, Glasgow, G41 4SN Who: All members, family and friends.
It was a great morning in Bellahouston Park where we held our Annual Festive Fun Run after the weather related call-off of Pollok parkrun, then back to our club base Nethercraigs for the after party. A total of £130 was raised for our winner Norman Boyle’s nominated charity of Alzheimers Scotland. Dancer (Kelly Ludwig) and Buckfast Monk (Gordon Goldie) won the awards for best outfits!
The club is currently consulting with members, so that it can draw up a strategy to take it forward over the next few years, and we want to ensure it fully reflects our members views. We’d like to ask all members who haven’t already done so, to take a few minutes to add their thoughts, ideas and suggestions about the club. An email has been sent out with the online consultation form (if you’ve not received it, please check your spam folders!), and can also be found on the club forum. We’ll be running some after-training discussions shortly too. The deadline for responses is 1st December. Thanks very much for taking the time! Danny Phillips & Richard Leyton
Many thanks to everybody who took part today, or helped volunteer to make the event such a success. We hope everybody enjoyed their day out in Glasgow’s south-side! Provisional results are now available at our timing provider at stuweb.co.uk/race/1J2/. For the small number of runners who didn’t have a technical t-shirt available in their size, we should have taken a note of your details so we can post one to you in a few weeks time. If we didn’t take a note of your details today, please get in touch with us via races@bellahoustonroadrunners.co.uk by 16th November. Prizes We’d like to express our thanks and gratitude to our sponsor Achilles Heel for their support, providing the prizes and goody bags. Overall winner prizes Male 1st, Robert Gilroy, Cambuslang Harriers, 00:32:28 2nd, Jozsef Farkas, Stirling University Athletics Club, 00:32:32 3rd, Alasdair Campbell, Cambuslang Harriers, 00:32:45 Female 1st, Claire Moffett, Falkirk Victoria Harriers, 00:37:21 2nd, Katie Bain, Edinburgh Athletics Club, 00:38:36 3rd, Laura Wallace, Ayr Seaforth AAC, 00:38:46 Age Category Prizes 1st Male V40, Cris Walsh, 00:35:10 1st Female V40, Ann Robin, 00:38:56 1st Male V50, Chris Upson, 00:36:50 1st Female V50, Jacqui Thomson, 00:41:58 1st Male V60, Brian Hughes, 00:39:07 1st Female V60, Linda Selman, 00:51:22 Team Prizes Male: Bellahouston Harriers (Jack Arnold, David Mackintosh, Darren Mackintosh) Female: Bellahouston Harriers (Janine Dickie, Kristina Greig, Clair McCormick) Most runners were present to collect their prize, but we’ll be in touch with participants who couldn’t make it along to Nethercraigs.
For runners taking part in tomorrow’s event, we hope you’re looking forward to taking part in the 2017 edition of our event. Bellahouston Road Runners certainly looks forward to welcoming you! Final instructions were emailed out to participants on Tuesday, so please check your inbox (and spam folders), for your personalised email with all the details you need. We’ve also put details on our event website at bellahoustonroadrunners.co.uk/events/bella-10k. If you have already received your number, please be at the start line (adjacent to Cycle track in Bellahouston park) by 11.50am for the 12pm start. Your race number should be clearly attached to your front. Safety pins are available at the start area or at Nethercraigs. To ease congestion on the course we’ll be asking runners to assemble in approximate race pace order, so please find the appropriate pace group for your expected time. If you have not received your number, or require changing facilities or secure lockers, registration is at Glasgow Club Nethercraigs (G52 1TQ) from 9.30am to 11.30am. This is 1 mile from the start, so please allow plenty of time. We look forward to welcome you tomorrow. After the race, and after collecting your technical t-shirt and goody-bag, we invite you to the post-race buffet in the dance studio at Nethercraigs (donation requested). The race presentation will take place at approximately 1345 at the Nethercraigs dance studio. Hot Beverages will be available to purchase in Bellahouston Park. Full details are on our event website at: bellahoustonroadrunners.co.uk/events/bella-10k.
Club founder Jimmy Irvine has unveiled the t-shirt design for the 2017 running of the ‘Jimmy Irvine Bella 10k‘, which takes place this Sunday in Bellahouston park. The T-shirt was designed by Bella Road Runner, Greame Pert who said: “I hope the t-shirt shows Jimmy’s enthusiasm and enduring commitment to running. Jimmy does not make it to club as often as he’d like but is still running.“ Graeme added, “I spent time with Jimmy and Sandra, looking through their old photos and found a great one of Jimmy starting a leg of the London to Brighton relay in 1959. His club mate is exhausted as he passes the baton to a sprightly eager Jimmy who is just raring to go. Jimmy is a great ambassador for running, our local hero and worth celebrating. His photo is centre of 2017 club T-shirt” Current club President, Richard Leyton added “Everybody who’s seen the design, and heard Jimmy’s story behind it loves it. We’re all really looking forward to seeing it out and about on the streets of Glasgow over the coming weeks and months.” For entrants on Sunday, details are on the event website at bellahoustonroadrunners.co.uk/events/bella-10k/ – We’d remind the runners who didn’t receive their number in the post, or who wish to use the changing facilities, that registration and changing are at Glasgow Club Nethercraigs (G52 1TQ), approx 1 mile from the start. The event is sponsored by Achilles Heel, and supported by Tunnocks.
This month’s Bletha is now online! Copies are available at club. Stories include: Gold run, Shona & Ann for Scotland, Jimmy T, Haddayaway man. four do thirty, pool and beer, Same a keeper. Coach mark, on the Terry bus. And much much more! Read it here!
We hosted the 2017 Renfrewshire AAA XC Relay, at Netherpollok, on Sunday 22nd October 2017. Many thanks to everybody who helped make the event such a success. Photos from the day are available on our Facebook page) (Albums here and here), and please find the full results for each of the races below: Senior Women Senior Men (updated) U11 Boys U11 Girls U13 Boys U13 Girls U15 Boys U15 Girls U17 Boys U17 Girls