Fortune favours Gala Harriers’ under-17 girls at road-races

Ava Richardson was their first finisher in that 5km race at East Fortune, placing sixth in 18:15, just over a minute behind Edinburgh Athletic Club’s Jessica Taylor’s winning time of 17:11, followed by teammates Kirsty Rankine, 12th in 18:52, and Poppy Lunn, 23rd in 19:44.

Their clubmate Jaidyn Brown was also among a field of 42 for that race, clocking 22:04 for 37th place.

Her younger sister Kacie was the club’s only representative in the under-15 girls’ race over 4km, won by Lasswade Athletic Club’s Freya Brown in 13:41, and she made it home 38th out of 61 in 16:18.

Seb Darlow was Gala’s first finisher in the under-15 boys’ race, also over 4km, getting home 14th in 13:32, with his clubmates Gregor Adamson, Charlie Dalgliesh and Cameron Tunmore respectively 17th in 13:40, 21st in 13:46 and 51st in 16:25 for fifth place as a team.

A field of 56 for that race – won by Louie Muir, of Glasgow’s Giffnock North Athletics Club, in 12:30 – also included Teviotdale Harriers’ Greg Watson and McLaren Welsh, finishing 41st in 15:08 and 55th in 17:57 respectively.

Oliver Hastie was hastiest for Gala in the under-17 boys’ 5km race, clocking 16:10 for 25th place out of 46, with victory going to James Alexander, of Glasgow’s Garscube Harriers, in 14:54.

Hastie was followed home by clubmates Archie Dalgliesh, 26th in 16:13; Sam Robertson, 41st in 17:34; and Matty Fleming, 43rd in 18:10, as well as Teviotdale’s Craig Watson, 44th in 18:43.

Molly Trewartha led Gala home in 16th place in 9:33 in the under-13 girls’ race over 2.5km – won by Banchory Stonehaven Athletics Club’s Mille Glass Park in 8:33 – and she was followed in a field of 78 by clubmates Annabelle Stewart, 39th in 10:12, and Freya Ainslie, 53rd in 10:28, plus Teviotdale’s Freya Walker, 63rd in 10:56.

Angus McCarthy was Gala’s only runner among a field of 60 in the boys’ version, also over 2.5km, won by Law and District Amateur Athletics Club’s Alexander Wotherspoon in 7:55, and he clocked 9:20 to place 33rd.

Other team golds went to Garscube’s under-17 boys, Falkirk Victoria Harriers’ under-15 boys, Giffnock North’s under-15 and under-13 girls and Perth Strathtay Harriers’ under-13 boys.

All four races for under-15s and under-17s were qualifiers to represent Scotland at 2025’s London Mini Marathon on Saturday, April 26, with top-four places earning automatic selection and another eight places all together available on a discretionary basis.