Central and Fife bring home the golds as clubs savour National Road Relays

Saturday 23rd March 2024

Central AC celebrate their golds at Livingston (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Gusting winds brought down a large tree over the National Road Relays long lap route less than 24 hours prior to the event in Livingston.

But Central AC and Fife AC refused to be blown off course the following day and duly ‘logged’ yet more team success on the roads.

The Livingston event is always hugely popular with the endurance community at our clubs and so it was once again with the best entry since 2019 – at 154 teams.

Central duly headed the Senior Men’s field for the third year in a row to land golds with a strong lineup.

For Fife AC, the welcome return to race action for Scotland international Annabel Simpson on the anchor left helped bolster their team effort.

These races always engender a feelgood atmosphere with hundreds of athletes across a wide age range committed to wearing their club vests.

Lothian RC are fine hosts and made a big effort again this year. Similarly it is great to see range of clubs involved in the race and the likes of Greenock Glenpark Harriers highlighting a return to the event with teams for the first time in a few years.

This is the commitment required to make national championship races the events we all want them to be.

Thanks, too, to our volunteer Officials, Lothian RC, West Lothian Council, and the Road Running and Cross Country Commission for making the National Road Relays happen.

Photos by Bobby Gavin on Facebook

In that Senior Women’s race, Jenny Selman had taken on a long leg (almost 10k) with the Team Scotland 800m runner slightly shocked by that experience!

Megan Crawford and Jennifer Cruickshanks – back running after an absence of more than two years – added to the collective effort.

‘It was good to be our racing for Fife AC once again,’ said Annabel, who like Megan was in Fife AC’s winning team back in 2018.

‘It was pretty windy out there today so that added another challenge to everyone racing, ‘said Megan.

‘The downhills are fun but there are uphill sections too. It’s always good to be in a relay team and I think people enjoy that aspect.’

In the Women’s Masters race, the top two teams reversed their positions from 12 months earlier.

Garscube Harriers were the defending champions but a solid team effort from Gala Harriers was enough to take the gold medals back to the Borders.

Gala were well served by Pamela Baillie, Katy Barden, Joleen Murdoch and Sara Green. Greenock Glenpark Harriers took home the bronze medals in that category.

Central AC often start favourites in these events and there were early signs they would prove unstoppable.

Ben MacMillan and Cameron Milne gave them a very strong start and the advantage was not to be relinquished when they were followed by Alastair Marshall, Luca Fanottoli and Keiran Reilly. Callum Phillip had the anchor leg as Central celebrated three-in-row.

Duncan Robinson‘s excellent anchor leg helped Giffnock North to silver medals, with the club’s previous best in this race at ninth place. Corstrophine AAC were always in the podium hunt ant took third.

‘It is the first time I have been on the anchor leg and there is a different pressure I think than from running earlier in the race,’ said Callum.

‘The team had set it up well for with a lead but you are there to be chased. I was aware Duncan Robinson was having a strong run for Giffnock as they came into second and you just want to close it out and win the golds.’

In the Men’s Masters race, Metro Aberdeen made their trip to West Lothian well worthwhile as they landed golds.

It’s six to count in that race and Metro were served well by Brian Smart, Jim Tole, Dino Roussias, Alan Christie, Mark Wilkins and Leslie Morrison. Edinburgh AC took the silver medals with Corstorphine AAC in third for the bronzes.

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FASTEST LAPS

*The Short Lap has remained much the same over the 26 years at the Livingston venue, the Long one has varied a lot and this year was at longest

Fastest Women’s times are curated here

Long Lap: Annabel Simpson Fife AC 33.09 (9th fastest); Jenny Selman Fife AC 33.43 9( 25th fastest)

Fastest Men’s times are curated here

Short Lap: Ben MacMillan Central AC 15.02 (5th fastest); Ben Sandilands Fife AC 15.16 (18th fastest)

Long Lap: Lewis Hannigan Kilbarchan AC 29.15 (79th fastest); Tom Martyn Corstorphine 29.23 (86th fastest)
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Photo by Bobby Gavin

Cumbernauld AAC have been strong in Masters athletics in recent years and that was demonstrated in their M50 golds.

The Cumbernauld AAC quartet of Stephen Allan, Stephen Allen, Louis O’Hare and Walter Henderson saw off the challenge presented by silver medallists Corstorphine AAC (the 2023 winners) and third-placed Edinburgh AC.

In the Women’s W50 race, Edinburgh Ac retained their title thanks to the runs of Sue Ridley, Jenny MacLean and Julie Wilson. There were silver medals for Gala Harriers there and the bronzes went west – to Helensburgh AC.