Up in the Highlands on Sunday 8th March, it was the 2026 Inverness Half Marathon. This is a fantastic event that had over 5,000 runners this year, including the 5k participants. The weather was fine, with some decent spring sunshine. It’s a lovely scenic but tough course, as are almost all HMs!! We had four Bellas running this year. Our first past the post was the amazing Oscar Coetzee in 1:12:58, taking first MV40 position. Bryan Mulgrew ran a fantastic 1:15:09, his second fastest HM, as he sharpens up for the West Highland Way Race this summer. Angus Gray was just behind Bryan in 1:15:46, only a minute or so away from a PB. Claire Galloway was our sole Bella lady and ran a brilliant 1:57:47. Well done everyone!
Racing
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On Sunday 8th March, it was the Springburn Harriers Jack Crawford 10k. It was a lovely morning for it on the route from Bishopbriggs, along the Forth & Clyde Canal. A great flat race for testing the winter training pace! We had great efforts by David Jarrett (34:52 PB ), Bruce Carmichael (35:06, 1st MV50), Cathy Wood (40:42 PB), Al MacLachlan (41:45, 2nd MV60), Dave Ferguson (42:01), Veronica Fusaro (42:53, 1st FV40, PB), Murdoch Rodgers (58:38, 1st MV70), Carla Telfer (1:08:01). A great event as always, so thankyou Springburn Harriers!
It was the 50k John Muir Ultra on Saturday 7th March, from Port Seton to Dunbar on the east coast. It was a perfect day for it, with some lovely spring sunshine, but given the wet weather of late, there were some tricky wet sections. especially on the second half of the route. Nevertheless, there was amazing running, pacing and endurance by our two Bella participants, Simon Wells (4:24:16, 50k PB) & Emma McCahill (4:41:53, 4th lady, 1st FSnr). Very well done you two, now get the feet up!
On Sunday 1st March, Kenny Osborne ran an amazing PB of 2:40:58 to win the Meadows Marathon in Edinburgh! This was a tough race consisting of 18 laps of The Meadows. A mental, as well as a physical challenge for Kenny, who produced such a strong performance.
The Shettleston Harriers 55th Allan Scally 5k Relays took place on Saturday 28th February, at Glasgow Green. It’s always a brilliant event and this year saw 338 teams of four runners participate, so c.1,350 runners! The conditions were perfect too, dry, bright and only a light breeze. There was a slight course change to negotiate due to works at the boathouse, but this didn’t detract from the event. We had 10 teams run, with our FV40 ladies (Claire Wharton, Ann Robin, Sarah McSharry, Jane McNeilly) winning in their category! Our MV40 mens team were third in their class, and 13 of our members scored amazing PBs. Thanks to all who took part, the organisers, officials, David McNulty Race Photography and Protay Timing. Full results at https://protay.co.uk/asr2026/results.php
Well done to everyone who ran in the Lindsay’s Scottish Athletics National Cross Country at Callander Park, Falkirk, on Saturday 21st February. The climax of the Cross Country season, it’s always a tough, but brilliant event. And it was fantastic to see Laura Muir returning to the event. Our first threes were (Male) Oscar Coetzee (35:54), Josh Evans (36:50) & Paul McNairn (37:34) / (Female) Cat MacDonald (38:54, 20th), Cara Thom (42:58) & Jen Conway-Evans (45:09). Full can be found below: https://results.sporthive.com/events/7427379424208617472
The Kirkintilloch Olympians Neil McCover Memorial Half Marathon & Robert Rogerson 12.5k took place on Sunday 15th February 2026. Neil McCover was a Superintendent with Strathclyde Police, when he was killed while cycling during a lunch break from work in 2010. He was a thoroughly nice guy, a great runner and a Kirky Olympian. An award goes to the first serving police officer at the HM in his memory. And on this occasion, it was our Stuart Douglas! These are tough early season races, with several challenging climbs, and the HM was the first of our ‘long’ club championship events this year. As always, there were great Bella performances across the board. In the Half Marathon we had Jordan Davidson (1:16:55, 2nd, 1st MSnr), Grant Murphy (1:19:00, 4th, 3rd MSnr), Stuart Laurence (1:23:30), Stuart Douglas (1:27:06, PB), Alan Chalmers (1:28:43 PB), Jamie Wieland (1:29:36) & Tomoyo Fujiwara (1:43:42, 1st FV50). This also meant that Jordan, Grant and Stuart L, took the mens team prize! In the 12.5k, we had Bryan Mulgrew (45:24, 5th), Cathy Wood (53:05, 5th lady) & Murdoch Rodgers (1:17:35, 3rd MV70). A great day out again in Kirkintilloch, with thanks to the Olympians and all the volunteers! And some great pictures courtesy of David McNulty Race Photography.
Congratulations to Iain Murphy (1:48:53) who finished in seventh place overall and first MV40 at the Glentress Trail 21k near Peebles on Sunday 15th February 2026. It’s a stunning location, but a tough course through woodland trails, with around 2,600ft of climbing! This is a great return to winning ways for Iain after a period of injury, and it’s fantastic to see him getting back to his best. Well done Murph!
It was the Scottish Athletics 4J Indoor Masters and para Championships at the emirates arena in Glasgow on Sunday 8th February. We had two Bellas competing in the 1,500m events. There was great running by David Jarrett, finishing 6th overall, for 2nd MV40 in 4:32:36. Meanwhile, Veronica Fusaro ran a brilliant 5:44:31 in the ladies event for 3rd FV40. Well done both!
We were in Greenock again on Sunday 8th February, for the brilliant annual Renfrewshire AAA 5 Miler. It’s one of our favourite races, and one or our ‘short’ Club Championship events. The weather was kind this year, with heavy early morning rain clearing away, to leave a nice mild, bright day, with only a light wind. We had 32 Bellas on the start line (23% of the field) at Battery Park ready for the out-in course along the Esplanade and back. Laps of Battery Park to start and finish, and great support out on the eroute! Our top 3s were Tony Connelly (25:27, 2nd MSnr), Calum Borthwick (26:25),& Alan Moss (29:02), with Ann Robin (31:37, 1st FV40), Cathy Wood (32:41) & Katie Mathieson (36:06, 3rd FV50). Our ladies took 3rd team prize too! In addition, Shirley Wieland was 2nd FV60 in a 5 Mile PB 39:49. A thoroughly enjoyable morning, in surprisingly good conditions! Many thanks as always to the organisers, officials, volunteers and Protay Timing. Full race results can be found at the undernoted link: https://protay.co.uk/raaa2026/
On Saturday 7th February, it was the brilliant ‘Run ya Rocket’ Ardgartan Trail Race in Argyle. It’s a tough 21+ miles with around 3,500ft of elevation. The route is 90% off road and follows a loop of the Ardgartan Penninsula, with some tarmac, forestry trails and a nice open section that extends across to Lochgoilhead, before a climb to the Rest-and-be-Thankfull then a final downhill to finish. There was an outstanding run by Bryan Mulgrew (2:51:40) to finish 2nd with a course PB! A great tester for his West Highland Way race later this year. And well done to Laura Loddo too, in this challenging event. As always with such events, thanks to the organisers, officials and volunteers!
We had a super six Bellas at the Lindsays Scottish Athletics Masters Cross Country at Tollcross Park on Saturday 31st January 2026. A tough course for our batch of masters athletes who enjoyed decent conditions however. First off was the ladies and M65+ race, which ran over 6k. Well done to Claire Wharton (27:22) & Al MacLachlan (27:35) with solid performances. Next off were the masters men who raced over an 8k distance. Our four gents ran well in a busy field with Oscar Coetzee (29:18), Paul McNairn (30:45), Alan Moss (31:12) & Sam Ramsay (34:33). Next stop is the climax to the Scottish cross country season, the National at Falkirk on 21st February! And thankyou to David McNulty Race Photography from the brilliant pictures from the event!
Eight of our members travelled to Stirlingshire, to the lovely wee village of Buchlyvie on Saturday 24th January 2026, for the annual 10k race. This is another Club Championship ‘medium’ event for us. This is a very friendly event, with a 300 place limit. The course is out and back and begins behind the Primary School, turning left onto Station Road for just over half a mile, then right onto the old railway track (predominantly firetrack and flat). The halfway turning point is at Barbadoes Cottage (situated on the old railway track). On the return, the course finishes at the school. Well done everyone with Ben Law (5th, 2nd MSnr 37:49 PB), Kevin Queenan (46:12), Tomoyo Fujiwara (47:16), Lyndsay Kennedy (47:50), Alice Howe (49:15), Wallace Gray (51:13 2nd MV60), Henry Merriweather (53:43), Louise Gray (58:36). Thankyou to the organisers, officials, volunteers and people of Buchlyvie for another great event! See you in 2027.
There was a brilliant turnout of 22 Bellas at the Maryhill Harriers Nigel Barge 10k, on Sunday 19th January 2026. The weather conditions were perfect, fairly mild with a light breeze and even some sunshine! There were some challenging underfoot sections on the tough undulating course for the 329 starters, but as always, it was a well organised and enjoyable event. This was also our latest ‘medium’ club championship event for 2025/2026. Our amazing Tony Connelly was 3rd in a PB 31:13, which was also a CLUB 10K RECORD. This was an outstanding effort by Tony given the course profile, to beat the club record that has stood since 2010. Tony now holds all of our men’s records, bar Half Marathon. Close on Tony’s heels was Ross Horgan who also ran a brilliant PB of 31:49, with congratulations too, to Oscar Coetzee who was 1st MV40 in 33:33! Jordan Davidson (35:04) completed our first four men, who took second placed mens team. Our ladies had a great day too with Sarah McSharry (43:34), Leanne McIntosh (45:47) and Anne Campbell (47:16) taking our first three spots for Club Championship points. Thanks to Maryhill Harriers for another great event and of course, to the volunteers and officials.
It was great timing in Saturday 10th January 2026 for our latest annual visit to the Emirates Arena in the east end of Glasgow. Outside, it was cold and icy, but inside it was scorching hot on the fabulous indoor track for our mile races! And we saw our head coach Gerry Scullion receive his Honorary Lifetime Membership to the club! This was a ‘short’ Club Championship event ticked off for the 43 Bellas who participated. And, as always, there were some fantastic performances were put in, with lots of PBs recorded. On the day our top 3s were (m) Paul McNairn 4:52, David Jarrett 4:53, Bryan Mulgrew 4:55 (f) Cara Thom 5:38, Cathy Wood 5:47, Emma Peters 5:56. We also managed some bonus races, with our winners being 800m – David Jarrett 2:14 & Cara Thom 2:27, 400m – Paul McNairn 0:59 & Ruth McKelvie 1:17, 200m – Michael Walsh 0:28 & Ruth McKelvie 0:35. Another brilliant, fun morning out! Many thanks to our volunteer members who ran this so smoothly for us.