Vienna Marathon
Whilst many in the club took on the challenges of London, I opted for another marathon on the same morning in Vienna. Like London it was hot with clear blue skies and a strange yellow object in the sky which had failed to show its face in the months of training during Edinburgh’s cold, windy, miserable winter. The weekend started though with a 630am flight on the Saturday morning, with a trip to the expo to pick up our numbers for the following days race, on the way to our accommodation at the Ibis. On the morning of the race, the start line was a little chaotic, with 2 different starts on either side of a main carriageway overlooking the Danube. The half marathon and the marathon relay were starting at the same time, and both races appeared to be considerably more popular than the
Rigg Race 2018 Results
Thank you to all the runners, officials, marshals and helpers who were at the 2018 Rigg Race. It was a great night for another fantastic event and we thank you for all the positive feedback we’ve had. The results are now available at Rigg-Race-2018-Results, and they will also be available from our Facebook page. If you have any comments or questions please get in touch.
East District Success and Evening News
More success for Harmeny Athletes, and a whole host of PBs, last weekend as the East District champs returned to Grangemouth. Saturday saw Olivia Homan set 2 PBs in the U13 100metres, qualifying in the final and an overall 5th place, missing out on a medal by just 1/5th of a second! Murray Fraser went even closer, getting 4th place in both long jump and shot putt, with an amazing PB of 8.04m. Archie Lynch also competed, finishing in 10th and 9th place respectively. Archie also went on to compete in the 800m, finishing 3rd in his heat, just behind clubmate Nathan Denis, the boys finishing 8th and 9th overall and bagging a PB each in the process. Sunday saw Murray competing again, this time in the 200m, qualifying for the final, and Charlotte MacPhie running in her first 1500m outdoors and finsihing 5th overall
Forth Valley League Match 1
It turned into a beautiful day on Saturday 28th April for the first of the 3 Forth Valley League matches. Harmeny AC once again had a great turn-out of athletes and parents. Livingston is a great venue when it’s sunny and the picnic rugs were out in force for the many parents who came to cheer on the competitors. All our athletes did themselves and the club proud but special mentions must go to Natsai Nyabadza for a tremendous 800m run in 2m48s and Callum Gladwin’s win the in 100m in a time of 13.7s. First time higher jumpers Orla Roberts and Finlay Ross benefited from the extra training they did the week before with Orla drawing equal first and Finlay second in their events. Some call-offs meant we had a few spaces to fill on the day so thanks to Isaac, Sophie, Callum
Success at National Relay Championships
For the first time in a little while, Harmeny entered 3 teams into this years National 3x800m relay championships - 2x U13 Boys teams and 1x U13 Girls team. It felt like the first day of spring at Grangemouth as the sun shone on the relays and also the Scottish Universities Championships, making for a brilliant atmosphere. All 3 teams did superbly well, competing against the best teams in Scotland. The girls were first up, with strong performances from Orla Roberts and Isla Byrne, putting Charlotte MacPhie on a good position to carry the baton home in a brilliant time of 8.42 for 13th place overall (out of 19). Next up was the Boys B team who, although inexperienced at National level, all performed brilliantly again to come home in 8.29 and 14th place overall (out of 19). The Boys A team were in the
The John Muir Way Ultramarathon and Relay, ‘Straight Outta Vladivostok’.
Saturday 31st March was a day and a half, to remember. Team Harmeny trekked out to deepest, darkest East Lothian for the annual John Muir Way Ultramarathon and relay. 31 miles along the coast from Port Seaton to Fox Lake Adventures near Dunbar. After a strong club showing last year, an enlarged contingent battened down the hatches and headed out into the growing gloom. The weather forecast was for rain, possibly sleet or snow for most of the day, with a strong headwind. As it was, the forecast was largely right, but it wasn't until the racers headed out onto the exposed coast towards North Berwick into a wind that was straight out of Vladivostok, that we realised how big an ask the day was going to be. The race's first half was defined by the searingly cold head wind, the second half by the
Scottish Schools XC – Hopetoun House
Well done to all 3 Harmeny runners competing for their respective schools at the National Schools XC races at Hopetoun House on Saturday. It was a freezing cold day for the previously postponed race and the runners faced biting cold gusts of wind and snow. We had Hannah and Emily running in the Girls D race and Tendai in the Boys D race. I am delighted to report that despite some very tough opponents Tendai was able to take the bronze medal. A fantastic result – well done Tendai. Thanks to the SSAA for rearranging at short notice and for the fantastic course. Let’s hope they are back there next year! The results can be found here: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=235182
Success at National Indoors
Great to see our young athletes competing at the U13 National Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow! For most of them it was their first taste of championship competition and in Nathan's case his first ever race on a track! Without exception everyone did themselves proud with some great results against strong competition! And a new Scottish Record in the 1500m for Finlay Ross. Orla Roberts -8th Shotput (5.84m), 200m Semi-finalist Nathan Denis -1st in his timed 800 final (2.37.45) Charlotte MacPhie - 2nd in her timed 1500 final (5.28.23) Finlay Ross - 1st in his timed final and gold in that event - AND A NEW SCOTTISH RECORD at 4.43.23 Murray Fraser - 7th in long jump (4.26m) Last year we had only 2 of our athletes at this competition so great to see Harmeny representation growing! Well done everyone and good
Lindsays National XC Championships Saturday 24th February 2018
The weather was glorious for the National XC champs held annually in Callendar Park, Falkirk. For the first time Harmeny had an u13 boys team and a single u13 girl. Hannah was first to start and had a strong run but an error with the chip timing means that no times/place are available for the u13 girls. The boys race was delayed by 10minutes and the resultant frantic start caught the nervous Harmeny boys by surprise. Despite making up a lot of the lost ground, ultimately a gruelling season took its toll and an 8th place finish for the team, while disappointing, was till an amazing result for our young team. These boys will have many opportunities for future glory. Results can be found here: http://events.scottishathletics.org.uk/events/19974-17586-lindsays-scottishathletics-national-cross-country-championships
U12 Superteams Report
After a great response Harmeny AC travelled to the Emirates Arena in Glasgow with a total of 24 junior athletes in 3 teams for the boys and the girls, this was despite it being at half term. It was a fantastic opportunity for the youngsters to compete in world class facilities against aspiring athletes from all over Scotland. There was a total of 242 girls and 195 boys competing on the day. As the scoring system gives 100 points to the winner 99 to 2nd etc scoring points was going to be difficult. Everyone involved put in a great effort, the parents who brought their kids along and gave tremendous support throughout the day, the parents that got roped in to looking after a team on the day, the coaches and especially the athletes themselves. The action came thick and fast with the events,
Harmeny AC Bowling Night
We had a great turnout for the Bowling night on Saturday. Over 40 junior members came along to bowl and spend time with their friends.
Broxburn XC Report
The snow covered course at Broxburn made for some new challenges for the final East District League match of the year. However, a great turnout from the juniors (24 kids across 4 races) warmed the team management and everyone who ran rose to the challenge that the conditions presented. Highlight of the day was the U13 boys who, for the second year running (although they were U11 last year) overcame a deficit going into the last match to win the league title, by quite a large margin in the end. 12 kids have represented this team over the course of the season and, despite missing key individuals due to illness and injury at various times, have shown real strength in depth. Callouts this week to Finaly Ross (1st), Alastair Wallace (10th) and Nathan Denis (24th). Alastair became the 6th different Harmeny runner to register a
Inter-District XC and Great Junior Run Saturday 13th January 2018
The East District swept the field on Saturday with wins in every age category from u13s to u17’s with the sole exception of the u17 girls. And we were pleased to see our two members help add to that haul with a win for Finlay Ross and a 6th place finish for Tendai Nyabadza in the u13 boys race. It was a tightly run race with both boys in the leading pack for the first 2kms. Tendai made a bid for the lead at the start of the 3rd kilometre but it was a fast race and he was unable to keep the lead. Finlay went for the win with 200ms to go and was able to hold off a strong fight from Ross Dewar from EAC. Both our boys were counters for the team of 6 and took home gold team medals. And congratulations
Kim’s Officials Course reflections
"When Craig posted on the Club Facebook group about an upcoming Endurance and Risk Awareness Course run by Scottish Athletics, I put myself forward to do it as I thought it would be a great way to learn more about the other side of running and give something back by getting involved with officiating. On the course the average age of attendees was probably 60+ years and for the second part (the risk awareness session) this jumped to 70+ years. The attendees for the second part were qualified officials who were there for the risk assessment which they must do regularly, I believe yearly. They were a great bunch and had some fantastic stories and words of wisdom to share about their own experiences as officials. Unfortunately it seems from speaking to them, that not enough younger people are completing officiating courses and it is
Finlay and Tendai picked for District Team
Huge congratulations to Finlay Ross and Tendai Nyabadza who have both been selected to represent the East District in the upcoming Inter District XC Championships at Holyrood Park on 13th January – racing against the North and the West (not sure what happened to the South!). The race forms part of the Simplyhealth Great Run festival sandwiched between the fun run/junior run in the morning and the International XC in the afternoon. If you’re attending either of these events, why not find some time to cheer the boys on in their race too. It’s a huge accomplishment by both boys, reflecting a LOT of hard work, and a great honour for the club. Well done. http://www.greatrun.org/great-winter-run Also, huge congratulations to Matthew Holden, Archie Lynch and Fergus Ross who had their recent team U11 team performance upgraded to a BRONZE medal at the recent Lasswade XC
Lindsays EAST DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Over 1550 runners from across the country attended the East District Championships in Livingston on what turned out to be a very cold and frosty day. We had 6 U13 boys and Finlay was delighted to pick up individual gold. The team performed admirably just missing out on the gold on countback. The senior woman had 3 runners and came 8th Vet team. And the senior men had 6 runners and came away 16th team overall and 10th masters team. Well done to everyone who competed on the day! Results are here. East District Results
Harmeny 7R Half Marathon Results
The 2017 Harmeny 7R Half Marathon results are available here: 7R Half Marathon 2017 Results If there are any errors or omissions please let us know
Livingston XC
Harmeny AC were represented at a chilly Livingston XC 18th November 2017. Noah and Kieran ran in a competitive U11 section, both had great runs. They were evenly matched and contested a sprint finish to make the top 10. Nathan ran in U13 and managed to stay upright finishing 2nd. Well done lads! Results are here. https://www.livingstonac.com/fs/1/results/2018/2017-11-18_livingston_open_cross_country_series.pdf
How I managed a sub 4 hour marathon
By Jennifer McKenna Which marathons have I done and in what time? Paris Marathon 2015 - 4h46 Loch Ness Marathon 2016 - 4h09 Dublin Marathon 2017 - 3h38 What is my relationship with marathon running? When I signed up for my first marathon in October 2014 I had no intention of ever doing another. Exercise-wise I tended to jog (slowly!) 3 times a week, and go to the gym or a spin class a couple of times a week. I claimed 'I don't sweat!', when I compared myself with others, and didn't think anything of it. The aims of my first marathon were: a) Complete it. b) Enjoy it. I signed up for it with 2 of my closest friends, and we decided that it was a good goal, plus an excuse for a holiday. I joined a local running club, downloaded a beginners marathon
Jedburgh Ultra
The weekend of 28th October represents one of the club’s favourite, ‘away trips’ with the annual decamp to Jedburgh for their running festival. There really is something for everyone here from Cani-cross and 10 kms to the ultramarathon and an ‘ultra-relay’. Formidable performances from last year fired up a huge club entry across both days and all events, with some members opting to make a full weekend of it, and entering events on both days, with a ‘getting-in-the-zone’ training camp in between (also known as, ‘getting-in-the-wines’). Saturday’s ultramarathon saw a mix of relay teams for both the men and the women, suitably attired in what can only be described as, ‘sartorially elegant fancy dress’ and both solo men and women entering the full 38-miler. It’s often said that Jedburgh represents a good introduction to the world of ultra-running, being only 38 miles long and reasonably
36th Lasswade Cross Country Race
UPDATE: Lasswade AC have now awarded our U11 boys team the Bronze medals. An error in the counting meant we originally missed out out this has now been corrected. Well done boys! Over 300 runners from across the country attended the 36th annual Lasswade XC meeting. It was a lovely crisp day and Harmeny had 9 runners over 3 events. The under 11 girls were well represented with 4 runners. Charlotte led for most of the race but fell back on the last section to take 8th place. Gutsy runs from Natsai, India and Skye meant we were in contention for a team placed but just missed out placing 5th. The under 11 boys had a team of 3 runners, Archie, Mathew and Fergus. An error at the start meant Fergus missed the gun and had to run a couple of hundred metres to
Stirling East District XC
Saturday saw a convoy of Harmeny AC and Harmeny Pentland Runners head north-west to the picturesque Stirling University Campus for the first of the East District Series XC meets. Under slightly inclement skies, the tents were set up as part of the competition village and the kids were readied for battle by Craig leading the ‘Recce Jog’ around the course. Conditions were fairly boggy after recent rain, and further rain during the day added to the gloop. This didn’t dampen the kids’ spirits however, and Coach Dave led warm-ups in preparation for the races. A large turnout from HAC across both boys and girls and through the age ranges meant a bigger showing for the colours than previously, and it ‘s hoped it’s a trend that continues. Full results can be found here; http://www.salroadrunningandcrosscountrymedalists.co.uk/Archive/East%20District%20League/Results/2010s/EDL%202017-8/EDL%202017-8.html Various sets of group photos have been posted on the HAC
Annual Harmeny AC Vs CAAC Cross Country
Saturday the 30th of September saw local club Harmeny Athletic coming together with Corstorphine AAC for the fourth year to host a Cross Country race for kids from both clubs in a friendly environment in preparation for the upcoming Cross Country season. Run at Curriemuirend Park, at Baberton, the route measured between a mile (for the under-11’s) and a mile and a half for the older athletes. It was a good mixture of pathway and grass, giving the younger competitors a taste of what to expect at bigger events. Conditions were good and the weather favourable, which brought a record turnout of ninety competitors from the two clubs. The races saw some excellent competition despite it being billed as a ‘friendly’, but coaches and parents worked hard to keep the enjoyment level high across the board. There were a few stand-out performances, in particular India
Harmeny AC – the friendly club
Rona Perkins recently joined Harmeny Pentland Runners and completed the Great North Run with a little help from her new Harmeny friends. Joining Harmeny Pentland Runners was one of the best things I have ever done. I was so nervous before I joined as I had been turned down by another club for being too slow. However, the welcome and encouragement that I have had from everyone at the Thursday track sessions and Friday social runs has been unbelievable. I was going through a difficult time but I immediately felt I was amongst friends. The reply to my initial enquiry from Craig Stewart was so friendly and he must have told others about me coming because I had few more e mails saying hello and on first night at track people were coming up and saying 'you must be Rona'. The night I first went
Harmeny Success at Nationals
The Scottish Athletics Age Group U13 Championships were held at Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow on Saturday 19th August. Harmeny were delighted to have 5 athletes attend despite the very windy and wet conditions. We had great results all round with a few notable performances. Theo won silver in the U13 boys long jump with a PB of 4.61 and Finlay and Tendai took gold and silver in the U13 boys 1500m! Well done also to Ruby and Murray who got a long jump PB on the day. Thanks to all officials for turning out in such challenging conditions and to the parents who bring their children along.