Chirnside XC - Sunday 14th December 2014

A small band of Moorfoots ventured to Scotland's south eastern corner to tackle the Border's XC event in Chirnside. All morning, a louring sky threatened to whip up something wildly wintry but mustered nothing more than bleak blasts from the south west, bullying the changing tent into almost parting with its moorings. 

In the blustery conditions, the juniors jostled around the start line, some buzzing with excitement and many shivering in the chilly wind - wishing that Santa had come early with the thermals they had placed on their 'wish list'.

The two mile junior route took them along country lanes, through glaury puddles with much trampling through straw bristled fields. Mud, mud and more mud. This was good quality stuff - but not quite up to the glutinous Haylodge brand.

The juniors ran well in the challenging conditions and returned 4th - 1st - 3rd and 11th in their separate age categories

11

Ethan

Elder

Moorfoot Runners

14.34

M

10

4

16

Elena

McGorum

Moorfoot Runners

15.22

F

3

1

35

Eilidh

Mooney

Moorfoot Runners

17.03

F

10

3

57

Cameron

Munro

Moorfoot Runners

18.44

M

37

11

First boy back - Callum Tharme - Gala Harriers in 13.16
First girl back -  Susannah Godfrey-Fausset - Gala Harriers in 14.19

The adult race was over approximately 4 miles and a hardy 4 souls made the 104 mile round-trip to Chirnside. Conditions remained the same for this race with a little sunshine breaking, momentarily through the clouds. Sensible (possibly a contradiction) adults in vests took the opportunity to warm the blood in these few thawing rays before the gallop following 'go' commenced.

The initial charge around the football field thinned the throng before the mud caking charge to the railway line. A chance to steam along the flattest section here before the rise over a steep ridge and through a pool of soupy, brown glaur and on through a potato field. Chipping away, up and over the treacherous tractor tracks, more muddy inclines and declines and then through the final field of next year's vegetables. An uphill flog to the football field  - then a last lap to the funnel.

Gents - The race was won by Andrew Fallas in 27.14 (second  - Michael Reid in 28.18)

Ladies - The race was won by Charlotte Morgan in 29.39 (second - Dianne Lauder in 29.52)

Moorfoot senior results below: 

29

Kobe

Stevens

Moorfoot

32.58

M

MS

25

13

66

Alan

Elder

Moorfoot

37.06

M

M50+

55

16

67

Ian

Munro

Moorfoot

37.22

M

M50+

56

17

132

Michael

Pearson

Moorfoot

56.19

M

M70+

81

1

It's worth noting that Kobe's shoe broke on his way round the course and he showed some real grit in finishing at all. From previous races, he should have been somewhere in the top 10 finishers.

This mudfest was very well organised with much appreciated encouragement from the marshalls along the way.

Full provisional results here:

Junior https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3dEdnufX65IbElxa0dpNjUzVkk/view

Senior https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3dEdnufX65IOGp6UXNBUXdGUWc/view

 

by Alan Elder

Moorfoot Boxing Day Runs

..or alternatively slug it out at the Sales !!!

 

The annual Moorfoot Boxing Day Runs (add jokes about dodgy Christmas Day digestive problems here...) are upon us....

Our three course Menu offers....

Run to the Mast
Seven and a bit-ish hill run up to Dunslair Heights at a sociable pace (90mins-ish) - regular stops to regroup - and back to the Glentress Peel Café for coffee/cake/a blether

Meet at Gytes Leisure Centre Peebles 9:45am for a sharp 1000 start.
Dress accordingly for a slowish run with stops - it is often snowing on the tops - December in the hills - you have been warned...
Should be back down at the Peel café for 1130ish...

Handicap Fun Run

While the seniors slog up to the mast on Boxing Day, all juniors (min. age 9) AND Mums and Dads looking to run off some over-indulgence, are invited to take part in a 2mile handicap fun run on the new path to Glentress where we will meet up with the seniors in the Peel café for coffee/juice and cake(s) at about 11.30am.

 

Meet at the Hydro stables entrance ready for an 11am start, setting off at intervals, slowest first, fastest last. The finish will be just before the main road opposite Glentress (with a couple of adults there to help with crossing the road.) Rule No.1 - Handicapper Gregor has the final say . Rule No.2 - no-one is allowed to say “snow fair” if unhappy with the handicapping. Rule No.3 - Finlay, you are getting chopped after romping home the last two years! Spot prize for the most colourful/flashy gear.

Pure Banter

For those who don't fancy the 'run' bit, just meet up at the Peel café for 1130 and join in the blethering bit...all welcome...

Harmeny Pentland Runners - 7R Multi Terrain Half Marathon 2014

Safely back in the car...

This was a new race for me - off road half marathon in the Pentlands, circumnavigating seven of the Pentlands' Reservoirs.

The apocalyptic weather forecast appeared to keep many entrants away, and the 200 runners who were lucky enough to get a place in the race during the '33min sell out' on Entry Central a few months back, were whittled down to 90 or so hardy souls on the start line.

As it was, a weather window opened up for the race - a wee blizzard an hour or so before the start, and then another whopper not long after I finished and was back in the car - the main weather obstacles during the race being the severe chill wind and a low sun on the horizon.

A great course - truly multi terrain (tarmac, trails, mud, burn crossings) and constantly changing ups and downs as well as surface to keep things lively - and interesting to see the mix of footwear; more road shoes than you would expect for off road in December !

This was the third year of the race, and the winning times have been bettered each year as the word about the event gets round, so was pleased with my 20th place in 1hour 41mins.

Kenny

Full results here...

The 7R route

Moorfoot Girls Bronzed in Dundee

Grey and chilly it might have been at Camperdown Park, Dundee on Saturday but that didn’t prevent a ray of sunshine from the Moorfoot U13 Girls team who got themselves bronzed with a third place team finish in the East of Scotland Cross-Country Championships.

Still only a few weeks back into full training after a nasty bug laid her low for a good part of November, Beth Hobbs did very well to match her 7^th place finish last year coming home in 13.19 for the 2-mile course. Elena McGorum and Charlotte Clare backed her up with excellent runs for 10^th and 11^th in 13.34 and 13.44 respectively to secure 3^rd place for the team with 28 points behind Edinburgh (11 pts) and Pitreavie (24 pts). The fourth team member Molly Falconer may have been slightly below her best on the day for 21st in 14.13 but coach Gregor was at pains to point out that had any of the three scoring girls dropped out, her run would still have been enough to secure the team bronze ahead of Central AC. “Molly’s effort was every bit as important to the team as the other three girls. Even Mo and Paula have off days which makes it invaluable to have good depth in the team and we most certainly have that in this age-group.”

Whilst there were no other medals, there were good performances all round from the growing Moorfoot contingent at Championship level.

Other Moorfoot Results

U13 Boys (3.2km): 17^th Ethan Elder (12.43), 21^st Craig Angus (12.51), 32^nd Michael Smith (13.15), 37^th Corran Carrick-Anderson (13.31); Team 10^th.

U15 Girls (4km): 16^th Mairi Wallace (17.08), 22^nd Fiona Grant (17.32), 23^rd Ailsa Innes (17.36); Team 6^th.

U17 Men (6.4km): 18^th Kobe Stevens (24.17) - a brave effort given he was on his knees "calling on Hughie" at the end.

U20 Men (8km): 10^th Jacob Adkin (29.24), 17^th Sam MacNeil (31.23), 19^th Lucas Cheskin (31.47), 21^st Ben Hindley (33.34); Team 5^th.

Also good to see a chirpy Sophie Collins running well for the Edinburgh Uni Hairies in the U20W race. Must be getting some decent coaching now!

Peebles XC report 30/11/2014

The weather added again to another stunningly scenic round of the series and Peebles managed to come up with a third variety of Mud of a very clingy kind making for some interesting route choices and people descended with their treads clogged on the first mad dash around Haylodge Park.

The race was very organised with many Moorfoots out across the course on marshall duty with the course well marked.

Praise has come in from other clubs such as:
On behalf of Gala Harriers  Thanks to everyone who helped to make today's race at Peebles an other successful race. Excellent but tough course, brilliant.

Alan Elder settling in

Colin Williams trying to catch all those who had dropped up the Sware (and failing!)

Results here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q1hHfEYXxNvHmAaFPEij6XcizcqdvMxu6PCg3BrdDyw/edit?usp=sharing

Position	Forename	Surname	Time (mm.ss)	Gender	Cat	Gender pos	Cat pos
15	Kobe	Stevens	29.00	M	MS	14	13
20	Lucas	Cheskin	29.28	M	MS	18	16
27	Colin	Williams	30.02	M	MS	24	21
109	alan	elder	35.48	M	M50+	91	22
147	Hilary	Spencely	40.12	F	F55+	43	3
174	LUCY	HUSBAND	43.42	M	M40+	115	36

(someone should tell them that Lucy is not a Man!)

Peebles Cross Country Sunday 30th Nov - Event & Course info

Course information for this Sunday's cross country in Peebles

Moorfoot Runners hosts the Peebles leg of the Borders XC series this Sunday 30 November

As host club, we require to provide the starters, time keepers and marshals for the race, so we are looking for some volunteers to spare a couple of hours on the Sunday at Hay Lodge Park.

• 0900 Advance party marking out the park and checking course marking (set out previously on Sat PM)
• 1100 Marshals and helpers meet at start area North of Fotheringham Bridge for marshals briefing and allocation of marshalling locations
• 1130 Junior race starts - should be finished by ~1150; marshals make their way to their locations
• 1200 Senior race starts - last runner normally in by ~1250; marshals bring in course markings back to finish
• 1300 Should be finished and you are relieved of your duties

Please let Head Marshal Kenneth Davidson know if you are available to help between 1100 and 1300 by emailing him at kg.davidson@btinternet.com

 

If we get enough helpers in advance, we can pre-allocate duties and marshalling locations which makes things easier for everyone on the day.

 

As ever, if you are planning to run as a Moorfoot club member, please can you provide substitute marshal/helper to assist with the host club duties.