MARATHON man Malcolm Hammond produced an outstanding performance recently to claim a well-earned medal at the British Masters Marathon Championship.
The PH Racing Club member (main picture) returned to his roots last month to participate in the Yorkshire Marathon, which incorporated the national event, and finished second in the V70 age category.
Having already run a time of three hours, 44 minutes and 49 seconds at August's Sunset Marathon in Edinburgh, Hammond improved his time by more than 10 minutes, setting a time of 3:34.29 that saw him place behind Veterans AC runner Ian Kitching.
Mark Western, meanwhile, enjoyed a new PB of 3:10.31 to finish within the V55 age group's top 10, while Mary Western, running the associated 10-mile race, finished as the first V55 runner in a new club V50 record of 1:10.23.
Hammond's medal success was followed by club members at the Lindsays Scottish Athletics National Cross-Country Relay Championships, held at Scone Palace on October 23, as the men's masters team won bronze.
The quartet – led off by Robert Sellar, and including Andy Davis, Paul Kieran and Andrew Wright (also pictured) – put in a fine performance to finish on the podium.
Sellar, just back after a lengthy injury spell, ran an excellent time of 14:17 to hand over to Davis, who ran the fourth-quickest time of all the masters athletes of 12:56 to haul the PH team into fourth spot.
Kieran then maintained that position with a run of 13:36 before Wright, in 12:59, was able to claw back one more place to secure third.
Prior to that, the women's team had finished in 27th position, with Kirstin Lownie posting their fastest time of 15:.06 on the opening leg.
Julie Menzies ran a good lap of 15:35 ahead of handing over to Louise Lessels, who clocked 17:22, as Susan Allan brought them home in a time of 19:41.
The men's senior 'A' team of Darren Jubb (13:43), Mike McConnell (13:19), Phil Waring (14:.23) and Aaron Bennet (13:27) finished 40th overall, while the 'B' team of Colin Somerville (14:29), Mark Webster (14:29), Billy Stewart (15:58) and Alan McGowan (15:58) placed 82nd.
In most age categories, teams of four each completed a lap of the four-kilometre course, but the over-50s teams comprised just three runners.
PH’s team was led off by Mark McLean (15:17), followed by Kevin Hughes (16:07), and Wright Beveridge (15:21) to place ninth overall.
Andrew Wright was also in action at the recent Glasgow University Five-Mile Race and came close to eclipsing Jonathan Peebles' club record time of 26:40, finishing in a time of 26:.48 for 11th place overall, and second in the V40 category.
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