Clydesdale Harriers Club Handicap

Clydesdale Harriers Athletic Club welcomes and encourages youngsters of all athletic ability, and coaches work to foster a nurturing, caring environment for the children as well as ensuring that they are provided with opportunities to maximise their potential.

Head coach Phil Dolan and his team are careful to ensure a proportionate mix of work, fun and individual athlete programmes are in place in order to ensure the success of the club as a whole and the athletes in particular.

The junior section has expanded significantly in the past eighteen months and it continues to grow thanks to the commitment of the support staff and the enthusiasm and hard work of the youngsters.

The gruelling task of winter training is in full swing and for many of the club’s athletes this will continue over the Festive Season, so it was with good humour and festive cheer that athletes of all ages joined in the fun of the annual Club Handicap. It was with pride that the coaches of Clydesdale presided over the event at Milton Mains, which saw more than 60 children take part. A club record per chance?

The race was divided into three categories.  First to run were the young ‘novices’ all of whom were born after August 2001 on a course which was approximately one mile long.  Teigan Breen was the fastest girl and finished in a time of 4:12.  She was followed by Jade Milne 4:17, Nicole Clark 4:21, Molly McQuillan 4:45, Libby Simpson 4:48 and Kimberly Allan 5:16.

The fastest boy was Cairn Wallace who completed the course in 4:09 and was followed by Luke Lindup 4:14, Jack Dolan 4:16, Stuart Aird 4:17, Aaron Belkevitz 4:20, Ryan McKell 4:25, Kieran Goggins 4:29, Josh McAndlish 4:27, Nathan Kerr 4:42, Reece Pritchard 4:45, Andrew Donaghue 5:24, Aaron Boyle 5:32 and Grant Sloan 5:35.

Having completed the course the youngsters gathered to cheer on and encourage the intermediate runners whose birth dates ranged from September 1999 to August 2001.   The length of the course was doubled for this group, and they were more than up to the challenge.  Fastest girl home was Iona Allan in 8:35 followed by Lucy McKenzie 8:46, Niamh Thomson 9:21, Natasha Shaw 9:23, Sarah Goggins 9:30, Chloe Allan 10.0, Zubi Koffi 10.04, Caitlin Stuart 10:17, Niamh Keenan 10: 33, Cara Jordan 10:58, Aimmee Abbott 10:59, Anna Haddock 11:01, Danielle Walsh 11:01, Rachel Meehan 11:22, Sophie Hassan, 12:21, Emily McKay 12:30, Hannah Lindup 13:08, Danielle Cardino 13:10 and Penny Donaghy 13:25.

The third group was a mix of experienced runners and new members who were born after 1999.  They consisted of long distance runners, middle distance runners, hurdlers, sprinters, throwers and high jumpers and they each ran it in the spirit in which it was intended.

Fastest girl was Emily Paxton 8:27, followed by Charlotte Ross 8:29, Erin Denny 8:43, Erin Ball 9:32, Yasmin Koffi 9:44, Karyn Glen 10:45 and Louise Milne 11:39.

Fastest boy was Lewis Priest 7:21, followed by David Campbell 7:25, Lewis Hay 7:55, Andrew Hunter 8.0, Pat McCloskey 8.0, Darrin Dolan 8:16, Brian Aird 8:17, Phil Allan 8:18, Luke Smith 9:39, Declan Boilen 9:51, Vishal Meehan 11.02 and Tobi Akinkumni 12:21.

Thank you to all the children for their eager participation and to the parents who came along to support the event.

If you would like to become involved in athletics visit the Harriers website at www.clydesdaleharriers.co.uk and visit the juniors section where you will find contact details for head coach (Junior Section) Phil Dolan.

Pauline Campbell