Scots asked to race 5k at British Masters Relays; Avril Mason interview

Thursday 11th June 2020

Scottish Masters athletes are being invited to compete in a British Virtual Road Relays via individual runs at any point during six days in June.

The British Masters Athletics Federation (BMAF) are organising the event – which features solo runs over the 5k distance by each club member – from 14-20 June.

Entry is free with an option to make a charity donation to MacMillan Nurses and the Scottish Veteran Harriers Club are supporting this UK-wide event and would encourage members to get involved and compete.

Entries are being taken up until June 19.

The BMAF event will now replace the SVHC Scottish Masters 5K road champs – traditionally taking place in Clydebank around this time of year – with these now Virtual Championships in the various five year age bands.

All runs will be solo and within Government guidelines over social distancing, running close to your home, elevation etc (along the same lines as our own scottishathletics Virtual Challenges). As with our events; evidence of the run on Strava/Garmin is submitted to Open Track leaderboards.

Age brackets are based on your age on June 20.

As this is a UK-wide event, Masters for this event can be V35 and above (usually in Scotland in road and cross country events it is V40 and above).

The number of stages for the BMAF Virtual Road Relays is set-up as follows:

M35-44: Six stages

M45-54, W35-44: Four stages

M55-64, M65-74; M75+, W45-54, W55-64, W65-74; W75+: Three stages.

Individual entries also welcome.

Enter BMAF Road Relays

For more details on masters athletics refer to the BMAF website

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Shettleston Harriers have set-up their own YouTube channel and we’re pleased to share here their first interview!

Avril Mason sat down in with Jethro Lennox to chat about her amazing running journey with Shettleston, her training, her recent inclusion in the scottishathletics Marathon Project led by Robert Hawkins, her future plans, and running for roast chicken.

Had it not been for a chance meeting 15 years ago in a Glasgow maternity hospital with Shettleston’s John McLaren, the athletic potential of Avril may have miscarried.

Instead, it marked the end of a 30 year gestation and lit the blue (and gold) touchpaper on a running odyssey that would lead to V45 triumph at last year’s London Marathon, setting a new Scottish record in her age category in the process with a sensational 2.43.54 run on one of the sport’s biggest stages.