Borderers rack up five first places at Stirling mile meeting
Gala Harriers members won five of the 34 races making up this year’s Monument Mile Classic in Stirling on Saturday, with all but two of the club’s 13-strong contingent managing new personal bests.
Under-16 McLaren Welsh was the first of the Galashiels club’s winners, clocking 5:36.41 in the fifth of the evening’s races to finish at the front of a field of nine.
Over-35 Bob Noble won the next race, contested by a field of 12, in 5:18.42.
Julia Johnstone was first, and only, woman aged 55 to 59 among 11 runners taking part in the race after that in 5:51.59 for seventh place overall, with pole position going to East Renfrewshire under-14 girl Rowan Lennox in 5:34.73.
Ava Richardson was first senior woman, and sixth overall, in the meeting’s 12th race in 5:24.24, with Merseysider Coco Czekalowska, an under-14 girl, crossing the finishing line as first of runners in 5:10.69.
Race No 13, won by unattached over-40 Martin Smith in 5:00.83, didn’t prove unlucky for Gala over-50 Liam Kemp as he was seventh of eight in 5:34.34.
Molly Trewartha was fifth in race 15, and first under-14 girl, in 5:10.95, with Central Athletic Club senior woman Niamh McKinlay finishing at the front of a field of 11 in 5:02.30.
Gary Trewartha and James Dennison both managed top-half finishes among a field of ten for race 17, placing fourth in 4:57.60 and fifth in 4:57.75 respectively, with first place going to Edinburgh under-18 Reuben Lees in 4:42.00.
Under-18 Gregor Adamson was Gala’s next overall winner in race 18, clocking 4:54.04 to lead a field of eight, and under-23 Irvine Welsh did likewise in race 23, clocking 4:28.72 to finish as first of nine, as did under-18 Oliver Hastie in race 26, leading a nine-strong entry in 4:24.78.
Gala under-23 Cameron Rankine, representing Stirling University this time round, was sixth of seven finishers in race 27 in 4:28.38, with first place going to Aberdeen under-23 Cameron Macmillan in 4:23.30.
Fellow under-23 Robbie Welsh was also sixth in his race, the 29th, in 4:20.95, won overall by East Renfrewshire’s Matthew Knak, in the same age class, in 4:15.87.
PBs were recorded by all three Welshes, Noble, Johnstone, Richardson, Trewartha junior, Dennison, Adamson, Hastie and Rankine.
The fastest time of the night at the ninth Monument Mile Classic, 3:52.08, was recorded by US runner John Reniewicki in the concluding men’s A race, that being the second-fastest mile ever run in Scotland.