A speedy 5km run for Darvel athletes

Apr 24 2009 by Stef Lach, Kilmarnock Standard

DARVEL couple Les and Liz McDerment made their debut over the Glasgow Parkrun course last Saturday.

The 5km event is held weekly in Pollock Park and a number of Kilmarnock Harriers have been using it to test their fitness over the last few months. Both were pleased with their debut runs around the hilly route.

Les stopped the clock at 19.33 to make him the third fastest harrier around the course, with Liz’s time of 22.08 making her second quickest female. Another well-known entrant in the race was Kilmaurs runner Craig Shearin.

In great form just now, he stopped the clock a margin over 20 minutes. Visit www.parkrun.co.uk for all details and on-line registration.

The Killie trio of Willie Duffy, Jan McLeod and Roddie Pugh will line up along with 30,000 others on Sunday for the world’s greatest race – the London Marathon.

All have put in many months of tough training to prepare for the event and all at the club wish them well.

The annual social run, the Valley Dash, will be held on Thursday, April 30, in Newmilns. Entry is open to everyone, starters, 6 o’clock group and road runners.

Try and make the effort as it’s a great route and an opportunity to network with club members. Les McD is the contact for this.

Connell Drummond is currently compiling lists of those wanting to compete in the Around Arran Relays. The race will be held on July 25, but if you want to run you need to register your interest with him just now.

The club will move its training base to Scott Ellis Tuesday May 5.

Looking slightly further out and some diary dates: Wednesday, May 6, is the Troon 10k road race and as entries are filling fast, if you want to run you need to complete this quickly; Kaim Hill race will take place next Wednesday.

The start is in the village of Fairlie along the coast from Largs; Saturday, May 16, and the destination is Brodick in Arran for the Goatfell Hill Race; a day later and it’s the Dunlop 5k, 10k and children’s races. Details of all these races and much more can be found at www.kilmarnockharriers.com