Rae on course for Rio after marathon effort

Derek Rae in action at the 2016 London Marathon

Derek, who has been coached by Ron Morrison in St Andrews for a number of years, finished in an excellent fifth place in the T45/46 category in a huge personal best of 2 hours 37 minutes 28 seconds.

Derek’s time is significantly under the qualifying time for the Paralympics in Rio later this year and with such a strong performance against the world’s best on Sunday, it is likely that he will be included in the team when it is announced by British Athletics.

It is another milestone reached in the career of an athlete who thought at one time his running career was over when he was involved in a motor cycle accident.

Derek was joined in London by two of his training partners, Katie Jones and Alison McGill, who are also coached by Ron Morrison.

Katie was the club’s first female, finishing in 2.58.02, while Alison was the club’s third female, finishing in 3.12.54 in an impressive debut over the distance.

Another stand out performance came courtesy of Hilary Ritchie, who ran a two-minute personal best of 3.12.34 to place 10th in the V50-54 category.

Other Fife AC performances included Scott Cassidy 3.10.29; Keren McPherson 3.14.44; Iain Ritchie 3.46.31; Stuart Williamson 3.58; Gerry McPartlin 4.29.58; Derek Adamson 4.37.34 and Ally McAdam-Smith 4.44.28.

Two talented Fife AC juniors, Tristan Rees and Robert Sparks, represented Scotland in the Mini Marathon but the results have yet to be published.

Closer to home, it was a successful day for Fife AC’s junior girls at the Scottish Primary Schools Cross Country Championships in Kirkcaldy.

The performance of the day came from Anna Hedley, who became the Scottish Primary Schools Cross Country Champion.

Anna, who was representing Strathkinness Primary School, won the Primary 7 girls’ M-Z race in 6.02 ahead of Anya Maclean of the High School of Glasgow in 6.20 and Mairi Craig of St Ninian’s Primary School in Stirling in 6.29.

In the Primary 6 girls’ A-L race, Ruby Methven of Greyfriars Primary School claimed the bronze medal in 6.38.

Anna’s younger sister Isla missed out on a medal by an agonising two seconds in the Primary 6 girls’ M-Z race, finishing in fourth place in 6.47.