June 5, 2011

Strathallan 5 Mile Road Race 2011

Strathallan 5 mile road race 2011

Mick Cowie

20 Carnegie men and 7 Carnegie ladies travelled to Strathallan School to compete in the 12th edition of the 5 mile Road Race, the 6th counting event in the 2011 Road Running Grand Prix Championships.

The growing success of the race was evident: the100 limit was reached 2 weeks prior to the race, to then be increased by another 20 runners who entered in the following 6 days.

The cool and breezy air and the cloudy skies were a runner’s dream and a certain number of Personal Bests were recorded. Spectators may have been hoping for a warmer June day, but they still turned up en mass and gave the athletes plenty of vocal attention. Amateur photographers found enough scenic backgrounds for their action shots as Perthshire’s rhododendrons, old trees and shrubs were offering the perfect rural setting for this 2 lap course of undulating tarmac. The Strathallan Prefects discovered another aspect of their school duty as they mastered the art of marshalling with good humour and efficiency.

In addition to the official race report, the following is worth mentioning: double amputee and kidney transplant Ronnie McIntosh of Dundee Hawkhill came to test his fitness and skills on this challenging course and walk raced a full lap of the euphemism: undulations. That takes some guts!

The post-race buffet rose to its reputation and offered a mouth-watering spectrum of home made cakes, biscuits, sandwiches and various savouries (including the home made and incredibly tasty Cornish Pasty) all kindly provided by Members of Carnegie Harriers.

Faithful to our sporting gathering, Adrian Stott of Run & Become donated Prize vouchers and Martin Jeffers of Tiso, Perth, provided us with goody bags as spot prizes. Our thanks go to both suppliers, to all Club members who contributed to the food buffet, collected sponsorship, donated money and helped with the overall organisation. Thanks to everyone’s effort the 3 charities: Cancer Research, C.H.A.S. and Get Kids Going! will EACH receive a cheque for £250.

Fabienne