Category: The Classics

Race Start in 1940’s: is it Andy Forbes in the front row?

The Beith New Year’s Day race was a fixture when I started running in 1957 but the problem was that, being on 1st January, and in Scotland, there was only skeleton public transport running.   It being the 1950’s not many had cars of their own – so if you wanted to run there you needed a car of your own, you needed to know someone with a car who would take you or you had to hit it lucky with trains and/or buses.   The thing is though that despite all those disincentives, the race was supported by international runners, Scottish champions and even Olympic athletes!    Local international runners like Ian Harris and Tom Cochrane ran there, Olympians such as Lachie Stewart, Ian McCafferty, Suttie-Smith, Alex Breckenridge and more recently Lynne MacDougall, cross-country internationals like Lawrie Spence, Eddie Bannon,  Andy Forbes, Jimmy Flockhart and Pat Moy, all travelled to Beith for the event.   Started in the late 1920’s it is still going strong.

I first ran in it when it was a cross-country race and remember one point in the trail where the path ran straight into a burn – but to get back out required getting up on to a raised bank on the other side.   Not easy.   I remember once when it was a road race, Andy Brown seeing brother Alex doing some strides away from the start line when the field was getting in order.   He called his young brother back and pointed out that they would not start the race if Alex was 50 yards down the trail in the direction of the race but they might if he were 50 yards behind the start line!    Only the wording was more direct.   I remember sitting beside Ian McCafferty in the changing room and him showing me the new shoes he had just got from Puma with things like suckers on the sole.    In those days it was a men only affair but like most races now, it incorporates races for women and younger athletes are also catered for.   Information below came mostly from Kenny Phillips and stats are mainly from Alex Wilson who has posted all the winners on the Association of Road Runners website at .    https://arrs.run/HP_Kilbirnie4.htm.

Other than the Red Hose race at Carnwath in Lanarkshire it is said to be the oldest race in Scotland, being slightly ahead of the Balloch to Clydebank race in Dunbartonshire.   Alex Wilson says that he thinks the race dates from 1926 but the results start at 1929

  It was always held on 1st January except when that fell on a Sunday when the race was run on the 2nd January.      What I would like to do is look at the winners and show how the standard that was high at the start has been maintained – the Emsley Carr Mile in London has a book in which the winners write their name.   Had such a book been started for the Beith races, then with all the signatures that would have been collected in it, you would have had a very valuable document.

Pre-War Race Winners

The first of these, John Suttie Smith was an OIympic 10000m runner who ran in the Amsterdam Games in 1928 where he finished tenth in 31:50.  He had best times of 14:41.2 for Three Miles, 15:22.6 for 5000n, 20:24.8 for Four Miles, 30:47 for Six Miles and 51:37.8 for Ten Miles (set in 1929).   An Olympian in 1928 who set a personal best for Ten Miles in 1929, he was clearly at the top of his game when he won the Beith New Year’s Day Race.  He also won the Scottish Cross-Country title five times (1928, ’29, ’30, ’31, ’32).  The other notable in the pre-war victors list was of course Jimmy Flockhart of Shettleston Harriers who won the World Cross Country Championship in 1937 and the Scottish championship four times (1934, ’34, ’36 and ’37).   Of the others, Sammy Tombe ran in the International Cross-Country Championships in 1928, 1933 and 1934, CP Wilson ran in them in 1928 and 1931, Stobbs in 1930, 1931 and 1932,   Campbell in 1935 and 1936 and Allwell in 1936 and 1939.

The distance was much longer prior to 1937 than it has been since and the following report from the local paper in 1934, received from Kenny Phillips,  maybe explains its early popularity.   “Beith Harriers open ballot team race was held on Monday.   This event is now recognised as a means of identifying form for the Scottish National Championships in March, and this year it was of particular interest at the International Championship is being held in Scotland, the venue being Ayur Racecoure.   Conditions on Monday morning were all against the prospect of a good entry or a good race.   However the weather cleared a bit in the afternoon and fully 35 runners faced the starter, Mr Wm Johnstone.   These runners were balloted into nine teams comprising four to run, three to count.   The ground conditions were none too good, but as it subsequently showed, this did not deter the keenness of the runners or spectators.   That this race is a much-looked-for one on Ne’erday can be taken for granted by the number of people who were present at the start, and who followed the race from advantageous positions on the course.   The trail, which was laid and marked out under the careful eye of TJ McAllister, differed from the one usually used for this race but which was excellently laid out from the spectator’s point of view, as one could see almost three-fourths of the race.   This is an unusual thing in a cross-country race and was fully appreciated by the spectators, who took advantage of the many viewpoints to follow the course of the runners.  

The runners were got off to a good start by Mr Johnstone, and J Campbell (Bellahouston H) quickly took the lead, followed by G Ferguson (Beith and Gala H), J Gifford (Victoria Park) and HW Davidson (Eglinton H).   After almost a mile had been covered, J Campbell had established a lead of 30 yards from Gifford with Davidson and J Anderson (Lochwinnoch H) close behind.   Then came DE Thomson (Victoria Park),  J Millar (Beith H) and G Hunter (Bellahouston H).   On completing the first circuit, J Campbell had increased his lead on Gifford, while Davidson had also lost ground, although still lying third.   These were followed by J MIllar (Beith) who was beginning to move up and who was receiving plenty of encouragement on passing the crowd of interested spectators.   At the four mile stage, it was easily seen that that it was going to be Campbell’s race unless anything unexpected happened.   He was now leading by about 100 yards from Gifford with Jack Millar 30 yards further behind.   The field was still strung out by this time and there was a difference of almost five minutes between first and last.   At the finish there were no chages in the first three positions although J Millar made a valiant effort to get the better of Gifford but just failing.   J Campbell (who is a previous winner of this race) won easily and proved to be a popular victor with the spectators who had followed his forcing race with interest and he was given a warm reception on finishing as were second and third.”

The report is of interest for several reasons, not least being the fact that the Ayrshire spectators were so interested or so appreciative of the winner’s efforts.      The fact that it was used as a guage of form for the National is of interest as there was not nearly as full a calendar then as there is now and there were many inter-club runs to fill the gaps.   A race over the approximate championship distance on the country would prove fairly popular.    The fact that it was a ‘spectator friendly’ trail is well ahead of the time too – even in the 1960’s trails often consisted of one large nine mile loop with the officials watching the runners disappear into the distance before going to shelter in a building or car and having a cup of tea!

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There was a wee hiatus between 1941 and 1949 for obvious reasons and Kenny Phillips has this to say about the restart of the race in ’49:

“At the Committee Meeting on 5/2/48 it was proposed to re-establish the New Year Day race to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the club.   The race would be a Ballot Team Race to give everyone a chance of a prize over 2.5 miles of road with three sets of team prizes.   At the AGM on 7/9/48 the Secretary reported on the successful road race of 2.5 miles for Novices won by H Fenion of Lochwinnoch  in the fast time for a Youth of 13 mins 03 secs.   Harry went on to become Scottish marathon champion and Beith were disappointed that he did not join Beith Harriers instead of Bellahouston Harriers. 

In the first postwar 1949 Ballot Team Race over 2.5 miles, there were 35 runners with Andy Forbes first in 13 min 24 sec, 180 yards in front of R Climie, Bellahouston, second, J Reid West Kilbride third, and the novice T McNeish, Irvine, fourth.   The first ballot team was W Ritchie Victoria Park, B Hainey, Doon, and J Ellis of Victoria Park 11th.   The first prize was an oak occasional table donated by the Co-operative Furniture Factory in Beith, and the first team prizes were three mahogany tea trays made by Jack Millar, the 1929 Novice Champion.”

Kenny also believes that the race was probably cross-country until about 1990 when it was changed to road     After the war it was planned as a two lap, four mile cross-country course.   However in 1949 due to severe frost, it was dangerous underfoot and the course was changed to a 2.5 mile road which Andy Forbes won wearing spikes on the slippy road surface.

Andy went on to win the race in 1950 and 1951.   The Ballot Team format was fairly popular at the time.   It was meant to address what was seen as a problem, or if not a problem, a basic case of fairness in the winning of team prizes.   In all the main races – National, District and County as well some open races, the same clubs won every time out with other good standard athletes missing out time after time.   The solution was to place the names of all entries into a hat and draw out three or four names at random, these to form Ballot Team 1, then three or four more to form Ballot Team 2 and so on.   Even when I started in the sport in the 1960’s I ran in several events where the format was used – Garscube was one such, but the biggest race of the type that I competed in was the Balloch to Clydebank 12 Miles Race.   By winning the race three times, Andy was one of several multi-winners.

Post War Race Winners

Andy Forbes was of course a Scottish and British Internationalist on the track with multiple Scottish selections on the country to his credit with the high spot maybe being the silver medal in the Empire Games in 1950.   He also won the Scottish Cross-Country Championship twice.   Alex Breckenridge was also a Scottish internationalist who emigrated to the United States and represented them as a marathon runner.   Andy Brown, Scottish track, road and country Internationalist who was one of the most inspiring of captains and was in fact Scottish International team captain for many years.   Eddie Bannon was a superb athlete on every surface and won the Scottish championship four times (1952, ’53, ’54 and ’56) and had seven appearances in the International race.     Pat Moy from the Vale of Leven  represented Scotland in the International CC Championships in 1956, 1957 and 1958 so he too was clearly a top class man for a considerable period  with the Beith win being right in the middle of his three year purple patch.   Clearly the race had some status when men of such high calibre came year after year on New Year’s Day to contest it.

Results from the Sixties

Ian Harris was a first rate athlete who won the SAAA Marathon in 1963 as well as being a cross-country internationalist and – unfortunately for Scottish athletics – did most of his running in the colours of the Parachute Regiment all over the world.   Lachie Stewart and Ian McCafferty were both multi SAAA champions and Olympians too.  Lachie won the first ever SCCU Boys championship and won the Senior race in 1967 and 1968 while Ian won the Senior event in 1972 and had as one cross-country high point the third place in the international championship at Clydebank in 1969.    Alastair Johnston won several Scottish International representative honours and would undoubtedly have won many more had he not been involved in the dreadful accident with the stray hammer at Meadowbank.   One of the interesting features of the 1960’s was the introduction of age-group races in 1967.   Although the quality of runner was high, the numbers were not fantastic at this point and this move proved a success.   Lawrie Reilly of VPAAC won the junior boys race with Lawrie Spence fifth.

Winners from the 1970’s

It is not just the Beith races that have some gaps in the results for the 70’s and 80’s – I find a similar story in several other well-established races and I don’t know why this is the case.   There are also a number of Classic Races where the actual trophy has ‘disappeared’.   Results to fill in the gaps would be welcome.   The standard remained high though.   Dick Wedlock with three wins (1969, ’70 and ’72) was also a track internationalist (10000m at the 1970 Commonwealth Games) and won the Scottish Cross-Country title in 1969.   Jim Thomson was a very good runner but one whom many people thought could have been a great talent had he stayed with the sport.   Hugh Forgie and Jim Golder were in the main track runners who both gained Scottish selection for their preferred events of 800m and 1500m

Winners of the 80’s

If we concentrate on the winners from this decade, Lawrie Spence of Greenock Glenpark, Shettleston Harriers, Spango Valley and Inverclyde stands out as one of the all-time greats of the sport.   A sub-four miler he also ran well under 2:20 for the marathon and captained the Scottish International Cross-Country team after Jim Alder ended his reign in that post.   One of five brothers, there seemed to be no event to which he could not turn his hand and he is now a very good coach indeed with Inverclyde AAC.   Graeme Croll was perhaps a bit unfortunate that he was steeplechasing at the same time as Tom Hanlon but he won more than his share of SAAA titles including the steeplechase and 10000m on consecutive days!   Tommy Murray and Chris Robison were two thirds of a triumvirate that was to dominate Scottish long distance running in the 90’s – both represented their country on the track, over the country, on the roads and in World Mountain Running championships.  Chris also represented England in the world event before he transferred allegiance to become on of the Scottish stars of the 90’s.    Paul Larkin was a member of Wolverhampton and Bilston AAC who could also turn his hand to most events on the track, road and country and represented England in the World Cross Country Championships.    The standard was still incredibly high for the Beith New Year’s Day Race.

Winners in the 90’s

Glen Stewart is the son of Lachie Stewart – the only father and son double act to win the Beith race – and was a very good track runner being the first British athlete to finish in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in the 10000m as well as representing Scotland in the 5000m.    Glen ran for many clubs but as a senior he ran in the main for the various incarnations of Racing Club in Edinburgh after a short spell with ESH.   He has won the National Cross-Country title twice – in 2002 and 2004.      Tony Johnston was another track runner – English and so unable to represent Scotland but a credit to himself and his club in every race he turned out in.   Alan Puckrin was one of the few Scottish cross-country runners to get his picture on the front of Athletics Weekly.   A cross-country and track internationalist of some stature he was friendly and outgoing and a popular winner.   David Gardner won many medals as part of the Racing Club in Edinburgh and had the international championship been open to Scotland as it had been before the world body forced the amalgamation, he was one who would probably have gained selection.   Jamie Reid of Law & District was a very good marathon runner (see his profile on the Marathon Stars page) who could also run on country and track and who represented his country.

Winners in the 00’s

Tommy Murray is still in there – his first victory was in 1986 and there he is winning again in 2001.   Tommy is also a very friendly guy but does not suffer fools gladly and has had some run-ins with authority in his career – he gets on fine with fellow runners though.   Tommy also has four wins in the National Cross-Country Championship – in 1989, ’91, ’92 and ’93.    Jamie Reid has two more victories here and if you look at his profile, you will see that he is indeed a worthy winner.   Billy Richardson is another who is unfortunate not to have been racing when Scotland was a separate country in the world championships because he would have had several vests.   As it was, he was unfortunate to have been running at the same time as the Quinn, Robison and Murray group.   This decade in the results of the race, as indeed all of them, reflects the situation in Scottish athletics.   The dominant clubs are no longer Victoria Park, Bellahouston Harriers or Shettleston Harriers – it’s the clubs from South of the Clyde that are coming to the fore.   Tommy Murray is a Greenock boy and Mark Pollard and Chris MacKay are two of a wonderful group of young distance runners at Inverclyde AAC coached by Lawrie Spence and Norrie Hay.    Mark has won the Scottish Cross-Country title twice already (2007, ’08) and Chris has been a close-up member of National winning teams.   These guys still have a lot to give the sport.   Ross Toole is an excellent young prospect from Kilbarchan who seem to specialise in whole dynasties of athletics talent – the Hawkins brothers are as famous as the three generations of the Toole family.    I’ll bring the results up-to-date but reserve the comments until January 2019!

It is a popular race and whatever its secret, lots of runners keep coming back and several have been multi-race winners.    Most prolific was Tommy Murray with four (1986, ’90, ’91 and 2001) as had Chris McKay of Inverclyde (2005, ’06, ’07 and possibly 2011), Chris MacKay (2005, ’06, ’07 and’11) and Lawrie Spence (1982. ’83, ’84 and ’85) with several on three each – Jim Flockhart (Shettleston) in 1934, ’35, ’36), Ian McCafferty (1964, ’66 and ’67) and Dick Wedlock (1969, ’70 and ’72) while on the women’s side Susan Finch (City of Glasgow) won three  in 2006, ’07, ’08 and Ann Ridley (McLaren City of Glasgow) in 1987, ’88 and ’89.

The Women’s Race 

As with the men, runners came from all over Scotland, and beyond in 2002.   From Aberdeen in the north to Edinburgh in the East, from Greenock in the West but mainly from the Glasgow area with no fewer than 11 of the 27 races heading for the conurbation.   Five from Irvine and three from Kilmarnock were the top clubs apart from that.   Olympian Lynne MacDougall’s outstanding time of 25:34 for the 4.64 mile trail was clearly the performance of the series although the weather at this time of year can have a lot to do with watch times!   Lynne was a real quality athlete with Scottish titles on the road, track and country and latterly as a marathon runner who only missed Games selection through injury.   She would add lustre to any list of race winners.   There are ,many well known names on this roster: Claire Gibson cruelly denied really major selections as an 800m track runner through unfortunate injuries at the wrong time, Marcella Robertson was also a well known orienteer as well as a top flight runner, Alison Higgins from Kilmarnock was a really good all round endurance runner who showed talent on the track and road as well as over the country.   Jill Knowles was the daughter of Hammy Cox of Greenock Glenpark and grand-daughter of Bertie, a well-known road runner in the 50’s and 60’s who was a class runner in her own right.   Many of the girls above could have won national cross-country titles but for the overwhelming dominance of Freya Murray who has won the Scottish Cross-Country Championship seven times in nine years!   Susan Finch, running at present as a veteran has best times of 17:25 and 36:30 for 5K and 10K on the roads and 10:22.8 for 3000m indoors; Ann Ridley who equals Susan’s three victories was one of the best cross-country runners of her generation, and won the Scottish Cross-Country title in 1990.   Elspeth Turner was a very good athlete who went on a scholarship to the University of Alabama and developed her talent even further – she has best times of 5000m on the track and 5K on the road of 16:11.09 and 18:25 and for 10000m track and 10K road of 33:05.43 and 37:43.   Kara Tait has a range of personal bests ranging from 64.3 for 400m to 36:47 for 10K on the road – and she is still only 25 years old.   All the women who have won the race in its short 28 years existence have been at least very good athletes at best of the very highest calibre.

The start in 1984 – winner Martin Coyne is Number 35

When I started out road running in about 1958 the Scottish Marathon Club was the group you had to join.    Organised by Jimmy Scott, Dunky Wright and an excellent committee. it produced a fixture list every year on which the Edinburgh to North Berwick (then a 22.6 miles distance) was an annual feature.   In 1962 I set out to do as many races on the SMC programme as possible – the Balloch to Clydebank, the Clydebank to Helensburgh and the Springburn 12 were all easy to get to with manageable distances, the Strathallan and the SAAA Marathon were also easy to get to because so many folk travelled to them although the distances were starting to get difficult.   Edinburgh to North Berwick was more difficult – a student with no car could maybe get there by train but how on earth did you get back from North Berwick?   Travel was at times a real difficulty but Jimmy Scott came to the rescue and took several of us through in his minivan – as indeed he did to many other events (Dundee ASA, Spean Bridge to Fort William, the Ben Nevis, the Derwentwater 10 for instance – including myself and Jack MacLean of Bellahouston.   The weather was fine apart from a headwind for about 20 of the 22.6 miles and the race started outside St Andrews House with a long downhill run past Meadowbank and on down the coast to North Berwick.   My memory is of a race that should have been down hill seeming to involve a lot of running up long drags!   The drops were short and steep and appeared to be followed by long gradual gradients.   It was one that I wanted to do and looking through the Scottish Marathon Minute Books its history was long and noble.    It has gone through many metamorphoses since then with the distance varying up to and including the marathon and the whole history is on Brian Howie’s admirable website  (http://www..b-howie.demon.co.uk) referred to below.   There have been many double winners – Alex Wight, David Wyper, Martin Coyne, Robin Thomas, Lindsay Robertson and James McMillan but only one man has won it three times – Colin Hutt about whom more can be read on the Two Bridges pages of this website.

Colin Youngson ran the race in 1979 and 1980 and reports on it as follows:

“The Edinburgh to North Berwick is miraculously still going nowadays.  If you Google ‘Edinburgh to North Berwick Race’ this will link you to Brian Howie’s website which includes a list of winners going right back to 1958 when Scottish marathon champion Harry Fenion won the first event.   The race distance, which is now 20 miles has varied considerably over the years.   In 1971, 1972 and 1973 it was a full marathon.   Taking slight advantage of the downhill start from Meadowbank, Alex Wight and his brother Jim ran brilliantly for Edinburgh AC in 1971, with Alex recording 2:15:27 and Jim only 16 seconds behind.   In 1973 Rab Heron of Aberdeen AAC was almost as impressive with 2:17:07.   When I tried it in 1979 and 1980 it had been reduced to 21.8 miles.   My diary for Saturday, 5th May, 1979 states, “Eased away from the pack after four miles, 43 seconds up  at 13 miles.   Then relaxed too much and was shocked to find Sandy Keith closing fast.   Eyeballs out up the hill and through Gullane, etc.   Tired on last downhills.   Sore feet but best run for a long time.”   My winning time – a new course record until EAC’s Lindsay Robertson took over a minute off it in 1982 – was 1:52:13, with Sandy 26 seconds back and Dave Lang a distant third.   54 ran and Maryhill’s world class veteran Gordon Porteous was congratulated on finishing 30th in 2:26:15 at the age of 65!   In 1980 I was rather fatigued from previous races and, despite trying to drop Tommy Wiseman into a strong, gusting headwind, this was to no avail.   He broke clear and strode off to an easy victory in 1:59:48, a minute clear of me with Martin Craven third.

I have the complete Scottish Marathon Club results sheets for the 1958 to 1972 races, inclusive, for the North Berwick to Edinburgh.   According to the SMC Minutes, the race was suggested after the Glasgow-based SMC gained some Committee Members from the East.   The energetic and confident Harry Curran of ESH was the organiser of the only North Berwick – Edinburgh.     Later that year Harry Curran emigrated to Canada (though he seems to have returned by 1964) leaving the organising to Hugh Phillip.   The 1959 to 1962 Edinburgh to North Berwick races were actually promoted by the SMC leaving it all to the Eastern members such as Jackie Foster, Neil Campbell, DB Brooke plus SMC officials like Joe Walker,  George Aithie and Jimmy Scott.   Prizes came from donations and tea afterwards was provided by North Berwick Town Council, who also presented a cup.   The Provost presented tha prizes.   For the 1959 event it was suggested that a message be sent from Edinburgh to North Berwick.  

1958: Inaugural NORTH BERWICK TO EDINBURGH 22 mile.   Winner, on 17th May, was Harry Fenion, the reigning Scottish marathon champion, who had been Scottish distance runner of 1957.   The field included most of the bests current Scottish distance runners.

1959: 16th May: was won in a new record by Hugo Fox who won the SAAA Marathon in both 1958 and 1959.   This time it was actually run from EDINBURGH TO NORTH BERWICK!

1960: EDINBURGH TO NORTH BERWICK was billed as 22.6 miles.   The winner was K Pawson well clear of John Kerr who won the Scottish marathon in 1961.

1961: EDINBURGH TO NORTH BERWICK: Terry Rooke from the North of England was one of a growing number of runners from South of the Border who were attracted by the event.

1962: EDINBURGH TO NORTH BERWICK: Charlie Fraser, ESH, in front of John Kerr (Airdrie) and Clark Wallace (Shettleston) all medal winners in the SAAA marathon.   By now the organisers were the new Edinburgh AC.

1963:  was won, according to the SMC Minutes, by Jim Alder in a new record.

 1965 did not take place so the date was given to the Shettleston Marathon.

Presumably the 1966 race was cancelled too – only the old Edinburgh AC would know that.

1971 was held on 8th May and was the full marathon distance.   Alex Wight won and that season set records for this race plus Clydebank to Helensburgh (16 Miles), the Two Bridges (36 Miles) and the Edinburgh to Glasgow solo (45 Miles) and was awarded the SAAA Trophy for Scottish Road Runner of the year – this was the Donald MacNab Robertson trophy that you can read about in the appropriate section of Marathon Stars.   Result here:

1. A Wight EAC   2:15:27; 2.   J Wight   EAC   2:15:43;   3.   Donald Macgregor   ESH   2:19:00;   4.   G Bryan-Jones   ESH   2:23:47;   5.   Tommy Coyle   ESH   2:26:39;   6.   Gordon Eadie (Cambuslang)   2:27:45;  7.   John MacDonald (Lewisvale Spartans   2:29:43;   8.   Duncan Davidson   Forres   2:35:10;   9.   Donald Taylor   EAC   2:42:10.

It was again a full marathon in 1972.   Held on 13th May, 1972, it was won by Donald Ritchie of Aberdeen in 2:24:26.   Other places were filled by David Wyper (West of Scotland Harriers) second  in   2:24:35; third place runner is unlisted; fourth was Jimmy Milne (Edinburgh AC) in 2:2549; fifth Alisdair Reid (Glasgow University)   2:32:31.

On 12th May 1973, it was another full distance marathon but the organisers at Edinburgh AC were disappointed at the poor entry.   Only eight finished but a very fit Rab Heron (Aberdeen AAC) aided by a very strong tailwind ran very fast to win in 2:17:07 which topped the Scottish marathon rankings for that season.   Steve Taylor (AAAC) was second in 2:23:17 with Graham Milne (AAAC) in 2:24:18; Jimmy Milne (EAC) 2:34:51; Ian Mackenzie (ESH) 2:40:56 and Ian Trapp (EAC) 2:34:51.

Joe Small was a good class runner who competed for Monkland Harriers and Clyde Valley who ran in the race twice – the first time was in 1978 and he says – This was my first attempt at a long race.   Having decided to try the marathon and only having raced 12 to 15 miles, I thought that the 21.8 miles would be a good stepping stone.   Starting from Meadowbank Stadium I sat in the leading pack gradually moving up as others fell off the pace.   The group held fairly tightly together as there was a fairly strong headwind until around the ten mile mark when it was whittled down to three – myself, Davie Wyper and Jim Russell.   I pushed the pace from there and Jim was quickly dropped leaving me to do all the work as Davie sat in.   I tried everything to get clear – speeding up, slowing down, even inviting him to go in front but he didn’t take up the offer!   We came into North Berwick, still together and previous knowledge (he’d won the race two years before) allowed him to sprint clear.   I hadn’t a clue where the finish was!   Dave beat me by 6 seconds with 2:01:50 but I was quite pleased with my first effort at the distance.   A couple of years later, in better conditions, I had a really fast run – 1:55 – to finish fifth I think.  

Brian Howie, the event historian, organised a full-length marathon version on the 5th of May 1991 – and won it in 2.40.19. The famed English ultra-marathoner Eleanor Robinson was first woman home in 2.54.11.

The race remained in my memory for a couple of things – one was Jack Mclean saying to Eddie Campbell of Lochaber that if he wore shorter shorts he would take minutes off his time, to which Eddie retorted that “If you lived where I live, you’d wear shorts like mine!”   The other is a runner telling me after the race that he had dropped out with exactly one mile to go.   He got into a car belonging to one of the race officials and spotted the ‘Spangles’ on the dashboard.    “Can I have one? was the question, and before he got an answer had unwrapped two and they were in his mouth!

It was a good race, very well organised with certificates issued by the SMC and a fine meal afterwards in North Berwick.   I was surprised but delighted to hear that it was still being run.

Brian Howie now has most of the race results up on his website and they can be found at http://www.b-howie.co.uk/history.html 

and Alex Wilson has a history of the early years of the race which is up at   this link. which Alan Lawson has brought up to date with a paragraph on the revival of the race in 2022 as a twenty mile event.

Jim Brown, winner of the Coatbridge 5 in 1974

(Photograph taken winning the National Junior in 1973)

The Coatbridge Five is not really a classic as already defined – it didn’t last long enough, it wasn’t a regular high spot in the calendar.    But when it appeared on the scene in the early 1970’s it had everything – good quality runners, a fast trail with a hair raising descent to the finish, good quality prizes and big fields of real runners.   It used to be said that the value of the first prize mattered but if you wanted a really good field the second prize mattered even more!      Almost everybody wanted to run in it and Joes Small, who is from Coatbridge, has done a short profile of the event.

The Coatbridge 5 mile road race was a short-lived but very high profile race attracting very high quality fields.   The main reason for this was the very generous, for that era, prizes on offer, together with invitations being extended to top road runners from south of the border, whose expenses were paid.

The inaugural race was held on 15th September 1973 as part of the Coatbridge Festival: a music, culture and sport event.   Mainly through the efforts of Tommy Callaghan of Monkland Harriers, sponsorship was obtained from the then Burgh of Coatbridge.   Later, as Monklands District Council, athletics, road and cross country running were all backed financially by the council for a number of years.

The course for that first race consisted of a very fast, flat, three lap circuit around the centre of the town, run on a Saturday afternoon – in the years before the police decided that events couldn’t safely be run on the roads, unless a the crack of dawn on a Sunday morning.   Details of the event have been difficult to come by, but the prize fund for the 1973 race was advertised as being “£200:00, equivalent to £2000:00 in today’s money.   The race was won by GB international Ian Stewart running in the colours of Birchfield Harriers, reportedly breaking clear of the field after two miles and building up a large lead to win comfortably by 150m.   Andy McKean of Edinburgh University finished second with local runner Jim Brown in third.   First Junior was Graham Laing of Aberdeen AAC with Bill Stoddart of Greenock Wellpark Harriers taking the veterans award.

With the remaining top ten places being filled by Lachie Stewart, Fergus Murray, Jim Dingwall, Don Macgregor, Doug Gunstone, Frank Davies from Liverpool and Willie Day, the quality was undeniable.

The team race was won by Edinburgh Southern Harriers from Edinburgh University and Liverpool Harriers.

Result:    1.  Ian Stewart (Birchfield Harriers)   24:32;   2.   Andy McKean  (Edinburgh University)   25:03;   3.   Jim Brown (Monkland Harriers)   25:24.

Bert McKay during the 1973 race.

1974 saw the second coming of the race on September 14th.    The race saw the return to athletics of last year’s winner, Ian Stewart.   After a disappointing Commonwealth Games, Stewart had announced that he was retiring from athletics and taking up cycling.   This was to be his comeback race and was eagerly anticipated by athletics followers.   In the event he didn’t figure in the race and finished down the field.   A fast early pace was set by Jim Dingwall before Jim Brown of Monkland Harriers opened a 100m lead in the third lap to win easily in 23:41.    Dingwall finished second with Steve Edmunds of Sale Harriers third.   John Graham of Motherwell YMCA showed good promise to take the junior prize in eighteenth place with Alastair Wood of Aberdeen first veteran.

Result:   1.   Jim Brown (Monkland Harriers)   23:41;   2.   Jim Dingwall (Edinburgh University)   24:00;   3.   Steve Edmunds (Sale Harriers)   24:13.

1975 saw the race move to an October date with a revised course.   Following the opening of the new all-weather track in the town, the route was changed to allow a finish on the track.   The early pace was set by Lawrie Spence, along with Jim Dingwall, Doug Gunstone and Colin Youngson.   However competing in the race for the first time, local Coatbridge runner  Ronnie MacDonald pulled clear on the second lap to record a good win.   Second, again, was Dingwall, with Spence in third.   First junior for the second year was John Graham in seventh.   Charlie McAlinden from Paisley Harriers picked up the vets award in twenty sixth.   MacDonald (1st), Graham (7th) and Joe Small (16th) won the team race for Clyde Valley.

Result:   1.   R MacDonald (Clyde Valley)   2.   Jim Dingwall;   3.   Lawrie Spence.

1976’s race saw the runner-up for th past two years, Jim Dingwall record his first win.   Reportedly “storming past” the rest of the field with 600 metres to go he won by 50m from Jim Brown and Frank Clement.   Starting to make his mark in fourth place and winning the junior prize was Shettleston’s Nat Muir.   Jim Irvine from Bellahouston Harriers finished 48th and first veteran.

Result:   1.   Jim Dingwall   24:03;   2.   Jim Brown   (Clyde Valley)   24:11;   3.   Frank Clement (Bellahouston Harriers)   25:08.

Although the race doesn’t qualify as a classic due to the fact that it only lasted a few years, in terms of the calibre of competitors and the performances produced, it certainly made its mark on the Scottish road running scene.

I would add that it also serves as an indication of the fact that the top men raced each other, head to head, willingly: not for a good time, although if you beat these guys a good time was guaranteed, but to win.   A race with very valuable prizes now would almost certainly not see invitations go to the best of the English northern brigade.   Scottish distance running was at a high level at that time and it remained so because the best would race the best – and often!

Willie Day (Falkirk Victoria Harriers) winning at Strathallan in 1973

When I first ran at Strathallan it was one of the Scottish Marathon Club’s races that counted towards the championship and was held over a course that was advertised as 20 miles.   The reality was that the entry form said 20 miles, the programme said 21 miles and when you ran it it, it felt like 22!    It started in the Games Park in Bridge of Allan and went out via Forglen Road onto the main road through Causewayhead and straight on until the right turn up to Tillicoultry where it turned left and went back along the Hillfoots through Alva, Menstrie and Blairlogie before turning down (there is now a roundabout there) to join the main road (there’s another roundabout there too) and turning right and back through Causewayhead to Bridge of Allan.

The Park was one of the best tended in Scotland with a very smooth surface and with a large stand – pictured above but no longer with us – and clearly laid out for all the track races.   It claimed to be the longest running of all the Highland Gatherings (dating back to 1453) and had started life as a professional meeting which had turned amateur after the War in 1945 or thereabouts.   One of the more expensive for spectators I always advised parents of young runners to enter something and get a free ticket for the ground – much less expensive!  However, you do get more for your money than is usual – the sports covered include athletics, cycling, wrestling, pipe bands and highland dancing.   There is also a kind of cross between a farmers market and Scottish Souvenir collection of stalls plus an army recruiting caravan.   Next door there is a genuine country fair with dodg’ems, roll the ball and all the other fairground attractions.  And at the end of the afternoon, the bookies set up their stands for the evening’s pony-trotting races!    Despite the myriad attractions, the site isn’t cramped and there is always plenty of room in the ground.

I ran there quite often – on the track in handicaps as well as on the road.   It is still well supported by runners and by the public although the road race dropped to 14 miles and is now down at 10K unfortunately.   What makes a race a classic?   Many things but one of main things for me is the absence of the bear suits.   The race has to be a genuine race embracing a range of abilities among the athletes competing: the quality of the field is more important than the size of the field.   This is a race for stars and club runners.   What I liked about it was the actual context in which the race was set, the course itself was attractive to me given the almost total absence of hills of any consequence, what I didn’t like about it were the long straights on the way out and the even longer ones on the way back – the hills were always on the right, the road stretched away in front of you, villages were dotted at regular two-mile intervals and the second ten miles were longer than the first ten!   Given how few would tackle twenty miles and how small fields were generally, it was at times  a lonely race and that old cliché of Allan Sillitoe’s about the loneliness of the long distance runner was a description of the physical nature of the Strathallan 20.   But it was a good race and we kept going back.   Below is the back cover of the Marathon Club fixture list for 1962 – the 20 mile standards were for the Strathallan Race.

Tony McCall (in white) and Bill Scally (in yellow) warming up at Strathallan

The Scottish Marathon Minute Books have reports on many races in the Fifties and Sixties from which the following results and comments are taken.

Bridge of Allan Highland Games, Strathallan 20 mile road race.

2nd August 1958: won by Alec McDougall (Vale of Leven AAC) in 1:56:33 from Jackie Foster (ESH) in 1:57:42.

1st August 1959 (For the Dr Welsh Cup): won by Gordon Eadie (Cambuslang) in 1:54:29, from John Kerr (Aurdrie) in 1:54:31 and Jackie Foster third in 1:57:16.

3rd August 1963: won by Norman Ross (ESH) in 1:51:18 after a fast start and then a real battle with Gordon Eadie (1:52:32) and Ian Harris (Beith) in 1:56:07:

5th August 1967: won by Gordon Eadie in 1:56:25 from Brian Goodwin (Bellahouston Harriers) in 1:59:12 and Alex Brown (Motherwell YMCA) in 2:01:57.   Gordon always started steadily, caught the leaders, kept going sensibly and then usually finished most strongly.

3rd August 1968: Over 21 miles, won by John Linaker (Pitreavie) in 2:02:18, well clear of Hughie Mitchell (Shettleston) 2:09:57 and Willie Russell (Monkland Harriers) in 2:12:38.

*

Colin Youngson was one of the newer fellows and he raced it when it was a 14 miler: his account is below.

“On Saturday 5th August 1978 I tackled another well-known event – the Strathallan Highland Games Road Race.   This used to be 21 miles long, but the distance had been reduced to around 14 miles.   In 1976 Jim Dingwall had set an inaugural record of 1:14:37 and had won this race again in 1977.   Luckily for the rest of us he was running in the Commonwealth Games in Canada!   The SMC magazine reports: ‘A leading group comprising Youngson, Wiseman, Keith, Gunstone and Day were soon in control of the race.   First Day and then Gunstone were dropped.   It was then left to the other three to battle out the honours over the last two miles.   And what a race they had.   In a tremendous finish Youngson was the victor chopping 68 seconds off Jim’s course record.’   Well, inside my head it was less convincing.   It was a warm day and I had a little leg trouble but just ‘sat’.   Tommy Wiseman the rising star had a real go on the flat section.   the older pair refused to drop.   As we passed the Wallace Arms on the edge of Bridge of Allan I went hard up a long hill and dropped Sandy Keith.   Tommy caught me and two more ‘breaks’ were required before I got a fifty yard lead and just managed to struggle home on the grass track.   Positions:   1   C Youngson   1:13:29;    2   T Wiseman   1:13:40;      3.   S Keith   1:13:50.”

It must have been some race with all of the first three inside the former record.   Colin and Sandy appear elsewhere on the website but Tommy Wiseman is another interesting character.   A member of Garscube Harriers for many years from Senior Boy right up to Senior athlete, he was undoubtedly a top class runner.   He won many of the top summer road races, including the Shotts 14 where one of the prizes was a groat (an old Scots coin worth 4 pence in old money – about 2p these days) which was a real prize that couldn’t be duplicated anywhere else.   Unfortunately he never came right at the right time to win a major championship: for instance when Graham Laing won the SAAA marathon from all the top Scottish runners of the day, Tommy dropped out with blistered feet at about 10 miles.

However that may be, Strathallan has had a memorable history and to me, it would help Scottish running were it to go back to twenty miles: I think the only 20 miler at present (2011) is the Edinburgh to North Berwick and at least the distance will not bee reduced to threaten that one!    The Games website is at www.bofagames.com

Road Race winners between 1957 and 1980 can be seen at   this link .

The start of the Balloch to Clydebank in the mid-50’s: note the station on the left.

Clydesdale Harriers have been responsible for or in at the beginning of many of the developments in Scottish athletics: first open athletic club in Scotland in 1885, one of the first women’s clubs when they started the section in 1930, one of the very first with a Junior section – 1918 and so on right up into the 70’s.    The Balloch to Clydebank Road Race was started up by the club to coincide with the Clydebank students charities day celebrations on 31st March 1928.   It was described as a marathon race at that time and there were representatives of all four Dunbartonshire clubs forward.   After the Second World War the race was organised by the newly formed Dunbartonshire Amateur Athletic Association and was stabilised at 12 miles.  The race started at the Railway Station in Balloch, went up to what is now the Lomond Shores roundabout and turned off through the Renton and up Dumbarton High Street before heading off to Clydebank via Old Kilpatrick and Gavinburn to finish outside what was then the Masonic Halls before becoming the Q4 club.   The long drag up to the AA Box at the junction of the Boulevard and the low road through Old Kilpatrick sorted out many a runner before the fast last 3+ miles into Clydebank.  The competitors changed in the Bruce Street Baths in Clydebank and were transported to the start.   It was confined to clubs in membership of the Association – Clydesdale Harriers, Dumbarton AAC, Vale of Leven AAC and Garscube Harriers.   When I started out running on the roads sin the late 50’s and early 60’s there was pressure on the County to make it an open race.   Fields dwindled however to such a extent that they eventually succumbed and it has since become just another mass participation half marathon.   Although numbers were at times low the quality was top class.   I ran in one race where top Irish runner Cyril O’Boyle raced a hard race against young Lachie Stewart of the Vale.   A few years earlier Alex McDougall of the Vale who was a British Empire Games marathon runner had a hard, hard race against the same Cyril O’Boyle.   Occasionally there would be an Englishman in the area on holiday or on a military posting – such as Bob Pape of the Navy – who would race in the event as a guest.

Because there were only four clubs taking part and because the fixture list was so thin that they all met each other in inter-club friendly fixtures each year, the runners were all familiar with each other and the race had a ‘nice’ atmosphere.   The numbers varied – in the year when Frank Haffey of Celtic let in nine English goals, we were racing the Balloch with a field  of over twenty runners, by 1970 the race entry was down to three!    At that point the race became an open event and the field swelled.   By the late-70’s a Scottish Internationalist said that ‘you always started the year with the two Clydebank races – the other being the Clydesdale Harriers race for the Dunky Wright Cup.    Then there was the Clydebank to Helensburgh the following month.

Colin Youngson has this to say about the Balloch to Clydebank when it was a 12 Miles+ race: “Saturday, 10th March, 1973, was my first attempt at another West Classic – the Balloch to Clydebank Road Race (twelve and a quarter miles).   I can only remember the course as quite flat and fast with one decent uphill and a thoroughly inconvenient downhill from Bowling to the finish.   On this occasion a group of six was intact until nine miles with Edinburgh University’s Richard O’Brien leading most of the time.   I made an effort on the hill, rested a bit and then went as hard as I could with two and a half miles to go.   This got rid of Colin Martin (Dumbarton AAC) and three others but I had no chance of countering EU’s Jim Dingwall’s final sprint.   He won in the new record of 60:52, with me (Victoria Park AAC) getting a plaque as Dunbartonshire champion.   Colin (Dumbarton) finished in 61:23; and Clydesdale Harriers Phil Dolan (61:39) and Dougie Gemmell (62:19) were next followed by Richard O’Brien (63:26).   47 ran and Clydesdale with Ian Leggett seventh (63:44) won the team prize.

My Scottish Marathon Club card informs me that I won this race on 13th March 1976 in a time of 60:39 which was eight seconds outside the current record.   That must have been the day when I was chased all the way by Dougie Gemmell.   Probably a year previously was when I had been narrowly beaten by my friend Dave Logue (ESH) in another fast time.”

The race grew in size and popularity and during the running boom years of the 80’s the numbers were often over 300 with a top of 484 athletes taking part inn 1984.     It continued in this format until 2000 when it became a half marathon.   It has followed the present course since 1984.

More information about the race can be found at the website www.ballochtoclydebankhalfmarathon.co.uk

Just After the Start: 2005

On 28th October 2009 Doug Gillon started his article in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ with the words: “The police have robbed Scotland of yet another classic road race.”   The article dealt with the police attitude to the 40 year-old road relay’s traditional route and their insisting that another trail be found for the race.   There was no obvious reason for that – the course was on the right hand side of the road, all on pavements with only right hand turns all the way round and had been run without incident since its inception. The ‘reason’ for the demand that they alter the course was that there were two football matches in Glasgow that day plus an Orange Walk!  First run in 1969 and won for the first five years by Shettleston Harriers, the host club, it had been won ten times in the period up to 2004, their centenary year.   The race was named after Allan Scally a famous Shettleston coach who had come from the ranks of professional runners and never actually competed for the club despite being the main force behind their success in the 50’s and 60’s.   He was also the coach to many very good athletes including Joe McGhee, 1954 Empire Games Marathon winner.

At first the race started in Camp Road  and wiggled down on to Baillieston Road.   This was where things really started:   Baillieston Road was a long generally downhill stretch where you could really start to motor but too fast and you would soon suffer.   The course turned right into Gartocher Road, still downhill under the railway bridge then the climb started – uphill on Springboig Road to Edinburgh Road was a ferocious hill but to ease up at the right turn at the top was not a good idea because the climb continued past the school on the right before assuming a generally undulating course right up to the turn in to Greenshields Street.    Very testing and lots of room for the old hand or intelligent runner to take advantage of the over-enthusiastic or neophyte athlete!   The Shettleston Harriers Centenary History, ‘An East End Odyssey’, describes the first race in 1969 as follows:

“After wins at the Lanarkshire and Midland Relays and second place in the McAndrews at the start of the 1969-70 season, it must have been difficult to avoid over confidence at the inaugural Allan Scally Road Relay.   Of all the memorial races held in Scotland, none has such strong connections with the person being commemorated.   The race started and finished in Camp Road, between two places closely associated with Allan, St Bridget’s School and Maxwell Park.   The five mile route, the same as the present trail, went past the Barrachnie clubhouse and the old Gartocher Road headquarters, up the ‘Metal Brae; beloved of so many Shettleston runners, along Edinburgh Road, where Allan regularly targeted runners and invited them to join the club, and passed literally within yards of his home in Dolan Street.

Anything other than a Shettleston victory would have been an anti-climax, and though a win was expected, the weather did its best – or worst – to male things more difficult.   A lethal combination of bitter wind and driving rain greeted the first of the 144 runners from 36 clubs, including six from the home club, but 20 miles and one hour thirty seven minutes later it was, appropriately, Bill Scally who was first across the line with a half mile lead thanks to earlier efforts by Dick Wedlock, Lachie Stewart and Henry Summerhill.”

As noted above the club went on to win the race in each of the following four years.   If the first year was good, the race grew in stature and in numbers thereafter.   For those who want the full race statistics, this is the only one where the club has all you could possibly want on the club website – winning individuals, winning teams, fastest times and more – just visit the site and see for yourself.   The genius was the timing of the event.   Immediately after the war, there was only the  McAndrew relay on the road as an indicator for team selection for the Edinburgh to Glasgow and then after 1963, the Glasgow University 5 was used by clubs as the trial for the race and then from 1969  the Allan Scally came along and since it was a relay with stages of 5 miles each, it became what was in effect club selection time for most teams.   It also incorporated the Scottish Universities Road Relay Championship and all these factors swelled the numbers.   It was the only race with stages of approximately five miles after four relay races of three miles or less and so was nearer the challenge of the Edinburgh to Glasgow where runners would only start level at the start.   This drew clubs as to a honey-pot and it largely took over the function of E-G trial from the Glasgow University race which remained one of the classiest races in the country with lots of things in its favour.   It is also the only classic race which has all the best times held by its own members – on the old course the fastest time was by Nat Muir with 21:26 in 1985 and the fastest team was their winners in 1995 where Billy Coyle (22:15), John MacKay (22:30), Adrian Callan (21:18) and Graeme Wight (22:15) were the men.   I would urge all interested in this race to go to the Shettleston website (www.shettlestonharriers.org.uk)  and check out all the details.   Meanwhile we have here Colin Youngson’s view of the race.

“The Allan Scally Memorial Relay at Garrowhill was named in honour of Shettleston Harriers legendary coach.   Traditionally it can after the Kingsway and McAndrew and before the Glasgow University Road Race.   These events enabled selected teams to finalise their eight man squads for the prestigious E-G.   Despite usually running for good teams, I dreaded the Scally Relay and found it absolutely exhausting.   The bustling start followed by a long gradual downhill stretch which endangered suspect hamstrings was bad enough; the brutally steep hill after the sharp right turn was worse; and the energy-draining seemingly endless back straight, usually into a headwind was torture, and then one had to hang on and hope to avoid being outsprinted on the way down to the changeover.   The host club were, at the time, the fastest in the land, so a heavy defeat seemed inevitable!

On Saturday 30th October 1971 I faced up to this delightful prospect for the first time.   Although Pat Maclagan (23:32) moved us into the lead on the second stage, Shettleston had gone into the lead before the final change-over.   Lachie Stewart (22:36) had no difficulty burning me off (23:27) but at least VP finished well ahead of third placers Monkland, for whom Jim Brown (22:09) was fastest of the day, with Ron McDonald (2224) second fastest.

In 1972, Shettleston won again, very easily from Edinburgh AC and VP.   At least I improved a little to 22:59 but that looked dismal compared to the amazing Mr Brown’s new record of 21:52.   Andy McKean (EAC) was only six seconds slower and Norman Morrison of the host club ran 22:06.   However after five successive victories, Shettleston’s supremacy had faded by 1974 and Edinburgh Southern Harriers had become the most successful Scottish road relay club (although EAC kept winning the National Cross-Country Championship).   My new club set a course record for the 20 mile Allan Scally Relay of 90:45.   Ian Elliott (22:47) gave us a good start, then with 22:46 I moved SH into the lead.   After a marvellous battle, Dave Logue (22:20) handed over level with the flying Andy McKean (22:02, the day’s fastest); but Alistair Blamire (22:52) had no difficulty in moving well clear to secure victory from EAC and Shettleston.   Lawrie Spence of Strathclyde University showed his talent with 22:12.  

By 1977, new stars had appeared – the young lions of Clyde Valley AC – and Jim Brown and Ron McDonald had found a team fit for their prowess.   They won from Shettleston and EAC, with Nat Muir fastest in 21:52.   However in 1978 ESH won again by twenty seconds from Shettleston.   Nat Muir was again fastest with 22:22 but Martin Craven, Allister Hutton, John Robson and myself were strong enough to succeed.  

My participation in this ‘beastly’ race had two more significant chapters: one surprising and one almost laughable.   By 1981 I was working up north and had rejoined Aberdeen AAC.   The previous year Nat Muir had set an unbelievable course record of 21:32 and had led Shettleston to victory.   Therefore AAAC had no great hopes on Saturday 31st October 1981.   Two weeks earlier I had run 2:19:12 for fourth place in the Glasgow International Marathon.   My diary describes the drama of this edition of the Allan Scally Relay.   ‘All set for a routine, half fit trundle on the fourth stage.   Dave Lang handed over twelfth but Fraser Clyne (22:15 – second fastest of the day) had hauled us up to third.   However not much was expected from ‘unfit’ Graham Laing.   Suddenly Graham came back to form with a bang – handing me a 39 second lead with 22:28!   No pressure, then.   I had no idea what speed to go – at the top of the steep hill Shettleston’s Cammy Spence was only 23 seconds behind and I had a real struggle to hold him off towards the end – only eleven seconds clear eventually.   Not much of a time for me (22:32) but I was ‘set up’ and did at least try hard.   This was AAAC’s first win in the competition.   ESH were fourth!”

Many years later, I just had to take part in the Allan Scally Relay for one last time – not for nostalgic reasons and no longer anywhere near the sharp end.   Just a week after my 60th birthday, on the 3rd November 2007 I made an optimistic trek to Baillieston for the race.   The first stage was to be a team trial for the last place in the four-man Scottish M60 team for the British and Irish Masters CC at Stormont, Northern Ireland.   Wearing a Metro Aberdeen vest, I set off very steadily and gradually overtook my friendly Clydesdale Harrier rivals Bobby Young and Brian Campbell.   Eventually I squeezed home twenty seconds clear in the inevitably slow time of 29:13.   Never has an old jogger been happier!”

Six races for four clubs!   Colin, despite what he says about the ‘beastly’ race was like everyone else who ran it over this trail –  there were lots of challenges in it: challenges to fitness level, challenges to pace judgment on a difficult course, challenges to racing spirit, challenges to club pride and so on.   It really was a pity that the police required a change of trail and that the changing athletic scene reduced the numbers competing here as in all other races.   Like the Nigel Barge and the GU Road Race, it is still being run and we all hope that it will continue to be run.

.

Start of the 1964 Race

There are not many really classic road races where you can trace the origins and development of the event.  I exclude the ‘just add runners’ type of event where a trail is found, goody bags are produced, huge fees charged and an instant race is produced.  A few years down the line, the race is discontinued – it has served its commercial masters well but is no longer part of the corporate plan.   The term ‘classic’ is about more than numbers of participants.   There should be a history of involvement by all levels of club runners, they are not events for ‘fun runners’ and they should have had a significant place in the calendar with a consequent effect on the development of the sport.   The Glasgow University 5 as it is known has been a significant factor in Scottish athletics for over 50 years and, despite all the factors afflicting the sport in recent years,  is still a popular road race.   I will start by quoting from the history of the Glasgow University Hares and Hounds – a fascinating document compiled by Des Gilmore that gives an often amusing insight into more than the development of one club.   The first appearance of the event is in the Minute of the club AGM of 1963-64:

“The Secretary (John McColl) then addressed the meeting and mentioned how in November the Hares and Hounds had organised a highly successful Open Road Race from Westerlands over the Christmas Handicap trail.   The race was well attended by clubs in the West of Scotland and much of the credit for the race’s success was due to Dick Hartley.   He had provided maps of the course and printed circulars advertising the race.   It was intended to hold the race again next November.   Barclay Kennedy recalls that the race was the brainchild of Dick Hartley.   He perceived that there was a break in the cross country/road racing calendar before the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay and this break was used by many clubs as a trial for the Relay.   Dick almost single-handedly persuaded these clubs to come along to Westerlands on that date and participate in a Road Race.   Willie Diverty was a bit sceptical of the idea but was eventually won round and provided great support.”

[Willie Diverty was a well known and respected official all over Scotland, pictured below with John Myatt left anf Gareth Bryan-Jones right.   He was a hard worker for the University with which he was associated for decades.]

From the Minute of the ’64-’65 AGM: “The University Road Race, now a popular open event, was again very successful with 75 competitors, about 50% higher than the first race held the previous year.”    The race was won by Hugh Barrow of Victoria Park AAC   26:20 (record); 2.   Henry Summerhill (Shettleston Harriers)   26:48;    3.   Jim Brennan (Maryhill Harriers)   27:08;   4.   Joe Reilly (VPAAC)   27:12;   5.  Ian Donald (Shettleston Harriers);   6.   Les Meneely (Shettleston Harriers)

GU Road Race: 1965: First page of results below

The report on the 1965 race was as follows: “This year the University Open Road Race had attracted 114 runners.   The event had been won by Lachie Stewart of Shettleston Harriers in a time of 21 min 25 sec.”   It was raised again further through the meeting: “Mr Diverty suggested that a team event be incorporated into the University Road Race but the meeting felt that, as a race for individuals, it was almost unique in Scotland, and therefore, since it was successful it shouldn’t be changed.”    In ’66-’67 the report read: “In the University Road Race, the Hares and Hounds managed to field 22 of its own runners.   A total of 110 entered, and amongst these was Lachie Stewart who again broke the existing record with a time of 25 min 16 sec.”   A year later it was reported that “ninety-eight had participated in the University Road Race which had been won by Lachie Stewart in 25 min 30 sec.”

In 1968-1969 it was simply reported that there had been 177 runners.   This in itself was remarkable – a road race with no entry fee, no prizes and no team aspect to it had gone from less than 40 entrants in 1963 to 177 five years later.   The fact that Lachie had found it important enough to do it three years in a row speaks volumes for the course, for its placing in the calendar and the prescience of the University in filling the niche.   I mention the ‘no entry fee, no prizes aspect of the race because there were a few such events around at the time – events where runners would participate because they got something from the event that was not material.   One club in England actually put on a 15 mile cross-country race ( muddy fields, ditches and fences included) on a no entry fee, no prize basis and they were astonished at how many athletes entered the race.    Later at the ’67-’68 meeting the following discussion is noted: “There was some discussion about whether an entry fee should be charged for the University Road Race and prizes awarded.   In a heated debate, Alan Irving voiced very firm opinions about the irrelevance of prizes in a race well-known for its informality and lack of red tape.   A vote resulted in a tie so it was moved to retain the status quo for the time being.”   The only comment the following year was that there had been 176 finishers in the event.   In 1970-’71“The University Road Race had attracted similar numbers to the previous year: 173 finished.   Fergus Murray of Edinburgh Southern Harriers had smashed Lachie Stewart’s course record of 25 min 16 sec set in 1966; he finished in 24:41.”   In 1971-’72, the report was that “There was a slight drop (to 156) in the numbers participating in the University Road Race, which had been won by P. Maclagan of Victoria Park Athletic Club in 25 min 05 sec.”

It was a slightly longer report in 1972-’73, “In the University Road Race there had been 146 starters.   The race had been won by Doug Gunstone in 25 min 21 sec.   His brother John was the first of the Hares and Hounds to finish: he was tenth in 26 min 09 sec.”    “Beginning his President’s Report, Jim Bogan said that funnels had been rendered unnecessary for the University Road Race because of a marvellous invention called a tape-recorder, and by deleting certain octogenarians from the list of race officials.”   1973-’74: “One hundred and seventy runners took part in the club’s own Road Race  held on a dreadful wet and windy day.   Prizes, provided by GUAC were awarded for the first time.   Neil Morrison of Shettleston Harriers set a new course record of 24 min 48 sec.”            In the next two years comments were restricted to listing the places of the top few GU runners and a comment that the race had higher numbers than before with the credit belonging to Jim Bogan.

1975-’76 was a significant year as will be seen form the second half of this report: “The University Road Race attracted another record entry (201 runners) and was won by former Hares and Hounds member, Dave Logue in 24 min 51 sec, while a current (nameless and obviously legless) member was last.   For the first time an entry fee (10p) was charged.”    So for more then ten years, the race had been free to all who would run in it.   It took three years longer for them to introduce entry fees than it did to offer prizes to runners.

Maryhill Road: 1978

Runners include Nat Muir, Alan Marshall, Fraser Clyne, Doug Gunstone and Willie Sheridan

In 1976-’77, 213 runners competed in the Road Race with Nat Muir winning from Dave Logue with the first student being Willie Sheridan in fourth place.   “The University Road Race was now big enough to attract sponsorship and Jim Bogan suggested that White Horse whisky be approached.”   “Under AOCB, Bill Sheridan suggested inviting English Universities to compete in the University Road Race.    The Secretary undertook to ensure that Durham, Leeds, Newcastle, Queen’s University (Belfast) and Sheffield be contacted regarding this.”    The 1978-’79 report read as follows: In the University Road Race the new recruit from Aberdeen Fraser Clyne, ran well to finish ninth.”   The result came further through the report: “The University Road Race attracted 253 athletes which bettered the previous year’s record entry.   Due to financial support from Dr Jim Bogan and the(newly formed) Westerlands Cross Country Club free entry to the race was provided but this did not seem to be fully appreciated by the runners.   Willie suggested that in future an entry fee along with better prizes might attract more competitors.   Nat Muir won the race for the third successive occasion with Fraser Clyne coming ninth.”    “The Secretary bemoaned the fact that so few runners who competed in the University Road Race stayed on for the Disco, and he too emphasised the lack of the runners’ appreciation of being provided free entry to the race.”   Two things stand out for me here – first the continued desire to appeal to the runners interests and lack of a desire to make a profit by providing free entry to the race.   I can think of no other race promoter who had received a windfall before a race, proceding to use it by waiving all entry fees!    It certainly would never happen in the current climate of mass participation events where in exchange for £20+ you get a free medal, Mars bar and 35ml of water!   The second thing that intrigues me is the ‘lack of appreciation shown by the runners’  –   there must be a story in there somewhere!   The following year there were 264 runners in the race which once more was won by Nat Muir with Willie Sheridan fourth – and “a most enjoyable disco was held at Westerlands on the evening after the Road Race.” 

 But further through the Minute for 1979-’80 comes a very significant entry.      “Jim Bogan thanked members of the Hares and Hounds for all the help they’d given him with the University Road Race.   However he was unenthusiastic about looking for sponsorship for the event so that better prizes could be awarded.   Jim felt that all most runners wanted was a race and a time.   He felt the Club had made the right decision in turning down Scottish & Newcastle’s £50 sponsorship offer.   Jim raised the possibility of women taking part in the race, stating that “there were easy facilities for women at Westerlands – and indeed facilities for easy women.”   He would look into obtaining the necessary permits for women to participate.”   Jim’s perception of what most runners want was actually spot on – lack of prizes had not prevented the Uni 5 becoming one of the very best races in the country in terms of runners numbers and quality.    It is fair to point out though that there was one dissenting voice – later, under AOCB, Ian Archibald suggested that the size of the Road Race be increased and small sponsorships be sought from several companies.   The following year – 1980-’81 – Jim’s suggestion of the having women in the race became a reality.

“At the University Road Race athletic history was made in Scotland when women were permitted to compete against men for the first time.   Three hundred and twenty seven finished in the race which was won by Nat Muir in 24 min 27 sec.   Alastair Douglas (running for Victoria Park) was third in 24 min 50 sec, and Bill Sheridan, competing for Westerlands) fourth in 25 min 03 sec.   Barbara Harvie, competing for Aberdeen University, was the first woman to finish in 131st position.   Fiona McQueen who came 156th in 29 min 08 sec was the first female member of the Hares and Hounds to complete the course. ” 

Glasgow University Guardian, 27th November 1980

Women in Road Race

This year’s Glasgow University Road Race was the most successful ever thanks to a special effort by the Section in recognition of GUAC Centenary year.   There was a record entry of 336 for this five-mile race, an increase of 70 on last year’s entry and as in the past three years it was won by Nat Muir of Shettleston Harriers, Britain’s fastest 5000 metres runner this year.   Athletics history was seen in the making when for the first time ever in Scotland women were allowed to compete against men, with Barbara Harvie, a former student of Glasgow, finishing first woman in 131st and Fiona McQueen, a present student, finishing in 156th.   Highest placed University athlete was Ian Archibald who ran an excellent race to finish sixth.   This year’s race highlighted an unfortunate problem that could strain the Club – that of students opting to run for their Clubs rather than for the University.   We need the experience of club runners to pass on to new runners and we need them as competing members to push Glasgow University to the top in Scottish athletics, an occurrence not unlikely should we have the services of all our students.   On a more hopeful note, the race also saw the appearance of joggers from the Stevenson Building who ran well, enjoyed themselves and saw that they were not outclassed in racing.”

On Saturday 21st March 1981, GUAC organised a Superstars competition and it was here that nine took part in the first ever Chunder Mile.   For a description of the event and differing interpretations of its origin, see the ‘Personals’ page that you can reach via the link below.

The University Road Race on 7th November had 430 entrants and was won by Graham Williamson (Springburn Harriers) in 24 min 28 sec.   There was a successful Disco at Westerlands in the evening which raised £80 for the club funds.

On 6th November 1982 558 runners took part in the University Road Race which was won by Nat Muir in 24 minutes 29 seconds.   At the Disco held at Westerlands that evening the Hares and Hounds performed the can-can (in their Y-fronts) for the first time.   A year later, on Guy Fawkes Day, the race took place “on a cold wet day and attracted a record 732 runners and was won by George Braidwood of Bellahouston Harriers.   In the evening a very well attended Disco was held at Westerlands.   Right on midnight the can-can was performed after which Neil took part in a solo version ofStrip the Willow to mark the celebration of his 21st birthday.”   In 1984, the report read: “Numbers taking part in the University Road Race (594) were slightly down on the previous year.   Once again the event was won by Nat Muir: his time was 24 min 01 sec.   No afternoon teas had been arranged for the officials however Jim Bogan managed to placate them by buying drinks out of money taken in entry fees!   A very well-attended Disco was held in the evening and the Chunder Mile held for the first time at night.”  

The Report for 1985 said: The University Road Race took place on 9th November on a wet afternoon.   A party from Duncairn Nomads (Belfast) came across and were accommodated by the Hares and Hounds.   Nat Muir won the event.   In the evening a very well-attended Disco was held at Westerlands at which Phil Shering organised a Chunder Mile: the Irish won this!”   In 1986:   “The University Road Race was held on a blustery afternoon.   Around 550 finished.   The race was won by Nat Muir in 24 min 18 sec.”  

The 1987 report was in considerably more detail than was usual at the time.   ” The University Road Race was held on Saturday, 7th November, with loads of former members of the Hares and Hounds competing.  Five hundred and eight runners finished.   The race was won by Adrian Callan in 22 min 26 sec.   That evening it was discovered that GUAC had neglected to order a Disco.   However Gerry McCann and Graeme Walker saved the night by obtaining one at very short notice.   Just over a week later the following piece appeared in ‘The Sunday Times.   It was not entirely accurate.   ‘Cross country runners are noted for their ability train hard, run hard and – after the completion of a race – drink even harder.   But few serious runners in last weekend’s Glasgow University Road Race were tempted by a fringe event held after on the athletic track at Westerlands.   The Chunder Mile is a bizarre race in which participants drink a pint of beer, run 400 metres, down another pint and so on until they have covered a mile and guzzled six pints.   It occurs to Old Cockburn that the event should be filmed ….. as Carry-outs of Fire”!   At the AGM on 2nd March the following year the Captain reported that Tom Gillespie had set a ‘world record’ of 6 min 05 sec for the Chunder Mile!

Jim Bogan has been referred to often in this report and he was highly regarded throughout Scottish Athletics as a respected runner, a friend to us all and a forward-thinker.   In June 1988 the unthinkable happened.    I report it as it appeared in the Minute of the AGM.

“A dreadful tragedy affecting the Hares and Hounds took place on Sunday 5th June.  While away to Grenoble to attend a wedding, the Club’s President, Jim Bogan, was struck by a car that went out of control; he was killed instantly.   Jim had been in the process of setting up a three-year sponsorship for the Road Race with ‘General Portfolio’ via Peter Fleming.   Des Gilmore took over the handling of this and it eventually went ahead.   The following piece, written by Doug Gillon, appeared in the Glasgow Herald on 8th June.  

Professor Killed in Alps Accident.

One of Britain’s leading figures in Veterinary Medicine has died in an accident in France.   Professor Jim Bogan who held the personal chair of veterinary pharmacology at Glasgow University was struck by a car on Sunday while out walking.   Professor Bogan had been attending a friend’s wedding near Grenoble.   ‘He had announced his intention to go out on the hills but never came back,’ his younger sister Sandra said yesterday.   ‘Apparently Jim was walking at the side of the road when a car went out of control, and his head either struck a tree or he was crushed against it.   He died instantly.’   Because he was carrying no identification, it was sonly when he failed to check in for his flight home that police were able to confirm the the name of the victim.   ……..

He also enjoyed a distinguished athletics career, both as a schoolboy, and later during which time he was President of the Glasgow University Hares and Hounds.   One of his contemporaries in University athletics was Olympic sprinter and now MP, Mr Menzies Campbell.    But it was in middle distance running that Professor Bogan made his mark and when Lachie Stewart broke the Scottish record for the 3000m steeplechase, the then Dr Bogan was one of the early pacemakers.   One of seven brothers and sisters, Professor Bogan, a member of Victoria Park Athletic Club, still ran recreationally.   One of his lasting legacies in athletics will be the Glasgow University Road Race which he was instrumental in launching several years ago.   It was no coincidence that several international athletes have emerged from the College of Veterinary Medicine where students found a sympathetic ear as well as academic stimulus.

One of his lasting  legacies will be the Glasgow University Road Race, said Doug.   An excellent reason for it to continue.

The following year (1988-’89) “The University Road Race was held on Guy Fawkes Day.   It was bright and sunny and 522 runners completed the course.   The winner was Adrian Callan of Springburn Harriers in 24 min 58 sec.   For the first time the race was sponsored by General Portfolio.   representatives from the company were along to assist on the day and present some of the prizes.   The family of Jim Bogan also attended.   A collection from Jim’s family and friends in his memory had enabled the purchase of two trophies for presentation to the first male and female First Claim members of the Hares and Hounds to finish in the race.   The trophies were a Jim Bogan Quaich for the men and a Jim Bogan Salver for the women.  They were handed over by Sandra Bogam (Jim’s sister) to Tom Gillespie who finished 28th in a time of 24 min 29 sec and to Audrey Sim in 205th position (the second woman to finish: her time was 27 min 31 sec).   A superb meal was prepared for the officials and guests by Elspeth Scott’s mother.   A most enjoyable Disco was held at Westerlands in the evening during which Phil Ross did the Chunder Mile in 5 Min 40 sec.”    The stipulation that the trophies had to go to  first claim members was not just a gesture – the University Club has always missed out on good runners preferring to race for their club rather than giving three or four years to the University.   The first that I personally remember was Bobby Calderwood of Victoria Park racing for his club all the time he was at University and the problem (if such it were) had been a particularly thorny one in the years that Jim was involved.   The club won the Scot Unis Cross Country Championship eight times in a row but several of the very best preferred not to race first-claim for the Hares and Hounds but to remain with their clubs which is understandable.   Two outstanding examples are Alastair Douglas who only ran for one year as a member of the Hares and Hounds preferring in the other years to run for Victoria Park AAC and Bobby Quinn of Kilbarchan AAC who elected to stay with his home club.   Hence the stipulation.

In 1989-’90 it was reported that “The University Road Race attracted 562 runners and was won by Welsh Internationalist Ian Hamer in 22 min 233 sec.”   There is a bit more on this race in Alastair Douglas’s comments on the next page.   The report on 1990-’91 is another significant one.     

On Saturday 10th November, 518 took part in the University Road Race which was won by Peter McColgan of Dundee Hawkhill Harriers in 22 min 36 sec.   Vicky McPherson in 135th position was the first woman to complete the course: her time was 26 min 45 sec.   Elspeth Scott’s Mum and Vicki’s parents provided a superb meal for officials and guests.   The Punters had food supplied to them downstairs.   The previous evening at Joanna’s and Michelle’s flat in Great George Street, a crowd of the Hares and Hounds had made up filled rolls for sale.   Westerlands was packed for the Disco.  

Peter Baxter, Alan Crombie, Des Gilmore and Elspeth Scott visited the Maryhill Police on Friday 16th November for a post-mortem on the Road Race.   The Police said they were now vehemently opposed to any races on open roads because of the enormous volume of traffic and wondered if the course could be substantially altered or the race moved to a Sunday.   These alternatives were thoroughly investigated.   However it was eventually decided to retain the current course, but to ensure that it was well signposted and swamped with stewards.”

This is the first mention of the Police opposition to races on open roads and was not unique to this race – the Nigel Barge which used a lot of the same territory as the University race eventually had to change their route in 1993  when the Police made them set up traffic cones all the way along the Switchback Road  at their own expense, which would of course have been very costly.   In 1991-’92 the race had 548 runners.   “A large number of folk helped out, including four boys from Ballikinrain School and their teacher.   Paul Dugdale won the event in 22 min 19 sec.   Vikki McPherson was the first woman to finish coming 92nd in 25 min 45 sec.   ….   There was a very busy Disco in the evening.”     There  was a new sponsor for the race in 1992 as was reported in the Hares and Hounds History: “The University Road Race, which took place on Saturday 7th November, was sponsored this year by Gatorade.   Five hundred and forty nine runners completed the course.   The race was again won by Paul Dugdale in 22 min 35 sec with three former members of the Hares & Hounds (Bobby Quinn, Alan Puckrin and Glen Stewart) coming in immediately behind him.   A lot of media attention focussed on the participation by the top Scottish distance runner Liz McColgan.   She finished 22nd in 24 min 00 sec.   An excellent Disco took place at Westerlands in the evening.”   It is of interest to note the comment on the Nigel Barge race at the start of 1993 – “The Nigel Barge Race, postponed from early January, took place on 20th March over a new course, part of which encompassed the Veterinary School grounds.   The Police had insisted on the changes to this race  which first took place in 1943.”   The report on the race in 1993-’94 season reads: “Numbers (at 482) were slightly down in the University Road Race this year; the event was sponsored by BUPA.   Although the afternoon was grey, the rain held off and everything went smoothly.   Glen Stewart, now running for Edinburgh Southern Harriers, won in 22 min 53 sec.”

“The University Road Race in 1994 almost didn’t take place.   n the Wednesday before it was scheduled, Michelle Jeffrey received a phone call from the Police to say they wouldn’t be able to supervise the event due to a protest march in the city.   They asked could the race be postponed for a couple of weeks or be run on the Sunday.   Fortunately Michelle was eventually able to persuade the Police that enough cover would be provided by the Hares and Hounds for the race to go ahead safely.   In the evening of Friday 4th November, a large group of Hares and Hounds went along to John Dargie’s flat at Charing Cross to make up rolls.   These were to feed the hungry hordes the following day.   Because of the good turnout, it took only 50 minutes to get the job done.   The Saturday turned out to be cold and wet, nevertheless a good crowd arrived early at Westerlands to construct the finishing chutes, mark the course, etc.   Dave Nisbet, who’d spent the year away from University working in industry, arrived to help set up the computers.   With the departure of Peter Baxter to Edinburgh, the Hares and Hounds were obliged to do all the organisation for the Road Race themselves this year.   Despite the weather 434 finished the race, once again sponsored by BUPA.   The start had to be altered due to the new ‘Safeway’ which had been opened on the former site of Barr and Stroud.   First home was Phil Mowbray of Edinburgh University in 22 min 18 sec.   Former members of the Hares and Hounds, Alan Puckrin (running for Greenock Glenpark) and Bobby Quinn (competing for Kilbarchan AAC) were second and third in 22 min 36 sec and 22 min 41 sec respectively.  

The Police were not happy about the race.   They complained about an entry having been accepted from a wheelchair athlete.   However the individual concerned had surreptitiously entered and got no further than the Switchback before withdrawing.   Furthermore it was alleged that too many ‘fun-runners’ had taken part with the Police claiming that more than 75 had taken over an hour to finish.    Yet, according to official results,  the last runner did a time of 47 min 45 sec.   A very well attended Disco took place in the evening with the can-can attracting a good entry.    Fireworks were set off late in the evening to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day.”

The initial comments about ‘not being able to police the race because of a protest march, was echoed in the early 21st century when it was one of the reasons the Police gave for not wanting the Allan Scally Relay race to go ahead on it chosen and traditional route.   If the race in 1994 had had its problems, they were as nothing compared to 1995!

“No end of difficulties arose with the University Road Race, all completely outwith the control of the Hares and Hounds.   First of all BUPA withdrew sponsorship, then the Scottish Athletics Federation messed up the date, allocating the same day as that for the Allan Scally.   When they changed it to a week later it was found to clash with the GUAC Ball.   This meant that Westerlands was not available that day.   Finally it was decided to hold it on Sunday 12th November.   Still problems arose.   The Police originally asked that it commence early.   Later when they realised 12th November was Remembrance Sunday, the requested that the start (already advertised for 1:00 pm) be delayed.   Naturally some confusion resulted for would be entrants.  

On a cold wet Saturday afternoon several members of the Hares and Hounds turned up at Gordon’s flat to get rolls prepared for the following day.   …..   As a result of the Ball, Westerlands was an unholy mess when the Hares and Hounds arrived on the Sunday morning to prepare for the race.   Nevertheless everything was eventually sorted out.   Plenty of officials and stewards turned up too, and 325 runners took part including 26 members of the Hares and Hounds.   The race was again won, in 22 min 18 sec, by former Hares and Hounds member Glen Stewart, now competing for Leslie Deans Running Club in Edinburgh.   Glen’s father, Lachie, had won the race exactly 30 years previously.   Audrey Sim, who finished 64th in 26 min 44 sec, was the first woman home.   The usual Disco was held and a Chunder Mile organised in which a number of ‘Aberdeen Willies’ took part.    Everyone seemed toenjoy themselves immensely.

However, two days later residents of Ilay Avenue complained bitterly about the race.   They felt aggrieved by letters sent out by the Hares and Hounds, on instructions from the Police, requesting that cars not be parked on the pavement during the Road Race.   However their main agenda appears to have been a protest at the University for permitting the development of new sports facilities on the Garscube Estate.    their objections had no basis in fact as confirmed by the article in the Bearsden ‘Courier’.   According to the report in it, the race ‘closed off the inside lane of the Switchback Road and Bearsden Road for hours on Saturday afternoon to give runners a clear route into the controversial Garscube  Estate.’  

Winners between 1995 and 2005

It could be called the Glen Stewart Decade – 9 wins ( a treble treble) plus a win in 1993 in the colours of Edinburgh Southern Harriers – with ten wins in thirteen years with four clubs plus an unattached!

Some personal memories of the races are at the Glasgow University RR link below

Back to The Classics          Glasgow University RR Personals

Graeme Orr in Neilston has sent results of the race between 1984 and 1994 inclusive and the top ten are listed below.   I’ll add to the list in due course but for now, the results.   After we put up these results, Billy Minto sent those of 1982 and 1983 and these have been added above Graeme’s.

Just after 1984 Nigel Barge start, many well known runners – Tony Coyne, Mike Gallagher, Bobby Quinn, Nigel Jones, Mole, Tommy Murray, Hammy Cox, Steve Doig …

The Nigel Barge Road Race was first run in 1943 and commemorates Nigel Barge who was killed in action in Dunkirk in World War II.   According to the Maryhill Harriers website, he was an outstanding officer who was trained as a Royal Engineer.   He came top of his class at Woolwich and had helped to prepare and map defences around Dunkirk.   He also assisted in the repairing of small craft to ensure the debarkation of his comrades.   He was also a licensed pilot a a keen athlete.    His father was Kenneth Barge of the Bengal Lancers and a member of the Committee of Maryhill Harriers.   It is important that these events continue in some shape or form although the race can no longer be run on the traditional trail round Maryhill and Canniesburn Toll.

The race has had a long and formidable history in which every top endurance runner in Scotland took part at one time or another and many really great races run in it.    It appears in many of the profiles on this website as a significant race.   When I joined Clydesdale Harriers in 1957 it was the first road race of the New Year and a ‘must run’ event.   On one occasion Springburn altered the date of the Springburn Cup race to the first Saturday in the New Year but when I asked a Scottish internationalist which he was going to do, he looked at me with astonishment and said “The Barge of course – it’s the classic!”    The first race was held in January 1943 and it was covered as follows in ‘The Glasgow Herald’ of 4th January, 1943,:

Maryhill Road Race

T Gibson of Bellahouston Harriers won the Nigel Barge Memorial Trophy five miles road race from Maryhill on Saturday in the fine time of 24:56.   The contest was keenly fought out, both for the individual and team tests, T Gibson early on got to the front, hotly challenged by JE Farrell, Maryhill, and G Burdett, the Navy and Shettleston Harriers.   It was only over the last mile that Gibson succeeded in drawing clear of his rivals to win by 15 yards.   Burdett did well to reach third place, a similar distance behind Farrell.   Garscube (R Hulgrew, A Donnett and A Hay) aggregated 18 points in the team race to beat Maryhill (JE Farrell, J Hoskins and  R McPherson) by one point, Shettleston Harriers being third with 26 points.”   A short report for a significant event in Scottish road running.

As for the race itself, it was always held on the first Saturday of the New Year unless that was actually the 1st January.  The year always started with the Beith Cross-Country on the first day of the New Year and the Bargee on the Saturday.   It was a time of shaking more hands in a shorter time than any of us ever experienced away from the race: as Douglas MacDonald says, it was always a genuine atmosphere of inter-club bonhomie.    As the McAndrew Relay was the traditional start to the winter season in October, so the Nigel Barge was the traditional start to the year with many turning up for the first time of the season just to see old friends and swap stories.   Douglas talks of going to the January sales with his Dad, Ronnie MacDonald, to buy the prizes for the race.  Ronnie confirms that – there were often times when the shop was told they were prizes for a race and an extra discount was given.    While on the subject of prizes the race was always quite generous in what was on offer:   for instance in the 1990 race, the handbill offered £2000 in prizes.   These were for the first four finishers, the first four teams, the first six ladies, the first 2 Juniors, the first O40, O45, O50, O55, O60, the first veteran team, the first Ladies team and a special award for the first runner over the canal bridge at the foot of the Cleveden Road hill!    Incidentally when the race was denied a permit because of a mix-up at the SAAA Offices, they had to run it as a club race with guests.   Many of the top names raced under false names and a future president of the SCCU had to be reminded of his name when he won a spot prize and failed to go up to collect it.    That was also the only year when a Ladies team (Glasgow LAC) won the overall team race!!!    In short, the Barge always had good prizes and usually many of them: it was possibly the first race to offer a ‘prime’ – to the first runner at the top of the hill – and there were also spot prizes with a nasty rumour that they picked somebody that they wanted to give a prize to and then every tenth person thereafter got something as well – as a ‘spot prize’.  All the very best runners in the country used to contest the race and then as the sport gradually burgeoned, many a new race was organised as a ‘start of the year’ event: Round the Houses races sprung up in imitation of the original held in Brazil, novelty races each with its own brand new tradition such as the race at Mountain Ash in Wales with  the ‘mystery runner’ – and they all wanted to invite very good athletes to compete.   These things had to affect the Nigel Barge and they did although while it was on the traditional course it remained a high quality event.   How about the actual race itself?

Nigel Barge 1984

The race started in Kelvindale Road and headed down a steepish slope until it crossed the bridge over the Kelvin before going up the very steep and long hill to Cleveden Road where the runners turned right into Cleveden Road.   This meant plunging down another very steep hill to cross the bridge over the Forth and Clyde Canal and turning left onto Temple Road.    A half mile or so of this flat running before turning right on to the demanding Switchback Road.    Along this road with its up-and-down going to Canniesburn Toll and right again along the long drag of Maryhill Road ending in a run along a very busy wee part of the road past people doing their Saturday shopping, under the bridge under the Canal at Lochend Road before turning right into Kelvindale Road and the long run in to the finish.    If any runner active at present thinks he has run a hard hilly course, well he hasn’t tackled this one.    Do it in your own on a quiet Sunday morning and wonder at the fortitude of your forebears!  

If you were quick off the mark, it was possible to get a good picture of yourself crossing the Kelvin Bridge where the course had to narrow and the runners bunch so the man in front had many famous names behind him and many a man has tried to do just that.   See the picture above.    Alastair Douglas was a supporter of the race and has this to say about it.

“The Nigel Barge was another very high standard race.   I however always felt it was just below the Uni race in class.   Nat and one or two others often did not run as it clashed with either Belfast or one of the Continental International Cross-Country Races.   I missed it on a few occasions due to running at Belfast or on one occasion at the Madrid San Silvester.   However, one race that have seen the result for was truly outstanding in standard.   It was in 1970 – obviously before my time.   In the race were Lachie Stewart and Ian McCafferty.   They were to prove themselves as world class athletes a few months later at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games.   However astonishingly neither of them won the race that year – that honour going to a young Ronnie McDonald.  

Some of the course was similar to the Uni race except that you went down Cleveden Hill.   It was also even more dangerous as the race went right through Canniesburn Toll, often in icy conditions.    The first time I ran in it was 1980.   I remember Jim Brown followed by Jim Dingwall and Gordon Rimmer flying down Bearsden Road instead of turning into Maryhill Road.   I managed to finish first junior that year.   The three that had gone the wrong way, managed to catch and beat me.  

The highlights for me were finishing second to (a now not so young) Ronnie McDonald in 1982 and winning in 1988 and 1990.   The 1988 race was a bit of an anti-climax.   The field was diluted due to a mix-up in the calendar and it clashing with the Springburn Cup.   However my win in 1990 goes down as one of my best ever victories.   A novelty in this race was the King of the Mountains prize.   This was a bottle of whisky for the runner who reached the telephone box at the top of Kelvindale Road first.   Again Dougie McDonald – along with Ian Archibald – was the brains behind this one.”

The standard of the race was always high, and never more so than in the 1970’s and 80’s.  From my own diary I have the detailed result for the 1970 race and the first 50 are reproduced here.

Des Yuill provided the complete results for both 1972 and 1973 and I also had the results for the 1980 race and since they illustrate the quality as well as the intensity of the racing down through the field.   Look at some of the tight finishes such as 26 to 29, or 32 to 38!   Even 47 to 51!!! I’ll present the first 50 in each race below.

8th January, 1972

There were 134 runners and 36 teams.   1st team: VPAAC 19 pts; 2nd team: Clydesdale 35; 3rd Team Glasgow Uni 55 pts

6th January, 1973

139 runners, 35 teams.   1st team: Shettleston 19 pts; 2nd team: Springburn: 50 pts; 3rd team VPAAC 72 pts; 4th team Glasgow Uni 72 pts

First Four 1984

A jump to 1980 shows 51st place at 24:34 against 25:18 in 1972 and 25:22 in ’73.   The race was held on 5th January and the first 50 were as follows.

These are shown to such a depth to illustrate the quality and competitive nature of the race – have a look at how close the fast-travelling 8th to 12th places were, or 26 to 29 or 40 to 42.   You wilso note the mix of experienced runners, the newer junior runners and those in their prime at the time of the race.   It was a race.

For some reason, the ‘Scots Athlete’ did not cover the race every year, indeed the first report on the Nigel Barge in ‘The Scots Athlete’ was for 1948 and the winner was Andrew Forbes of VPAAC from Adam MacLean of Bellahouston Harriers and there are some excellent pictures in the issue of February 1948.

Among the innovations of the Nigel Barge were that it was the first race to present prizes to veteran athletes (in 1970), the first race to offer spot prizes (ie extra awards to a series of places such as 18th, 28th, 38th, 48th…) so that everyone had a chance to win something and it was the first race to offer a hill prime – to the first runner to the telephone box at Cleveden Road (the runner had to crest the hill and pass the box to claim the award).

There are some 1980’s pictures at this link    Some results from the 1960’s

All excellent photographs, taken by Graham MacIndoe

Start of Edinburgh 10, 1985

I only ever raced in this race once – a Clydesdale Harriers team went through and we actually won with Allan Faulds, Ian Donald and Doug Gemmell being the counting runners.   It was a good, hard two lap trail with an enormous climb to be done soon after the start of the lap and there was a long downhill run beside the golf course before turning into the finish at King’s Buildings.   Enjoyable race over a king of fiercely undulating trail but I didn’t go back!    Colin Youngson has written the account below.

The Edinburgh University Ten Miles Open race took place in mid-February or early March and I first ran the March 1^st 1971 version. The Aberdeen University newspaper ‘Gaudie’ reports only that Don Ritchie was 5^th in 50 minutes 8 seconds and that I managed 8^th and a PB for the distance of 51.04. However I won the handicap event with Don third. Respectively we won a coffee set and an umbrella; plus our third team place won us sets of bathroom scales! Nevertheless, this race was a serious challenge. The start was at King’s Buildings, and then you swooped downhill and over a few undulations past The Hermitage. A left turn transformed things, as you struggled up a series of very steep slopes, before emerging on the road which skimmed past the Braid Hills golf course. Then it was a screaming descent and nasty little climb before passing the start again. Nowadays the race continues as the EU Five Miles but in the past real men had to face two laps of this exhausting trail.

On Saturday 3^rd March 1973 Andy McKean won in 50.21. After a race-long contest with Martin Craven I just managed to escape before the finish. Our times were 50.43 and 50.49. My training diary comments: “Almost sick at the end. Very hard. Andy mucking about in front. At least beat five who got me in the National including Jim Dingwall.”

It would appear that I also finished second in the 1976 version but now I can only guess that it was Doug Gunstone who was well in front, probably in 49 minutes or so. Certainly I never beat 50 minutes in this race.

1979’s race on Saturday 3^rd March was a bad one for me – only 7^th in 52.34. Aberdeen’s Graham Laing won in 50.43, from Doug Gunstone, Don Macgregor, Dave Clark, Fraser Clyne and Martin Craven. ESH finished second team, and each of us won sixteen Mars bars!

The reason why prizes had become more acceptable to typical carbo-loving beer-drinking runners was that the eccentric Robin ‘YP’ Thomas (future founder of that zany but successful club Hunter’s Bog Trotters) had taken over the race organisation, although the course remained as formidable. (YP’s nickname was coined by Don Macgregor when he could not remember the name of the bold 18 year-old who turned up for long Sunday runs, so he referred to him as ‘Young Penicuik’, since Robin’s family home was near there.)

The programme (costing 5 new pence) for the 1980 race proclaimed that “the Edinburgh University Hare and Hounds 10-mile road race (8.87 Scots miles, since a Scots mile is approximately a furlong longer than an English mile) has grown to become the SCCU’s biggest and most prestigious 10-mile road race. It now attracts Olympic and Commonwealth Games stars, British Internationalists, Scottish Internationalists, English Internationalists, SUSF and BUSF representatives and droves of runners of lesser ability.” (On reflection, if Don Macgregor and Fergus Murray had turned up, along with a good runner from Newcastle and a jogger or two, all of the above categories would be covered.)

The course is covered in pedantic detail. “The race starts on K.B. Campus (to the west of the Chemistry Building), heads westward through Blackford, up Midmar Avenue and Midmar Drive and along Hermitage Drive. There follows a steep climb up Braid Road, before the course heads eastward along Braid Hills Drive. Thereafter it’s down Alnwickhill Road and Liberton Brae, up Mayfield Road and onto West Mains Road. Then comes the bad news – there’s still another lap to go before the finish back on K.B. campus.” Then the programme goes on about Andy McKean being the most prominent past winner; about the unfortunate clash of fixtures with the Hyde Park Relay in London; and about the lack of cash which has meant that “as club funds are habitually less than zero, we have had to charge exorbitant entry fees (ten shillings – Ye Gods! What’s the world coming to?) and scrounge minor sponsorships in order to provide everyone with a meal and to offer our usual ‘utilitarian’ prizes.”

“Slugs (i.e. people who are not members of EUH&H are invited to take part. Top prizes will be awarded to the First Slug and to the First Team of Slugs. As indicated above, all members of the Hare and Hounds, not being slugs, do not qualify for these prizes (we also reserve the right to disqualify EU Athletic Club and Orienteering Club runners, so that genuine fat slugs can take part and win). So, stub out your Capstan Full Strength, drain your pint of Export, and look out a pair of training shoes. You could win our start prizes – a keg of Export and half an ounce. Spectators will also enjoy the pie-eating contest and a refreshment session after the race.”

On Saturday 1^st March 1980 I fought hard but failed to beat Sandy Keith of EAC. He handled the downhills much better than I did and in the end was well clear (50.47) to my 51.05. I only just stayed in front of my ESH club-mate Alex Robertson (51.11). At least this let me retain my club championship, and with the assistance of Martin Craven we won the team prize. I received four cans of beer, a homebrew kit and a jockstrap!

Next year was a classic. On Saturday 14^th February a really good field turned up – because Robin had made it known that there would be malt whisky prizes. Consequently luminaries like Nat Muir and Jim Brown made the trek eastwards! I possess a photo of myself leading both of them – but naturally not for long, although my diary notes with incredulity that I stayed in front of the great Nat for two whole miles. Muir set an impressive new record of 48.37 to win his choice alcoholic prize, with Jim Brown only eleven seconds down. Other fast times were set by Jim Dingwall (49.19) and EAC’s Yamada (49.24). I managed 50.32 to secure the ESH club title and a distant fifth place, in front of several good Scots and Northern English runners.

That would seem to have been my last attempt at this unusual yet testing race. However I remember that a year or two after that there was heavy snowfall and cunning Evan Cameron defeated Don Macgregor in this ten-mile “road” race, because he had the sense to wear spikes!

The EU 10 miles seems to have started in 1965, and there is a set of results from10th June 1967 when Jim Wight (EU) finished in 50.55, in front of Gordon Eadie (Cambuslang) 51.14 and Dave Logue (EU) 52.11. EU won the team race. The present course was adopted in 1970 and I am not sure what the 1965-69 course might have been. Below are the top two and winning teams from 1970 to 1981.

7/3/70 Gareth Bryan-Jones (ESH) 49.48

Andy McKean (EUH&H) 50.37

Team: Clydesdale H

6/3/71  Andy McKean (EUH&H) 49.06

Alastair Johnston (VPAAC) 49.11

Team: EAC

4/3/72  Andy McKean (EUH&H) 49.55

Martin Craven (ESH) 52.12

Team: EUH&H

3/3/73  Andy McKean (EUH&H) 50.21

Colin Youngson (VPAAC) 50.43

Team: EUH&H

2/3/74  Don Macgregor (ESH) 51.08

Nigel Bailey (ESH) 51.08

Team: ESH

1/3/75  Martin Craven (ESH) 49.56

Nigel Bailey (ESH) 50.44

Team: ESH

28/2/76 Doug Gunstone (EAC) 49.57

Colin Youngson (ESH) 50.19

Team: EAC

26/2/77 Andy McKean (EAC) 49.14

Jim Dingwall (Falkirk Victoria H) 49.58

`           Team: FVH

11/2/78 John McGarva (FVH) 55.42

Willie Day (FVH) 56.28

Team: FVH

3/3/79  Graham Laing (AAAC) 50.43

Doug Gunstone (EAC) 50.51

Team: Fife AC

1/3/80  Sandy Keith (EAC) 50.47

Colin Youngson (ESH) 51.05

Team: ESH

14/2/81 Nat Muir (Shettleston H) 48.37

Jim Brown (Clyde Valley AC) 48.48

Team: ESH

I would hope that you noted the quality of the athletes who took part in the race – and there was a significant depth to the fields as well.   As Colin said at the top of his article, it was not a fast tail but the runners all knew they would have a good hard race and learn a bit more about themselves – as well as having a good time.