Balloch Park Cross Country

Last Club race of the 2021 race series, 7 of us set off just after 9am, plenty of muddy patches but in between ground firm dry, good for running. 3 laps, each one slightly slower, came home second, first for the club.

Duathlon

2nd last Club race of the year a 4 mile run round the Vale followed by a 12 mile cycle up Auchencarroch road to Gartocharn and back, 6 of us set off in reverse speed order, cool and dry with little wind good conditions for December. 

10 Mile Handicap

Longest Club race, just over 10 miles of undulating roads round the Horseshoe. 7 of us set off in reverse order, I was in the second last group, started out just behind my partner then after a couple of miles gradually moved past him on the first hill, reeled in the other three over the next 5 miles and managed to hold on for the last 3 miles, about 30 or 40 seconds quicker than last year and just over a minute ahead of the next finisher, good fun for a road race. Check out the results via Milburn Harriers in the links or my feed in the Strava box below.

5 Mile Handicap

9th Club race of the year and 9 of us set off in reverse order for a 5 mile handicap road race round the Vale, handicap times from 43 to 35 minutes, please to finish 5th place, 4th by time, inside 36 mins, handicaps worked out ok, 7 finishing within 2 mins, only first and last outside this.

Ted Baker Pappert Well race

Latest club race, another lollipop route out the back of Pappert to the trig point returning past the Well, down a fire break to join the outward route, finishing in just over 46 minutes, 7th out of 10 in the handicap. Everyone finished within 5 minutes and if you discount the first and last the other 8 were within 2 mins 20, times ranged from 44 to 71 mins.

Stoneymollan

Short club hill race, just under 5 miles and about 1000' of ascent, run in handicap format for the trophy in memory of ex club mate Alex Robertson. 8 of us turned up, I set off in 6th, only managed to pass one runner, nearly caught another. One runner caught and passed me but I got back in front a couple of hundred yards later courtesy of running across a thankfully dry bog, as the other runner went round, happy to finish in 5th place, 2nd fastest. Ground was very dry which made for fast times on this fun short race.

Fairy Glen

Latest Club race in the annual Club GP, 3 laps round the bottom of Fairy Glen and up Heart Attack hill in Balloch Park, just under a mile a lap, only 5 of us tonight, started off in 3rd place, made up one place on the second lap, finished just outside my target of 24 mins about 25 secs behind 1st, good fun on a tough wee race.

Ben Bowie Trail Race

Second go at this race, 7 of us set off up the Stoneymollan old coffin route, in 4th place to start, turning off along the Three Lochs Way with a short detour to Ben Bowie, round the cairn and back to the start, gradually reeled in 2 of those in front passing one on the wee rise to BB the other on the way back in to the forest, finished 2nd in just over 50 mins, about 3 mins quicker than last year.

Riverbank 5k

Good turnout for the short tarmac race down the cycle path, 10 of us set off just before 7pm, finished 6th in just over 22 mins, about 15 secs slower than last year.