May 24th, 2021

With the relaxation of Scottish Government Covid restrictions across Scotland except for those living in the Glasgow and Moray areas the Stirling Monument Mile Classic Event took place on Friday 21st May.   19 Cambuslang athletes across the different age groups participated in this popular event.  The Central AC organisers put on 27 graded races to accommodate the large number of entrants with athletes being placed in appropriate races according to their pb or estimated mile times.  Our members who were either attempting to post a personal best time or to record their first time at this classic distance were pleased to be experiencing a real race occasion again.

Monument Mile 2021
(C) Bobby Gavin

Gavin Smith continued his fine vein of recent form by winning his race in a pb of 4.11.22 which was 8 seconds quicker than his performance from last year.  U20 Chris McLew recorded 4.27.56 in the same heat as Gavin.  While his time was outside his pb it was a good workout for him as his attention in the last few weeks has been primarily focused on his university exams.  Fellow U20 Andrew Carey reaping the benefits of his consistent training during lockdown sliced 3 seconds off his pb to lower it to 4.28.43.  Similarly first year under 20 Aaron Grew’s time of 4.31.42 was a 1 ½ seconds improvement.  Club captain Richie Carr (4.37.77) improved by 7 ½ seconds.   Stuart Gibson and Laurence Heyes with respective times of 4.40.94 and 4.41.70 were short of their pbs but nonetheless will have benefited from their sharp workout in an actual racing experience.  U20 Ryan Donnelly unfortunately missed breaking the 5 minutes barrier by 2 seconds.  Newcomer Ian Hodge can be pleased with his first track race with a debut clocking of 5.02.2.   

Monument Mile 2021
(C) Bobby Gavin

First year U15 Sam McCarthy took a sizeable 11.62 seconds off his 1500m pb on the way to his 5.24.10 mile clocking.  There was only a 0.30 seconds time differential between U20 Keir Crawford (5.08.35) and M50 Mark Gallacher (5.08.65).  Club secretary M60 Dave Thom ran a sprightly 5.45.85 for his age category while at the opposite end of the age spectrum U13 Olivia McNicol did well to sneak under the 6 minutes standard with her time of 5.56.98.  M65 Frank Hurley acquitted himself well in recording 6.03.70 as did U15 Lucy McGrandle in her debut mile time of 6.06.62.

Monument Mile 2021
(C) Bobby Gavin

M50 coach Iain Crawford (6.12.67) and his protegee U13 Emma Ritchie (6.14.72) were closely matched with another of his charges U15 Emma Kennedy recording a debut time of 6.37.54.  

photo Pat Fitzpatrick

In sharp contrast to the flat mile track event Cambuslang members Iain MacCorquodale and Kieran Cooper in the colours of St Andrews University took part the following day in the Maddy Moss Hill Run at Tillicoultry.   The testing 6.1mile race involves a very steep ascent of 648 metres up Ben Cleuch with an equally near vertical plummet to the finish.  In a competitive race Kieran showed good form to take 7th spot in a time of 52.52 with Iain (56.17) who has been gradually building up his fitness again after injury in 15th place.

David Cooney