Stranraer Half Marathon 4/3/06"Ten days ago I got some strange looks from the club when I offered lifts to Stranraer. "Long way to go for a half" said Gordon. This time last year, this was my first ever race (well, since college), and I was keen to see how running with the club for nine months had affected my then PB of 2 hrs 42. Last year I finished third last (after a nail biting sprint finish with a nice pensioner couple I'd run with most of the way). This year not only was I not beaten by anyone in the club - but no one at all beat me! Personally I didn't think the snow was that bad - though I'd taken the car ice skating for the first time as I drove round the course on the Friday night. I got back to find they had rung to say the race had been cancelled, but my nephew (freeloading whilst at Edin Uni) had "forgotten" to pass the message on. Just wait till the next time his girlfriend phones..... And I suppose I should learn to listen to Gordon - didn't even get the T-shirt we'd paid for in advance... Still, if you're ever heading Stranraer way, I did find a cracking restaurant: the Plantings Inn in Castle Kennedy. Whether dinner there is worth the 300 mile round trip...."
Report Richard Dennis
Stranraer Half Marathon Re-Run 3/6/06
"In March it snowed a ton, on June 3rd let's run, run, run!" So says the more expensive looking of the TWO free T shirts given out at the rescheduled Stranraer Half Marathon (+ medal, banana, lucozade etc in goodie bag). Entry was dramatically down on the previous year, with only 228 runners, due no doubt to the late change of dates, but this was once again a pretty well run, well marshalled and friendly event - I've even been sent a certificate through the post to confirm my gun time, and all the results were e-mailed to each individual runner. It was a very very hot day - bravely wearing the sole Porty vest in the race left me with very red shoulders that made me look more like a Stornoway runner in disguise by the end. The course starts and finishes in the local secondary school, which has a new sports hall with excellent showers, goes for three miles through the town, and then perhaps 8 miles round undulating farm lanes with some welcome shade before a dash through a grotty industrial estate at the end (but by mile 12, who's still looking at the scenery?). I set off determined not to repeat the previous week's mistakes, when following Mary Hunter led to a ridiculous 6:40 first mile, and was pleased to reach the mile post in a more sensible 7:40 instead. By the first water station at mile three the field had settled into a single well-spaced line, and the only real position changes after that were as the sun killed off a good number of the quick starters, and as we overhauled the walkers (who had set off an hour and a half earlier). I was on my race plan up to mile 7, then had a bad mile over a couple of short sharp climbs, got going again until I ran out of puff between 11 and 12. Still, I got two of my three aims for the race - an hour quicker than last year (when this had been my first ever race), and a minute quicker than the last week, in 1:41:45, and a respectable 86th place. I'm told Harris is a good course for a PB, and am looking to that to break the so far untouchable 1:40 barrier. Sorry to say no photos - but this if definitely a race I'd recommend.
Report Richard Dennis
