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.
Racing
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.
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.
On Sunday 12th July, it was the Mens and Womens 10k in Glasgow. We had a brilliant 26 volunteers from the club helping to marshall at the start and out on the course. First off were the men, when it was still cool and breezy. Very well done to Sean Coyle 35:49 3rd M35, Bryan Mulgrew 36:10, Jordan Davidson 37:06, Jamie Robinson 38:16 3rd M40, Michael Rice 38:27, Jamie Wieland 41:11, Benji Scragg 41:46 PB, Al MacLachlan 42:38 1st M65. Our ladies then had to contend with the mid-morning heat with great running by Cara Thom 40:35 4th overall, 3rd OF, Chelsea Cruikshank 42:15, Jen Conway-Evans 44:07 2nd F35, Stef Boyle 51:20, Katherine Wainwright 54:57, Lynn Cumming 1:20:42. Well done everyone!!
Sunday 10th May saw the start of this year’s Babcock 10k 3 Race Series, with the Shettleston 10k, doubling as the Lindsays Scottish Athletics 10k Championship. A lovely morning for the 500 strong field at Glasgow Green where we had 21 Bellas running. Some great results, notably Oscar Coetzee 33:02 1st MV40 & Bruce Carmichael 35:07 3rd MV50. On Thursday 21st May, it was the second race in the series at Dumbarton. 460 starters on a rainy but decent night. Brilliant performances from our 25 Bellas, notably Oscar Coetzee 33:10 2nd, Paul McNairn 34:38 6th, 1st MV40, Bryan Mulgrew 35:01 10th, all 2nd place Mens Team. Ann Robin 40:10 2nd FV40, Ruth McKelvie 45:31, Claire Wharton 45:28, all 3rd place Ladies Team. Al MacLachlan 42:04 2nd MV60. On Thursday 28th May, the third and concluding race took place at the Helensburgh 10k. It was a tough one on a warm night for our 19 Bellas participating. Of note, Oscar Coetzee 33:19 2nd MV40, Paul McNairn 33:52 3rd MV40, Bryan Mulgrew 34:07, Al MacLachlan 41:37 2nd MV60, Pauline Wright 48:21 2nd FV50, Pauline Bradley 56:04 3rd FV60. Brilliant again by Oscar, Paul & Bryan, this time winning the Mens Team prize.
Huge congratulations to our amazing Claire Wharton & Shirley Wieland, recently received Bronze medals from Scottish Athletics. Both were confirmed as finishing 3rd W50 & W60 respectively, at the London Marathon, that was the Scottish Athletics Lindsays Scottish Marathon Championship race this year. Fantastic results ladies, well done! Saturday 9th May 2026 started with the tough 7.8 mile, 3,150ft of ascent, Ben Lomond Hill Race, Scotland’s most southerly Munro. The amazing Cat MacDonald was the winning lady in 1:27:54, retaining her title from last year. Ally MacDonald, Cat’s father ran 1:37:35 finish for 2nd place MV60. Huge congratulations to Hannah Berry who ran ‘The Lap Clockwise’ 47 Mile Lake Windermere Ultra on the same day. 1,200 starters, so an outstanding effort by Hannah getting around in 8:31:16 to finish 10th overall, 1st lady. A fantastic performance in her first ultra! Meanwhile, up in the north east, Ian Watt ran a brilliant 4:52:19 to finish 14th overall, 1st MV50, at the 50k Moray Coastal Trail Race. The following day down in a very hilly Yorkshire, in the Leeds Marathon, there was an outstanding PB run by Jordan Davidson to finish 13th in 2:44:39, with Ben Nurse also running a brilliant PB 1:21:26 at the Leeds Half Marathon. It was back to Ayrshire on Saturday 16th May, for the Queen’s Park AC Goatfell Hill Race. 15.5 km with 870m of ascent, starting and finishing at the Ormidale Pavilion in Brodick. On it again were Cat MacDonald first lady, and Ally MacDonald second MV60. It was a brilliant start to Sunday 17th May for our amazing Poppy Bowie over on the Gold Coast, Australia, taking second female at the GC30 Main Beach Trail HM in 1:31:44. And in Austria, Wallace Gray ran the Salzburg Half Marathon (1:55:34) with Louise Gray tackling the 10k (56:39). On Sunday 24th May, at the Cape Town Marathon, Colin Hughes ran an incredible PB 2:54:33 for 10th MV60, and looks like the 6th fastest MV60 marathon time by a British athlete so far this year. The event was also the Abbott World Marathon Age Grade Championship with Colin ranking 9th. Expertly paced with a mere 3s deviation (4:05 – 4:08 per km) and an outstanding 87% age grade performance. It was also the Edinburgh Marathon Festival that same weekend, with Bellas running in the Marathon and Half Marathon. It was a warm day for it so very well done firstly, to our Marathon three of Alan Chalmers 3:30:41, Emma Peters PB 3:42:29, Babs Wilson PB 4:18:22 . And in the HM, brilliant running by Calum Borthwick 1:15:38, Lucy Prior 1:32:38, Laurence Prior 1:32:39, Jishnu Bhattacharya 1:34:17. On Saturday 30th May, at the Blair Castle Trail Weekender, Calum Brown conquered the Full Tilt 58k Ultra (c. 36 miles). Over 6,400 feet of ascent over two Munros. A brilliant Ultra debut in 7:43:25! Down at the Great Manchester Run Half Marathon on Sunday 31st, Jonathan Wieland shaved 8 mins from his PB for a new one of 1:23:58, while his […]
It was Ayrshire for the Troon Tortoises 39th Troon 10k on Wednesday 13th May 2026. 1,151 starters with a fantastic 28 Bellas running! There was an outstanding PB of 33:32 from Paul McNairn, to finish 3rd overall, 1st MV40. Very well done everyone else, with David Jarrett 36:57, Jamie Wieland 38:12 PB, Lewis Milligan 38:26 PB, Chic Forsyth 39:21, Jonny Moran 41:38, Kenny Crawford 41:52, Jen Conway-Evans 42:56, Michael Walsh 44:33, Gavin McGowan 44:37, Lyndsay Kennedy 45:42 PB, Caroline Munro 46:59, Jim Robinson 47:46, Gillian Gallagher 48:36, Lynne Hamilton 48:40, Robert Boag 49:00, Alice Howe 49:28, Lynn Rennie 50:28, Babs Wilson 50:50, Wallace Gray 51:11, Fiona Birrell 51:39, David Boag 52:24, Louise Gray 53:59, Guy Schmidt 55:09, Louise Nimmo 58:13, Nicola Barrington 1:12:18.
On Sunday 3rd May 2026, in British Columbia, Canada, the amazing Ross Horgan ran the BMO Vancouver Marathon in a fantastic 2:33:39 finishing in 14th place from 7,300 participants! An outstanding performance, and even more impressive with Ross only recently back running after injury.
On Sunday 3rd May, it was the ‘Run Nation’ Strathclyde Spring Half Marathon at Strathclyde Park. This was a ‘long’ Club Championship race for us and there were good conditions for it. Brilliant running by Jordan Davidson 1:18:24 2nd, 1st MSnr & Cathy Wood PB 1:32:31 2nd lady, 1st FV35. Another PB in the bag for Cathy who goes from strength to strength. Jordan continues to impression every outing, a real inspiration. Well done you two!
The weekend past was a great one for Grant Murphy, Ross Gale and Ruiari Barfoot! First off, Grant Murphy finished in 3rd place (35:52) at the Neilston pad race on Saturday 2nd May. Saturday was also the Blast Running Fife Pilgrim Way Ultra from North Queensferry to St Andrews Cathedral. 56 miles with 1,200m of elevation. A fantastic effort by Ross Gale, who finished in 4th place in 8:26:33. Then, on the same day, over at the most westerly point of the Inner Hebrides, there was a great performance by Ruairi Barfoot (36:20) in the Tiree 10k, to claim 2nd place. Well done gents, great running all round…literally!
It was the Sri Chimnoy Scottish 5k Championship at Silverknowes on Friday 1st May. This is a fantastic annual event that always guarantees a fast field. And again this year, the conditions were good. Scorching his way around was our sole Bella, Paul McNairn, smashing his 5k PB with 15:52. This follows a week in which Paul, a local Postie, also smashed his 3k (Track Night) and 10k (Round the Houses) PBs, notwithstanding crushing his PBs for Half Marathon (Alloa) and 10 Miles (Tom Scott) just a few weeks back. What a ‘run’ our Paul is on! No doubt kept in check by his champion wife, Yvonne, who runs with our neighbours at Giffnock North! There must be a big mantelpiece in the McNairn household!
On Sunday 26th April, over in Greece, Angus Gray finished 13th, 3rd MV40 in 2:41:57 at the Thessaloniki Marathon. At the Rhodes Marathon & Half Marathon, there were brilliant runs by Laura Loddo 4:03:19 Mara PB & Gianluigi Re 1:44:48 HM PB. Bravi a tutti e due! Sunday was also of course the big one, the TCS London Marathon. An historic world first sub-2 hour major, a women’s World Record, even a Scottish record. A warm one to contend with, so many congratulations to the Bellas lucky enough to take part: Bryan Kerr 2:38:10, Ruairi Barfoot 2:39:32, Kenny Osborne 2:43:23, Iain Murphy 2:52:29, Jamie Robinson PB 2:55:28, Mark Young 2:59:21, Chelsea Cruikshank 3:02:41, Lucy Prior PB 3:11:36, Alan Chalmers PB 3:15:00, Claire Wharton 3:26:13, Tomoyo Fujiwara 3:30:25, Christie Lamb PB 3:29:43, Anne Campbell PB 3:37:42, Debi Scott 3:55:22 & Gillian Gallagher 3:55:46 PB (GN vests), David Pattison 4:01:05, Shirley Wieland 4:46:29.
Saturday 25th April saw the latest running of the 42 Mile ‘Devil o’ the Highlands’ Foot Race. Tyndrum to Fort William on the West Highland Way, and thankfully, the weather was good for our Bellas! Well done to Bryan Mulgrew 6:47:09, Ben Nurse 8:00:21 (Glasgow Frontrunners vest), Kenny Mcdonald PB 9:48:22 & Della Lansley 12:20:16. It was also the inaugural Beecraigs Backyard Ultra on the same day. As many 4.167 Mile laps as you can muster every 60 min until there’s only one person left. Stephen McQuade took this on and ran a sensational 20 Full Laps, 83.3 miles, cumulative time 17:58:48, just shy of 85 miles total, a PB. Wow!
On Sunday 19th April, it was the 2026 adidas Manchester Marathon. The event is the second largest of its kind in the UK and widely regarded as the flattest. Three Bellas made their way south to tackle the race. Thankfully, there were good weather conditions and as usual, it was very well supported. Congratulations to Chic Forsyth PB 3:11.03, Robert Smith PB 3:23:05 & Angela Eadie PB 4:25:44. Three Bellas, three PBs, not too shabby!