Scottish Veteran Harriers 5K Clydebank - Report

Post date: Jul 7, 2016 4:15:14 PM

By Stuart McGeachy

I decided to go a wee jaunt up to Clydebank for the Scottish Veteran Harriers 5K on Wednesday 29th June to see if I could push for sub 17 min 5K. Running 5K races is not something I've put enough focus on over the years (although I should have) due to the lack of events in our area and the effort to get up to Glasgow for such a short distance. We obviously have the SKSC Race Series, however none of the races are proper PB contenders due to the terrain and 'oot and back' nature of the races.

Jennifer Reid and Big Kenny Campbell were also competing for Ron Hill Cambuslang, so it was good to see some toonies\soothen'ers and get a wee catch up beforehand. They both had advised the route was a PB contender so nae excuses (I'd find one though just in case!).

The route was perfect...3 and half loops round a business estate in Clydebank, not far from the Playdrome. I managed a wee warm up with Jennifer and a tour of the route with Kenny just before the start, so had a good feeling about just attacking the race from the start and see if I could hang on until the end.

Big Kenny obviously dictated the race from the off and had the rest of us in his back pocket (one hoorah big pocket) and won the race with some to spare. Unfortunately he didn't really have anybody to push him to get an extra 10-15 sec faster time, however he still managed a cracking time of 15:42 and reckon that would have been faster if there were a couple of rogueflas ahead to push him on.

For me I was happy to finish in 16:21 and hung on to the lead group for nearly 2 laps before I started to feel like a burst couch! I still had a strong last mile so happy to just go for it from the off and see what happened, so hopefully I can build on this. The garmin advised I went through a 5K in 16:10 so I'm going to take that ;-) Kidding....race results only for official time.

Jennifer smashed her PB with a 19:45 PB! A cracking time and and Jennifer was happy to break into a sub 20 time, which is well deserved given the work she has put in this year.

Once again managed to smash into a Dominos pizza (other pizza franchises are also available) just efter the race before heading home....it's becoming a tradition for any visit to Clydebank as a source of inspiration post perspiration! I was getting yon hungry way before the race so definitely a good motivation to get the race over quicker!

The only disappointment of this week I can now be classed as Veteran at the tender age of 36.....Not a grey hair on my heid either!