Cambuslang Harriers athletes recorded a lifetime best and several personal best times at British Millers Club 800m and 3000m races last month.
A team of 12 athletes took part in the events at Linwood Stadium on June 4, with under-23 runner Chris McLew recording a personal best of 1.53.99 in the 800m, while Laurence Heyes and under-17 Lewis Roddis were fractionally outside their PBs with 2.2.95 and 2.9.33, respectively.
In the 3000m, under-23 Gavin Smith recorded 8.25.33, smashing his lifetime best by 15 seconds.
Three other athletes made spectacular improvements of 32, 37 and 63 seconds, with U23 Andrew Carey (9.3.61), U20 Aaron Grew (9.16.52) and fellow U20 Zak Povey (9.16.52).
A quartet of M40 Gordon Robertson (9.13.50), club captain Richie Carr (9.29.97), M50 Mark Gallacher (9.54.17) and M60 Dave Thom (10.52.53) also performed well, as did U17 Jonathan Dow in 10.13.17 in his first track race.
Harriers hosted three road races the following day on their favoured Shawfield course.
The 3k junior event attracted 21 entrants, and first athletes home, Gavin Kelly (11.03) and Christopher Black (11.21) improved their Christmas Handicap runs by 23 and 36 seconds, respectively
Duncan Mendez and Jay Gallagher crossed the line together in 11.57, while the next eight runners broke the 13-minute barrier, in Ross Noble, Cammy Finlayson, Dean Edmunds, Olivia McNicol, Lewis Cook, Euan Kennedy, Lucy McGrandle and Cammy Taylor.
A smaller field of 13 runners took part in the senior 3k.Under-20 athlete Theo Carter ran 9.57, while Lesley Blackwood finished in 10.52, which is a ladies’ course record.
Ronnie Islip (11.52) held off coach Simon Gold by one second and Jonathan Forrester by four seconds.
Jacqui McLew (12.52) was seven seconds ahead of Sarah Simpson, and Julie Reid, coach Karen Goldie and Gerry Duddy were 37, seven and two seconds inside the 14-minute mark.
Several course PBs were set in the senior 5k, with only four seconds separating the leading three athletes, who were all in the M35 category.
Iain MacCorquodale, Iain Hodge and Stuart Gibson recorded times of 16.19, 16.20 and 16.23, respectively.Hodge took 12 seconds off his personal best time.
M45 Stevie Wylie and M35 Iain McDonald both finished in 16.46, taking 34 and 16 seconds off their Christmas times.
The next nine finishers, all under 18 minutes, crossed the line in quick succession.
Ben Stafford (17.15) made an impressive debut, three seconds ahead of M50 Mark King, who took seven seconds off his PB.
Ross Stephen set a course PB of 17.28, U17 Lewis Roddis (17.31), M45 Justin Carter (17.32) and U20 Keir Crawford (17.32, course PB).
M40 George Petitt was next home in a course PB of 17.41, ahead of M45 Iain Nicholl (17.57), with U15 Sam McCarthy one second later.
U17 Millie Nicholl in 18.41 took 14 seconds off the ladies’ course record held by Eve Mackinnon.
M60 Dave Thom recorded 19 minutes exactly, 11 and 12 seconds ahead of M65 Frank Hurly and M40 Gary Miller, who both set course PBs.
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