Britannic Asset Management Women's 10K, Glasgow 20 May 2001
The Helensburgh ladies romped around the Britannic Asset Management
Women's 10K. Around six and a half thousand women took up the challenge
of the 6.2 mile run and whether for charity or fitness they all
had the same sense of achievement on completing the distance.
The 10K event had moved west from its previous location in Kelvingrove and the West End to Scotstoun. The run started with a mass warm-up at the Scotstoun Stadium, then at 11.00 the gun sounded and the runners wound their way up hill on Crow Road to Anniesland Cross, along Great Western Road to Knightswood Cross, then down to Dumbarton Road to return back to the Scotstoun area and the finish in Victoria Park.
The GABBS lived up to their team name (gorgeous athletic Burgh babes) by radiating health, smiles and achievement - and still being able to gab - when they finished!
First home was Kay Duffus in a time of 51.54 in 589th place, her training partner Caron Campbell was a few minutes adrift in 54.25 in 1004th place, followed by Anna Wylie in 1396th place in 56.32.
In her second year in the running group and taking a 'rest' from her exam revision, Jane Dunlop finished in a competent 58.04 in 1676th place. Geraldine Whyte, another runner in her second year with the Group finished in just over an hour in 61.41 in 2514th place. Irene Smith, Carol Wainwright and Catherine Duda (in her third year with the group) finished closely with times of 66.46/3699th, 66.58/3741st and 66.59/3742nd respectively.
The next group of ladies to finish ran all the way together and triumphantly crossed the line simultaneously in 68.04, they were Lig Hill, May Kelly, Kate Baniker and Judy Olver in places 3953 to 3956th. Ellen Thomson and Renata Daly weren't far behind the group, finishing together in 68.11 in 3972nd and 3977th. Ellen's daughter, Laura, was one of the youngest competitors in the event at 15 years old, but she easily completed the distance in an excellent 49.15, 106th place overall.
Vicky Hendren overcame a leg injury which had hampered her training to finish along with her training partner Lesley Lloyd in good times of 68.30 and 68.28, 4062nd and 4053rd respectively. Anna Wright, Lisa Thorndike and Marilyn King were another group who trained and finished together and they were ecstatic to have run all the way, they finished in 4431st to 4433rd places in 71.03.
Congratulations to all the ladies, some of whom only started to run 10 weeks before hand and have now run non-stop for 6.2 miles! What an achievement!
Helensburgh Athletic Club runners also took part in the run. Audrey McBride who has been training for shorter distances, made a rare appearance in a 10K as a training run and she finished just outside 40 minutes in a time of 40.28 in 36th place. Wei-ling Wong proved that her hard work over the winter months had not been in vain by slashing nearly two minutes from her PB in a time of 43.40 in 89th place and then reducing this again at the Helensburgh race four days later to 43.07. Claire Applequist had helped prepare the ladies group for their big day, but she still managed to run the race herself in a time of 48.58/308th, followed by Linda McShane in 55.37/1204th. Norma Johnstone accompanied her friend Julie Deeney on her first 10K crossing the line in 69.20/4191st.
The race was won by Kenyan Internationalist, Lornah Kiplagat in 31 minutes. First Scot home was Hayley Haining in 8th place a couple of minutes behind the winner. Tanni Grey-Thompson, Olympian and London Marathon winner, won the wheelchair event in 26 minutes.
Some of the Helensburgh ladies were not content with only completing one 10K in the week, so they also turned out for Helensburgh's own race on Thursday evening with some even setting PBs!! The runners were Anna Wylie, Geraldine Whyte, Irene Smith, Ellen Thomson, Renata Daly, Lesley Lloyd, Vicky Hendren, Anna Wright, Marilyn King and Lisa Thorndike. Several others took it slightly easier by helping to marshal.