The British Masters Athletics Federation Cross Country Championship ran at Tollcross Park on Saturday 15th March 2025, where Jen Conway was the sole Bella on duty for the 6k course on lovely sunny, spring day. Jen ran another brilliant XC race, as she has all season, with 23:41 to finish 3rd FV35. Hot on the heels of the Inverness HM last weekend, was the 41st Alloa HM on Sunday 16th March. It was a large field with 1864 finishers, and was well organised as always. 39 Bellas ran in near perfect conditions in the shadow of the Ochils. There were great results again, with a large number of fantastic PBs and 5 men in the top 50, with just about the same for our ladies. Our top 3 finishers were (M) Sean Coyle (1:14:37 PB), Bryan Mulgrew (1:15:11), Kenny Osborne (1:17:18) (F) Christie Lamb (1:30:49), Rhona Fraser (1:30:52), Poppy Bowie (1:32:09 PB). Full event results are at https://live.sportsystems.co.uk/Results.aspx?CId=20246&RId=15172 Huge congratulations to Bryan Kerr, who ran a fantastic PB of 2:40:32 at the Barcelona Marathon on Sunday too. Bryan’s impressive training regime clearly paying off again.
half marathon
It was the 40th Inverness Half Marathon on Sunday 9th March 2025, that also served as the Scottish Athletics Half marathon Championship. It was also one of our ‘long’ club championship events. The event was as popular as ever, and this year was blessed with fine, warm weather making it a greater challenge for the runners on what is a tough, undulating course. There was an incredibly close finish to the race with the first three men finishing within 3 seconds of each other in just over 65 minutes! Thirteen Bellas competed and acquitted themselves with aplomb. Ross Horgan finished in a fantastic 22nd place, registering a PB of 1:10:19, agonisingly only 2 seconds from equalling our 14 year old club record! Our remaining athletes also done very well, namely: Calum Borthwick (1:13:02), Angus Gray (1:14:18, PB), Ruairi Barfoot (1:15:16, PB), Kelly MacDonald (1:25:34, 24th lady, PB), Ben Law (1:28:40), Jonnie Felton (1:39:06), Flora Henry (1:41:16, PB), Victoria Curley (1:43:40), Joni Lindsay (1:50:37), Martin Murphy (1:51:42), Mark Worton (2:04:03), Megan Parkinson (2:10:36). Well done everyone!
The Kirkintilloch Olympians Neil McCover Memorial Half Marathon ran on Sunday 9th February, in damp, chilly weather, but this didn’t stop our Bella contingent on what is a tough, undulating course. This was our first Club Championship ‘long’ race of the season. Bryan Kerr was 3rd in a fantastic PB time of 1:15:58. Poppy Bowie finished 2nd lady in 1:35:17, proving that her recent 2nd place finish at the Buchlyvie 10k was no fluke. Our remaining finishers produced fantastic results too: Grant Murphy (1:16:16, 4th), David Jarrett (1:26:36), Cathy Wood (1:38:23, 3rd FSnr), Veronica Fusaro (1:40:17, 2nd FV40, PB), Tomoyo Fujiwara (1:42:32, 1st FV50), Pauline Wright (1:45:05), Andy Tomlinson (1:47:15), Wallace Gray (2:10:52) & Louise Gray (2:13:43). Our top three of Poppy, Cathy and Veronica won ladies team prize and similarly, it appears that Bryan, Grant and David took the mens team prize. Very well done everyone! It was also simultaneously the Kirkintilloch Olympians 12.5k race, with Stuart Macdougall (45:16), Brendan McGuiness (50:35), Anne Campbell (1:00:20) & Kirsteen Waddell (1:22:32) all running. Another great outing for our athletes!
The AJ Bell Great Scottish Run 2024 took place over the weekend of 5th – 6th October in Glasgow. Around 40 Bella members volunteered to marshal the various events over both days. Many thanks to them, and all the other volunteers and emergency service personnel who helped contribute towards another fantastic GSR! On Sunday 6th October, 16 members ran in the 10k. It was an early start with good weather conditions. Our first 3 gents finishers were Sean McAnallen (35:03), James Gray (37:37) & Harris Millar (41:30). For our ladies, it was Jane McNeilly (41:00), Cara Thom (42:59) & Carla Dunn (49:37). An incredible 75 members started the HM with fantastic efforts across the board, and numerous PBs recorded! Our top ten gents were: Tony Connelly (1:11:49, 14th overall), Josh Evans (1:13:35), Grant Murphy (1:16:02), Lewis Roberts (1:16:32), Neil McSeveney (1:16:53, PB), Paul McNairn (1:17:27, PB), Mark Young (1:17:47, PB), Ruairi Barfoot (1:17:51, PB), Kenny Osborne (1:18:15) & Jethro Browell (1:18:49). Our ladies top 10 were: Deborah Gray (1:25:53, 25th lady), Grainne McGrath (1:27:27), Christie Lamb (1:27:31, PB), Emer Campbell (1:28:49, PB), Debi Scott (1:30:28, PB, in her Giffnock North vest), Jen Conway (1:34:12), Cathy Wood (1:37:59), Katie Blackett (1:38:49), Victoria Curley (1:41:02) & Anne Campbell (1:43:14). Brilliant 1:30 pacing duties too by Ross Horgan We also had several members running elsewhere over the weekend. On Saturday, three intrepid Bellas ran the Glasgow to Edinburgh 57 Mile Ultra with outstanding efforts by Tom Thorne (11:48:30), Liam McNally (12:59:03) & Lucy MacKay (14:00:40). On Sunday, Bryan Kerr ran the Chester Marathon in a fantastic 2:52:06 while Jonnie Felton ran in his home town at the Cardiff Half Marathon in a brilliant 1:21:48. What a weekend, well done everyone! If you’ve been inspired to get involved after seeing all those runners in the GSR, remember that our very own Jimmy Irvine Bella 10k race takes place at Bellahouston Park on Sunday 10th November 2024. Enter here at: https://www.entrycentral.com/jimmyirvinebella10k #greatscottishrun #jimmyirvine10k
The weekend of Friday 19th – Sunday 21st July 2024, saw the annual ‘Run the Blades’ (RTB) races at Whitelee Windfarm. It’s a tough, undulating, exposed, but eerily beautiful place to run, with frequent unseasonable weather changes. The events are always really well organised by Breaking Strain. Begining with the 10k on a pleasant Friday evening, we had brilliant running from Claire Wharton who was 3rd lady home (47:03). Our men finished, Jethro Browell (39:00, 4th), Jordan Davidson (39:10, 5th), Simon Wells (40:43, 11th), Gerry McDonnell (46:00) & Andy Tomlinson (49:05). Great performances, especially given the challenging climbs towards the finish line. It was the big one for our on Saturday with the 50k Ultra Marathon on a cloudy, humid, then rainy day. Amazing running all round from Stephen McQuade (9th, 4:07:47), Jordan Davidson (11th, 4:13:36), Siobhann Dunn (18th, 5th lady, 4:27:27), Brendan McGuiness (4:44:23), Jamie Robinson (5:18:16), Jimmy McGreevy (5:18:18), Alan Digweed (5:51:17) & Cormack Smith (7:58:18). Great commitment and resilience to tackle this discipline, so a huge well done to all. To finish, it was the Half Marathon on Sunday morning. Again, a tough undulating course, starting off in chilly conditions, although not the stormy weather of 2023! It was an absolutely outstanding run from Ross Horgan in 1:15:15 to win and break the course record, while Fraser Kelly finished in a brilliant 3rd place with 1:23:34. Following on were Jordan Davidson (1:32:09, 13th), Alan Chalmers (1:32:40, 14th), David Vallance (1:49:55) & Gavin Elliott (2:02:45). Another great morning of running. And the recurring name in the three races was Jordan Davidson, running 10k, 50k and 21k RTB races in a single weekend. An epic starring role!
Around 50 Bellas turned up at last weekend’s (10th March, 2019) Balloch to Clydebank Half Marathon, in pretty grim weather. As always, our ladies team won lots of medals with Louise Ross and Ann Robin finishing 2nd and 5th overall. Shona Donnelly and Emer Campbell placed 1st and 3rd in the V40 category with our ladies team of Louise, Ann and Shona finishing in 1st place overall. Congratulations everyone and well done to all who took part! Particularly if you managed to secure a PB in those conditions! We’ve loads of photographs over on our public Facebook page! There’s a specific album here too. Many thanks as ever to Gordon Goldie for turning out to take so many!
Congratulations to our magnificent ladies team who have today been announced as the Scottish Half Marathon Gold medalists at Sunday’s Great Scottish Run! Louise Ross, Cat MacDonald and Emer Campbell all finished in the top 20, and retained the title won last year. Well done ladies, we’re so proud of you! Congratulations to Dumbarton AC and Metro Aberdeen on taking Silver and Bronze team prizes, and to Inverclyde AC for winning the men’s Gold, with Shettleston, Edinburgh AC for Silver and Bronze.
What a day at the Great Scottish 10k and Half Marathon! At least 85 Bellas were involved in marshalling, pacing and racing this morning. That must be a record, and that’s not even including our fantastic supporters along the route! Congratulations too to Louise Ross for winning the Scottish Masters Bronze medal, finishing with a huge PB of 1.24.57. We were defending our Scottish national Ladies team Gold from 2017, and hope to find out later this week if we were successful! Thanks to everyone for making it such a memorable day!
💜 People Make Bella 💜 Big thanks to everyone who had a great time volunteering at GSR Super Saturday this morning, you did your club proud 👏👏 All the best to all our runners and volunteers tomorrow! Hope everybody taking part has a great time! Pictures courtesy of Kevin Queenan, Robert Macleod. Used with permission.
Earlier this month on 2nd June, the Killearn 10k Trail race took place, and Rhoda Yarmahmoudi wrote up a race report for members, available on the members forum: The down hill into the park and the big purple finish sign were a very welcome sight, as soon as I crossed the line a very concerned marshal said “sit down!” Three bottles of water later, and I began to feel human again, and realised that I’d probably been getting dehydrated out there!!! [The club] did very well, with Colin Hughes … the first V50 and 8th male over all, and Romy coming in as 2nd F. The Bella ladies won the ladies’ club title. I had hoped to be sub 60 mins and was delighted with 00:58:23! Well done to the prize winners, particularly in such hot conditions. Full results from the Killearn 10k available here. The next day 20 club members did the rescheduled Alloa Half Marathon in hot and humid conditions. Mark Wilson has put together a race report on the club forum”, [As I] approached the hill I heard everyone talk about before the race as i looked towards the top of thus hill I could see the incline of it with runners streaming up it ahead of me, as I started the incline my first thought was I am not stopping, further and further up the hill I power on through pace now down to something that felt like a brisk jog as I arched the crest of the hill I drove my arms to get me over the last little bit at last I was at the top thank god Well done Mark, and everybody else who took part! Full results are here. A hearty pat on the back (or should that be a nice cold drink!)to everybody who raced that weekend in hot conditions!
Matthew Campbell sent this report in shortly after taking part in the Rome Half Marathon The race started on the outskirts of Rome and finished on the coast in a town called Ostia. The weather on the day was ideal a few light showers and fairly overcast although I still managed to get slightly burnt! The course didn’t take in any of Rome’s tourist sites and for the most part was ran on one big long straight road, it was a fairly flat courses although between mile 6 and 7 there was a quite steep incline that eventually leveled off at about the 8 mile mark. The rest of the race was gradually downhill. At the three mile stage I was regretting the amount of walking I did the days before sightseeing as my legs were already starting to feel a bit heavy but I found a second wind (I knew there was a good reason to eat all that pasta) and reached the 10 mile mark, the last 3 miles were a bit of a struggle but I dug in and managed to finish in under my 2 hour target (1.56.53) Looking forward to my next one.
The club had a fantastic turnout at this year’s Great Scottish Run Half Marathon. A total of 51 runners raced the event, as well as providing a set of marshals to help with start line duties (before helping cheer runners along the way), and a number of pacers helping a great many runners achieve Personal Bests and race targets. So a big ‘well done!’ to everybody who took part in some way on the day, and many thanks to the many Bellas out on the course giving a cheer to everybody too! A particular congratulations for three of our Ladies – Catriona McDonald, Romy Beard and Katie Mathieson – who took home a fantastic Gold in the Scottish Half Marathon Championships. Brilliant achievement, and culmination of a lot of hard work. Well done!
With no other major sporting events on today (right?), 10 Bellas headed down the coast for the 2016 Girvan Half Marathon, part of our 2015/16 club championship. Less than ideal conditions awaited, but a fantastic friendly welcome as usual from Girvan Athletic club. Fantastically well marshalled and supported out on the course: we’re very grateful as ever for staging the event. The half marathon course is a challenging one (600ft of ascent, details on the Strava segment), and a light drizzle which picked up to heavier rain at points, with a small headwind after the turnaround point at Dailly made it tougher than usual. But despite that, and whilst we await full/final results, we’re pleased to report at least one PB (well done Marc!), and a successful defence of the male (Bruce Carmichael, Marc Bromwich and Gerry Scullion), and female team prizes (Debs Gray, Jackie McGuire and Alison Brown), from last year. Well done to Bruce and Debs for taking 2nd male and 2nd female prizes too. Full results available on runbritainrankings.com
Two Bella’s made their way north east to take part in the Loch Leven Half Marathon, Kinross, Saturday 9th May. Starting at 1pm meant the sun was out, and I have the sunburn to prove it. The race is part of the local gala day celebrations so we had the local pipe bands out in force at the start. Toeing the start line alongside me was George Rooney, running his first half marathon. I’ve run many but this was my first since 2011, I feel a bit out of practice these days at longer races. The route basically loops Loch Leven anti clockwise on open roads and with the pipers sending us on our way we headed south out of Kinross on gently undulating roads for 2.5 miles. We turned east along more undulating roads (get the pattern here?). Along this road we passed farm after farm and I had suddenly remembered a conversation I had prior to my last run here in 2009 about the flies. Back then it was so windy there were no flies but not today, oh no. For the next 4 miles I ran through cloud after cloud of flies! I am still finding them in my eyes as I write this, complete with scratched eyeballs such was the ferocity of their attack. That got us to 6 or so miles and another turn to head north west towards the hills of Scotlandwell and Kinnesswood, with great views of the Lomonds of Fife. In fact, there were great views throughout the entire race. Then one of those wee things that annoy you as a runner at 7.5 miles. We were directed off the main road, along a dirt track, also difficult underfoot, for 100 metres, 180 degree turn and back again to re join the main road. I don’t remember this last time, but I assume to make up distance that could easily have been added at the start or the end. Anyway, onwards and upwards climbing through Scotlandwell at 8 miles, it was really tough at this stage, but working hard nonetheless. I seen a couple of people walking here and caught a good few people through this section. More ups and downs and we get to 10 miles with only 5K to get home. A big downhill was welcome here and we approached and passed the 11 mile marker speedily. At just shy of 12 miles we were routed onto a cycle path which was another change from the last time I ran here. The underfoot conditions weren’t as good as tarmac but the legs were buckling by this time anyway as I desperately tried to hang onto a decent pace. A wee sting in the tail as we had to climb out of this cycle path to the main road but surely the end was near as I could hear the bag pipes at the finish. Indeed, a short run along a grass finish to the Loch Leven Community Campus and a mass of gala […]
Report from Craig Reid. Firstly, it was great to see so many Bella’s out for the Helensburgh half marathon on Sunday. Not only were there loads of us running but also a good number of (very vocal) supporters which I know we all appreciated. Its been a wee while since I wrote a race report but for obvious reasons I thought now was as good a time as any to get back in the habit again, so here goes…… Sunday 4th August saw the running of the annual Helensburgh half marathon. A great turn out from Bella club members meant that we were by far and away the most represented club and as we gathered at the start there were plenty of purple vests on show. As the horn sounded I was keen not to make the same mistake as last year and set off at too fast a pace. Within a couple of hundred metres, myself and Steven Prentice of Bellahouston Harriers had moved to the front of the field and made the early pace. For the first three miles we ran at about 5:45 per mile pace which was a little slower than I wanted but I didn’t want to move ahead on my own so early into the race. I was feeling strong and could hear that Steven was breathing quite heavily so expected he would drop off a bit. Around 3.5 miles in, out of nowhere two runners came flying past us, Hayley Haining of Kilbarchan and Stuart Johnston of Edinburgh. They both looked really strong and as they eased ahead I decided to try and stick with them. As the race moved to the uphill section at around 5 miles Stuart had built up a decent lead. Hayley and I were running together and as we came back down the hill onto the main route we received a lot of support from runners going in the opposite direction. OK, most of the shouts were for Hayley but I definitely heard the odd ‘come on Bella!!’ By 7.5 miles we had caught back up with the leader. I felt like I was cruising along and so not content with sitting behind I pushed on up the hill and put a bit of distance between me and the other two runners. As the race wore on I made the fatal mistake of looking behind me at about 9 miles to find they were still a lot closer behind me than I expected. Although I was feeling good, I was starting to doubt whether I could hold them off as I expected them both to finish strongly. There was some great Bella support at around 10 miles and some wise words from Tammy telling me to stay focussed was what I needed. She was right, after all, I felt good and it was them who had to catch me so I decided to up the pace a bit. As I climbed the hill after 11 miles I had […]