Run Balmoral

1 month ago

Sam Milton (Moray Road Runners) was in record-breaking form when retaining his title in the AberNecessities Devil of Deeside Challenge at the weekend.
The Moray Road Runners club member clocked an awesome combined time of 3hr 47min 47secs for the four races to break the previous best of 3:48:58 by Alan Semple in 2019.
He was 11th in the Harbour Energy 5k (16min 35secs) and fourth in the Stena Drilling 10k (36:34) on Saturday. He followed that with a runner-up placing in Sunday's Apollo duathlon (1:20:09) before finishing off by taking third position in the Bristow 15 mile trail race (1:34:29).
A truly amazing achievement. ... See MoreSee Less

Run Balmoral

1 month ago

Here's our full round - up of the weekend action at the sharp end of the races.

CROWE SETS RECORD BREAKING HAT-TRICK

Jamie Crowe flew into the record books with a series of stunning performances at this weekend’s Run Balmoral meeting which attracted more than 4,000 runners to Deeside.

The 27 year-old Dundee-based athlete, who represents Central AC, opened up by demonstrating a razor sharp turn of speed to smash the course record in Saturday’s Harbour Energy 5k, clocking 14min 20secs to slash four secs off the previous mark set by Sean Chalmers (Inverness Harriers) 12 months earlier. And this was done despite losing his lead after going off-course at one point.

Elgin-based Lachlan Oates (Shettleston Harriers) finished in the silver medal position for the second year in a row when completing the course in 14:45, and former Scottish 1500m track champion Michael Ferguson (Aberdeen AAC), competing at Balmoral for the first time, took third spot in 15:03. Neither could live with Crowe’s pace.

Then, with little more than 60 minutes of recovery, Crowe was back on the starting line, this time for the Stena Drilling 10k which follows a route widely acknowledged as being one of the toughest in the country. This time he shrugged off his opponents with a performance that was oozing with power and strength, to produce another clearcut victory. His time of 31:54 saw him finish well clear of Aberdeen AAC’s Myles Edwards (32:54) and Aaron Odentz (33:44).

But he wasn’t finished. After a good overnight rest, Crowe returned for the Bristow 15 mile trail race, cruising to a relaxed victory in 1hr 22min 26sec, finishing three mins ahead of Metro Aberdeen’s Kyle Greig.

No-one has previously won this incredible treble at the Balmoral meeting which is now in it’s 24th year.
Crowe said: “I’m preparing for next month’s Great Britain team trial for the world mountain running championships so I just want to do as many races as possible to find out about my fitness. I came up to Ballater for the week and decided to make the most of it.

“I was surprised to get the 5k record as I went a wee bit off course. I went straight on at the point where we were meant to turn. Fortunately, Michael Ferguson called me back so I only lost five or six seconds.

“I was surprised my legs felt fine in the 10k as well although the hill was a bit of a surprise. I had been told about it but never realised just how much of a climb it is. But I’m training for mountain running, so it probably did me good. It’s a nice course with most of it off road, which is good.

“And I enjoyed the 15 miler as well. It’s a stunning course and there’s another surprisingly tough hill near the end.”

GB international Meryl Cooper (Deeside Runners) made a late surge to claim top spot in the women’s division of the Bristow 15 mile trail race with a time of 1:45:29. Harriet Cross was runner-up in 1:47:27 and Mhairi McAllister was third in 1:48:28.

Contance Nankivell celebrated her 23rd birthday by winning the women’s division of the Harbour Energy 5k in a personal best time of 17:11. The Edinburgh University student, who comes from Strathpeffer, was competing in the Deeside event for the first time since finishing third in 2015.
She said: “It’s a long time since I’ve been here but I took part every year when I was at school, from about age 10 to 15. This is the first chance I’ve had to come back since going to university.
“It’s a great way to start my birthday and I’m very happy with my time. It’s my first race for a while as I picked up a hip injury in February so it’s good to put in a decent performance. I’m now looking forward to next month’s Scottish 5k and 10k road championships.”

Gemma Cormack (Moray Road Runners) won the battle of the new mums to take second position in 17:57 while Jenny Bannerman (Inverness Harriers) was third in 18:11. Cormack has been a regular competitor at Balmoral over the years, winning the secondary schools race in 2006 and the 5k title in 2015. She said: “My daughter was born last May while Jenny’s son came along five weeks later, so it’s good to see we are both getting back into it. I really enjoyed the run.”
Bannerman also has a fine record at Balmoral, having won the 5k in 2016 and 2018, and she’s been runner-up on a further three occasions.

Nicola MacDonald (Metro Aberdeen) won the women’s division of the Stena Drilling 10k, recording 38:41 to finish comfortably ahead of Clubmate Chloe Gray (40:20) and Moira Davie (Forres Harriers, 43:22).
The late withdrawl of the 2022 champion and course record holder Ginie Barrand, opened the door for MacDonald to step up one place from last year.
She said: “It’s a bit of a bitter sweet feeling as I’d have liked Ginie to be here, but I hope she gets over her injury quickly. I really enjoy this race as there’s no pressure on chasing a fast time, it’s just all about putting in the effort.”

Aberdeen’s Ian Russell won the Apollo duathlon in 1:19:10 with the 2022 champion Sam Milton (Moray Road Runners) second in 1:20:08 while Ballater’s Dan Whitehead was third in 1:23:09. Jenny Stanning (Metro Aberdeen) put in a powerful performance to lift the women’s title in 1:36:58. She was followed by Suzanne Matonti (Torphins) in 1:43:39 and Estera Zak (Fleet Feet) in 1:45:45.

Sam Milton (Moray Road Runners) won the AberNecessities Devil of Deeside Challenge for the second year in a row. He completed the daunting task of tackling the 5k, 10k, duathlon and 15 mile trail race in a combined time of 3:47:47, which is a new record. Estera Zak lifted the women’s title in 4:52:05.

Harry Jackson (Aberdeen AAC) won the Bristow 3 mile trail race in 19:37 while Caris Strachan (Newburgh Dunes) retained the women’s crown in 23:11.

Alex Henthorn (Harlaw Academy) showed outstanding form to outpace his rivals in the NFU Mutual secondary schools’ 2.5k. The Aberdeen AAC runner stopped the clock at 7:43 to finish 16 secs clear of his clubmate Struan McKay (Hazlehead Academy) who outsprinted Gala Harriers’ Gregor Adamson (St Mary’s Melrose) by two secs to take the silver medal position.

There was more success for Aberdeen AAC when Jessica Needs, a student at Peterhead Academy, won the girls’ race in 8:19. She had finished second in 2022. Emily Christie (St Mungo’s High),from Falkirk Victoria Harriers, who equalled the course record when winning the primary schools race in 2022, stepped up a level and did admirably to finish second in 8:29. Rhian Birnie (Inverurie Academy), who represents Metro Aberdeen Running Club, was third for the second year in a row, in 8:57. The 2022 champion Hope Thomson (Banchory Academy) was fourth in 9:04.

Patrick Kennedy, a pupil at Banchory school, led the way in the MPH primary schools 1.5k, clocking 5:46 to finish 13secs ahead of Cullen Bowie (Old Rayne School) while Joe Murray (Strathburn School) was a further five secs behind in third position.
Braemar’s Eilidh Murdoch topped the podium in the girls’ 1.5K, recording 6:00. It’s an impressive time, bettered by only one runner in the boys race. Zoe Bichen (Drumoak school) was second in 6:30 with Rachel Fitzpatrick (Hazlehead School) third in 6:46. ... See MoreSee Less