Introduction

Following the very positive feedback from this years event, the dinner dance will again take place at Dumfries Rugby Club, Park Farm on Friday 6th February, 2009.

Arrive 7pm for 7:30pm start including meal, presentation of club prizes and awards, live music by Pentland Celidh band and full supporting disco.

Tickets only £17 per person available from David McNaught at Nunholm on club nights. Numbers limited!

Once again Richard McDougal will be hosting a New Years day run from Heathfield Farm, Johnstone Bridge nr. Lockerbie assembling at 10:00 in the morning on New Years Day. Dumfries Running Club members who are interested in taking part in this run - which is generally held at a very relaxed pace followed by refreshments - are invited to come along. Please ask at the club on Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays for more details.

28 runners took part in the 2008 Christmas handicap race held on the 5 mile Holywood Stroll course on Sunday 21st December.

Gael Moffat ran an excellent race and managed to hold off Adam Dickie by 1second to cross the line as the handicap winner followed by the fast finishing Lisa Finlay a few seconds later in 3rd place.

It really was the ladies who took the honours this year with Gael winning the Handicap Trophy and Lisa producing a superb time of 30min28secs which was the 2nd fastest time of the day and believed to be a ladies record for this course (to be verified)!

The points have been updated following Decembers re-scheduled race after the bad weather.

The pinnacle of months of preparation and training came last Saturday when 17 members of Dumfries Running Club took part as the largest club group in the 50 mile round Rotherham challenge. This hardcore event involves walkers and runners navigating their way round the South Yorkshire countryside along canal banks, quiet roads, through fields and over hillsides guided by maps and written instructions.

6 members of DRC completed the full 50 miles: Paul Hart 7hr47mins (2nd), Les Hill 9hr (17th), Peter Hill 11hr17mins (69th), Dawn McDonald 12hr15mins (88th), Marian McPhail 13hr8mins (116th), Richard McDougal 13hr8mins (117th).

Unfortunately Chris Holmes pulled out at the halfway mark feeling the effects of working nightshift leading up to the race combined with the terrible conditions.

Former member David Breen (junior) also completed the full 50miles in 14hr19mins (134th).

The performances of Paul Hart, Les Hill and Peter Hill gave Dumfries Running Club the 1st team prize in the individual event.

Two Dumfries Running Club groups were among 21 teams who tackled the 8 stages as relay teams. The two relay teams had contrasting ambitions. The mixed team ”The Crocks and Chicks” consisting of Sandy Shankland, Mhairi Duff, Dougie Brown and Jo Zakrzewski were aiming to win the category of first mixed team, running against a number of full strength 8 person teams. They romped home as 4^th team overall in 6 hours 42minutes beating the second mixed team by well over an hour. The Dumfries Doonhamers consisting of Kevin Breen, Frank Skachill, Stephen Mohan and David Breen senior had much more modest ambitions of hopefully avoiding the wooden spoon as last team. Finishing as 17^th team in 9 hours 10 minutes, at least an hour and a half later than expected, this team had to put up with good natured ribbing. At the post race party everyone had enough energy to celebrate a hard but rewarding achievement and hatch possible plans to improve for 2009 as it is impossible that conditions could be as hard next year.

All runners were supported by fellow DRC member Alan McKean who supplied drinks, food and much needed dry clothes at each checkpoint.

On Sunday 14th December two members of DRC travelled down to the picturesque setting of the Langdale Valley to take on this 10K.

Congratulations to Suzanne Broatch who completed her first ever race in a respectable time of 1hr2mins on this testing course. Johnathan Dale obviously likes this race returning after a strong performance in 2007. He again produced an excellent time of 36mins 11secs to finish in 9th place and 3rd male vet 40.

On Saturday 29th November the long established Hugh Wilson memorial 10k was held at East Kilbride. With only 160 hardy entrants braving the cold frosty conditions the standards are always very high and all of the best runners in west central Scotland use the course that involved many underpasses and footbridges as a guide to their form over the winter season. 3 runners from Dumfries Running Club took part, Mhairi Duff was using the race as a final chance to gain the nationally recognised gold standard award for the distance. Guided round the course by Les Hill, running on home territory, she really had to push herself to meet the standard of 39.30 and her hard work paid off as she finished in 39.26 and was second woman overall with Les just a second in front. In only her second ever club race Beatrice Queen found the cold conditions tough going but she dug in and knocked over 2 minutes from her PB in 57.32.

Following the Brampton to Carlisle race the final results for the 2008 Handicap Grand Prix are in. See results here.

The Handicap Grand Prix is based on how well you do against your predicted time in 3 out of 4 races during 2008 (Holywood Stroll 5mile, Castle Douglas 5mile, Dumfries10K, Brampton to Carlisle 10mile). The exact calculation of times and points is subject to complex mathematical algorithms and projections known but to only a few capable of understanding this sort of thing in the club!

Well done to Norman Neilson who is this years winner! Closely followed by Sebastian Pflanz.

Following the club AGM on 20th November the committee members for the forthcoming year are Stephen Mohan (Chairperson), David McNaught (Treasurer), Susan Graham (Secretary), Paul Hart (Membership & website co-ordinator), Dawn McDonald, Douglas Brown, Sandy Shankland, Kirsten Holt, Marcus Scotney, Richard McDougal, Louise Blackley.

Please contact any of these members if you would like any running club issues discussed at the monthly committee meetings.

The position of Club Captain remains unfilled at this time. Following the December committee meeting Les has kindly agreed to continue as the caretaker club captain until this position is filled.

As the year end approaches can all DRC members who want to claim a certificate regarding the standards scheme complete the form here and return to to either Les Hill or Dougie Brown.

You still have until the end of December to achieve the desired results. However, if you have already achieved the results needed please return the form as soon as possible to make it easier for those dealing with the scheme.

Following Brampton to Carlisle race the final results for the 2008 Grand Prix are in. See results here.

Well done to Marcus Scotney and Mhairi Douglas who are the winners both collecting maximum points.

Following the very positive feedback from this years event, the dinner dance will again take place at Dumfries Rugby Club, Park Farm on Friday 6th February, 2009.

Arrive 7pm for 7:30pm start including meal, presentation of club prizes and awards, live music by Pentland Celidh band and full supporting disco.

Tickets only £17 per person available from David McNaught at Nunholm from 28th November onwards. Numbers limited!

The 2009 Cross Country Championship has been selected for both men and women and will be held at the Annan River races on Sunday 1st March, 2009.

All members are encouraged to attend the annual club A.G.M. on Thursday 20th November at 8.15pm, followed by a buffet supper. Agenda is posted here.

Well done to the large number (32 in total!) of Dumfries Running Club members who battled against the strong headwind to compete in the 2008 Brampton to Carlisle 10 mile road race on 15th November.

For photos taken of some of the club members nearing the finish see photos here.

Over the weekend of 1st and 2nd November a large number of club members took part in the Stranraer 10K on Saturday and the Derwentwater 10mile race on Sunday.

The annual 'Festive Five' mile handicap race will be held on Sunday 20th December 2008 at 10.30am, over the Holywood Stroll course, and all club members are invited to attend. Please fill in the list on the club notice board or let Les Hill know that you want to run by 16th December. Full details

Congratulations from Dumfries Running Club to Mhairi and Raymond Duff on their marriage at the Mabie House Hotel on Saturday 25th October. To celebrate the day Les, Sandy and Dougie organised a special early morning run in Mabie Forest for Mhairi including a surprise stop to celebrate with a bottle of Bucks Fizz that had been hidden the previous day! See photos here.

The Dumfries Running Club Annual General Meeting will be held at Nunholm Sports Centre on Thursday 20th November at 8.15pm, followed by a buffet supper. Any motions should be submitted to the Club Secretary (Mhairi Douglas) or Chairman (Stephen Mohan) by Thursday 6th November. All DRC members are invited.

A number of races have been suggested to be used as our next Cross Country Championships. Please have a look at the attached notice and let me Les Hill know by 31st October if you have a preference for any of these races. If there is enough feed back to this message we may be able to nominate a race for both the men and ladies championships - they don't have to be the same venue. Feel free to suggest more than one but if so list them in order of preference, and please only get involved if there is a chance you would take part! The earliest race in the list is 6th December, so Les would like to be able to notify everyone by 6th November which race is nominated. Full list of suggested races

Thanks to all members of DRC and their families and friends who helped out at the Dumfries Half Marathon. Without everyone's help and commitment there would be no race. The hard work put in by race organiser Vicky Little paid off, with increased entries and a very successful event. It's good to get feedback from competitors, both positive and negative, as we continually look to improve the race each year. Here are a selection of the comments received so far.

Dumfries running club has recently decided on a design for a club jacket in the club colours, ideal to wear before & after training or races. The jackets cost £24 and are available in a choice of 6 sizes. To try on the jackets that we currently have to determine the best size for you please see Paul Hart on club nights at Nunholm.

The winter handicap series will again be held over the Crichton 4 miles course. These are a series of 4 mile races held on the first Thursday of each month, though the exact date may alter if it clashes with local races. Start times are worked out by the handicapper, and points awarded after each race, with the best three runs to count. The maximum points each race are 25. The first race will be held on Thursday 9th October and full details of the Winter Series are here

The 2008 Dumfries Half Marathon was held on Sunday morning; one of the warmest days in Dumfries this summer. The race was won by Martin Graham of Shettleston Harriers in a fast time of 72 mins 46 seconds. The women's race was won by Katie Teague from Edinburgh in the time of 84:04. Both men's and ladies team prizes went to Dumfries. Hopefully everyone who ran enjoyed the race, and thanks to all who helped on the day. Full results and list of prizewinners. The photographs are courtesy of Sandy Robertson and further photographs can be found at photoboxgallery.

On Saturday 13th September Paul Hart won the silver medal at the 2008 Scottish 100K championships held at Perth. This new race, organised in partnership with Scottish Athletics to help develop ultra distance running in Scotland, featured both a 100k race and a 24 hour race. Paul's finishing time of 7hrs 44mins 57secs gave him a new PB by some 6 minutes over his performance in the Anglo Celtic Plate for Scotland earlier in 2008, and achieved the Scottish qualifying time for the Commonwealth championships to be held in Keswick in 2009. Here is Paul's race report.

The Brampton to Carlisle 10 mile road race will be held on Saturday 15th November. Discounted entry fees are available to club entries submitted together. Mike Trant has offered to co-ordinate race entries for those interested. Full details here. Please note the entries require a Scottish Athletics affiliation number, not a DRC membership number.

The winner of this years Summer Handicap series is Jo Needham, the only person in the group of possible winners who improved their points total in the final race. Jo, who improved by over nine minutes from her first run in May to the September run, finished with 70 points. Three people, Maureen Dickson, Steve Mohan and Dave Breen, shared second place with 61 points. Jo Zakrzewski deserves a mention for being the only person to complete all six runs in the series. Hopefully everyone has enjoyed the series and thanks to all the club members who helped time keep and make it all possible for the races to go ahead. The first run in the Winter series around the Crichton Campus will be on Thursday 9th October. Please remember to wear reflective clothing for the winter series. Final results here.

On-the-Day entries will be taken at the MacLeod Pavilion (NOT the Crichton). The Pavilion will be open from 9am. Parking is available at Kingholm Skate Park, 500m from the Pavilion.

Results of the hill race have now available. Congratulations to all who completed it in the tricky conditions under foot, particularly the two champions Mhairi and Marcus.

The August run in the Summer handicap series was held at Holywood on 4th August. There was a good turn out for the run, with 21 runners and two members doing the time keeping at finish. Thanks to Marian and Doug for this. The series is currently led by Jo Needham on 65 points. However, with one one race to go, there are still 10 people with a chance of taking the summer prize in the final race on September 4th. Latest results here.

The 2008 Club Hill Race Championship will again be held at Lotus Hill, Beeswing on Tuesday 26th August, start time 7pm. The course is a 4 mile loop of Lotus Hill, with 800 ft of climbing, and is a mixture of paths and tracks suitable for all. A recce run over the route has been arranged for Tuesday 12th August, start time 7pm. There is limited parking at the start so please try and share where possible. Details here

Congratulations to Les Hill, who made his 24hour debut last weekend at the Hull 24 hours race. The aim of the race is to cover as many miles as possible in 24 hours, with competitors free to choose their own running, walking, eating and resting schedules. Les started well and was exactly on target at 10 hours, covering some 62 miles. Despite being slowed by blisters and sore feet, Les showed great mental tenacity to eventually cover 102.6 miles, passing 100 miles in 20 hours 35 mins 47 seconds.

This years club championship race was held on Sunday 29th June.at the Stephen Unwin 10k in Carlisle. Some 16 Dumfries runners turned up a a warm, blustery day. First home, and this years club champion, was Paul Hart in 36:54. Second home was Sandy Shankland in 38:33, followed closely in third by Ian Brown in 38:53. The ladies title was once again won by Mhari Douglas in a time of 41:49. Second for the ladies was Jo Zakzewski in 44:44, and third was Susan Gallagher in 48:45. Full race results here

The summer barbecue will once again be held at Heathfield Farm, Templand on Saturday 26th July from 6.30pm. This year has a 70's theme and costs just £5. Please let Richard McDougal know if you are going, or add names to the list at Nunholm - see full details here.

The inaugural Queen of the South Viaduct 5k run was held on Saturday 5th July. The event, started by Jack Groom (The Provost) was a great success, with 70 runners taking part. The weather was kind to us, as only the last 10 participants who were caught by the incoming rain. It was a good mix of runners young and old, Christmas came early as 10 Santas took part! Approximately £220.00 was raised for the British Heart Foundation. Full list of participants here.

Vicky Little and Paul Hart of Dumfries Running Club took to the North York Moors on Saturday to tackle the Osmotherly Phoenix Trail races, part of the Vasque Series of Ultradistance Races, which attracts some of the top trail runners from all over the UK . Paul and Vicky were third in their respective races, race report here.

To celebrate the opening of the Queen of the South Viaduct/ Maxwelltown Cycle path, Dumfries Running Club is organising an inaugural 5km Fun Run on Saturday 5 July 2008, starting at 10am. This event, supported by the South West of Scotland Transport Partnership, will start and finish on the new viaduct. Entry is on the day, from 9.15am at Dumfries Sports Club, Nunholm Road , Dumfries . There is NO ENTRY FEE for the run, participants are asked to make donations, all of which will go to the British Heart Foundation. Full details here

On Sunday 18th May Paul Hart and Les Hill of Dumfries Running Club were in Cardiff to represent Scotland in the Anglo Celtic Plate 100K, a 62.1mile race between the four home countries and Eire . Paul had an excellent run, finishing in seventh place and leading Scottish team member in a very impressive time of 7 hours 50 minutes 48 seconds. This time also puts him in with an excellent chance of being selected to run for Scotland next year at this distance when it is introduced as a Commonwealth championship. Les, despite suffering from a thigh strain, finished in 10th overall and second Scottish counter in 8 hours 37 minutes 42 seconds. David Gardiner of Kirkintilloch Olympians was the third Scot to finish and along with Paul and Les helped Scotland secure second place in the competition but well behind England who won comfortably by taking the first three places. Follow these links for full race report and results.

This years this years club championship race will be held at the Stephen Unwin 10k at Carlisle on Sunday 29th June. This race will not count as part of the Grand Prix. There are 7 events constituting the Grand Prix series, which started with the Holywood Stroll and finish with the Brampton to Carlisle in November. Follow these links for full details of the Club Championship and the Grand Prix Series.

This year's Holywood Stroll, a 5 mile road race held on country lanes near Dumfries, was held in perfect conditions on Tuesday evening. The race was won by Alex Allardyce of Irvine AC in an excellent time of 27:16. Second on the night was David Armour and third was Jim Ferguson. First Dumfries runner was Marcus Scotney in fourth place in 28:27. Mhari Douglas, of host club Dumfries, won the ladies race in 33:25. Both men's and ladies team prizes went to Dumfries. Full results and list of prizewinners.

Several club members spent the bank holiday weekend running the West Highland Way. Pictures from the weekend are now posted on the photographs page.

This year's Club Championship is due to be a short race, which is normally a 10K. There is a choice of 2 races that will be suitable for this years race - the Steven Unwin 10k at Carlisle on 29th June or the Dumfries 10k on 2nd September. No one date will suit all club members, particularly during the summer, so we will go with the majority. Please let Les Hill know your preference for the club championship (preferably by email) by Monday 12th May so that an early decision can be made.

On Friday April 25th sportspeople from all over the region attended the annual Nithsdale Sports Awards Ceremony. Amongst the attendees were club members Paul Hart, Margaret Gray and Vicky Little. Paul had been nominated for the Male Personality of the Year Award, Margaret had been nominated for the Coach of the Year Award and Vicky was one of the 6 lady members of the club nominated for the Team of the Year Award.

A huge congratulations is due to Paul Hart who was successful in winning the Male Personality of the Year Award. After a record-breaking year Paul was thrilled to accept the award.

Margaret Gray received a Special Merit Award for her tireless work as the Monday night coach. I'm sure everyone who attends the monday night sessions will agree Margaret is more than deserving of this award.

Vicky Little also collected a Special Merit Award on behalf on the those who have been in the prize-winning ladies teams that raced throughout 2007. The Ladies Team included Mhairi Douglas, Dawn McDonald, Vicky Little, Elizabeth Smart, Susan Gallagher and Marian McPhail.

Some further photos of the Dumfries marathon, courtesy of Gareth McIntyre, can be seen on this link.

The Round Rotherham 50m and relay is on 13th December, and Les Hill is starting to coordinate accommodation for those interested. Paul and Les intend doing the full 50 miles again and have booked accommodation at Worksop Travelodge. Rooms are currently available for £29 per room, so if part of a relay team this will mean paying between £10 and £15 depending on how many are going. We will also book somewhere for the Saturday night with a similar cost. If you are interested in taking part in the race individually or as part of a relay team please let Les know before Friday 18th April so that if there is enough interest he can try to get everyone into the same Travelodge - a decision does not have to be made by the end of next week, next weeks deadline is only to try and get everyone together. If you say yes and the Travelodge is booked it requires payment with a non refund if you pull out.

This years Holywood Stroll, a fast and flat 5 mile road race will be held on Tuesday 13th May at 7pm. Full details are here.

4 members of Dumfries Running Club took part is one of the most beautiful road races in the UK, a tough lap of Coniston Lake. Best placed was Paul Hart in 1 hour 26 minutes and 50 seconds, followed closely behind by Les Hill in 1 hour 28 minutes and 14 seconds. Elisabeth Smart finished strongly in 2 hours 2 minutes and 28 seconds. Vicky Little paced her race well to finish in 2 hours 7 minutes and 6 seconds, well inside her target time. Paul and Vicky also competed in the Lancaster Three Bridges 10K on Sunday 6th April. Paul was not far outside his 10K best time finishing in 7th position in a time of 35 minutes and 39 seconds, and Vicky managed to finish 21st female in 46 minutes and 20 seconds, a new personal best time for the distance.

Provisional results and list of prizewinners are now available. Congratulations to the race winners David McLelland of Irving AC in a time of 2.48.15 and Joanna Goorney of Wesham Road Runners in 3.19.21. For photographs taken by Sandy Robertson of Photobox please follow this link.

Postal entries are now open for the Dumfries half marathon, to be held on Sunday 21st September 2008, with new finish at the Macleod Pavilion. Entry form available here or see race page.

Congratulations to Paul Hart and Les Hill, who have both been selected to represent Scotland at the Anglo-Celtic plate 100k race, to be held at Bute Park in Cardiff on 18th May.

The final run in the winter handicap series was held on Thursday 6th March. With all to go for, both Rab Wilson and new member Maureen Dickson beat their handicap as they tried extremely hard to finish on top of the pile, with Rab being first on the night and Maureen third. The overall series was won by Rab, with Maureen a close second, and Des Park third. The handicap's now switch to the Holywood course, with the first run on Thursday April 3rd. Final series results here

Nine members of Dumfries Running Club traveled to Morecambe for a 20 miles road race on the first Sunday in March. Paul Hart continued his recent good form to break the two hour barrier for the first time, finishing 6th in 1.59.15. Les Hill was 11^th and first vet 50, and a strong run by Doug Brown in 2.09.19 helped these three runners win the team prize for DRC. Mhairi Douglas ran superbly in the ladies competition to finish among the prizes in 7^th place in 2.19.52. Good performances were registered by Norman Neilson (2.16.09), Frank Skachill (2.36.19), Susan Gallagher (2.50.15) and Jim Grierson and Mike Trant.

On Saturday February 16th, Vicky Little headed to Midlothian to take part in the Carnethy 5 Hill Race. Organised by the Carnethy Hill Running Club, the course covers 6 miles and scales 2500 feet over 5 peaks. A complete novice to hill running, Vicky found it a tough but enjoyable experience finishing in 1 hour 39 minutes. The overall race winner, in the second fastest time ever of 47 minutes 11 seconds was Lloyd Taggart. First lady home in 55 minutes 13 seconds was ladies course record holder Angela Mudge.

The February edition of the winter handicap series at the Crichton was held on 7th February. First home on the night was Dave Breen, followed by Maureen Dickson and Rab Wilson. There are eight runners who still satnd a chance of winning the series overall, with the final run to take place on March 6th. The latest series results are here.

DRC is hoping to organize a weekend away running the West Highland Way from Saturday 3rd May to Monday 5th May. Both runners and drivers will be needed for the weekend. Final numbers for the trip need to be in before Thursday 21st February, so all those interested please speak to Vicky Little or Paul Hart a.s.a.p. More information about costs, travel arrangements etc. will be available forthwith. Click here to see poster.

Dumfries Running Club dance and presentation was held on Friday 1st February, 2008 at Dumfries Rugby Club. The 2007 club championship, held in October at the Cumbrian Run half marathon, was won by Les Hill. The ladies champion for the fourth year running Mhari Douglas, who achieved a clean sweep of all the ladies prizes. Marcus Scotney won mens grand prix, cross country and hill race championships. Full list of prize winners and further photos here

The men and ladies cross country championships will again be held at the Annan River Races on Sunday 24th February. The race is over approx 6k, with a start time not before noon. Details are available here or on the Annan website

Eight members from Dumfries Running Club participated in the Round Rotherham 50 miles trail race on Saturday 8th December 2006. Paul Hart, Les Hill and Richard McDougal all completed the 50 miles, made all the more challenging by the wet and windy conditions. Paul finished second in 7 hours 24 minutes, Les was 5th in 7:35 and Richard 78th place, in a time of 10:20. This result earned DRC second prize in the team awards. The ladies team of 'Doonhamer Dollies' placed 12th overall and 3rd ladies team in a tremendous time of 7 hours 21 minutes...Full report here.

Two members of DRC traveled up to the Nigel Barge 10K race in Glasgow on Saturday. Paul Hart was 23rd in 36:19, and Les Hill was 34th in 38:03. Its a tough 2 loop course, the weather was very cold with a torrential downpour 1/2 way round! Paul and Vicky Little also ran the Dave Clarke 5 mile race on Sunday at Lancaster, Vicky's first serious run for many weeks due to injury. Paul was 5th in 28:19 and Vicky was delighted to finish strongly in 40:26.

The latest run in the winter handicap series at the Crichton was held on 3rd January. Eighteen runners braved the snow, with newcomer Jo Zakrzewski first home. The series leader after four races remains Des Park with 67 points, with Sandy Shankland moving upto second and Rab Wilson third. Thanks to Vicky and Mike for timekeeping in the cold. The latest series results are here.

The Dumfries Running Club dance will be held on Friday 1st February, 2008 at Dumfries Rugby Club. The rugby club is a new venue, and has full catering facilities, space for 120 people seated for the meal, and plenty of dancing space for the music by the live band KG. Tickets are priced at £15 and obtained through Dave McNaught at the clubhouse. Final numbers need to be in by 24th January, 2008. Full details

Any club member who still wants to claim a standards certificate for 2007 please send details to Les Hill as soon as possible. Details of the awards scheme and claim form are here

Club News 2008