Gala Harriers’ Katie Rourke is first female finisher at latest Linlithgow Flat ’n’ Fast 5km races

Rourke clocked 16:14.8 to finish 34th of a field of 63 contesting the second of six races making up the seventh edition of the West Lothian event.

That earned her the day’s women’s gold medal – with Edinburgh’s Nancy Corrie second in 16:44.5 and Aberdeen’s Zoe Bates third in 17:00.4 – and 87th place all told in a combined field of 371.

“It was good,” she told organiser Stride Athletics’ Facebook page afterwards.

“It was really, really windy but I was lucky and I managed to tuck in among some of the guys and they kind of dragged me along a little bit and sheltered me from the wind.

“It’s the last of my 5Ks of the season. I’ve done a lot more 5Ks than normal this season, which has been really good fun because you can race a lot more.

“It was never something that was in my comfort zone – it’s definitely at the shorter end of the spectrum for me – but it’s been good and fun, but it’s back up to longer stuff now, I think.”

First place overall went to Strathearn Harriers senior Harris Pagett in 14:21.1, with Stirling University under-20 Tom Webb as runner-up in 14:25.4 and Fife Athletic Club senior Andrew Thomson third in 14:27.0.

Rourke was one of 14 members of the Galashiels club entered for the day’s half-dozen three-mile races, accompanied by a 3km junior race.

Under-18 Oliver Hastie was the fastest of them, finishing third in the same race run by Rourke in 15:39.9 to place 51st overall.

Fellow under-18 Gregor Adamson was also third in his race, the day’s third, in 16:25:7 and 100th overall.

Under-20 Ava Richardson was sixth all together in race five and its first female finisher in 18:08.4, placing as 15th woman and 220th overall.

Archie Dalgliesh, also an under-20, was 67th all told in 15:58.7 and 50th of 54 in the day’s opening race.

Also representing Gala over 5km were over-40 Gary Trewartha, 169th in 17:07.5; senior Joseph O’Keefe, 232nd in 18:22.6; under-18 Bryn McAree, 268th in 19:11.1; over-50 Sinclair Hill, 289th in 19:33.8; senior Bob Noble, 310th in 20:04.1; under-20 Jessica Smith, 305th in 20:00.1; under-16 Holly Craig, 325th in 20:23.6; fellow under-16 McLaren Welsh, 333rd in 20:46.9; and under-18 Jessica McCowan, 340th in 21:06.5.

Four Teviotdale Harriers took part too, with over-40 Greg Walker finishing 63rd in 15:55.0, under-18 Alfie Walker 122nd in 16:37.7, senior Sean Linton 180th in 17:19.3 and under-16 Freya Walker 344th in 21:24.2.

Teviotdale under-12 Struan Linton was 12th in the 3km race in 10:51.3, followed by clubmates Callan and Freya Michie, the former, an under-14, placing 38th in 11:47.4 and the latter, an under-12, 53rd in 12:55.0.

Gala under-14 Molly Trewartha was 17th in 11:00.9 and her under-12 clubmate Elliot Baxter was 41st in 12:03.3.