Kirkcaldy park hosts first cross-country league meeting of season

Fife Athletic Club's senior and under-20 men's team at Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy on Saturday

It’s been a slightly quieter week than usual for Fife Athletic Club and Kirkcaldy Wizards but an impressive enough one nevertheless.

Kirkcaldy’s Beveridge Park played host to the first Scottish Athletics east district cross-country league fixture of the season on Saturday.

In addition to that, Wizards coach Neill Mitchell competed in the Manor Water hill race near Peebles in the Borders and Saturday morning’s parkruns proved just as popular as ever.

Saturday’s Beveridge Park cross-country league fixture comprised three laps with a total distance of 8.2km for the men’s race and 5.5km for the women’s.

Fife Athletic Club's women's masters team finished third at Kirkcaldy's Beveridge Park at the weekend

Fife’s men’s senior and under-20s team put in an impressive showing, finishing as second club team overall.

Their men’s masters team finished seventh overall.

Fife’s women also secured top-ten finishes, their masters placing third and their senior ladies ninth.

Junior Andrew Thomson was the Fifers’ first runner back in the senior men’s race, placing seventh in 27:16.

Kirkcaldy Wizards coach Neill Mitchell running the 9.3-mile Manor Water hill race near Peebles (Pic: Pete Cain)

He was followed by Lewis Rodgers, ninth in 27:19; Reiss Marshall, 16th in 28:09; Michael Sanderson, 18th in 28:27; Alistair Gudgin, 25th in 28:53; Ben Kinninmonth, 41st in 30:21; Thomas Gambino, 57th in 31:47; and five veterans – Steve Clark, 78th in 32:36; James Hall, 84th in 32:52; Bryce Aitken, 128th in 37:06; John Kinninmonth, 165th in 42:27; and Sandy Bell, 185th in 51:59.

Janet Dickson was the hosts’ first woman back, placing 17th in 23:41 as fifth female master, followed by fellow veterans Eleanor Smith, 35th in 25:40; Keren MacPherson, 56th in 27:12; Merce Torres, 57th in 27:12; Michelle Johnstone, 61st in 27:43; and Innes Bracegirdle, 67th in 28:16.

At the home Kirkcaldy parkrun, Marie Godson achieved a personal best with a time of 28:59.

Elsewhere, Craig Thomson ran a time of 24:08 at Aviemore parkrun and Derek Adamson completed Camperdown parkrun in Dundee in 42:13.

Andrew Thomson was Fife's fastest runner at Kirkcaldy's Beveridge Park on Saturday, finishing seventh overall in 27:16

Four Wizards made the trip to Craigtoun Park for St Andrews parkrun, with Ian Watters clocking 27:21, Claire Jurecki 29:49, Karen Richards 32:21 and James Paterson 32:54.

Val Symon ran a course PB of 27:38 at Dunfermline parkrun, Judith Arnstein ran a time of 27:07 at Lochore Meadows parkrun, Carol Kirk clocked 29:35 at Loch Leven parkrun and Graham Keddie was in Cumbernauld for its Palacerigg parkrun, completing it in 28:18.

Venturing further afield to the Channel Islands, Calum Reid, Niamh Gibbons and Helen Reid added a J to their parkrun alphabet on Jersey. Calum Reid ran a time of 22:08, Gibbons completed the course in 27:23 and Helen Reid crossed the line in 32:29.

Travelling to Shropshire, Chloe Newton finished as first female at Henley Wood parkrun in Oswestry with a time of 28:25.

Michaela Sullivan completed the Queen’s parkrun in Belfast in a time of 41:01.

Adele Cleveley travelled the furthest, completing Putrajaya’s Presint 18 parkrun in 43:18.

The 28th running of the Manor Water hill race took place on Saturday at Woodhouse Farm, near Peebles, attracting a turnout of 76 runners.

Spanning 9.3 miles and with an overall climb of 2,130 feet, it saw hill-running savant Neill Mitchell finish 47th in one hour and 43 minutes.