WOMEN’S 10K - 19 MAY 2002
Scores of women from Helensburgh took to the streets of Glasgow
on Sunday 19th to tackle the Britannic Women’s 10K run.
This year was the 10th anniversary of the race which has expanded from 800 runners in its first year to amazingly over 9000 entries this year.
Although the Kenyan internationalist, Lornah Kilpaget’s finishing time of 31.30 minutes wasn’t threatened by the Helensburgh ladies, they all did themselves proud round the new Bellahouston and Pollok Park route.
Having diligently followed a 10 week training plan and attended the Helensburgh AAC running group, led by Catherine Leckie, for support, Lesley Serpell led home the ladies new to the club in a time of 57.53 in 2043rd place, she was followed by Shona Friedberg in an immaculate piece of timing to clock 59.59 (2686th) and amazingly Nicola Urquhart stopped the clock dead on the hour in 2690th place. Then came Agnes Purdie in 61.56 (3355th), May Robertson in 63.12 (3809th) followed by Julie Gillies and Janine O’Donnell close to 63.20 in 3846th and 3853rd respectively and Caroline Anstey in 4351st place in a time of 64.57. The scale of the event is demonstrated by Sally Urquhart’s time of 65.25 which was only five minutes after daughter Nicola, but almost 2000 places behind her in 4531st!
Joanna Martin and Lesley Morrison ran round the course together, finishing in 68.21 in 5375th and 5377th, next was Emma Bull in 69.18 (5595th) and Aileen Riches in 70.21 (5815th), who was supported by her family as opposed to support them at various athletics events around the country! Joyce Young had unfortunately suffered from sore shins in the last few weeks of training, but she was determined to take part in the event and complete the course in a creditable 70.56 (5936th). Tracey Kelbie and Andrea Young stopped the clock at the same time of 74.13 in 6451st and 6452nd places and almost three hundred places, but only a few minutes, behind them was Kimberley Betts in 76.20 (6741st). Another member of the group who had suffered an injury, but was adamant that she would still undertake the event by powerwalking around the course for her chosen charity, was Maureen Morton in 7330th place (84.05) closely followed by Jane Arthur in 87 minutes, 7467th place.
The ladies group was please to see some ‘old faces’ from previous years’ groups returning to join in the training programme. Kay Duffus continued her series of Glasgow 10K appearances with a time of 53.17 in 988th and Karen Fryer finished in just over the hour (60.31/2881st), but she lowered this to under magic hour mark at the Helensburgh 10K four days later! Catherine Gould and Debbie Jones, like Kay and Karen were both members of the original ladies group four years ago, finished comfortably in 68.24 (5382nd) and 82.14 (7239th) respectively.
A number of the ladies from last year’s group continued to attend the club to form an intermediate group and under the guidance of Liz Bowden, have gone from strength to strength. With the London Marathon still in her legs Ellen Thomson eased around the ‘short’ 6 mile course in 52.47 in 893rd. Anna Wylie obviously took it easy after her good performace at Troon a week and a half earlier by finishing comfortably in 57.49 (2028th). Lig Hill and Geraldine Whyte were resplendent in their glittery disco boppers and this didn’t appear to hamper their times of 58.36 and 58.37 in 2252nd 2255th places, although they did have to stop for the photographers! Kate Bankier easily broke the hour barrier in 59 minutes in 2373rd place. Vicki Hendren was next home in 61.07 (3084th), Vicki was another runner who went on to do the Helensburgh 10K and given the smaller field was able to finish in well up the field. Lisa Thorndike stopped the clock at 62.25 (3533rd) and Renata Daly and Marilyn King together in 5013th and 5014th places, 67.04 and 67.05 respectively. Jude Olver was cheered on to 5785th place in 70.21 by new arrival since last year’s run, 16 week old daughter Charlotte. Caron Campbell completed in 70.54 in 5929th and Irene Smith in 75.31 in 6633rd. Also spotted on the day was previous group member and now student at Stirling University, Jane Dunlop who did a great time of 51.59 in 751st place.
Although one of the youngest competitors, Laura Thomson was actually taking part in her second Britannic run having completed the event last year. This year she finished almost 4 minutes faster in 44.53, 122nd place.
Long standing club members did themselves proud with Claire Appelquist finishing in 48.14, 314th; Linda McShane in 53.13, 975th; Alison Simpson in 54.30, 1219th; Liz Rutherford in 56.14 and 1613rd and intermediate group leader Liz Bowden in 58.16, 2163rd place. Catherine Leckie (43.48/86th) thanks these club mates, and also Lesley Mooney who was unable to run this year, for their help with the group and of course to the ladies themselves for making the group such a success and having such a laugh along the way (and apologies if I’ve miss anyone from the list!).