Fife runners head for hills as diamond days begin

Kirkcaldy Wizards runners at the Badass Trail Race: The Sequel at Balbirnie Park in Markinch

The opening weekend of April saw Kirkcaldy Wizards and Fife Athletic Club members shine across a plethora of different distances and terrains, appropriately enough given that the month’s birthstone is diamond.

It was also a weekend during which Carnoustie’s Eilish McColgan won the Berlin Half-Marathon, smashing her own British 13-mile record with a time of 1:05:43, taking 43 seconds off her previous best and moving up to fourth in the European all-time list.

Inspired, Wizards and Fife AC runners went in search of their own records.

The April parkrun tour saw Wizards venturing to Plean, a village near Stirling, for a trail-based run.

Ben Kinninmonth, Bryce Aitken, James Hall, Michelle Johnstone, Michaela McLean, Kerry and Laura Gibson in Motherwell for the Tom Scott 10-Mile Memorial Road Race

Runners were represented at parkruns up and down the country.

Some 27 runners took part in the home Kirkcaldy parkrun. The first Wizard home was Andy Harley in 21:13. There was also a PB for Heather Smart of 28:53.

Around Fife, Nick Brian (clocking 25:36), Fiona Walker (28:21), Iain Hawkins (29:28) and Caitlin Grieve (32:57) made the trip to Craigtoun Country Park for St Andrews’ parkrun, and Selina Skivington (29:38) and Karen Richards (30:21) ventured to Loch Leven’s parkrun.

Making the trip to Plean were Heather Finlayson (27:38), Graham Keddie (28:33) and Derek Adamson (44:24).

Kirkcaldy Wizards coach Michelle Johnstone and Fife Athletic Club's Hilary Ritchie at the Birnam Hill Race

Elsewhere around Scotland, Kieran Forsyth (25:21) travelled to the Holyrood parkrun, Carol Budd ran a course PB of 35:41 at Ganavan Sands parkrun, Adele Cleveley (43:59) ran at Aulcathie district parkrun.

Judith Arnstein (25:54) ran at Rutland Water parkrun in Oakham, a town in England’s East Midlands, and Chris Payne (29:28) made the most of a trip to London to run at the Bushy parkrun.

A hardy tribe of Fife AC runners donned their white tops to run in Dunkeld’s Birnam Hill Race over a distance of 6.5km with a climb of 335m. Glenn Barclay was the first Fife finisher, running a time of 35:25. Eleanor Smith was also in fine form for 43:26. Hilary Ritchie achieved a podium place as first female over 60 in 46:08. There were also notable performances by Merce Torres (47:46), Louise Burt (52:47), Moira Granger (60:20) and coach Michelle Johnstone (50:25).

A delegation of Fife runners travelled to Motherwell to take part in the Tom Scott Memorial 10-Mile Road Race on Sunday. Ben Kinninmonth was the first Fife finisher, and 59th overall, in a time of 58:26. Times of 60:05 and 60:40 were achieved by Fife ladies Megan Crawford and Laura Gibson, and James Hall was hot on their heels with 60:57. Kerry Gibson clocked 64:18 and Bryce Aitken achieved a podium position as third male over 60 with 65:16.

Heather Finlayson, Graham Keddie and Derek Adamson at Plean parkrun

Balbirnie Park in Markinch hosted Badass Trail Race: The Sequel and John Morris was first Wizard home in 39:46 to finish 29th overall. Wizard of the month Graham Keddie clocked 43:14 and Jillian Stevenson finished as first female over 40 and 53rd overall, in 44:39.

England’s capital was calling for Chris Payne and Susan Young and they ran the London Landmarks Half-Marathon in 2:14:28 and 2:14:35 respectively.

Further south, Jill Watson took on the Brighton Marathon, clocking 5:08:34.