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The Edinburgh Highland Games, masterminded by Willie Carmichael had been one of the very best meetings on the Scottish athletics calendar.   Despite the fact that it was run on a short track, a grassy one at that, it always attracted the very best runners from Britain and abroad.    1960 was no exception.   The report in the Glasgow Herald had the headline     “TULLOH’S FINE VICTORY IN THE TWO MILES” and among the other competitors were Laszlo Tabori, Graham Everett, Milka Singh, DH Jones and N Whitehead (Wales), R Nicolson (AAA), Mike Agostini (Trinidad), and Mike Hildrey (Scotland) all starred on the track, and in the field events, Crawford Fairbrother won the high jump.   The meeting also incorporated a Scotland  v  Wales international which Scotland won 68 – 34.    The report read as follows: 

“The fourteenth annual Edinburgh Highland Games on Saturday at Murrayfield contained a few exciting contests for individual sypremacy.   Two all-comers records were broken, the two miles and the women’s 100 yards.   The two miles race was the most interesting.   As the race progressed it became clear that there were only two runners in it – L Tabori a former world mile record holder, and MBS Tulloh, a former AAA three miles champion, who now holds the British three miles record of 13 min 17.2 sec.    Tabori and Tulloh took turns in the lead until the last lap when Tabori increased the pace.   Twenty yards short of the finish Tabori put in a final burst but he could not shake off Tulloh who pulled ahead and won by inches.   The time of 8 min 45.6 sec accredited to both runners is three seconds better than that returned by GD Ibbotson last year at Ibrox even though Tabori and Tulloh were on a grass track of five laps to the mile.   o fewer than four runners – DH Jones and N Whitehead (both Wales),  R Nicolson (AAA) and M Agostini (Trinidad) – returned 9.7 sec for 100 yards equalling the Games Record.

Native Records.   Native records were established by CW Fairbrother (Victoria Park) in the high jump of 6′ 8 1/4″, GA McLachlan (St Modan’s AC) who won the 120 yards hurdles in 14.8 sec,  and Miss M Bain in the 80 metres hurdles with an 11.9.   MG Hildrey (Victoria Park AAC) established a Games record  of 21.8 seconds for the 220 yards.   McLachlan had a fine race knocking down a few hurdles and yet beating by half a second the standing native record.   Obviously he revels in good competitionamd having attributes of height and speed, he should make a fine hurdler under the guidance of the national coach.

GE Everett (Shettleston Harriers) won the mile from Englishmen who have previously beaten him more than once – and he dis so using more tactical methods than usual, returning 4 min 13.4 sec – slow by present day standards.”

Among those international athletes taking part were

Milka Singh, (pictured below) who ran in three Olympics (Melbourne, Rome and Tokyo) and won 400m gold in the Asian Games in 1958 and 1962, and also in the Empire (later Commonwealth) Games at Cardiff in 1958.

Mike Agostini, was a Trinidadian who was the first from his country to win gold at The Empire/Commonwealth Games when he won the 100m at Vancouver in 1954 and there was bronze in Cardiff in 1958.   He was also a medallist in the Pan American Games.   

Alla Ditta  was a pole vaulter who competed at the Olympics in Melbourne and Rome, Commonwealth Games in Cardiff and Melbourne, and Asian Games in 1958 and 1962.   In the Asian Games in 1958 in Tokyo, all of the first three cleared the same height (4.20m) and he was placed third. 

The programme for this meeting can be found  here:  It makes great reading if you want to see just how good the fields were and to what depth the quality went.

There were several last-minute call offs for the 1961 Games which would have ruined any meeting but those who did turn up included Arthur Rowe (gold medals in the Empire Games in 1958 and in the European Games that same year, Olympian in 1960) , Maeve Kyle (outstanding Irish athlete who competed in both Rome and Tokyo Olympics), Derek Ibbotson, the two Saltwell Harriers Anderson and Hillen, as well as many of the top Scots like Mike Hildrey, Graham Everett, Scotland’s first four minute miler Mike Berisford, Ming Campbell and Crawford Fairbrother who had both captained the GB athletics team and many more.   The report read:

“More than 20 records were broken or equalled at Edinburgh Highland Games on Saturday at Murrayfield, and there might have been more if the men of the calibre of HC Elliot (Australia) and H Jerome (Canada) had not called off at practically the last minute.   Perhaps the outstanding achievement of the meeting was by A Rowe, holder of the British and European shot putt record of 63 ft 9 1/4 in.   His 61 ft 3 1/2 in beat WP O’Brien’s Scottish all-comers’ record by no less than 3 ft 5 1/4 in.   Miss B Moore who is said to have a Scottish qualification,  won the 80 metres hurdles in the excellent time of 10.9 sec taking 0.2 sec off the all-comers’ record held by Miss N Thrower (Holland).

Another all-comers’ record was the product of a splendid duel between Mrs M Kyle (Northern Ireland), the British champion, and Miss J Dunbar in the quarter mile.   The judges were faced with a problem as the two women crossed the line with little between then in the fine time of 56.2 sec.,  0.6 better than Mrs Kyle’s record established last year.   Miss Dunbar was however credited with 0.1 slowerwhich may help her claim for a Scottish native record if her qualifications are ascertained.   The native record is held by Mrs JG Herman with 58.3 sec.   Miss J Smart with 10.9 sec and 24.5 sec winning times for the 100 yards and 220 yards displayed undoubted superiority, equalling the present all-comers’ record and beating the Scottish native record in the course of her stylish run.   Munich beat Edinburgh by 70 points to 65 only by winning the last event.   MG Hildrey won the 100 yards in 9.8 sec and 220 yards in 22.1 sec.   GE Everett made a brave effort to win the mile and looked like doing so when he took the lead about a furlong from the finish, but A Simpson came again, passed him 15 yards out and beat him by a foot in 4 min 11.4 sec.   K Wood eas a starter but tripped and fell during the first half of the race.   

The feature of the 300 yards invitation was the performance of WM Campbell (Glasgow University) who finished third to DH Jones, only 0.1 sec behind and set a native record of 30.9 sec, thus eliminating the 47 year old record in the name of Captain Hallswell.   Bellahouston Harriers won the two Scottish junior relay titles in best championship times.”

Mike Hildrey (nearest camera)

Where the other major athletics meetings were held on cinder or ash tracks of a uniform 440 yards, the Murrayfield track was more akin to any of the various Highland Games or Sports Meeting venues such as Strathallan, Babcock’s or Brockville.   It was on grass which at times could be treacherous after midweek rain, and was five laps to the mile.   The quality of the athletes on display is down to the credit of Willie Carmichael and his committee, but the performances were down to the athletes and the intense competitive atmosphere.   Despite the fact that many of the world’s best had competed at Ibrox, Hampden and Meadowbank, there were still all-comers’ records being set at Murrayfield.   1962 was no exception – The actual Glasgow Herald report is below:

Note that the Scots who had a good day included not only those like Mike Hildrey, who seemed to enjoy Murrayfield, who won their event but others who responded to the competition and ran even better than they did most Saturdays in the year.   Note John Linaker’s fine run and Ming Campbell’s victory in the 440 yards.   Anyone who saw Remigino run at Ibrox on his way home from the Helsinki Olympics, will see Hildrey’s 100 yards as arguably the performance of the meeting.   Full results below.

In 1963 a runner who was to run a world beating race in Scotland in 1969 stole the show: Gaston Roelants won the two miles race comfortably from Bruce Tulloh and Canadian Olympian Bruce Kidd with Scotland’s John Linaker having another good run at these games in fifth place. It was an amazing field in this race:

Roelants had won the International Cross Country Championship in 1962 and was world number one ranked steeplechaser every year from 1962 to 1963 and again in 1972.

Kidd was a most interesting athlete and had won the Six Miles in the 1962 British Empire Games and took third place in the 3 miles.  He also ran in the 1964 Olympics so he was at the peak of his form when he ran in Edinburgh.   

Tulloh had won the gold in the European Championships in Belgrade in 1962 and the former Scot also ran for England in the one and three miles races at the British Empire Games in the same year.   

The 800 metres also had a Canadian Olympian – Bill Crothers at one time held the Canadian record for every distance from 400 metres to 1500m and in 1963 had the fastest time in the world for 800m.   Not in Edinburgh though where he was second to Ireland’s Noel Carroll (summer Olympics in 1964 and 1968, set Irish and European records in the 1960s and studied at Villanova in USA), and one place in front of D McCleane (Ireland) with all three being within 0.3 of a second at the finish.   McCleane was another Olympian who competed at the 1964 Olympics.   The standards were remarkably high – the competitors in the field events, the Heavy Events had such luminaries as Howard Payne, Mike Lindsay both Olympians,  and in the Jumps Crawford Fairbrother was another Scot who had a victory to celebrate.   Read about the meeting below and have a good look at the results where such well known names as Ming Campbell, Mike Hildrey and many more Scots stand out.

1964 was Olympic year and the third Saturday in August was the date for a major meeting in London and that was where several of the top Scots were in action.   There were no Canadians at Murrayfield either but there were Americans, some outstanding Americans, Irishmen, a AAA’s team, an inter-city between Edinburgh and Munich and many top Scots both at the time of the meeting and future prospects.   Report and results below but first, some comments on the athletes competing.   The American sprinters were 

Mike Larrabee   who would win gold in the 1964 Olympics which were to be held in October, in the 400m and the 4z 400m relay.   He won the invitation 100 yards in Edinburgh and was third in the 300 yards.

Olan Cassell also won gold in the 4 x 400m relay in the 1964 Olympics, having previously won gold in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m  USA team at the Pan American Games in 1963 where he also won silver for the 200m sprint.      In Edinburgh he won the 440 yards, defeated Crawford Fairbrother in the high jump  and was third in the 120 yards hurdles. 

There were many top class performances on the day by Scots athletes – eg in the Two Miles the first three were all Scots who competed in the Olympics plus many who would become household names in the next few years.   Les Piggott was winner of the 100 yards and would go on to many top class performances for his country.  

It would be wrong to under estimate the superb quality of many of the Scots athletes who were regulars at Murrayfield.   For instance Crawford Fairbrother won the SAAA championship 13 consecutive times, represented GB 53 times and captained the team on occasion; WM Campbell won 10 Scottish titles over 100, 220 and 440 yards including a double treble: ie champion at 100 yards, 220 yards and 440 yards in the same year  on two separate occasions, and captained the GB team in 1965 and 1966 and at one point in 1967 was called “the fastest white man on the planet” after running 10.2 seconds for the 100 yards twice in the same year.

The Scottish Marathon Club was the first road running club in the British Isles and had as its objective ‘to foster marathon running in Scotland’ and I would defy anyone to say that there was such a single minded body in the country today.   The one organisation that even comes close to that is the British Milers Club which has always had a strong Scottish element.   The difference of course is the words ‘Scottish’ and  ‘British’.   The SMC membership card doubled as a club fixture list and if we look at those below we can see the progress of road running between 1962 and 1972.   One year is missing and that is a pity – anyone with a copy should send it to me – please if you have one – but the pattern is there to see.   Look for the  number of races -and look at the performances required for club standard certificates.

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Alan Puckrin (Kilbarchan, Greenock Glenpark, Edinburgh SH, Inverclyde)

Best times: 1500m: 3.46.43  1989; 3000m: 8.00.49 indoors 1989; 5000m: 13.57.22  1989; 10,000m: 29.32.29 1994; 10k road: 29.49 1997; 10 miles: 49.24 1985; Half Marathon: 67.28 1999.

Alan finished 2^nd to Tommy Murray after a good battle in the S.A.A.A. 10,000m in 1994; was 3^rd in 1997; and 3^rd in the Scottish Indoor 3000m Championship in 1989.

He was ranked 2^nd in Scotland over 5000m with 13.57.22 in 1989; and 3^rd at both 5000m and 10,000m in 1994. He featured in the 5000m rankings in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1998; and in the 10,000m rankings in 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1997.

                                                            Alan in the Tom Scott 10 Miles Road Race in 1985 (photo by Graham MacIndoe)

Alan Puckrin was a Scottish International Track athlete at 3000m and 5000m; and also raced internationally on Road and Cross-Country.

 Three Senior Track International appearances:

1989 Indoors at Athens. Scotland v Greece, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia 3000m 3^rd 8:00.49 (personal best).

1989 in Hungary. Scotland v Hungary, Czech Republic, Greece 5000m 3rd 13:57.37 (personal best).

1993 at Wrexham, Wales. Scotland v Wales v Northern Ireland 5000m 4th 14:13.38, just behind Robert Quinn. Scotland won the team contest.

Junior XC International: World Junior Championships 1983: at Gateshead. Alan Puckrin was the fourth Scottish counting runner in 78^th position.

Seven Senior XC International appearances: 1983-94: 1983 at Gateshead and Ipswich; 1984 at Cumbernauld – Alan was first Scot in second position, and Scotland beat Wales and Northern Ireland; 1984 Gateshead; 1988 Cardiff; 1989 Mallusk, Northern Ireland; 1994 Mallusk – Alan was 17^th but first Scot, well clear of Robert Quinn.

Senior Road Running International: 1991 at Llandudno, Wales. Ten Miles Road Race. Alan Puckrin was fourth and second Scot in 49.39. By one point, Wales won the team contest, with Scotland second in front of Northern Ireland and England.

Alan Puckrin was part of the Glasgow University Hares & Hounds team that won a famous victory in the 1984 British Universities Cross-Country Championships. Team-mate Alastair Douglas reckons that Alan’s main strength was as a relay racer (for proof, see below the E to G section). 

Robert Quinn and Alan often trained together. Robert remembered well their Junior days with Kilbarchan. A newspaper report read: “In 1984, the previous year’s Youth Champion, Robert Quinn, won the Junior title at his first attempt, the first runner since Nat Muir in 1975 to achieve this – with his Kilbarchan club-mate Alan Puckrin finishing runner-up 50 yards behind.’  

Robert went on to Glasgow University in 1984 and his friendship with Puckrin developed. ‘Alan was a big influence on me. He was older but made the same age group because of the date of his birthday. I suppose we were pretty inseparable in races too. I won the Renfrewshire, West District and National Junior Championships and Alan was second in them all.  He was the year above me and raced first claim for Kilbarchan but, like me, competed for the Hares & Hounds in student championship races. Alan was a great friend and rival – he was an amazing trainer, and during the 1983/84 season he would beat me in training most weeks. Alan was excellent in relay races – I think that he relished those events where he could run freely, compared to the tactical head-to-head battles. He retired from running fairly early and took up hillwalking.’

Judging by the GUH&H history, Alan Puckrin enjoyed quite a lot of his university running (and social life). In 1982, it is noted that ‘young Alan Puckrin never seems to lose many races these days, his most recent win being at the Beith races on 2 January.”

 Then it was time for SUSF = the Scottish Universities cross-country championship, held on this occasion “over a windswept course on the slopes of Arthur’s Seat, about two miles from the changing accommodation.” The GU team finished second to an excellent outfit from Edinburgh University but “Our only consolation in the A Race was Alastair Douglas’s victory over Callum Henderson of Edinburgh whose recent form has been startling.   There was also a remarkable run from Alan Puckrin, our new Superstar, who beat some well-established over the tough six miles course.   His third position was all the more remarkable when one considers that the furthest he had raced previously was only four miles and he is still only a Youth.”

In April 1982, a GU team travelled to the Easter Running Festival on the Isle of Man. “The Road Race on Friday evening was won by the Hares and Hounds which had 12 runners competing.   Alastair Douglas was fifth, Andy Girling 10th, and Alan Puckrin 21st.   Two hundred and eighty took part in the Hill Race at Peel on the Saturday afternoon.   Although it was not a good race for Alastair, Andy Girling and Alan Puckrin ran very well.  Back in The Glenfaba Hotel on Saturday evening Pat O’Kane had his hairy left leg shaved, much to his annoyance and subsequent embarrassment; for weeks thereafter he wore tracksuit bottoms when training! The Hares and Hounds had three Teams participating in the Relays on Sunday morning.   Andy Girling ran a very good first leg, passing on to Alan Puckrin who led the field around.   He handed over to John Cowan, who only lost a couple of places.    Alastair ran the last leg and finished third.      That evening, in The Villiers Hotel, the Hares and Hounds received an award for being the Best Student Team at the Festival, and the best Team in the Good Friday Race”. (Alan joined the team for this event in 1983 as well.)

Then at an SUSF vs SCCU representative match held at Stirling on 11 December 1982, Alan Puckrin was sixth, Andy Girling 10th, Alan Wilson 33rd and Dougie Macdonald 46th.   The race was won by Peter Fox of Dundee University.

In 1983, Alan Puckrin finished a fine fourth in SUSF and an excellent 18^th in BUSF (the British Universities XC). In the latter, GUH&HC were third team, “the best performance since winning the event in 1939. There were wild celebrations in the Gannochy Pavilion after the race with a lot of singing, drinking and dancing. On 19 February Paul Cackette, Andy Girling, Alan Puckrin, and Graham Walker travelled to London for the Hyde Park Relay.

1984:  “The Hares and Hounds travelled to BUSF, organized by the University of East Anglia.   The race commenced over a fast firm course which soon gave way to heavy plodding marshland. To their absolute delight, the Hares and Hounds won the main event for only the second time in their history (the first being in 1939). They scored 165 points; Birmingham had 194 and Loughborough 204. The race itself was won by Callum Henderson of Edinburgh.   Andy Girling was ninth, Alan Wilson 11th, Alastair Douglas 17th, Bobby Quinn 28th, Alan Puckrin 32nd and Neil Walker 68th. Paul MacIntyre and Danny Mackay also took part.”

“The Hares and Hounds’ Training Camp took place on Arran at the end of September.   Attending were Tom Gillespie, Evelyn Gisbey, Carole Hair, John McLellan, Fiona Meldrum, Alan Puckrin, Robert Quinn, Phil Shering and Neil Walker.   There Alan Puckrin set a new Kilbarchan Club record for beer drinking, while John was returned to the cottages by the Police one night after getting lost!”

1985: “At the Easter Athletic Festival on the Isle of Man, the Hares and Hounds stayed in self-catering Chalets above Douglas. The A Team (Alastair Douglas, Paul MacIntyre, Bobby Quinn and Alan Puckrin) finished first in the Road Race, the Hill Race and the Relay, thus easily being overall winners of the Easter Tournament.”   

West District Senior XC: Alan secured Under-17 silver in 1982 and team bronze (Kilbarchan). Individual bronze in 1989, 1993 and 1996 (Greenock).  Team silver in 1989; bronze in 1996. Under-20 silver in 1984 and team silver (Kilbarchan).

SCOTTISH NATIONAL XC: 1981 Kilbarchan team gold in the under-17 National, with Alan Puckrin 12^th. In 1982, team silver, with Alan improving to individual bronze, with Robert Quinn 11^th.

1984 second to Kilbarchan team mate Robert Quinn in the Junior (under-20) National. Team silver.

                         Alan racing boldly, early in the 1985 Senior National Cross-Country Championships (photo by Graham MacIndoe)

National XC Relay: 1986 Kilbarchan (with Alan Puckrin) team bronze. 1989: Greenock Glenpark H won the title. The team was: Phil Russell, Hamilton Cox, Alan Puckrin and Tommy Murray. (A photo of Alan made the front cover of ‘Athletics Weekly’!) 1992, team bronze for Caledon Park Harriers. 1998: team bronze with Kilbarchan; followed by silver medals in 1999 and 2000.

The Glasgow University Road Race was always a great race. In 1992, Alan finished in third place (representing Greenock Glenpark Harriers). In 1994 it was reported that: “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.”  

Scottish 10k Road Championship: individual bronze in 1999 (Kilbarchan)

National Road Relay (6-Stage): 1992 team silver with Caledon Park Harriers. 1999 team bronze with Kilbarchan.

EDINBURGH TO GLASGOW ROAD RELAY:

Alan Puckrin ran for Greenock Glenpark Harriers in 1987. In 1988 he was fastest on the prestigious Stage 2 with a superb time of 29.32. No one else was under 30 minutes and he moved from 16^th to 6^th, although his team eventually finished 11^th. In 1989 on Stage 2 he was second fastest to Peter McColgan of the winners Dundee Hawkhill Harriers.

In 1990, Alan Puckrin had joined a team, formerly Edinburgh Southern Harriers, which was briefly named Caledon Park Harriers. Alan was fastest on Stage 3 and CPH finished third. However, by 1991, CPH could only manage 13^th although, on the important Stage 6, Alan’s time was second-fastest only to John Robson, who now raced for the winning ‘Superteam’ Racing Club Edinburgh.

In 1993, Alan Puckrin returned to Greenock Glenpark Harriers, and was fastest on Stage 2, with his team 9^th. Robert Quinn (Kilbarchan) was second-fastest. Alan did not feature in 1994 but, in 1995, was fastest once more on Stage 2; a feat he repeated in 1996.

By 1998, he was racing on Stage 6 for Kilbarchan AAC, and this team finished a meritorious second, after a great battle against the almost unbeatable outfit now named Mizuno RC.

 In 1999, Alan was on Stage 6 again, with Kilbarchan fifth. In 2000, the last E to G on something like the original course, the team was sixth, with Alan on Stage 5 for a change. 2001: sixth again, but without Alan Puckrin. Still, Alan had proved himself to be a top-class Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay competitor: team silver and bronze; and a very impressive tally of five fastest stage performances.

Not many Scots have coached an Olympic athlete.   One of them is Ron Morrison who worked with Andrew Lemoncello and then wrote about it for the Scottish Athletics Yearbook in 2009.   It is an excellent article and we reproduce it here for you. 

Morag was interviewed by Natasha Woods of the Sunday Herald in 2006 and it was a very good article which, in addition to being full of good information about Morag, was very well written.   It was reprinted in the Scottish Athletics Year book of 2006 and we have here for you again.

The cinder track was officially opened in June 1954 and the first full year for training and competition was 1955.   It had been looked forward to for so long and so much had been promised for it by the politicians that it was no surprise that it was well used by all sorts of youth and sports groups as well as the local, well established athletics clubs.   Of course, the schools were seriously involved and there were championships for the Dundee Schools, for Junior Secondary Schools Sports, for individual schools such as St Johns School and Logie Junior Secondary, as well as for other groups like the Youth Panel Sports and the Boys Brigade.   As is generally the case, no matter what arguments are made pro and anti any new running track, once in place the track generates its own use.

There had been a joint cyclists and harriers meeting held early on 4th May with gratifying local interest but the  big meeting organised by the council was on 18th June and the complete programme of athletics contained –

100 yards handicap, 100 yards invitation, 100 yards handicap Ladies; 220 yards handicap, 220 yards handicap Ladies; 440 yards handicap handicap, 44o short limit handicap invitation, 440 yards Youths; 880 yards handicap, 880 yards Junior, Mile handicap, and medley relay.   Field events were long jump, high jump, shot and discus.  12 track events and 4 field events.   Athletes from all over the country had been attracted and turned up in big numbers – in addition to the local Hawkhill, Thistle and Q Clubs there were athletes from Glasgow (Victoria Park, Shettleston, Bellahouston), Edinburgh (Northern Harriers, Southern Harriers), from Aberdeen, from Perth, from Falkirk and from around Dundee – eg Taymouth.   It seems strange though that the city which had in the 1950’s produced some very good women athletes that there was no long jump for women on the programme.   The star of the meeting however was local Doris Tyndall of who the ‘Courier had this to say.

Although there were some members of the Q Club which had caused such a stir in Scottish athletics when it appeared in 1948, there were only two of them among the prize winners.   As an aside, it was equally strange that they could not accept a challenge to a match from another local club in May because they had too few members.   Their two big stars Pat Devine and Elspeth Hay had moved to London and joined the Spartans LAC, their top male athlete had just joined or was about to join the Field Events club and some of the oomph seemed to have gone from the club.   

That was pretty well the pattern – a training venue for the large numbers of dedicated local athletes from Dundee and its environs, a venue for competitions and club, school and youth organisation championships and some league matches.   eg in 1956 the following league match involving eight clubs took place. (Report from the Broughty Ferry Guide and Advertiser)

The two best reported meetings at the new stadium were regularly the May inter-club with up to 8 clubs taking part and the June Corporation-backed open handicap meeting.   However after the first two years  fewer athletes came from the central belt or even from Aberdeen to take part.    Those who did travel performed well.   On June 8th, 1957, John Kerr from Airdrie won the 13 mile road race in one hour eight minutes and 26 seconds from Alex McDougall (Vale of Leven) and Jackie Foster (Edinburgh Southern).   The meeting that year also had a three miles paarlauf which was won by the Monkland duo of Willie McBrinn and Willie Drysdale of Monkland in 13 minutes 5 seconds.   Doris Tyndall from Tayside AAC won the Ladies Sprints.

  Judging by reports in all of the local newspapers, the cycle track seemed to be a big draw which regularly brought quality cyclists from all over Scotland and from England too.  It was believed to be the only banked track in Scotland so that may have been one of the reasons.   There were also several other tracks which seemed to have very good meetings – eg the annual Dundee v Aberdeen was held every second year in Dundee at Links Park.   There was also a track outside the ground which had all that was necessary for a good meeting, plus the fairly successful Tayside AAC, in Monifieth and in June 1957 the Provost was asking “Where are all the athletes?” because it was not being used.   

The inter club in 1958 was won by Tayside with six firsts to win from St Andrews and the much improved Hawkhill Harriers with Q Club last.   June saw a new meeting being held at Caird Park when the Scottish Schools Girls Championships were held there on 21st of the month.  Among the winners were EJ Watt (Leith Academy in the 16-17 100 yards, M Smyth (Clydebank High) 15-17 long jump, S McBeth (Clydebank High) , Under 13 long jump, and K Ross of Paisley Grammar won the Frances Barker Trophy for her winning high jump of 4’10 in the 13-15 high jump.   Dunfermline High School won the Paisley Shield with 16 points. 

PART TWO

We have so far been talking about the track and the fact that it had finally been laid with accounts of some of the races held there, but what was the actual track like?   The best descriptions that we have all said that it was a non-standard track, inside the banked cycling track.   It was also reported that the major hazard was crossing the cycle track to get to the running track and infield.   Hazard?   The runner might be called to report to the start when a cycle race was in progress!    The first Scottish League Match to be held on a Sunday was at Caird Park on 6th May 1962 – it was the first League Match in Scotland to be held on a Sunday and the competing clubs were Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, Pitreavie AAC and Teviotdale Harriers.   A feature of the scoring that is not familiar to the present generation is that each team was scored against each other team and the final results were Hawkhill 75  v  Pitreavie 63    and   Pitreavie 71  v  Teviotdale 67.   

Inter-Club Cross-Country Leagues were a feature between the late 1950s and early 1970s. One was the North-East Cross-Country League. There were three fixtures, starting in October, then December, then January – one at Dundee, one at Aberdeen and one at St Andrews. Aberdeen AAC usually won but these events were contested very seriously by many good runners.

In October 1967, when Colin Youngson was starting his second year at Aberdeen University. His club (AU Hare & Hounds) travelled down to Caird Park and raced about four and a half miles. This featured a lap of the track; three laps of the park; and a finishing lap of the track. In 1968 he contested the same fixture – against Aberdeen AAC, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers, St Andrews University and Tayside AC. AU finished second to AAAC. This year, the two Caird Park Track laps were omitted from the route although, in Colin’s opinion, the rough cinder surface certainly qualified as cross-country!

In the 1960s, there was a corresponding North-East Track and Field League, with the first fixture often being held at Caird Park. Again, there were three fixtures: an early season outing in April, then May, then June, not long before the Scottish Championships. Perhaps this Track League attracted fewer top athletes than the Winter races. In 1967, for example, only the the Aberdeen University Second Team travelled to Caird Park, Linksfield Stadium in Aberdeen or the St Andrews track, which was probably grass rather than cinders.   The programme continued developing year or year and performances on the track appeared in the annual Scottish ranking lists produced by SATS.   For instance in 1967 possibly the best women’s performance was when Barbara Lyall was ranked sixth in Scotland for a performance over 100 yards of 11.2 on 22nd August, although her times set at 220 and 440 were set elsewhere.  For the men that year, Ian Graves’s run over the mile of 4:27.2 at the same meeting placed him tenth in the country.   The nationally ranked performances at the track in 1968 were

Maureen McLeish: 11.2 on 2nd June (4th in Scotland); Ina Coull: 11.6, also on 2nd June (15th); Margo Wilkie 11.8 on 29th June (24th=);  Ina Coull: long jump 16′ 5  1/2″ on 12th June; Avril Forbes: discus 56′ 0″  (19th) on 12th June for the women while the only male performance at the track which appeared was Alex Robertson’s long jump of 21′ 9″ on 21st April which placed him 20th.   

The 1969 figures were not as impressive – not because the track was less good but because with the Empire & Commonwealth Games taking place in Edinburgh that year, all the top guns were competing on the all weather tracks at Grangemouth and Edinburgh and, more often than not, heading abroad for the best competition against which to measure themselves and impress the selectors.   The was in fact only one  and that was by Marjorie Stewart of Perth Strathtay Harriers who had a long jump of 16’3″ on 27th April to be placed 25th,  

What was the routine for a runner heading to Caird Park for an afternoon training session on their own in the late 1960’s?   One chap told us that  “At Caird Park, you first had to find the groundsman; if you managed that, then you paid him 6d for access to the “pavilion” / shed, where the “showers” enabled you to wash (well sort of) under a half-hearted cold dribble”.  It was one man’s perception based on casual usage at the time, no doubt the picture was a bit different for those who trained and raced there regularly. But in the age of Commonwealth Games coming to Scotland and top class athletes being produced from all clubs, it wasn’t accommodation for the late 20th century.

Caird Park suffered from its lack of a tartan or any other all-weather track in the 1970’s.   The Empire & Commonwealth Games had come and gone  but the athletes who had been inspired by the Games – and that applied to the already died in the wool amateurs as well as the newer recruits – all wanted to run on the faster tracks.   Grangemouth was written up by a former National Coach as the fastest track in Britain and the rankings and championships all went to Meadowbank, Grangemouth  and slightly later Coatbridge and Pitreavie.   They were venues of choice rather than the six lane cinder version at Caird Park.   It was still a good track and still held local championships and league meetings but it was not until the 1980’s that it came back into its own. The national rankings for 1981 had a number of performances from Caird Park although the actual tartan would not actually be there for another year.   

PART THREE

The athletes listed in the SATS yearbook for 1981 were as follows:

100m: Neil Fraser 11.1 on 12th September; 800m: Paul Forbes 1:49.6 on 21st June; Colin O’Brien (J) 1:54.4 on 26th August; 3000m steeplechase: Charles Haskett 9:44.3 on 26th August; 400mH: Doug Hendry 55.6 on 26th August; Steven Ledingham  (V) 59.8 on 26th August; Shot: Peter Venters  12.84m on 21st June were the Senior men and there were lots of Juniors and Youths also ranked.   On the women’s side, Kathryn Mearns in the 3000m ran 8:53.6 on 12th September and Intermediate Alison Johnston ran 10:08.6 on the same date; then came Amanda Reilly: 10:51.5, also on 12th September; 100mH: Carol Candlish 16.1 on 12th September; the Hawkhill sprint relay team ran 52.4 on 21st June and Jennifer Gilchrist cleared 1.75m in the high jump on 21st June.    Nationally ranked performances in the sprints, middle and long distance races as well as in field events at a time when Scottish athletics was on a bit of a high.    But when did tartan arrive in Dundee?  

If we visit the Hawkhill Harriers website and go to the history page, it tells us that “”The Hawks had primarily been a road-running and cross-country club, with the occasional foray into track racing. Perhaps this was due to a lack of track facilities at post-war Caird Park. However, the establishment of another rival club, Dundee Amateur Athletic Club, and the building of the track, encouraged the Hawks into more track running. The track wouldn’t be replaced with anything more modern until 1982.”    The cinder track laid in 1954 had lasted for 28 years and at last there was an all-weather track.   Possibly because of that several big events came to Caird Park in the 1980’s.   

One of the biggest was the British Airways Games which took place on 15th July 1984.  Local athlete Charles Haskett set a personal best of 8:24 in the 3000m race which was very good – but not good enough to win.   The quality of the meeting can be seen from this report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’

There are some really big names there – Geoff Parsons, Sandra Whittaker, George McCallum and Drew McMaster were all major stars in Scottish athletics.   At the end of 1982, the following athletes were ranked in the SATS yearbook.   Men first, Senior placings only.

1500m ; P Fox 3:57.4 12th May; G Russell 3:58.5,  16th May;  D Ellis  3:58.7  12th May; R Barrie  3:58.9,  12th May;

110mH:  N Fraser  14.8  16th May;  T Leighton  17.2  16th May.    400mH: M Cannon  59.3  12th May;  P Locke  59.6  12th May

4 x 400m relay:  Aberdeen AAC3:30.3   16th May.   Pole Vault:  Stan Bowen  3.20  12th May  Hammer:  Mike Gall  32.96  12th May

Javelin:  Peter Sutherland  46.54 12th May; Malcolm Cannon 48:54  12th May

1500m: J Cameron 3:47.0  25th April; 3000m  B Brown  10:39.5  25th April.   400mH: J McCluskey 68.9  5th September

4  x  400 relay:  Inverness 4:06.6  16th May;  Victoria Park 4:11.5  25th April.   high jump:T Reid  1.60m 25th April

M Mc Gillivray 1.58  16th May

Dundee Highland Games early 1980s              (Picture from Memiours of Pro Athletics on Facebook)

By 1986, the track at Caird Park was a tartan track and a good one at that.  Right back at the start of the year – the Courier of 7th January, 1986, issued an appeal for Tayside’s veteran athletes.

Veterans athletics had come to Dundee and the championships were to be held at the end of June at Caird Park.   One week later the paper reported that 40 athletes had turned up the Sunday meeting at Caird Park and a committee had been formed.   The Committee consisted of Charles Haskett, President, Jack Ewing, secretary, Leslie Banks, treasurer, George Johnston, liaison officer, Neil McAuley, Public Relations,  Officer, Kenny Grant, Medical cover and communications,  

That the council was really interested in athletics was indicated in an advert placed in local papers in February:

On 26th April, 1986, there was the  Universities Cup Final at Caird Park where several Dundee University athletes qualified for the Inter Universities Cup Final which was also to be held at Caird Park.   Quality athletes like Steve Marshall, who won the 1500m and Richard Archer from St Andrews won the 5000m.   The big news was that St Andrews University won the championship for the first time ever and there were good wins for Linsey McDonald and Fiona Hargreaves in the women’s sprints, 

On May 26th there was an event which was a bit different but a great success in its own right.   It was a Sports Aid Run to raise money for charity as part of the Band Aid appeal, organised by Ron Oliver with 4000 people taking part in the event at Caird Park..   All sorts and conditions took part – club runners, joggers, pensioners, choir members who had to rush away for their next church service, a range of sports people – the entire population was represented on the afternoon. There were Band Aid T Shirts for the six top fund raisers and certificates signed by Bob Geldof for other collectors.   Later in the year, November, the Hawkhill Harriers held a Junble Sale in the club rooms at Caird Park to raise funds for the club.   The facility was being used for a range of events which went wider than the simple training and racing on the track.   It was a genuine part of the community and a focus for events other than the grind of training.   For example, In mid-June, the Tayside local authority held their sports centres championship and Dudhope won the Championship Shield; in July the RSSPCC had a Fun Day at the track.   

At the start of June, Dundee Road Runners, formed only four years earlier, formed a Junior Section for children aged between 10 and 16 with its headquarters in Caird Park.   

The Scottish Veteran Harriers Club was by now a thriving concern and their championships were usually big well attended affairs and when they came to town they generated a lot of publicity in and furth of Dundee.   The city had a Veterans club of their own with local distance runner Charles Haskett as President, there had been continuing press coverage of the event leading up to the event and the Courier reported on  Andy Coogan’s remarks on  June that entries for the championship were up by 50 on the previous year, saying that this was because Dundee was the venue.   There would be five year age groups up to Over 70 starting at 35 for women and 40 for men,   Entry for spectators was free .

The event was a great success.   The local repost in Dundee at the end of June 1986 read:

Look at the names there – John Freebairn who was an outstanding young athlete, a pro footballer with Partick Thistle, an amateur athlete and an international throws coach; John Linaker Scottish champion and internationalist, Barbara Oliver, Hunter Watson from Aberdeen and the outstanding veteran sprinter George Bridgeman.   These were all class athletes and the fact that they participated speaks highly of the quality of the facility.   

Also in the 1980’s track users included council backed ‘Come and Try’ days at the Caird Park facility.   Local heroine Liz McColgan was the big name on several of these although Tom McKean came all the way up from Lanarkshire to encourage the young Dundee talent.   Tom also came up in 1987 for a McVitie’s Gold Challenge.   It was one of a series and the only one to be held in Scotland for which the local papers and councillors alike gave credit to Liz.   Tom wasn’t the original choice – Steve Cram and Fatima Whitbread had been touted as being part of the scheme but by the middle of 1987, it was Linford Christie who was coming to Dundee.   Unfortunately he had to call off because of his own club’s function and Tom was invited to Dundee.   

The 1987 season was fairly typical of the time – there were league matches held there for the National Men’s and women’s and North East Leagues as well as the June open meeting.   Some of the other dates in 1987:

18th May: Dundee University Open meeting where Terry Mitchell set a record for the 5000m.

31st May:  A Fun Run for which 5000 entry forms were distributed

20th June: First N-E League Match.   The discus events were the ones that caught the eye – George Patience of Inverness set a new League record of 49.04m and Helen Cowe of Aberdeen won the women’s event with 36.23m for a women’s League record.   The final result was a win for Inverness, from Aberdeen and Perth Strathtay in the men’s contest and Inverness from Aberdeen and Dundee Hawkhill in the women’s League.

25th June: Dundee Secondary Schools Championships

15th July:   Dundee Highland Games

11th July: Cerebral Palsy Games

25th July: An unusual one.   The Aberdeen ‘Shire Open Meeting was held at Caird Park.   It had a very good cast of athletes – eg the 3000m was won by Peter McColgan from Ross Arbuckle and Adrian Callan had set the early pace.   Report:

17th August: The Children in Need Appeal Run was held in Caird Park

31st October: The McVitie’s Gold Challenge referred to above.   The range of events was wide and the venue was really part of the community with events for old and young, for able bodied and disabled.   There were charity events as well as club and open athletic meetings.   

The 1988 season went from the ATC Championships at the start of April and went via the  Cerebral Palsy Championships again with Tom McKean presenting the prizes right through to a Family Fun Run in September.   Two years previously Aberdeen’s Shire Open Meeting was held in Dundee and it was back at Caird Park again in 1988 on 30th August – it was another very good meeting as yiu can see from the report above.

1989 :

Sunday 19th March was the starting date for the summer season, 1989, when the first of three North East Young Athletes League matches took place at Caird Park.   Aberdeen, Arbroath, Banchory, Inverness, Dundee Hawkhill, and Tayside all took part.    The final result was a win for Inverness (546) ,  from Aberdeen (523) and Arbroath (516) with Hawkhill fourth (399).   There was also a N-E Girls league match which was won by Aberdeen (192) from Hawkhill (163) and Banchory (155)   and  a Colts League for Under 11’s which was won by Arbroath (114) , from Aberdeen (113)  and Banchory (102 with Hawkhill fourth.    .

 The season had started, the athletes had completed their winter training and then this: The ‘Courier’ reported on 20th May as follows: 

It is a problem that should probably not arise today with the improved artificial surfaces that prevail but tracks of cinder, ash and blaes used to suffer from lots of runners using only the inside lanes to train on.   They could cut up easily after a lot of use and, especially, if they were used in rain or over the winter period.   Some tracks had almost permanent notices asking/telling runners to keep off the inside two lanes for training purposes.   I remember listening to Andy Brown on a wet day telling a Motherwell team mate on a wet day that there was always a ‘wee shelf’ of firm track right close to the curb and it was better footing than the remainder of the lane.   Nevertheless it was a bad time to lose the use of the track given the importance of the rest of the season.  There were times though when other tartan tracks felt obliged to ask athletes to keep out of the inside lanes, just as they had done in the old days. The range of events and groups catered for did not diminish and the (council organised and run) sports for the handicapped took place with over 100 participating in mid June.   

Possibly the biggest meeting of the year was on Sunday 18th June when the Scottish Veteran Harriers Club came back to Caird Park for their annual championships.   With athletes such as Esther Linaker, Andy Coogan, George Bridgeman, Willie McBrinn, Eamon Fitzgerald,  Jack Gelder and others taking part it was another good day but the star of the day, by universal reckoning was Barbara Oliver who won the W45 40m in a championship best of 60 seconds.   

At the very beginning of July, Saturday 1st, was the day when Geoff Capes won the Heavyweight Championship at the Dundee Highland Games before a crowd of 7000.   Lots of very good athletes took part – eg Scotland’s Grant Anderson made sure Capes had no easy victories – there were many side attractions and vans selling ice cream, sweets, coffees and other delicacies helped make it another very successful day at the track.   

The year continued with events as in past years and finished in October when there were two more Come and Try Days organised by Liz McColgan on 16th and 21st of the month.

John Freebairn in the Pole Vault at the SVHC Championships in June 1989

By 1990, it was desirable if not essential that the track and associated facilities be further upgraded.   The campaign started up and the council was found to be in favour but there were complicating factors – for instance the two football clubs in the city were rumoured to be wanting new grounds, there was talk of there being one stadium to be shared with between them with a running track incorporated into the design.   It was suggested that to develop the chosen site in Caird Park would mean building over the existing track.  That will be the next part of the story of Caird Park and athletics.

Scottish Athletics Statistician, Arnold Black, wrote the following:

“ATHLETE OF THE DAY – IAIN MURDOCH

Iain Murdoch was Scottish 1500m champion three times but never won a title at the event he topped the Scottish rankings in for 3 consecutive years between 1999-2001 – the 3000m steeplechase, winning silver in 2005 and 2007. In 2003, he was ranked number one in the 1500m. Career bests of 1:53.2 (800), 3:44.90 (1500), 4:03.19 (1M), 8:20.06 (3000), 14:50.4 (5000), 5:46.85 (2000S) and 8:42.79 (3000S). He appeared in the Scottish senior rankings between 1996 and 2012.”

Iain MURDOCH (born 10.07.80) AvClub: Avonside Track Club.onside, Law & District, Birchfield, Hylas (Netherlands)

Iain was born in Rotherham in 1980 and coming into athletics in 1994 was being spoken of as a major talent by 1998 and was the subject of a Q&A in the Scottish Athletics Yearbook of 1999.   If we look at the questionnaire and his replies before we go on to his achievements, it would provide a useful background.   

Club: Avonside Track Club.      Started in athgletics:   Around 1994 because I was really bad at football.

Favourite event:  3000m steeplechase.   

Progression:  1994 – 2:11.5 (800), 4:34.5 (1500);     1995: – 4:10.5 (1500), 9:35.1 (3K), 4:42.94 (1500 steeplechase)

1996 – 1:57.6 (800), £:59.9 (1500), 9o:06.4 (3K), 4:22.81 (1500 SC), 10:40.3 (3K SC)

1997 – 1:58.4 (800), 3:59.0 (1500), 8:46.61 (3K), 6:07.34 (2K SC), 9:27.56 3K Sc)

1998 – 1:56.1 (800), 3:55.5 (1500), 8:31.22 (3K), 5:46.85 (2K SC), 8:58.15 (3K SC)

Achievements Scottish Junior S/C Champ: 1997, 1`998; Scottish Age 16 and Age 17 record holder, ranked 1st UK u20 2k and 3K S/C in 1998, AAA’s 300m indoor champ, in GB Team at World Junior Champs, 1998.

Greatest Satisfaction: Competing at World Junior Champs in Annwcy.

Hero: None.   Greatest Performance seen: Hitcham el-Guerrouj breaking the world 1500m record.

Ultimate Aim?  To beat a Kenyan at the steeplechase.   Greatest Rival:  The Kenyans,

Coach:  Roy Overend.   How many days a week do you train?   4 – 5 days a week.   

How often do you compete in a season?   10 – 12 races.   

Typical week’s Training?   Monday – Speed Endurance; Tuesday: Run; Wednesday Track Reps; Thursday: Run; Friday: Track Reps; Saturday: Run;  Sunday: Hill work and weights.

Suggestions for improvement in your event: More quality races,

Suggestions for improvement in athletics as a sport? Make the sport more athlete-friendly/oriented.

Any family interest?   My sister used to do the Long and Triple Jumps.

*

That was the questionnaire answered, now we should look at his achievements in more detail.

1998 – Championship Record: 

Scottish: 1st 1500m 2003, 2nd 1500 2000

2nd 3000m Steeplechase 2005 and 2007

1^st Indoor 1500m 2000 and 2001 

3^rd Indoor 3000m 2005.

In 2000 Iain Murdoch finished 5^th in an under-23 International steeplechase at Glasgow.

 SENIOR INTERNATIONAL APPEARANCES

1999 Loughborough 3000S 3rd 9:06.00 v England and two other teams

2000 Loughborough 3000S 1st 8:47.64 v England and three other teams

2001 Loughborough 3000S 2^nd 8.49.91 (He ran for Loughborough v England, Scotland, Wales and two other teams)

2002 Loughborough 3000S 5th 9:13.22 v England, Wales and two other teams

2003 1500m 6th 3:52.94 v Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia – at Ljubljana (Slovenia).

Scottish under 17 Championships: Iain Murdoch (Avonside) won the Indoor and Outdoor 1500m titles in 1996.

Scottish under 20 Championships:

Iain Murdoch (Avonside) won the 2000 metres Steeplechase title in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

He won the Indoor 1500m in 1998 and 1999.

West District Championship: Iain Murdoch (Law and District AC) won the 1500m in 2003

Other significant races:

On 30/7/1998, at Annecy (France) Iain ran in the IAAF World under 20 / Junior Championships. He finished 7^th in his heat (9.07.09) 3000m Steeplechase

On 15/8/1998, he finished third (8.31.32) in the AAA Junior Championships 3000m.

In May 1999, he was third in the British Universities Steeplechase. On 6/8/1999, at Riga (Latvia) he was 7^th (9.03.01) in his heat at the European Junior Championships 3000m Steeplechase.

Iain Murdoch won: the AAA under 23 Steeplechase title in 2000; in 2001 was first in a 1500m at Heusden, Belgium; In 2002 first in a 1500m at Namur, Belgium; In 2003 he won 1500m and Steeplechase in Scottish League Division One, set his PB mile time in Dublin and won a 1500m in Meilen, Switzerland.

From 2008-2013, he competed mainly in The Netherlands, winning at 1500m, One Mile, 3000m, 5000m and Steeplechase. He was second in the 2008 Dutch National Championship Steeplechase. Iain finally experimented with distances up to Half Marathon.

Scottish Athletics statistician Arnold Black wrote the following:

“ATHLETE OF THE DAY – JENNIFER WARD

Jenny Ward is pictured here in the 2004 Scottish indoors, her last competitive season in athletics, having first entered the Scottish senior rankings in 1992. Having won Scottish titles in all the age-groups from U13 to U20, she went on to become Scottish 800m champion on 3 occasions – 2000, 2003 and indoors in 2004. She topped the 800m rankings in 1999 and set career bests of 56.7 (400m), 2:04.07 (800m) and 4:17.09 (1500m).”

Jennifer WARD (born 22.09.78) Pitreavie, City of Glasgow

Championship record:

GB: AAA Championships 800m 3^rd 2003.

Scottish Senior medals:

1st 800m in 2000 and 2003

2nd 800m 1997 and 1999,

3^rd 800m 2002

1^st Indoor 800 2004

2^nd Indoor 800 1999

Senior International:

2001 Loughborough 800m 4th 2:05.96 v England, Wales and 3 other teams

In the Scottish Road Relay (Young Athletes age-group), Pitreavie AAC (including Jenny Ward) finished second in 1990 and won the title in 1991.

Jenny won Scottish age-group 800m championships at: under 13 1991; under 15 1993; under 17 1995; under 20 1996 and 1997.  Indoor under 17 1500m 1994 and 1995.

In the Scottish Schools Championships, she won: 800 m Group C 1993; 800m Group B 1994 and 1995. Indoor 800m: under 16 1993; over 16 1996.

She was East District 800m Champion in 2001.

Jennifer Ward’s power of 10 list includes the following other significant races:

British Miler’s Club Grand Prix (800m 3^rd in 1999, first in 2000; first in 1500m in 2003, with her PB); UK Women’s League Division 1 (800m first in 2000); UK Women’s League Division 2 (800m won in 2002); AAA Championships (800m 6^th in 2002); 800m in Kortrijk, Belgium, first in 2003; Scottish Women’s League 800 first in 2003; Meilen, Switzerland second in 2003; Merksem, Belgium, second in 2003; Dublin, Ireland, 4^th (PB) in 2003; AAA Indoor 800m 4^th in 2004; Genoa, Italy, Indoor 800m won in 2004.

Scottish Athletics statistician Arnold Black wrote the following:

“ATHLETE OF THE DAY – ROBERT RUSSELL

Winner of the Scottish 10,000m title in 2006, Robert Russell had previously won two national cross-country titles. On the road, he added two national half marathon titles. In total, he has amassed 14 championship medals across the three disciplines. On the track, he appeared in the Scottish rankings for the 15-year period from 2000 to 2014, setting bests of 1:54.55 (800m), 3:52.51 (1500), 8:21.56 (3000), 14:13.00 (5000), and 30:46.59 (10,000) with road bests of 29:16 (10k), 65:22 (HM) and 2:27:28 (Marathon).”

Robert RUSSELL (born 13.07.82) Central AC, Thames Valley Harriers

Championship Record: 

Scottish: 1st 10,000m 2006 

2nd 5000m 2000, 2004, 2005

2^nd Indoor 3000m 2011.

2001 gold in under 20 5000m

Scottish 10km Road Championships: silver in 2007; and also 2012 (when Central AC won team gold).

Scottish 5km Road Championships: team gold in 2012 (when Robert was 6^th).

Scottish Half Marathon Championships: Individual gold in 2007; individual and team gold in 2008.

Scottish National XC: under 20 bronze in 2001; Senior individual gold in 2005 at Irvine; Senior team silver in 2008 (when Robert was 5^th); team silver in 2009; team gold in 2014 (8^th).

It seems harsh that Robert, a 22-year-old first year Senior, was not selected for the Scottish team in the 2005 World Cross-Country Championships.   He won the National title five weeks before the World event.

 Scottish Short Course XC: 2005 individual gold and team bronze; 2007 individual bronze and team gold; 2008 individual bronze and team silver; 2009 team silver; 2014 individual silver and team gold.

Scottish XC Relay: Central (with Robert Russell) won silver in 2005, gold 2006, silver 2007, gold 2008 and 2009, silver 2010, bronze 2011, gold 2014.

Scottish Road Relay Championships: Central (with Robert Russell) won silver in 2005, gold 2008, silver 2011, gold 2012, gold 2014.

In 2008, Robert Russell ran for Scotland as a Senior at Liverpool in the McCain UK Cross Challenge, finishing 19^th.

In 2010, he finished 8^th in the BUPA Great Edinburgh International 4km XC, beating young Callum Hawkins.

Junior XC Internationals: 2001-4,

2001 at Cardiff Under 20, 1^st individual and Scotland won team contest v Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

2002 at Edinburgh. Under 23, 13^th but second Scot v France, GB, Portugal, Northern Ireland

2002 at Dublin. Under 23, 10^th but third Scot v Wales, Ireland, NI.

2003 at Belfast. Under 23, 5^th but third Scot v Ireland, Wales and NI.

2004 at Ayr. Under 23, 4^th and first Scot v Ireland, Wales and NI.

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:

On 3^rd April 2005 Robert Russell won the Scotland Day 10k road race in New York City (rather than World Cross?)

Robert won the East District 5000 in 2000; East XC in 2008; and also the Scottish East District XC Relays.

For Thames Valley Harriers, Robert Russell raced in the British Athletics League Division 1 and for Central in Scottish Athletics League Division 1. He won races in both Leagues. Robert was a great team man: he might race any distance between 800m and 10,000m – and might even volunteer for the 4x400m relay if the club needed him!

In the 2012 English National XC he finished a good 50^th.

He contested the English National and the Southern 6 and 12 Stage Relays for TVH.

His only marathon was Berlin in 2008, when he finished 40th.

 In 2013 Robert Russell contested the European Clubs XC Championships in Spain, finishing 41^st, which made him first man home for Central AC, the Scottish Champions.

He won several 10k Road Races, for example at Stirling, Grangemouth, Balmoral, Walton-on-Thames, Alloa and Aberdeen; and Half Marathons in Jedburgh, Dunfermline, Helensburgh and Balfron.

There are many pages on various aspects of the marathon on the site now and they will still be available from the page they’re on but it is maybe a good idea to have a single marathon index for those who only want to access these pages.   There are references to marathon runners and races on some other pages – it would be a strange website about endurance running that did not have them – but this is the one-stop shop for the event.

A Hardy Race : The record of results in all Scottish Marathon Championships, compiled by Fraser Clyne and Colin Youngson and reprinted here.

Marathon Stars : This is the page about the very top marathon runners with fairly lengthy profiles about the men who made the event in Scotland what it is.

Career Lists for Scottish Marathoners: The lists for all the marathons and ultra marathons run by Scots such as Allister Hutton, John Graham, Alastair Wood, Don Ritchie, etc

Scottish Marathon Club: This is about the club that was founded in 1944 with the objective “to foster marathon running in Scotland”

The Birth of the Scottish Marathon Club:  is what it says.

The Marathons : The various marathons run in Scotland – the story of the race and the results – during the ‘running boom as well as before and after that period.

The Road Runner’s Year: A look at the organisation of the year for the road running specialist.   In four parts it looks at the traditions and training, and attempts a look forward.

Scottish Marathon Miscellany : This is a collection of interesting, sometimes strange, facts about the marathon in Scotland.

The Vancouver Marathon: This is about the Empire Games Marathon in Vancouver which was won by Joe McGhee in unusual circumstances.

Jim in Jamaica: The story of Jim Alder’s victory in the Commonwealth Games Marathon in Jamaica

Mike in Mexico : The story of Mike Ryan’s third place in the Mexico Olympic Marathon

1980 GB Ranking List : GB Marathon Rankings from 1980 when the Running Boom was encouraging more runners to produce faster times.   Every marathon from the fastest down to the 4 hours mark.