Second-place finish for Fife’s senior men’s team at XC in Dundee

Besides the usual Saturday parkruns, Fifers took part in the second east district cross-country league fixture at Camperdown Park in Dundee, a group of Wizards did the Dunfermline Rotary Club Santa Dash 5k in Pittencrieff Park and a Wizards social run took place in the Lomond Hills regional park.

Camperdown Park hosted the second fixture of the 2023/24 east district XC league on Saturday, and there was another strong turnout of Fife runners following the first fixture in Kirkcaldy.

Fife’s senior men’s team matched their result on home turf with a second-place finish behind Central Athletic Club over 8km and their female masters team were fifth over 6.4km.

Making up the men’s team were Lewis Rogers, fourth in 27:09; Liam Hutson, 19th in 29:30; Tom Gough, 21st in 29:45; Russell Hall, 29th in 30:42; and Kevin Wallace, 42nd in 31:05.

Comprising Fife’s female masters team were Janet Dickson, fifth in 27:16; Eleanor Smith, 24th in 31:26; Merce Torres, 31st in 32:16; and Innes Bracegirdle, 34th in 32:25.

In the male masters 8km race, Fife’s team placed tenth, Steve Clark getting home 15th in 32:38, Damon Thoms 35th in 34:04, Stephen Dickson 57th in 35:40, Hugh McKay 67th in 36:49 and Andy Harley 78th in 37:46.

In the under-17 girls’ 4km race, eighth place went to Eliza Konig in 16:00 and 15th to Nellie Luxford in 16:28.

The under-13 boys’ 3.2km race saw Fife place ninth, with Euan Patrick 33rd in 13:41, Bertran Penacchio Torres 44th in 14:06 and Murray Kinnaird 56th in 14:59.

Another Kinnaird, Isla, was 28th in the under-13 girls’ 3.2km race in 15:11.

In the under-11 boys’ 1.6km race, Rob Anderson was 30th in 6:47 and Lewis McKelvie 53rd in 8:41.

Also on Saturday, three Fife athletes were representing their universities and colleges at the Scottish student cross-country championships in Livingston.

Ben Sandilands and Michael Sanderson both finished in the top 12, earning places on the Scottish universities team at January’s inter-district championships.

Sandilands is also a nominee to be named Athletics Weekly’s male para athlete of the year, a bit of well-deserved recognition for what has been a stellar year for Sandilands in his burgeoning athletics career.

Sandilands was tenth in 27:41, Sanderson 12th in 27:50 and Robert Sparks 29th in 29:18.

At the home Kirkcaldy parkrun, yours truly finished first place in 18:40 and there was also a personal best for Leanne Reid of 33:32.

Along the East Neuk at Craigtoun Park, Calum Reid and Niamh Gibbons achieved course PBs at St Andrews parkrun. Reid ran a time of 21:11 and Gibbons clocked 27:19. Also at St Andrews were Stephen Luff (23:27), Carol Kirk (29:06) and Claire Jurecki (33:50).

Elsewhere in Fife, Stuart Goodfellow (23:37), Adele Clevely (42:31) and Sam Forsberg (45:34) ran at Lochore Meadows.

At neighbouring Loch Leven, Shona Turner (31:50), Carol Budd (35:15) and Derek Adamson (41:50) completed Saturday morning parkruns.

The award for furthest travelled goes to Iain Hawkins (28:00) for the Malmö Ribersborg parkrun.

Less far afield, Chris Payne ran a time of 29:06 at Tollcross parkrun in Glasgow and Heather Finlayson clocked 24:47 at the Portobello parkrun.

Dunfermline Rotary Club hosted a 5k Santa dash in Pittencrieff Park, with Andrew Ritchie clocking 26:28, Val Symon 31:15, second female Nicky Sutherland 31:29, Jim O’Neill 32:10, Carol Kirk 32:12, Nicky MacGregor 34:39 and Kerry McGregor, with young elf helper Archie, 39:19.